Bluecharm Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Hi all this is my first post on FFC. First off, i want to to say how awesome it is to have come across this site. It's amazing how much knowledge I've gained in only a few short weeks since first finding this site. I was going through the regs and noticed that the Elbow below the dam is open until march 31. Since i live within walking distance to the dam, I thought i might try my luck. As well i have noticed that most of the ice has moved out of this part of the river. My question is whether or not the elbow is worth fishing this time of year. I am new to fly fishing and enjoy the Elbow because it isn't quite as intimidating as the Bow . Any advice would be sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gravelman Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 I have fished it this time of year with no luck. But i was to lazy to really search for some spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdB Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 welcome to the board Bluecharm. I can't give you any advise on the elbow due to not having ever fished it, though i'm sure there are tons of guys on here that have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonny5 Posted March 23, 2008 Share Posted March 23, 2008 I find the elbow a lot tougher to fish than the bow as there are not many fish in there, but it can be OK later in the year (as in a couple of fish in an evening is great). Never thought to try it in the winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j5ep00 Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 ive fished it 3 times this month and its tough to find fish. you could cast into bottom of the dam. i normally find a brown or two in there. good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluecharm Posted March 24, 2008 Author Share Posted March 24, 2008 Thanks for the help, I've tried the pool at the bottom of the dam and all I've found were a couple average sized pike that fought like a sack of doorknobs. I think I might have to wait until summer to find trout in the Elbow. Can someone tell me why the Elbow shuts down for two months in the spring and again in the fall. Is it because the rainbows are spawning in the spring and the browns are spawning in the fall? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bigbadbrent Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 They shut the elbow for the pike spawn (dum, they spawn in march and april, so you'd assume they'd shut it from march on...just retardation) during the spring (rainbows head south to the highwood) and the close in the fall for the browns Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troutlover Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 "rainbows head south too the highwood? " i don't think that is compleatly true............... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bigbadbrent Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 ask some biologists, the rainbows spawn in the highwood, sheep, threepoint creek, and very rarely in Fish Creek. You might find the very very very rare one that is spawning in the elbow, but the elbow is a brown trout spawning river, not a rainbow one. Why would they only close it till may 31st, instead of all the other spawning grounds that are shut till june 16th? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ham Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 "rainbows head south too the highwood? " i don't think that is compleatly true............... uhhh ohhh i smell a fightttt brewinnnnnnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j5ep00 Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 the majority of my catch in the elbow there are browns. but what about the rainbows above the weir? do they use the fish ladder to head to the highwood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bigbadbrent Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Have you ever caught a rainbow in the elbow? I can't think of me ever catching one.. So i dunno, i just say what the biologists have told me, and what i've read in the science papers. I can't find the one that Trevor Rhodes wrote on the spawning of the rainbows, stupid alberta government got ahold of it and have it hidden on their site somewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monger Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 There is quite a bit of instream spawning in the Bow above the Elbow by rainbows. They don't seem to use the Elbow that much but I have talked to some people who have seen them there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDone Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Have you ever caught a rainbow in the elbow? Yup, caught lots albeit 20 plus years ago, historically Bows did spawn in the Elbow and many tribs (i.e Jumping Pound) north of the city so i can see the mentality of closing it down during the spring. Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueNorther Posted March 24, 2008 Share Posted March 24, 2008 Rainbows do spawn in the Elbow,not in great numbers but they're there.I've seen them on redds below the spillway many times. Last year I fished it 2 days before the closure and caught 3 bows along the Calgary Golf and Country Club section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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