Big Fish On The Bow River

trout-pics-march-18-2009-0273
You Want Fish, We got fish

Big fish and lots of them. Many people come from all parts of the world to experience what us locals sometimes take for granted. Sometimes being the key word here! Men and women from all parts of the world take their holidays on the banks of the Bow River, but why do they do this. Well the answer is simple really, large hard-fighting rainbow and brown trout and plenty of them. This fishery has rewarded me and many others like me with some great days fishing from shore or in a boat floating down the river. It does not really matter how you choose to fish the river, it will grant you what you look for. This sometimes does not come easy as the beginner fisherman can attest to.

After fishing the Bow River many times I never came away with any fish. I figured there were no fish to be had, boy was I ever wrong. I would drive for an hour to fish out in Kananaskis country for small Brook Trout or the odd small Rainbow Trout. Don’t get me wrong it was fun and the drive was nice but after several tanks of gas and many oil changes later, I decided to try the Bow River as it was a lot closer to home. When I fished the river I never really knew how to read water, where fish move with the changing of seasons and so on. I am what some people call “stubborn” and never read books or took other people’s advice. So I never caught any fish. I remember back to the days when my grandfather took me out to the Bow River, we were using maggots and I think even worm’s were legal to use as bait. Today the fishing regulations have changed and no bait is allowed to be used in the Bow River system. So what do I do now?

I realized what I was doing wrong! I was fishing in water that was not holding trout. I was using the wrong color of lures for the water conditions. I was using the wrong sized lure. I was retrieving my lure in too fast or too slow. I was fishing in water that was under high angling pressure, water that was close to easily accessible areas of the river. You know, park and get out of the vehicle and walk ten meters to the river. No wonder why I was not catching any fish. So I decided to do something about this. No one really likes to go fishing and not catch even one trout, especially me.

The first thing I did was head to Chapters book store to see if they had any books on spinner fishing. I was in luck and I picked up two books and went home to read them. Then as I was in my local tackle they also had a few books on spinner fishing rivers and I bought them also. After reading the four books I was ready to tie my hook and see if the new found information would work. I learned that certain seasons of the year, fish sit in different locations so I headed to a “tail out” of a “pool” or deep hole and did what was instructed in the books. “Work the top of the pool fishing for awhile and moving downstream until the end of the pool was fished”. I hooked into a fish at the top of the pool, the middle of the pool was really good with four fish hooked and landed. The bottom of the pool was ok with two fish hooked. “This really work’s” I thought to myself. I then searched out videos of pro’s fishing rivers, after all the pro’s should know how to catch trout, and I learned even more after practicing what they had showed me on the videos. I then saved enough money to hire a guide and was taken out fishing on a boat for four hours and shown every hole in the Bow River, which was well worth my three hundred dollars back then.

I kept up the reading and the advice I was getting from the local fishermen who were out almost weekly. I acquired a computer several years back and searched the internet for hours and hours for more information on becoming a better fisherman. I must say that all the hard work paid off. I usually catch fish whenever I go to the Bow River. I have floated over a hundred miles of the Bow River. I have fished every bank from north of the city to the Carseland weir. I love river fishing and try to get better at it through improving my skills on a weekly basis. Catching big fish is now something I look for every time I fish the Bow River. I like those fifteen to twenty inch fish, but I look for the twenty to thirty inch plus fish. With the right tackle and the technical know, how I will find what I search for!

30 comments

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    • Sebastian on April 22, 2009 at 8:23 pm

    Hey good post Mike, your advice for beginners in this superb. Just wondering have you ever caught a sucker or mountain whitefish on those rapalas in the bow. For some reason last weekend I caught two whitefish and this big sucker not to mention a handful of trout. I never knew the bow had these ugly looking suckers.

    The bow is sure pritty hot this spring.

    GO Flames GO!!!!

    happy fishing
    sebastian v.L

  1. Thanks Sebastian, I try and help out as best I can! As for the suckers and the Whitefish, I personally have never hooked a Whitefish on a Rapala, I catch lots of whitefish on Panther Martins though. I have seen some big suckers caught from the Bow River, I’ll send you a picture of one my buddy pulled out. We released it back into the river, they are good little cleaners those suckers.

