Bow River Fishing Report - from Sept 13 2012

Photo, courtesy Dave McG.

Michelle, I wanted to thank you for providing our shuttle yesterday, also wanted to include a great photo of our very successful float. 

"Billy" who turns 89 next week teased many and even netted a few beauties.

He said the fisheries is not the same as it was 20 years ago, but then neither is HE!

I believe both to be in GOOD SHAPE.

- THANKS TO DAVE McG FOR THIS FISHING REPORT AND PHOTO.

Bow River Fishing Report - Sept 13 - Courtesy Country Pleasures Fly Fishing

Photo, courtesy Country Pleasures Fly Fishing

Bow River Report –September 13, 2012

The biggest down side of fishing this past week has been WIND! Earlier in the week was positively hateful with wind….you may have noticed. The last couple of days have been much better. One might say we’re having perfect September weather right now.

Tricos have made a resurgence with the warmer temps and there’s a lot of fish rising. A lot of them are fairly spooky right now, the “stomp and slosh” approach doesn’t work great.

Lots and lots and lots of Boatman around. Spent Sunday sighting fish and every fish reacted very positively to a boatman pattern.

Hopper fishing is somewhat schizophrenic, one day it’s quite good, and then the next pretty much sucks. It’s worth a try, within an hour you’ll know which kind of day it is.

Weather forecast for the next while is as good as it gets for end of September.


Hatches: Hoppers, Caddis, Tricos, Ants, Beetles, Pseudos on the cloudy days

Streamers: Slap-N-Tickle, C/H R/L Bugger-Black, Egg Stealing Super Sculpin

Nymphs: Tung Stud, Peacock Water Boatman, TB Biotic Nymph

Dry Flies: Frankenhopper, Slice Above Hopper, Bloom’s CDC Caddis, Glitter Flag Ant, Glo-Ant, Berrett’s Cricket

Country Pleasures Fly Fishing Blog

Bow River Fishing Report - Courtesy Chronicles of Cod

Photo, courtesy Aaron @ Chronicles of Cod

Here's a short & sweet report from our friend Aaron over at Chronicles of Cod. We like his last line the best!

Highs and Lows

12 Sep ’12

We had frost the last 2 mornings

The leaves are turning yellow

There are leaves in the river

Fall is in the air and there is nothing we can do

Gravel bars that we not long ago floated bugs over are now gravel islands

I don’t remember the river ever being this low

Fish ate the shit out of our bugs today!

Via:Highs & Lows, Chronicles of Cod

Bow River Fishing Report - Courtesy Chronicles of Cod

 Here is a nice slabby rainbow that I caught left handed in a tricky casting spot on friday. 
Photo, Courtesy Aaron @ Chronicles of Cod

Our friend Aaron over at 'Chronicles of Cod' provides an excellent update on Bow River fishing conditions.

“Where have you been”

"The short answer is busy………..Long days, night bite, morning bite, hopper bite, no bite. The river has been fishing good. Very challenging at times but good. The clients who are willing to work hard all day continue to have good success.

Tricos, BWO, pseudo things, caddis, hoppers, and still seeing the odd stone. Tough fish, suicide fish, wandering fish, spooky fish, stupid fish, hard fish, plucking fish, swim into my oar fish, inconsistent riser fish".

Read the rest of Aaron's report, and see his photos at Aaron's post “Where have you been”

Bow River Fishing Report - Sept 04 - Courtesy Country Pleasures Fly Fishing

Bow River Report –September 4, 2012

Now that the last of the summer long weekends is over we can hopefully look forward to a little peace and serenity.

Hopper fishing last week was pretty good but for some reason it pretty much sucked over the weekend (gale force winds with whitecaps on Sunday didn’t help).

Still a lot of Tricos around. Most days of late have been like some sort of stew on the water, with Tricos, Pseudos, Caddis, etc. all on the water at the same time.

The Hopper/Dropper stuff has been pretty good but the closer you get to the Highwood the more you have to deal with the storm of 6” “Turbo” Rainbows.

Cloudy days will bring a couple of things…insane streamer fishing and BWO’s with lots of fish rising.

Hatches: Hoppers, Caddis, Tricos, Ants, Beetles, Pseudos on the cloudy days

Streamers: Slap-N-Tickle, C/H R/L Bugger-Black, Egg Stealing Super Sculpin

Nymphs: Tung Stud, Peacock Water Boatman, TB Biotic Nymph

Dry Flies: Frankenhopper, Slice Above Hopper, Bloom’s CDC Caddis, Glitter Flag Ant, Glo-Ant, Berrett’s Cricket

Country Pleasures Fly Fishing Blog

Bow River Fishing Report - from Aug 30 2012

Late morning on the Bow River, Thursday Aug 30. 
Photo, Copyright Bow River Shuttles All Rights Reserved 2012

We like this fishing report that was posted by 'WyomingGeorge' on Fly Fish Calgary Forum.

