dharvey Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 I have to say I'm a seafood lover and I would love to try some trout or whitefish but I have yet to eat anything I've caught out of the Bow. I'm sure that this has come up before but as I'm new I'd appreciate your input. Most people I talk to say they would never eat anything out of the Bow, but I don't think it's as polluted as people say. I've never eaten trout or whitefish so here is my question. Is the quality of the fish as good as the fishing? How do 'bow, brown and whitefish taste? Quote
Keith Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 The fishing is so good in the Bow because of all of the sewage that goes in there. It's treated of course, but that right there is enough to count myself out. If that doesn't bother you, take a look in your regulations and you will also note that there is a mercury warning for fish taken from the Bow. Mercury is a toxic heavy-metal and not something to mess around with. Keep in mind that the Bow flows through some industrial land. And that land probably wasn't always treated very well, especially in the middle of the 20th century when people didn't think environmentally. I've also heard some tales of people cooking Bow fish and coming up with a smelly end product. At the end of the day it's a choice. But for me it's not much of a choice. Quote
theiceman2 Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 This is third hand info but a co-worker was telling me that his friend is a waste treatment engineer in Calgary and the system is world renound. He also said that his friend drinks the end product before it goes back into the Bow at the end of the facility tour to show how confident they are in the treatment process. White fish are great eating, they have a slight cucumbery taste, so they go great with summer salad Quote
annapolis Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 The bonneybrook sewage treatment plant is rated one of the best in the world. Having said that, the water is treated to not pollute the river, it is not drinkable. If the guy does drink the water out of the system I'm sure he has some major stomach issues. I take a tour of the poo plant every year with my students on the riverwatch program and each year a student asks if you can drink the water and every year it's a big fat no. The riverwatch program is great, it allows the students to do tests above and below the treatment plant and the differences are huge, the overall quality of the water is far greater upstream of the plant. Having said this, I'm sure people do drink the water, although as it's been explained to me it would be like drinking a cup of water from any place in the river without treatment, and I wouldn't do that. I really like the taste of smoked whitefish, great fish but I wouldn't eat any from the bow. Quote
birchy Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 This is third hand info but a co-worker was telling me that his friend is a waste treatment engineer in Calgary and the system is world renound. He also said that his friend drinks the end product before it goes back into the Bow at the end of the facility tour to show how confident they are in the treatment process. White fish are great eating, they have a slight cucumbery taste, so they go great with summer salad I've heard the same thing a few times. I believe McLennan mentions that in one or more of his books as well. Quote
Brad29 Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 If you want trout, I would go to one of the many stocked lakes. Probabley get the best tasting fish during winter or spring when the water is cold. Quote
Harps Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 The plants don't take a lot of pharmeceuticals out of the water... There has been some recent work done with fish species changing gender or having both, as well as looking at different hormones in the water. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...232/?hub=Health http://www2.canada.com/victoriatimescoloni...c83&k=42053 http://www.ec.gc.ca/INRE-NWRI/default.asp?...13&toc=show Quote
cheeler Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 If you want whitefish, head up the FTR and grab em where legal. Stay away from the pothole trout in prairie lakes in summer - they tend to take on a muddy taste. It's good we have a world class waste treatment plant, but the Bow also takes the sewer runoff and all types of garbage thrown in on the way. Rainbow trout with a side of needles and condoms? Quote
Hawgstoppah Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 Ok years ago a friend of mine took a fish home that was hooked badly and just did not make it. It was legally harvested, but regretable so as well. we decided to see just what it would taste like. upon cooking it, the whole house smelled like rotten sewage, and the flesh of the fish was rubbery. We ordered some pizza. Quote
coolwaters Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 I brought one home due to a deep hook up, i will definately never eat a bow brown again. It wasnt too stinky when fried however it did not taste as good as lit looked. My home water trout definatly taste alot better Quote
ÜberFly Posted May 14, 2009 Posted May 14, 2009 Come with me into the high country and we'll cook up a couple of cutties! Now them, there is some good tasting fish!! P I have to say I'm a seafood lover and I would love to try some trout or whitefish but I have yet to eat anything I've caught out of the Bow. I'm sure that this has come up before but as I'm new I'd appreciate your input. Most people I talk to say they would never eat anything out of the Bow, but I don't think it's as polluted as people say. I've never eaten trout or whitefish so here is my question. Is the quality of the fish as good as the fishing? How do 'bow, brown and whitefish taste? Quote
Parry Posted May 15, 2009 Posted May 15, 2009 Do many of the creeks a favour and head to an over populated brook trout stream. Bragg creek comes to mind, catch your limit and have a fry of one of the best tasting fish around while also helping the native fish in those systems and reduce the stunting of the introduced species(brrokies). Quote
Conor Posted May 15, 2009 Posted May 15, 2009 I'd personally stick to less pressured waters, if you want to take a few fish. The Bow gets hammered hard enough, as it is. I have been thinking more about keeping some dinner fish. I'd guess the recession will have a lot of people thinking this way. I was sitting down to a tilapia dinner the other day and felt very stupid for paying for fish shipped from S.America with the huge poundage of fish I release every year. How do you all rank some of the better edible fish in Alberta, and which waters do you find produce better tasting fish (if you don't mind divulging your spots)? I have had pike out of two different waters (both through the ice) and one was definitely better than other (the Newel fish was better than the Clear lake fish). This year I plan on trying rockies, lake whities, pike, burbot (if I can find a few) and maybe a few trout out of lager stocked lakes, small put-and-take ponds and over populated creeks. I know I like trout (from the right water) and don't mind pike, but I have never tried the others. Quote
Nick0Danger Posted May 15, 2009 Posted May 15, 2009 I'd personally stick to less pressured waters, if you want to take a few fish. The Bow gets hammered hard enough, as it is. I have been thinking more about keeping some dinner fish. I'd guess the recession will have a lot of people thinking this way. I was sitting down to a tilapia dinner the other day and felt very stupid for paying for fish shipped from S.America with the huge poundage of fish I release every year. How do you all rank some of the better edible fish in Alberta, and which waters do you find produce better tasting fish (if you don't mind divulging your spots)? I have had pike out of two different waters (both through the ice) and one was definitely better than other (the Newel fish was better than the Clear lake fish). This year I plan on trying rockies, lake whities, pike, burbot (if I can find a few) and maybe a few trout out of lager stocked lakes, small put-and-take ponds and over populated creeks. I know I like trout (from the right water) and don't mind pike, but I have never tried the others. That Talapia, was probably farmed in alberta, i know a nice family that has a farm on the way to drum that have a talapia farm, so it proply was local. They buy the eggs out of the states though. Quote
trailhead Posted May 19, 2009 Posted May 19, 2009 I wouldn't eat any fish out of the Bow downstream of Calgary, as previously mentioned the sewage treatment plant doesn't remove the estrogen that comes from birth control pills. Also the storm sewers pump a lot of undesireable elements into the river. Now I have eaten brook trout from the Bow in Banff and that was some great eating fish. Quote
duanec Posted May 20, 2009 Posted May 20, 2009 eat 3-4 limits of brookies per day, I won't tell mmmmmmmmmmmmm, broooooooookies.... Quote
CrisD Posted May 20, 2009 Posted May 20, 2009 All wild east slope cutties taste really BAD ( so i've been told, as i dont eat them). Alberta should make it mandatory CnR on all wild cutties!! If you want a really yummy cutt, then head over to BC and pay your $20 :derby racer: Quote
DonnieM Posted May 20, 2009 Posted May 20, 2009 Smoked rocky mountain whitefish is by far one of the most delicious things you will ever eat, ever. Quote
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