    Glad to hear you did good on those trouties, the Bow is good all year long !!!

    GO RED WING’S GO……

    ~Mike.

    • Chris B on April 22, 2009 at 9:43 pm

    I agree… good post Mike. I can vouch for how important doing some research can be… whether its books or the internet… coupled with lots of time spent on the river. There’s really no substitute for just getting down there and trying things out. Try different lures, different locations and lots of walking along the river (my favourite way to fish). Sometimes it takes a few hours before you find the lure or the spot that’s working, but persistence will pay off. I’ve even started bringing my fly fishing gear as well as my spinning gear with me… I figure if the crankbaits or spinners aren’t working, maybe a streamer or a nymph will attract the fish and lately I’ve been catching some good sized trout on both types of gear. It takes some planning to pack all that stuff, but its worth it to have the option to try different things.

    And you’re absolutely correct about getting away from the easy to reach places. I’ve found that if you’re willing to walk a kilometre or two from the usual parking spots, you can often have the river to yourself except for the occasional boat floating by.

    By the way, I’ve only caught a couple of whitefish on the Lower Bow and one was caught on a Rapala Countdown, Olive Green. That was back on a sunny, warm day in January. I know they’re in the river, but I sure don’t catch many.

    Chris B

  2. Thanks Chris, as you know from all the walking you do, it’s good to get away from the pressure and fish the river by yourself in peace.

    You may as well have both rod’s with you as we both know that we are there to catch fish, if the crank baits are not working then the Bow River buggers or leech patterns come out on the fly rod. They all catch fish and that’s the bottom line.

    Where I seem to catch most of my Rocky Mountain Whitefish are within the city limits, Graves Landing to Policeman’s Flats. After Police it seems to be all trout from there on in.

    Hope you are doing well and fishing lots,

    ~Mike.

    • on April 23, 2009 at 9:00 am

    Good read,

    I just moved to Calgary, From Malone New York and i was wonder where is a good place to fish on the bow? And all so what would be a good spinner to use?

    Never fish trout before only Pike.And if you could be me to a good place for pike that would be great all so.

    thanks for the help

    • Mel on April 23, 2009 at 10:33 pm

    Very good post and thanks for the tips on the Bow. For those who live in the area, anticipation must be tough to deal with. Maybe some day I will get to visit your beautiful country and give some of those Bow River trout a tussle.

  3. Hello Mr Desbiens, the lower Bow has many great fishing spots along the river banks. I use Google earth to map out fishing locations that I wish to fish at. As for spinners, I like Panther Martins, Mepps and Rooster Tails.

    You can find Pike all throughout the province at lakes east of Calgary and north of Calgary as well, my suggestion would be to acquire a local fishing regulations guide and check to see which bodies of water hold Pike. I like Travers Reservoir and Mcgregor Lake for Pike myself.

    Thanks for visiting the site and the comment,

    ~Mike.

  4. Thanks Mel, the weather here makes the anticipation grow more and more every day. We should do some kind of an exchange trip Mel, you come here and I go down south for some Idaho trout’s. That would be fun for us both, yes?

    I am going to make it down to Idaho this year for sure Mel. It’s long over due that’s for sure. Thanks as always for the support and the quick comment. I visit your Blog weekly. You can sign up for my RSS feeds if you wish.

    Have an awesome week,

    ~Mike.

    • Rich on May 4, 2009 at 5:06 pm

    Thanks for the advice on the rapallas,I caught a nice 20″ brown up by the seebee dam on the brown trout rap.I have just picked up some Panther Martin and I am going to try the bow around the glenmore bridge.

  5. No problem Rich, we talk all kinds of good stuff here so please come back often. Good luck with the Panthers by the Glenmore Bridge.

    ~Mike.

    • Dario on May 7, 2009 at 3:55 pm

    hey,
    I was wondering what do you use to catch a big
    brown or rainbow trout on the bow <(^^<)

  6. I use big bait like the X-Rap, The Husky Jerk and so on. I find the bigger the lure the bigger the fish but there is exceptions to every rule !!!

