New To The Bow - Need Help!!

[cyycguy]

Hi all, would appreciate any advice...am a novice fly fisherman used to still waters in the UK, and have now got my rod, reel and license in hand and eager to get onto the Bow! I live in SW Calgary (by the Crowchild Bridge) and wondering where's best to start? i imagine driving south out of the city would be a good idea, was hoping people would know good directions/access points to some fishing hotspots! I have a 9 1/2 ft 5/6 rod, and have no clue about flies or leader yet...all advice gratefully received!

 

Tight Lines!

[reevesr1]

Hi all, would appreciate any advice...am a novice fly fisherman used to still waters in the UK, and have now got my rod, reel and license in hand and eager to get onto the Bow! I live in SW Calgary (by the Crowchild Bridge) and wondering where's best to start? i imagine driving south out of the city would be a good idea, was hoping people would know good directions/access points to some fishing hotspots! I have a 9 1/2 ft 5/6 rod, and have no clue about flies or leader yet...all advice gratefully received!

 

Tight Lines!

 

If I wasn't lazy, I'd go through some old posts that answer this question and post a link. Birchy will probably do it for me!

 

Get a 9 ft 2x leader. Get some 2x, 3x, and maybe 4x tippet. Get a bunch of San Juan Worms, wire wrapped. Every fly shop has them. Get some Caddis pupae, copper johns, prince, pheasant tail, stone fly, and hares ear nymphs. The fly shops can help you with sizes. Basically, the Stone flies will be big, the caddis and hares ears in the 12 to 16 and the rest between 14 and 18. Those will get you started for flies. There are a myriad of dries and streamers you could get, but my advice, at first, is stick to nymphing. Its the quickest way to figure out where the fish hang out. Others will disagree with this. I've only been doing this for 1 1/2 yrs, mostly nymphing, and I catch fish very consistently now.

 

Fish the transitions between fast and slow water. As the summer warms up, the fish will move into the riffles and diamond (fast moving choppy) water. Tie on a San Jaun Worm to the leader and one of the smaller nymphs using the tippet to the shank of the worm. You can reverse this (small nymph first, worm second) and it will cast better. I just find my method fishes better. Again, some may disagree. Put an indicator on your leader 1 1/2 to 2X the water depth above the top fly. If you don't know the water depth, just put the indi at the top of the leader (9 ft above the top fly).

 

When fishing, cast upstream into the water you want to fish. Manipulate your line such that the indicator floats on the water without the line influencing the drift. The term is "drag free drift". You'll know it when you see it. Watch the bubbles. Your indi should be moving very near the same speed with no wake. The fish certainly know when the drift is drag free. They rarely hit when it isn't. Allow the indicator to drift below you. Every few casts, let it drift until it is dangling behind you, wait 5 seconds, and give a strip. Sometimes fish will hit when the nymphs rise. Try several casts in different parts of the run, working from close in to farther out. After you have worked a section, take 3 or 4 steps and do it again. Strike at EVERYTHING (I can't stress that enough) that makes the indicator do anything other than drift naturally. The pickup can be incredibly subtle, and the indi will just bobble. Never assume you are on bottom. And if you are not hitting bottom every couple of casts, my recommendation would be to add some small split shot. Oh, and don't assume the fish will be in the middle of the river. The best fishing in the bow IMHO is close to shore. Sometimes right on the shore.

 

As far as access, all the fly shops will have a map of the bow and its access points. Fish creek park is a great place to learn, especially during the week as there are less people. Though when you are beginning, it is nice to get out there on the weekend. The crowds will show you where the fishing is good. If you see more than one person in a spot, watch them fish. And try to look at the river and determine why they are fishing there. You can also ask. Most people will be willing to share info. You'll know the one's who wont. They will be the ones who won't even look at you. Just don't crowd anyone who is fishing. Many will offer to share the run with you, but don't assume they will. There are lots of access points below the city where people launch or take out their drift boats. All of them have good fishing nearby both upstream and downstream. If you are willing to walk, it will pay off.

 

Its a tough river to learn at first and can be very frustrating. Just stick with it, it will pay off. Once you start having some success, you can start streamer fishing, wet fly and dry fly fishing. All are a hoot, particularly dry fly!!