"Thursday August 30, 2012 Bow report. Police to Mac, driftboat. Eventful day, fishing-wise, I could go on forever but will try not to.

After a quiet early start (I was third boat on) there was an escalating flotilla that intensified into a two-hour non-stop cavalcade. There were numerous rather tight passes and tuck-ins. But this isn't the etiquette thread...

For fishing effectiveness, the best message I can convey going into the weekend is to be observant, flexible and adaptable, look hard for risers and don't miss an opportunity to cast to one. Don't insist on fishing one way and then flogging that method to total frustration. I strung a hopper-dropper rod, a technical dry rod, a nymph rod and a streamer rod -- and I must have switched methods two dozen times. Many folks stuck to nymphing for hours on end, if not the whole day, and I talked to several disappointed boats.

The morning started OK on nymphs very early, then died right off, with no initial hopper bite and no rising fish observed. By 11 am I'd had only one early fish and a couple of strikes, and had seen only one other fish (though a giant) landed among the dozens of boats.

At about 11 am a gigantic, bank-to-bank cloud of trico spinners appeared where I had stopped to wade fish, and I expected to see fish start sipping spent spinners, but this didn't happen where I was.

The hopper bite started quietly about noon and became a major flurry -- multiple large fish landed over the next hour. Two groups of nymphers I talked to missed it completely. The hopper or dropper takes weren't just on banks or in riffles -- fish were coming up from deep pools and in the middle of the river to sip or crash hoppers. The most reliable action was in riffles -- including really fast water, virtually rapids.

With the huge amount of boat traffic, it also made sense to fish small, obscure pockets -- really small and really obscure. Focusing on the big, classic banks might mean you're the 50th rod past that spot that day.

Bow River Fishing Report - from August 28 2012

Photo, courtesy Jeremie R.

"Fishing was pretty good on tuesday (28th). Three of us did really well. Better then what i was expecting for august. I was the only one in the boat that didnt fish an indicator all day.

Caddis were popping every now and then, and tricos were happening in the slow water. Lots of fish taking emerging bugs in the typical classic dry fly water. Hoppers in size 6-8 + Caddis dropper was the ticket for sure.

On the nymphing end of things, hares ears, boatmen, and size 18-22 tung studs/trico nymphs worked well, along with the same droppers fished beneath the hopper.

I had a blast catching quite a few rainbows in the 17-20" range on the hopper along with a possible personal best rainbow that spit the hook. This brown was the fish of the day and taped at 25". Had more then 15 fish to the boat, with many others hooked and lost.

Clarity at best was probably 4', it got somewhat dirtier further down.

Best part of the trip was getting to bring Grandpa along for his first float, he just wanted to see the river and experience the surroundings! 

Everyone had a good time!

Tight Lines"

- THANKS TO JEREMIE R. OF ADIPOSE FLY FISHING FOR THIS FISHING REPORT AND PHOTO.

Bow River Fishing Report - Courtesy Country Pleasures Fly Fishing

Bow River Report –August 28, 2012

Trico fishing has been pretty stellar the last few days. Lots of fish rising in some pretty cool places. Thankfully our fish will eat a low profile CDC Caddis or a small Ant so we don’t have to use ridiculously little bugs we can’t see.

There are a ton of fish up on bars right. A small Hopper/Chernobyl pattern will often work. Or, if the dry doesn’t do the trick, hang a small bead under the dry. They can’t resist.

Hopper fishing has been, overall, very good. The afternoons have been better and it seems to happen in waves. You’ll rise a bunch of fish on Hoppers in one area, the next area very few and you start thinking you should change, and then it turns up again.

Cloudy days still produce insane rising fish on Pseudos, etc. The streamer fishing is also best on the dark days.

Hatches: Hoppers, Caddis, Tricos, Pseudos on the cloudy days

Streamers: Slap-N-Tickle, C/H R/L Bugger-Black, Egg Stealing Super Sculpin

Nymphs: Tung Stud, Peacock Water Boatman, TB Biotic Nymph

Dry Flies: Frankenhopper, Yeager’s Hopper, Slice Above Hopper, Bloom’s CDC Caddis, Glitter Flag Ant

Country Pleasures Fly Fishing Blog

Bow River Fishing Report - Courtesy Country Pleasures Fly Fishing

Bow River Report –August 20, 2012

Pretty decent fishing over the last several days, other than the massive water drop last Wednesday, that wasn’t so good.

Hopper fishing has been pretty good, we’re seeing more Caddis, and Tricos are getting going!

Like always, the lower light (cloudy) days will fish easier.

