I am a big monofilament fan so I use the toughest mono on the market, Berkley XT 8Lb test line. I tie that straight to my lure and have never had a problem bringing in some big fish.

You can but this line at almost all tackle shops here in Calgary or you can use the link here on the Blog and that will take you to Bass Pro Shop online site where you can buy it there also.

Thanks Andre and hopefully you will get a chance to fish the Bow River this spring.

~Mike.

You slay big browns and I have to ask you a few questions relating to the type of gear you use.

1. Which type of line and test are you using and do you use a fluorocarbon lead? if so which type and test?

I just moved to slave lake alberta from a little town on lake ontario where im used to floating row for rainbows in the 5 – 16 pound range. Can’t wait to slay some big browns on the bow and would like to throw out some lures. Any help would be much appreciated thanks.

Andre

Then you will see huge trout.

Sounds like you seized the opportunity Kyle, way to go.

Thanks for the update, hope to hear from you again soon.

~Mike.

I finally got my fly fishing gear out to Calgary and I am dying to go out! I am thinking of going to the Elbow River (live close to it) out near the Bragg Creek traffic circle.

I was wondering if you knew that area was good or not and what kind of flies to use. Or maybe a killer spot for a fly fisherman on the Bow?

Thanks in advance!

Please let me know how you do with the crank’s.

~Mike

Usually when I am trout fishing I am using my fly rod but the next time I hit a lake or pond with my float tube I am taking a few crank baits with me, just to see how well they do.

can you give some hot spot, i’m not very familiar with the bow, i usually fish in the wir (hatchery)

i don’t fly fish, what lures you recommend?

many thanks

I was able to fish on Friday and land a 26 inch monster Brown that made me smile from ear to ear. I was jacked up to say the least.

As per your questions about the boats, It’s a matter of personal preference and what type of vehicle you drive. An inflatable is easy to deflate and put in your trunk if you drive a car, or if you buy a larger raft say 14-15 feet, you can fit them in the box of your truck fairly easily. Canoe’s are just as good to fish with but require a van with it strapped to the roof or a truck with a trailer depending on the length of the canoe. So I prefer an inflatable because you can launch it into the river wherever you want too.

Here are the times it will take you to float form different places on the river. Graves Landing to Policeman’s flats takes approximately 5 hours give or take an hour for stops and such. Police to Mac will take the same time, and Mackinnon to Carseland weir is roughly the same time, 5 hours. In the spring when the water is flowing fast you can cut an hour off of those times, in the summer it will be about 5 hours from point A to point B and in the fall it will be more like 6 hours from point A to point B. Wind, the amount of stops you make and water flow all factor into the times.

Thanks for the comment and I am glad to hear you are catching fish on the Bow River.

~Mike.

This is the second time I’ve written and I’m proud to say I’ve been using some of your advice to land some beautiful rainbows in the Bow. I still haven’t seen a brown but that will come.
A buddy and I were going to rent a raft or a canoe and float to MacKinnon Flats. Two questions: is one easier or more advantageous than the other (raft vs. canoe)? And what are the approximate float times from locations such as Policemans Flats and city limits to MacKinnon? Your advice would really make it easier to plan our trip. Thanks!

Mike