    Thanks for the comment and hopefully you enjoy the Blog. Check the “Tackle” section of this Blog for more info.

    Thanks,

    ~Mike.

    • ArticWolf on May 26, 2009 at 11:39 pm

    just found you this evening..so far i’m impressed, have been out everyday except today since Friday last, hit the Mac flats, and Fish Creek, how delighted i was to pick up a beautiful Bow [purple hue], in the flats, and a 23″-24″ Brown at Fish Creek on Sunday just, however, tomorrow will see me and my companion once again hunting for the Bows of the Bow River..

    ..have you now booked mark and i guess you will be hearing from me again……
    ………………. ArticWolf

  7. Hey Artic Wolf, I’m glad you like the Blog. I also love those colorful rainbow’s. Spring and mid winter is when I seem to hook into the large one’s.

    Good luck hunting those fiery rainbow’s. Keep me posted as to how many you hook and land.

    Hope to hear from you again soon,

    Thanks,

    ~Mike.

    • ArticWolf on June 12, 2009 at 7:18 am

    Hi there..well..yesterday, i had come back from the Flats again ,but this time, it left me quite confused. I caught two fish, of which i have no idea as to the ID. of them..they fought with a bulldog effect, yet displayed all the antics of the famed Dolly Varden. I’m new to ur province, because i hail from BC, and these fish didn’t look like the browns i’ve taken before nor like the ‘bulls’, i’ve taken..this lead me to think that maybe we are experiencing a new specie of two different “geneses” joining. One being “Salmo” for the brown and “Salvalinus” for the bull trout, [which is a ‘char’ like the cutties and the brook trout, dolly vardens]..I took pics of both fish and would like to know if i can either post them in ur blog or send a copy to you so that maybe you may know..

    ..either way, this has left me scratching my head..just imagine, if this is true that two geneses are joining to form a new genus..another step forward in the “evolution” of Nature.

    bye for now Mike…ArticWolf

    • Rainbow Killer on August 8, 2009 at 11:30 pm

    Hello, my name is Stephen. I am an avid fisherman of both spinning gear and fly fishing but i am determined to catch big fish on my fly rod. I am moving to Calgary in a week from BC and I would like to know what you would use to catch the big browns and or rainbows on the Bow River with your fly rod. If possible , also weather the North or South city portion of the river is more productive. I really enjoy reading what you have to say and you will hear from me again soon. Thank you for taking the time to reading my comment.

    • on August 10, 2009 at 8:14 pm

    thanks for the info you provide, i am new to fishing the bow and was hoping someone could point me to a decent spot, closer to the NE the better. i tried near the bearspaw dam with no luck. itried everything in my box.i was very disappointed there last time i checked there was a bait ban in place i guess alot of anglers are illiterate . anyhelp would be much appreciated as much as i enjoy the tranquility its nice to hook something other than salad. besides the wife will start to wonder if im cheating disappearing for hours on end coming home with the same story of no luck

  8. Hello Stephan, welcome to Alberta and the Bow River Blog. I hear that streamers work well, Bow River Buggers will catch you large fish. Leech patterns in purple work well when I use them.

    Other than that I would say you could go into Wholesale Sports here in Calgary and ask the fly shop what they recommend you try.

    My favorate section of the Bow River is the south section, from Graves Landing (Glenmore Trail Bridge) to the Carseland Weir, that is where you find the monsters. I also like to fish near and above the zoo, there are some great pockets of water above the zoo.

    I hope you find what you are looking for when you fish the Bow River.

    Thanks for the comment and your question Stephan,

    ~Mike.

  9. Hello Kyle, hopefully you hook into some fish real soon before the wife starts wondering where you are going. Make sure you take pictures for proof !!!

    I hate hooking salad as well, I would rather hook a Brown Trout any day. Near Bearspaw is usually kind of slow for me, but I have fished there and had a few fish landed. If you are fishing in the reservoir itself here are the regulations (Bearspaw Reservoir) Open all year – Trout limit 5; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm;
    Bait, except bait fish, allowed. If you are above the reservoir there is NO bait allowed or below but if you are fishing in the reservoir than you can use bait except as it says, NO BAITFISH.

