OFFICIAL Bow River fishing thread

[MtnGiant]

All things to do with the Bow River.
Instead of sporadic and overlapping threads.....lets keep it all together on here for the season.
Anyone w/ comments or questions.....this will make it easier.

[BeeGuy]

pics?

[MtnGiant]

pics?

Yup...include pics is good if you can

[MtnGiant]

Bull trout , Lake trout, Brook trout.
Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Cutthroat trout, Cuttbow trout.
Rocky Mountain whitefish, Lake whitefish
Northern pike,Burbot,Yellow perch,Walleye,Goldeye,Sauger.
Longnose suckers,White suckers,Hybrids(whitenose suckers?),redhorse suckers further downstream and perhaps mooneye.
Brook stickleback, longnosed dace,Chub, Sculpin.
Asst. Cyprinidae...White sturgeon.
The perch in the Bow come from Glenmore, Lake whitefish are from Ghost Res. Anywhere downstream of these receive a few specimens along the way.That leads me to believe there should also be a few Lake whites in Bearspaw and Chestermere lake too... Pike are in the Bow although I have never seen one above Bearspaw. There are also quite a few Pike in Glenmore res.
And maybe a "tilapia" again....lol

[BeeGuy]

Do you fish the Bow?

[MtnGiant]

Do you fish the Bow?

Man you gotta read more.....Yes.....and I was on there today and will be tomorrow and the nxt day. And carry my stuff in my truck for after work fishin.
Come say Hi

[lannie]

All things to do with the Bow River.
Instead of sporadic and overlapping threads.....lets keep it all together on here for the season.
Anyone w/ comments or questions.....this will make it easier.

All things except flyfishing the Bow because we would not want any overlapping for sure.

[MtnGiant]

All things except flyfishing the Bow because we would not want any overlapping for sure.

It shouldnt be a problem.....lets just call it fishing.....even though I 99.9% fly fish the Bow. Lets not get persnickity about it.
Fishn is fishn is fishn.....

[fish gunner]

Chasing the elusive pike for most of the day, below the weir,river bend area. Not a sniff from the toothy critters and one missed strike from a 16" brown. Big spoons,raps and a few try's with a huge mepps. 30 lb leader may have affected my chances with other species.:mad0100:

[BeeGuy]

Chasing the elusive pike for most of the day, below the weir,river bend area. Not a sniff from the toothy critters and one missed strike from a 16" brown. Big spoons,raps and a few try's with a huge mepps. 30 lb leader may have affected my chances with other species.:mad0100:

How were the water conditions?

I use 17lb stren for leaders and the trout don't seem to mind, nor have I had any breakoffs from pike. After catching 100+ on them.

I like your tackle. I lost a large trout/charr on a 4" gibbs crok in b/s the other day. Also posted a pic of a 18" brown caught on an F-18 rapala in brown trout pattern. Biggest size they have in the original.

Let me know if you are coming back to the city!

[Drullexx]

Do you guys think it's safe to eat fish caught within Calgary's portion of the Bow?

[MtnGiant]

Do you guys think it's safe to eat fish caught within Calgary's portion of the Bow?

I wouldnt....and the regs specify the amount that is safe to eat.....but ZERO is my choice of opinion.

Which leads to a good question....I wonder how many people have eaten a Bow R fish? hmmmmm

[BeeGuy]

Do you guys think it's safe to eat fish caught within Calgary's portion of the Bow?

Absolutely it is safe.

However, it is also disgusting.

Why not go somewhere, where the reg's and the ecology allow harvest of delicious fish?

[fish gunner]

How were the water conditions?

I use 17lb stren for leaders and the trout don't seem to mind, nor have I had any breakoffs from pike. After catching 100+ on them.

I like your tackle. I lost a large trout/charr on a 4" gibbs crok in b/s the other day. Also posted a pic of a 18" brown caught on an F-18 rapala in brown trout pattern. Biggest size they have in the original.

Let me know if you are coming back to the city!

Ya B I'll be in touch when I make cow town . Had my some what set in his ways buddy with. I was using florocarbon. The strike was interesting a medium brown following a 6"spoon.

[fish gunner]

Bow river fishing should be on the Fly fishing threads section

No self respecting fisherman would fish the Bow with hardware ...

Uhh that would be dumb cause the 40"pike and the 20" Lakers don't sip mayflys or san waun worms. And 20" browns and bows love smashing rapalas. And with the water down In the 40's gear is the way to go . I've fly fished for 30yrs .so I you wanna be a snob have ater.:)

[MtnGiant]

Bow river fishing should be on the Fly fishing threads section

No self respecting fisherman would fish the Bow with hardware ...

OH BOY!!!!!
Here comes the fly fishing vs other styles head to head banter....

Fishin is great fun no matter what your choice of setup.

[BeeGuy]

whatever makes you feel good about yourself WINGE101

[EZM]

Bow river fishing should be on the Fly fishing threads section

No self respecting fisherman would fish the Bow with hardware ...

Add ....