 

I also recommend taking Maxwells Walk and Wade. He has special running until the end of the month. See Maxs Walk and Wade

 

Best money you will ever spend to fish the Bow.

 

Maybe I should have looked for an old post......

[pigl]

Nice job Rick. Intro to fishing the Bow in 1 page - it took Jim Mac a whole book to do that.

[tbone]

rickr saved me from typing it all out, take his advice.

 

One thing I would like to add is that I find bow river fish pretty selective at times. Sure you can catch a few fish almost every trip on the wire worm but if you really try to learn what they are eating, you'll catch twice as many. Having said that, stick with using a wire worm until you get some confidence fishing the river. At times fish will really key into a specific food item and not look at much else. It pays to take the time to figure out what they are feeding on and select the right type of nymph. The entomology forum on this site has some outstanding pics of the bugs found in the river. Use flies to match those bugs during the right time of the year and you'll turn average days into great days - theres something like 2500 - 3000 trout per mile in the bow below the city....

 

good luck

[reevesr1]

Nice job Rick. Intro to fishing the Bow in 1 page - it took Jim Mac a whole book to do that.

That would be because JMac has a whole book of knowledge, and more, in his head. I have like 5 paragraphs!

[Lundvike]

The only thing I would add is watch the posts in the Fishing Get Togethers on this forum and try to hook up with one of the board members might help a little at least with access points. A trip with Max is money well spent.

 

Oh and welcome to the board.

[ÜberFly]

John,

 

P M DrBullet (Nigel) he is from the UK and moved here a year (or so) ago... I met him floating the upper bow one evening and we've been fishing mates ever since... He had a difficult time at first (stubborn Brits don't want to listen to the locals advise), :P but now that he has, things have REALLY improved for him and he is a much happier angler...

 

I'm sure as a fellow ex-pat he'll help you out a lot... You're welcome to head out with us (me) anytime... Might just have wait until the water clears up a lot, first! COme June 1st I'll show you some hot spots where you live!!

 

Cheers!

 

Peter

[cyycguy]

thanks for all the advice people, very prompt! Very kind offer and i'll gladly take you up on that one Peter. I'm off to fish Prairie Creek and North Sask. river for the long weekend to break the season in!

 

Cheers

 

Andy

[ÜberFly]

thanks for all the advice people, very prompt! Very kind offer and i'll gladly take you up on that one Peter. I'm off to fish Prairie Creek and North Sask. river for the long weekend to break the season in!

 

Cheers

 

Andy

 

Hmm...

 

Prairie Creek in the Elbow Falls area (closed from until June 16 from what I can gather in the regs)?! And the N Sask... Worlds apart!! You must like driving (and on the wrong side) :P

 

P

[cyycguy]

ah, got the wrong creek! ah well, i'm in Rocky Mountain House so the North Sask. and there's some trout creek nearby i believe. Fly rod is in the mail so resorting to some spinning to quench the fishing bug!

[JMasson]

There is a Prairie Creek that is just outside Rocky and it opens on April 1, although, it wasn't fishable. Hopefully it is cleared out by the weekend for you. Decided to stay at home this weekend instead of jockeying for a camping spot with some of yahoos in the foothills. Have a good time, Prairie and the N. Fork are two of my favourite creeks to fish.

 

There is tons of fishing in Rocky and to the west/ southwest of Rocky. Love that area, can't wait for June!

[ÜberFly]

There is a Prairie Creek that is just outside Rocky and it opens on April 1, although, it wasn't fishable. Hopefully it is cleared out by the weekend for you. Decided to stay at home this weekend instead of jockeying for a camping spot with some of yahoos in the foothills. Have a good time, Prairie and the N. Fork are two of my favourite creeks to fish.

 

There is tons of fishing in Rocky and to the west/ southwest of Rocky. Love that area, can't wait for June!

 

Cheers,

 

Now we know!!

 

Thanks,

 

P

[cyycguy]

well all the creeks/rivers in Rocky were fast and muddy, Peppers Lake in the Mountains was also unfishable (still frozen!). Tried out Twin Lakes which was awesome, caught my limit within a couple of hours and lost a great 3 pounder (all rainbows), damn barbless hooks. Would recommend the place to anyone who's in the area...everyone seemed to be catching and great quality fish.