    I would try fishing above the dam a little which is accessed by Old Banff Coach Road. That’s where I like to go when I fish out that way.

    Thanks for the comment on the Blog.

    Hope to see you back again soon,

    ~Mike.

    • on August 12, 2009 at 5:24 pm

    thanks for the help i am actually about to head out wish me luck lol, iwas fishing in and around the pond below the dam and everyone was using bait, maybe they will read this and think twice (doubtful). anyways off to hook the big one camera in hand, thanks again see ya out there

    • on August 20, 2009 at 8:05 pm

    hey just wanted to thank you for all the advice you have provided i have researched reading water and it paid off. i found a nice pool with a nice seam threw my cd7 in and pulled out a 21 inch rainbow. a flyfisherman couldn’t entice him but he didnt hesitate to take my lure so thanks again for pointing me in the right direction

  10. Nice Kyle, that’s what I like to hear. Doing your homework pays off big time. Sounds like a sweet rainbow for sure. That makes me want one myself.

    I am off at 6 Am tomorrow with a client, we are going to float Police to Mac so I cant wait to see what’s going to happen, I sure hope he cleans up tomorrow. I love too see clients slam like 30-40 fish in one trip.

    Anyways Kyle, thanks for the update and always feel free to keep in touch here, I am glad to hear you are fishing those Rapala’s with success.

    ~Mike.

    • on August 25, 2009 at 4:34 pm

    hey there so i had the day off and decided to hit the river after catching a nice brown and another 21 inch bow i got thinking. how can you tell male and female apart in rainbows?

  11. Hello Kyle, great question.

    The methods to distinguish between male and female trout are difficult to determine to the untrained eye. The older the trout is and the closer to spawning season, the easier it is to determine between the sexes. In general, mature male trout will develop a kype (or a hooked snout on their lower jaw). Male trout also tend to be more laterally compressed than female trout and during the spawning period may be brighter in coloration. Conversely, female trout tend to have a more rounded snout and body conformation.

    • on August 28, 2009 at 9:10 pm

    thanks that was what i thought it just seems rainbows have a subtler difference than other trout, maybe due to spawn having passed, they spawn in spring right? that also explains why the brown i got earlier this week had a very prominent kype thier spawn is coming up isnt it? well thanks again you are most helpful i am trying to convince the wife to get me a guided trip down the bow next year and i know who it will be with if it happens. thanks again

  12. You will be able to tell them apart very soon Kyle. Rainbows spawn in the spring. They go and stage at the Highwood river in March and wait for the Highwood River to thaw out. Once the Highwood has broken open they bolt up the river and spawn in the Highwood and it’s tributaries.

    The Browns move the other way up the river and spawn in the fall, September, October and November. So look for those big browns to start showing up soon. You will begin to hook more of them starting very soon. You will also see some big rainbows hanging around as they tend to eat the Rowe the browns deposit in the gravel beds.

    Let the wife know that 325.00 will slam you some intence fish for 6 hours straight. You arm will feel like it’s going to fall off.

    Hope to see you out with me this fall or this coming summer.

    Thanks Kyle,

    ~Mike.

    • on August 29, 2009 at 8:35 am

    cool will let her know, how do i get to policemans flats?

    • steven on May 7, 2010 at 5:18 pm

    i really want to register on this blog but cant figure out how to…

    • steven on May 8, 2010 at 8:57 pm

    hi, im failry new to the city and have been trying my luck at fish creek park and deerfoot bridge neer the suage tretment facilitity. Ive been using a silver/blue X-RAP along with many other rapalas and spinners (panther martins, mepps’) would you be able to give me some tips of where to fish next and what to use.. or even maybe some techniques how to work the xrap. Any help would be apprecheated

    • steven on May 10, 2010 at 4:22 pm

    im glas to post this afternoon hooked and lost right at shore a fairly big brown… and landed a very nice rainbow!!

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