No jacked up Dodge trucks, Carharts or Tim Hortons coffee drinkers .....

The bow is only for Range Rovers, Kenneth Cole and Starbucks drinkers right?

Lol

Maybe I have it wrong but I use the gear according to what species I'm fishing for and what I'm trying to accomplish. Most rivers have applications for both spinning and fly gear.

What does that have to do with self respect?

[lannie]

Add ....

No jacked up Dodge trucks, Carharts or Tim Hortons coffee drinkers .....

The bow is only for Range Rovers, Kenneth Cole and Starbucks drinkers right?

Lol

Maybe I have it wrong but I use the gear according to what species I'm fishing for and what I'm trying to accomplish. Most rivers have applications for both spinning and fly gear.

What does that have to do with self respect?

I need to ask- who's Kenneth Cole?

[BeeGuy]

Add ....

No jacked up Dodge trucks, Carharts or Tim Hortons coffee drinkers .....

The bow is only for Range Rovers, Kenneth Cole and Starbucks drinkers right?

Lol

Maybe I have it wrong but I use the gear according to what species I'm fishing for and what I'm trying to accomplish. Most rivers have applications for both spinning and fly gear.

What does that have to do with self respect?

Some people just have low fishing self-esteem and feel it necessary to put other people down in order to play down their own fishing short comings.

Kinda sad really.

[BeeGuy]

I need to ask- who's Kenneth Cole?

He's a stylist for fly-fisherpeople.

[lannie]

Beeguy I saw both answers, great humor on your part. That was a good laugh!

[BeeGuy]

The first one was half true.

[BeeGuy]

And there's nothing wrong with that

[lannie]

I will say anybody who keeps the name Kenneth is slightly "touched".

[SCHOOCH]

Bow river fishing should be on the Fly fishing threads section

No self respecting fisherman would fish the Bow with hardware ...

Oh now now, i only fly fish the bow but i would never judge anyone for throwing hardware as long as its not in the run i'm fishing! My 8 yr old daughter throws hardware and i respect the hell out of her for coming with me!!!!!!!

[Winch101]

We're all friends here ...and really cole is so yesterday ...

I have Gucci waders...with a Dilaurentis fly vest.:snapoutofit:

[SCHOOCH]

I will be the guy with the Prada waders and the Gucci sunglasses

[jacenbeers]

I caught three nice rainbows today in the Bow using a rainbow trout Rapala Countdown. The water was crystal clear and it was a beautiful day.

[Chisholm77]

I've been skunked 4 times this week in the NW. Using original raps and countdowns. Fishing usually from 7ish to 8:15ish pm. I guess no more NW fishing after tomorrow but I hope I figure this river out soon!

[EZM]

Some people just have low fishing self-esteem and feel it necessary to put other people down in order to play down their own fishing short comings.

Kinda sad really.

You are 100% correct .......

I do have an Eddie Bauer outdoorsmen vest ..... go great with my cup of Tims.

Does that make me bi?

[BeeGuy]

You are 100% correct .......

I do have an Eddie Bauer outdoorsmen vest ..... go great with my cup of Tims.

Does that make me bi?

Fishin?

Do you go both ways?

[trainerdave]

What if a guy uses flies but casts them wet as drifting nymphs off a spinning rod-does that make them a crossover? Fencewalker? How about using a black curlytail jig as a bottom weight for drifting with a fly or two above it as nymphs...while wearing 'world famous' waders ...MADNESS! ...Trout/pike hit the jig and whitees on the flies...try it sometime-watch out for snags though...How about a spinner in front of a fly...is it a fly-or a spinner...
The Bow is awesome and a gift for everybody. Fly or spin, a good river with unbeatable access for lunchtime C&R right outside your office downtown...Lucky us!
Rest in peace Ralph ...I used to see Ralph down at the Bow while he still was a newsman. He used to take his Daughter with him once in a while down to the pumphouse hole east of Crowchild tr. Long before politics. He loved the Bow. He was very influential towards directing provincial money in to the Bow in Calgary to clean up contamination from creasote,gasoline/oil refineries and industrial sites. The Bow is much cleaner now then it was back then...so Thanks Ralph from the friends of the Bow... And thanks for sharing a few hours,some stories and a couple of smokes with me way back in the '70's...

[stampsfan]

I've been known to throw both raps and flies. Depends on the spot,time of year, water quality, my mood, ect, ect.....

Regardless, fishing is fishing. If your out on the water its all good IMO

[trainerdave]

Hey Chisholm...Go to Princess island and walk up past or around the peace bridge and fish the South side, Or the North side off the rocks. Better hurry before it Closes!

[MtnGiant]

2 days in a row ZOPPED!!!!
Seems my new flies and techniques are not workin.
Sometimes new is not better lol


But I did find a lil rapala brown trout crankbait lure in a tree....so a fake brown trout is all I got today.