Hatches: Hoppers, Caddis, PMD’s, Tricos, Pseudos on the cloudy days

Streamers: Slap-N-Tickle, C/H R/L Bugger-Black, Egg Stealing Super Sculpin

Nymphs: Tung Stud, Peacock Water Boatman, TB Biotic Nymph

Dry Flies: Berrett’s Golden Stone-Barred Leg, Frankenhopper, Slice Above Hopper, Bloom’s CDC Caddis, Glitter Flag Ant

Country Pleasures Fly Fishing Blog

Bow River Fishing Report - Courtesy Country Pleasures Fly Fishing

Bow River Report – August 14, 2012

The river has fished quite well over the last week. Rising fish can be found here and there on Caddis and PMDs.

The Hopper thing is going pretty good (it’s so nice to catch fish on foam! July kind of sucked)

Lots of fish finally up on bars and structures! If they won’t eat a dry, throw a small bead like the Tung Dart. They can’t help themselves.

Hatches: Hoppers, Caddis, PMD’s, Tricos, Pseudos on the cloudy days

Streamers: Silvey’s Sculpin Leech-Black/Olive/White #4, Egg Sucking Leech-Black, Marabou Clouser-Black/White

Nymphs: Tungsten Biotic Nymph-Olive #12, Tung Stud-Olive #14, Tung Dart

Dry Flies: Quigley’s Film Critic-PMD #16, Bloom’s Parachute Caddis, Berrett’s Hopper, Yeagers Hopper-Tan

Country Pleasures Fly Fishing Blog

Bow River Fishing Report - Courtesy Bow River Troutfitters

Photo, courtesy K Snarr/Bow River Troutfitters

"The fishing over the past 2 weeks has been stellar. Flows are coming down and the vis is now around 4-5 ft.

Fish are tight to the banks and are very aggressive. PMD’s has been hatching steadily in the afternoons and strong caddis hatches in the evenings. Fish have been looking up for dries!

Occasionally foam flies such as stone and hopper pattens have also produced a few fish! Dead drifted flies such as nymph rigs have not been as effective but are still catching fish.

The flows and visibility has been ideal for streamer fishing. Fast moving flies that move a lot of water have been the ticket. During the sunny parts of the day, brown, brown/yellow, yellow, white streamers have been moving a lot of fish. In the evenings and darkness, black streamers. Flies that are big and move a lot of water are producing the larger fish."

- Posted August 11, 2012 by K Snarr on Bow River Troutfitters Blog

Bow River Fishing Report (Country & Western version) - from Aug 06, 2012

Photo, Copyright Bow River Shuttles All Rights Reserved 2012

- THANKS TO RON E. FOR ONE OF THE MOST CREATIVE FISHING REPORTS WE HAVE EVER RECEIVED!  

We're just thankful he finally got the Werther's Originals and the note.

From: Ron E.

Sent: August-09-12 12:44 PM

To: 'Bow River Shuttles'

Subject: fishing report

Michelle

Our trip on Monday was great from the standpoint of a pleasant day on the river – except for.....

• My anchor disappeared to the bottom....the clevis broke.

• My dog was impaled by a Bow River Bugger...extraction successful with only one dog bite.

• Tried every combination of fly, nymph and streamer and only got one fish on....and not landed.

• My brother fell in the river and filled his waders........strained back dragging him out of river.

• Wind blew all casts back in our face.....no matter what direction we cast.

• I wrenched my leg in the washed out boat launch at Carseland......thank god for Advil.

• The car service didn’t leave a nice note and candies as usual........I guess they ran out.

Therefore, the best thing about the day is that I have a great set of lyrics for a Country and Western song!

It is all good.

Cheers

Ron

From: Ron E.

Sent: August-10-12 12:47 PM

To: 'Bow River Shuttles'

Subject: fishing report

Michelle

Great news. I found the candies and note. My passenger hid them on me! You are off the hook........and I have to come up with another line for my country and western song.

Cheers

Ron

Bow River Fishing Report - from Aug 04 & 05, 2012

Photo, Copyright Bow River Shuttles All Rights Reserved 2012

The river was a little high and I think it affected the fishing.

We did land 5 and 2 respectively on Saturday and Sunday. Our son was with us and landed 3 per day.

All were rainbows except one 15 inch brown and an 18 inch brown.

Two of us fished with nymphs (beaded hare's ear and prince nymph) and one of us fished with a streamer (black leach).

Both days were beautiful weather and enjoyed the opportunity to get out on the river.

Thank you again for the friendly and efficient service that you and Armand provide.

See you again next time.

- THANKS TO MAXINE & DWAYNE W. FOR THIS FISHING REPORT.

Bow River Fishing Report - from Aug 04, 2012

Photo, Copyright Bow River Shuttles All Rights Reserved 2012

The water was fast, we did the entire trip in about 4 hours, the water level is perfect.

The fishing was great! I wasn't fly fishing but they were really biting on rapalas, caught about 10 fish and probably lost just as much.

