On a warm winters day as February is coming to an end, I decided to wander on over to a spot on the Bow River where three weeks ago was fully covered in ice. I was frantically looking for my sunglasses before I left the house for the river, I then remembered they were in my car the whole time. I loaded my new Berkley rod into the vehicle with care and strapped the camera firmly around my neck; you never know when you are going to hook a monster! I dressed for the occasion; ok I overdressed and stepped on the gas pedal hard. There was one reservation however, would the water be open or would it be loaded with ice?
As I arrived at the river I was pleasantly surprised the river had opened wide enough to cast a lure. The sun was beating down on the slightly stained Bow River and making the water glisten as it sparkled off the choppy water in the afternoon sky. Sure glad I had those sunglasses with me! I surveyed the river and the tall ice ledge I was standing on as I put safety first while walking on ice. You cannot reach the bank of the river as the ice has heaved and piled up in this area of the river so I needed to be crafty and select the right hook for the conditions. This was no foot of ice, eight feet of ice has piled up and lined the river bank.
Blue Fox was the first out of the tackle box today. Presentation was important today! I aggressively casted upstream and quickly retrieved my lure as naturally as possible. This method looks real to a trout as the lure is moving downriver. Food is carried from upriver to where these fish were lying in wait to pounce. A twenty plus inch Rainbow was quick to grab a hold of my Blue Fox and take it for an exciting ride across and down the river until he was tired enough and was landed on the ice ledge. I had to step down onto a lower block of ice to get him back into the river without a ten foot drop from where I was standing. This was just the tip of the iceberg.
I had the presentation down to a science and several Rainbow Trout later I decided to change hooks. I am a big fan of the Rapala X-Rap and decided it needed to seek and find some trout along the river bed. The color selection plays a factor when the water is stained or dirty. I fancied a color that was more on the natural looking side of the color spectrum. I launched it out into a slower pocket of water just below a long run in the river. I slowly reel the lure to make it dive down into the water and then I gently lift the rod tip up to make the lure rip in the water, this ripping affect makes the fish go nuts and entices them to strike. If at first I do not get a strike I leave the lure sit in the water and do not reel for a few seconds, this pause is sometimes is what the fish are looking for, a wounded fish not moving which makes for easy prey. Six trout later and a sore arm to show for the effort, I unhooked the lure from my line and placed it back into the clear plastic box it came from.
Before I left the river I stopped and sat on the long brown grass that the cold and snow has killed. I could not help but think to myself; only one more month and spring will be upon us once again. The ice will be gone and the sunglasses will be taken out from their case to shade the glare of the sun from the reflection coming off the clear blue water of the Bow River.
8 responses so far ↓
1 Dwayne K. Parsons // Mar 2, 2008 at 3:50 pm
You’re putting me right there with you, Mike. Great fishing and great writing! I can’t wait to get up there and join you on that fine, awesome body of water. I’ll bet it’s not too crowded right now. Doesn’t the best come just before the muddy-water run-off time? Say early April?
2 bowriverblog // Mar 2, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Yes you hit the nail right on the head Mr. Parsons, the best fishing indeed comes before the muddy-water run-off time ! Not only can you do really well in early April but you can also do very well when we recieve warm weather which melts the snow on the ground in the city.
This melted snow drains into the Bow River system and stains the water somewhat, a very good time to intercept hungry trout at this time.
I look forward to the day we stand side by side casting our monofiliment into the tea stained waters of the Bow River, I will have a smile form ear to ear whan that day arrives. In the mean time all I can do is take you with me in the words I write on the screen and wait for that day to arrive.
Impatiently I might add !!!!
Untill that day,
~Mike.
3 Rob H. // Mar 7, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I was wondering how you access this spot when the sign along the highway said “no river access” in your video? Do you offer guided trips?
4 bowriverblog // Mar 8, 2008 at 12:29 pm
I know the owner of the land that we access this section of the river, permission is required by him or you will be charged with trespassing and he does not take kindly to that.
Sometimes it’s not what you know, it’s who you know !!!!
5 James "The Fly Fishing " Mann // Mar 10, 2008 at 8:51 am
Sunglasses as so important and I went for many years with very cheap sunglasses I could put over my regular glasses, what a pain.
As the years went by I got a little more sophisticated and bought polarized sunglasses to put over my regular glasses. That was a lot better but still a pain.
Then our local eye glass shop offered a two for one deal and I ordered a pair of prescription and polarized sunglasses.
It was a whole new world of fishing and I get far less headaches from wearing two pair of glasses at the same time.
6 bowriverblog // Mar 10, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Great tip James, nobody needs headaches while trying to have fun fishing. !!!
Great website I must say.
7 Sarah C // Mar 24, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Hey Mike,
I was told, before I found your site, that these were all Todd’s fishing Gems. If you’re really as helpful as you look, maybe one time we’ll get together to fish!! I miss it and my boys would love to get into it some more!!!
GREAT SITE, WE’LL VISIT OFTEN NOW, THANKS FOR THE INSIGHT!!! Sarah
8 bowriverblog // Mar 24, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Hi Sarah, nice to hear from you again it’s been a long time hey. I would love to take the boys out on a trip this spring, we could float for a couple of hours down the Bow River. Many fish are caught at this time so the boys would be busy reeling in some nice Trout.
Please let me know when you would like to go and I will be sure and save you a spot. Hope you and the boys are well. I look forward to fishing with you sometime soon.
~Mike.
Leave a Comment