Maybe it belongs to Mr Bee.....but...finders keepers, hehehe

[VanHorn1]

Floated the Bow from Glenmore to Police, long float today with the wind pushin the boat back upstream!! But me and my buddy had a great day just getting back on the river after the winter. I managed to put an 18 and a 20 inch whitefish in the boat and bud got a fat fat 18 inch rainbow real healthy bugger been eatin good over the winter!
River seems to be fishin slow from all the people we talked to today, real hit n miss, buddy floated yesterday too and got the big skunkareeno!!!!

[EZM]

Fishin?

Do you go both ways?

lol .... When I lived in Calgary I did allot more fly fishing ..... after I went to the US and moved back to Alberta (here in Edmonton) I do more spin fishing as it's more conducive the water and species around here.

I kind of miss the peace and subtlety of a fly rod on a stream.

The Bow River is one of those places where you can never finish learning.

[MtnGiant]

lol .... When I lived in Calgary I did allot more fly fishing ..... after I went to the US and moved back to Alberta (here in Edmonton) I do more spin fishing as it's more conducive the water and species around here.

I kind of miss the peace and subtlety of a fly rod on a stream.

The Bow River is one of those places where you can never finish learning.


Wise words ole papa sun

[Chisholm77]

Hey Chisholm...Go to Princess island and walk up past or around the peace bridge and fish the South side, Or the North side off the rocks. Better hurry before it Closes!

Thanks. I'll see if I can get out one last time today. It becomes a longer drive for me to hit the river tomorrow!

[jacenbeers]

I am going to hit the Bow right now and see if I can smash into some rainbows like yesterday.

[RayL42]

I hit the bow for a couple of hours on Friday morning with a buddy; it was his first time fishing on the bow. I got skunked with my fly rod and he hooked a couple of browns using a little orange spinner one 8 inch and the other around 12.

[BeeGuy]

Did some steelheading on the Bow for 90min with miss bee this afternoon and tied into a couple.

3 nice bowfish and 2 fat bruins

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg523/elbee69/rainthroatGB1iv_zps416ebf25.jpg

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg523/elbee69/bruinGB1iv_zps8c664a2f.jpg

[MtnGiant]

Very nice Mr Bee....Im a lil jealous.
Nice you to enjoy the good weather w/ some good fishn

[BeeGuy]

Who has the keen eye?

[MtnGiant]

Who has the keen eye?

You do...oh lucky and gracious one :)

[catchandeat]

Who has the keen eye?

The brown has mold on his face?

edit...Just looked back a second time, cutbow?

[BeeGuy]

The brown had a cool blue dot on its face.

That was the smaller of the two rainthroats. I'll post the pic of the buck rainbow in a couple hours.

[pickrel pat]

Orange under jaw.

[DiabeticKripple]

i saw the slash right away cause you always catch those things.

ill head out sometime later this week. busy with school all week.

caught this piggy a few days ago. hes chunky

http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb410/DiabeticKripple/4690924F-F11C-4957-B1F6-92B99F8D679A-4699-0000040B26FE63E6_zps96a98524.jpg

[MtnGiant]

I saw the blue dot....but have no idea what it could be....unless you brought a felty w/ you???

The red slash just looks like blood to me

[pickrel pat]

Cutbow.

[EZM]

I thought the same thing - a little blood under jaw - until I noticed the spots were also more dense toward the tail as well. Larger white lobe on anal fin is also an indicator.

The blue buety mark on the brown is pretty cool too .....

[goldscud]

blue spots on Browns is pretty common...but a nice addition to the colors
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/fishmonger/Belowweir2.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/fishmonger/P1010520_zps7d7e23ff.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/fishmonger/marchbrown005.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/fishmonger/GlacierAp09006.jpg

[MtnGiant]

blue spots on Browns is pretty common...but a nice addition to the colors
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/fishmonger/Belowweir2.jpg


Oh baby oh baby......Im feelin frisky now hehehehe

Nice pic

[BeeGuy]

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg523/elbee69/buckGB1iv_zpsc3b141a8.jpg

[FisherPotch]

Bull trout , Lake trout, Brook trout.
Rainbow trout, Brown trout, Cutthroat trout, Cuttbow trout.
Rocky Mountain whitefish, Lake whitefish
Northern pike,Burbot,Yellow perch,Walleye,Goldeye,Sauger.
Longnose suckers,White suckers,Hybrids(whitenose suckers?),redhorse suckers further downstream and perhaps mooneye.
Brook stickleback, longnosed dace,Chub, Sculpin.
Asst. Cyprinidae...White sturgeon.
The perch in the Bow come from Glenmore, Lake whitefish are from Ghost Res. Anywhere downstream of these receive a few specimens along the way.That leads me to believe there should also be a few Lake whites in Bearspaw and Chestermere lake too... Pike are in the Bow although I have never seen one above Bearspaw. There are also quite a few Pike in Glenmore res.
And maybe a "tilapia" again....lol


White sturgeon??? Um not in AB to my knowledge.

I like that rainthroats, gonna have to borrow that one unless patents pending ;)

[goldscud]

Oh ya, they swam over the mountains from the Fraser