Best fish of the day was around 25", the water clarity was great.

- THANKS TO DAVID P. FOR THIS FISHING REPORT

Bow River Fishing Report - from Aug 06, 2012

All photos, courtesy Bart B.

• We all (4) were hardware fishing, mostly with various panther martin spinners in a variety of colors, and some with small spoons

• There was no clear “best lure”

• Saw a few risers but minimal

• Caught 20 in one boat and 18 in the other, one brown only, rest rainbows

• Had numerous in 16 – 18” range with about 50% smaller than this

• Lost one that was seen jumping in the 24” range

• Likely had as many not to the boat as to the boat

• Had fun communicating with a pair of juvenile eagles by mimicking their whistle during lunch (see photos)

- THANKS TO BART B. FOR THIS FISHING REPORT AND PHOTOS!

Bow River Fishing Report - from Aug 03 & 5, 2012

Photo, Copyright Bow River Shuttles All Rights Reserved 2012

The fishing was ok. We had a couple of fish to the boat each day.

Small bead-head nymphs like copper john's and pmd nymphs seemed to get the most action. 

I did see a few risers on the second day. Generally in close to shore. I think they were feeding on PMDs.

The water visibility is quite good now. I'd guess 3 or 4 feet.

- THANKS TO JESSE K. FOR THIS FISHING REPORT.

Bow River Fishing Report - Courtesy Country Pleasures Fly Fishing

As we reported last night and this morning on our Bow River Shuttles Blog, the Bow River at Calgary flow rate is now below 200 cms for the first time since early June. In the past 24 hours, it's been bouncing around between 170 and 190 cms. Let's hope the downward trend continues!

Here is a very good river report from Country Pleasures Fly Fishing!

Bow River Report – August 4, 2012

The river has dropped at an insane rate over the last few days. Visibility is great as well.

The streamer fishing has been good with pretty much all of the usual ammunition working. Flies like the Sculpin Leech and Egg Sucking Leech continue to move fish in good numbers.

Smaller, bead head nymphs have taken over as the go-to patterns for nymphing. Not a bad idea to fish them under a dry as a hopper-dropper.

Kind of on the back side of the somewhat runoff hampered Stonefly hatch but we’re still getting the odd foam bug eat here and there. Good news is that there are a lot of hoppers along the river. Another week of heat and they should get rolling. This past week saw a lot more rising fish on PMD’s and Caddis. All it tokk was a little visibility, combined with a little less water.

Hatches: Caddis, PMD’s, Tricos, Pseudos on the cloudy days

Streamers: Silvey’s Sculpin Leech-Black/Olive/White #4, Egg Sucking Leech-Black, Marabou Clouser-Black/White

Nymphs: Tungsten Biotic Nymph-Olive #12, Tung Stud-Olive #14, Tung Dart

Dry Flies: Quigley’s Film Critic-PMD #16, Bloom’s Parachute Caddis, Berrett’s Hopper

Mini Bow River Fishing Report - from July 31 2012

Photo, courtesy Kristian Bartholin

"A great day at the bow.  Lots of action"

Posted by Kristian Bartholin

Bow River Fishing Report - from July 28 2012

Evening light, done for the day!  
Photo, Copyright Bow River Shuttles All Rights Reserved 2012

"Thanks again for the shuttle service.

The AM float was very good but not spectacular.

The River has dropped dramatically and was expecting more fish to be looking up.

Turned 20+ fish in the AM on smaller stone patterns and netted 10.

Yellow Bobs, Fat Alberts or similar Barrets Stones in size 8 or 10 seemed to be the ticket.

No monsters netted but had several LDR's with big fish, all netted were in the 16 - 18 inch class and all rainbows. I think the big stonefly / salmonfly hatch is fading.

Not sure why the smaller stones were working, Skwalas late ?, hoppers early ?, or just a latent memory.

Switched to streamers by mid morning and had many hookups but didn't land any big fish except for the "monster" attached.

We had a good chuckle after seeing the snap.

You need not include it on your blog but it's an indication that if the little fellows are on the banks the big boys are in the deeper holes.

Cheers,"

- THANKS TO ERIC M. FOR THIS FISHING REPORT AND PHOTO (Photo not posted)

Bow River Fishing Report - Courtesy Chronicles of Cod

Some early morning trickery. 
 Photo, courtesy Chronicles of Cod, All Rights Reserved

Our friend Aaron over at 'Chronicles of Cod' provides an excellent update on Bow River fishing conditions over the past ten days or so.

"All in all the fishing has been excellent for the clients who are willing to work hard to get them. We would all like to see some more eats on the surface. The dry fly has been producing a lot of the bigger fish in my boat, its just the eats don’t seem to be as frequent as other years.

Tons of great things happening but no time to write about em’

Livin’ the dream"

Check out more details and photos at Aaron's post "Life Updated"