2017 Fishing Regulations

[SilverDoctor]

You can read the regs online here, download a pdf or order a printed copy.

Time to get familiar with any changes.

[SilverDoctor]

New changes.

 

Bow River (from Banff National Park downstream to Bassano Dam
including Bassano Reservoir) – Open all year; Bait Ban; Trout and
Whitefish limit 0; Pike limit 0; Burbot limit 0; Walleye limit 0.

[Dangus]

That's gonna be difficult to remember! Get those RAPP numbers on speed dial, Douglasdale poach town will be ripe for the pickin

[fishteck]

Disappointing to see no closure to the City of Calgary reach of the Bow during Oct and Nov to protect spawning Brown Trout. But i must say I am not surprised

[jpinkster]

If they aren't going to protect bulls during the spawn, good luck with non-natives.

 

We are really hoping that a few years worth of brown trout redd survey data may encourage the province to consider some localized closures in high yield spawning areas. Dare to dream...

[BurningChrome]

They jacked up the license fees for non-residents too.

[Spurly]

They jacked up the license fees for non-residents too.

 

This one is nice to see. It's about time

Would have been nice to see them put a classified waters fee on non residents as well.

[monger]

3 walleye limit at Pine Coulee. Going to slowly remove them I guess. Perhaps a future trout fishery

[BurningChrome]

Would have been nice to see them put a classified waters fee on non residents as well.

I'm ok with the increase for now. They can always make more adjustments next year after seeing if this makes any difference. I'm actually more disappointed that there was no change in barbed vs barbless hooks, especially on 0 limit waterbodies.

[SilverDoctor]

Yes I kind of hoped that they would have put barbless back in. Might help the step on the fish and pull crowd.

[bcubed]

they don't have a way to implement barbless or even ban felts, because they've deferred that part of the AB Fisheries Act to the federal...

[SilverDoctor]

Yes a shame, but they also have a total bait ban so no more maggots.

[RedBeard]

3 walleye limit at Pine Coulee. Going to slowly remove them I guess. Perhaps a future trout fishery

 

Yup, that survey worked too!

[jpinkster]

Imagine that, the government acted on recommendations made through a survey. Now imagine if anglers had a more consistent and unified voice on the issues that we care about!

[BrianR]

Imagine that, the government acted on recommendations made through a survey. Now imagine if anglers had a more consistent and unified voice on the issues that we care about!

Pinkster; That was already done ..It was called a Rnd.Tbl.Mtg...Where we fishermen made some rec.to them.But it TOTALLY failed when the upper mgnt.couldnot even get there biologists to attend.Where a proposal from the mtg.,effected those area biologists.These bio's had more input,than there own upper mgnt.& way more clout....

[fishteck]

The barbless hook issue has been debated for some time. You can always find reports and surveys that suggest barbless hooks reduce fish kill, but under what protocol was the research conducted.

 

I have watched anglers play a fish to almost death in the belief that a barbless hook would dislodge and the angler would not get his hands on the fish. Although most anglers observe the barbless hook belief, bringing the fish to the net quickly and reducing the photo shoots will more than likely save more fish.

[TheBrownWhisperer]

never mind...

[TroutPanther]

If they aren't going to protect bulls during the spawn, good luck with non-natives.

 

We are really hoping that a few years worth of brown trout redd survey data may encourage the province to consider some localized closures in high yield spawning areas. Dare to dream...

I know bulls get protection in at least some areas (I.e. Hidden creek, certain sections of the sheep, elbow, etc.) it would be nice to have consistency but I think there would be a big backlash if they shut down all waters with bulls present on Sept 1.

 

Just out of curiousity - now that the stretch above the WHD weir is open all year, any plans to do a redd survey up there to compare how many browns are using that stretch to spawn (or the weir to glenmore for that matter) vs glenmore - police?

[fishteck]

TroutPanther:

Before any surveys are done on the Bearspaw to Harvie Passage reach of the Bow there is a need to get HP completed first. The redevelopment should be complete by the end of this year, but I'm not sure if the river's flow will be reinstated until the spring of 2018. I would assume that fish populations will have to be assessed in the coming years.

[trailhead]

Some good changes for the Bow in the no bait part, and the increase in fees for out of province is good too, maybe it will cut down the pressure on the waters in the SW.

Seems like most of the rest of the waters are as previous, like the Elbow, Highwood and Crowsnest.

[threepwood]

For what it's worth they left the closures on the Elbow below the reservoir intact

[muha]

Uhmm from 22 to Glenmore 2 trout over 35... same goes for couple other trout streams.

 

Glenmore reservoir is till 5 trout no size limit. Right in the center of city we have a world class trout fishery with browns an rainbows bumping 20lb mark yet no one is reaching out to protect it. We rather waste money on experimental fish stocking to get "trophy trout" than protect what is already here. Stop trout retention from Glenmore res and within 3-5 y3ars it should turn into very fishable lake. Maybe a fish ladder up the dam. Late fall go watch brown trout and in what number and size they team up below dam. Only to face an impassable concrete barrier, watching those big hens and bucks smashing against concrete trying to leap over it. No where else do you get to see them jump out of water 6-8'.

 

Treble hooks should have no place in mountain streams.

[flyfishy]

Good and for sayin"I fish that way. New regs. Someone was thinking. Beers lots . Maybe I'll hook a 2 pounder..🍴Thanks Silver Doctor for all your help. And love your flys that u sharing with FFC team!🍡More flys pal... # flyfishy.ca been ongreenbeer

[BurningChrome]

New changes.

 

Bow River (from Banff National Park downstream to Bassano Dam

including Bassano Reservoir) – Open all year; Bait Ban; Trout and

Whitefish limit 0; Pike limit 0; Burbot limit 0; Walleye limit 0.

Just realized something. There's nothing in the new regs about the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary...

[jimforrest]

A question about interpretation of the 2017 regulations as it pertains to the Bow River, in particular in the Cochrane area where I live. In past years the river between the Ghost and Bearspaw dams has been closed from Nov. 1 -March 31. With the new regs the river is to be open all year. When do these regs take force? For instance, could I go down to the river today (March 26) and fish legally with my 2016 licence, which expires on March 31/2017? Or would I need a new 2017 licence? Or do these new regs not take force until April 1? I'm not sure I will have time in the next week, but with the nice weather it is tempting, especially since I walk my dog by the river every day. Any ideas?