Looking for help for first time fishing in AB
 

Hi everyone,

sorry in advance if I haven't found some old thread about this question. I've moved to Alberta from the EU almost 2 years ago and really wanted to try out some fishing. I live in Calgary and thought the easiest way to start would be shore fishing, probably at Glenmore Reservoir. I was hoping to catch some trout that I could bring back home and cook. Even one would be awesome.

I know the regulations on what you can keep and what you need to release. What I struggle with is common fishing gear names and knowledge to start with.

I wanted to ask if you could help me with a list of things I need to start fishing, and just the names of the items will help me to google them and understand what they are (ie. spoon - I'd never be able to think what that is in fishermen terms if someone would have not told me that).

So looking to get a fishing rod with a reel (potentially some budget-friendly to start at Canadian Tire), would be great to know what line to get, and if it matters. Also, what to use for lake shore fishing for trout (I know live bait is not everywhere allowed), potentially "spinning fishing" or whatever you call it here would be ideal, as that is a bit more fun to me than still fishing plus I have no clue how to fly fish either.

Hope you can give me some advice! Appreciate it in advance!

Mins

Rapala countdowns are a great lure to start with. It looks like a young trout and if you retrieve it slowly and sometimes pause it works great. You can try some trout spinners to from Canadian tire. Mepps panther martin of different colours work well too. Canadian tire has some affordable rod and reel combos and as far as Line I recommend 6 pound for small trout and 8 pound for larger. I’ve never heard too good of things about Glenmore reservoir so I would look at smaller stocked ponds instead around Calgary or the bow river. The bow can be challenging to fish sometimes but you are definitely rewarded with a good size if you do catch one. Keep in mind you can’t keep fish in the bow river but you can keep fish in most stocked ponds. Hope that helped

Your best bet is to go to a local fishing shop. Do they have a Fishn Hole in Calgary?

Plan to spend a lot of time there and ask a lot of questions. They are always very helpful and it is much easier to get it from the pros as opposed to a casual fisherman. It is a lot easier for them to show you what they are talking about than for me to try to describe it to you. They can also tell you about where to go and what to use for whatever fish you are targeting.

Be sure to get at least some of your gear from them. They have invested a lot of time with you and it is only right that you pay them back.

Definitely agree with this. And yes they have a fishin hole in Calgary.

I'm not big on trout fishing but I do fish for them occasionally.

As I understand it Europe is big on bait fishing so that is where I'll start.
It is a good option for shore fishing.

Since I don't know what fishing experience you have I will assume you've done at least some fishing in the past.

For trout I'd recommend a a light or medium action rod, that is marked on the rod itself.
I'd go with a 6 foot rod. Gives a bit better distance when casting from shore.

Rod material doesn't matter that much so whatever suits your fancy should work.

For line, I'd go with 8 to 10 pound rated mono. It is the easiest to work with.
You can find all that marked on the spool or box it comes in.

Next you'll need a bobber. Also called a float. You'll want to connect that to your line a couple of feet above the hook.

For a hook a size 6 should be fine. Trout have smallish mouths so you don't want a big hook, just big enough to hold your bait is all you need.

For bait an earthworm is as good as anything. They can be dug up anywhere there is soil one can dig in. Gardens are a good place to look for them.

A grasshopper will work too. Or you can buy bait at a tackle shop. Just about anything will do. But the more a particular bait matches what the fish encounter in their environment the better it works.

Earthworms and grasshoppers are in the environment already so they work well and can be had with a minimal effort at no cost.

I would also buy a selection of split shot. Split shot are small weights one can attach to a fishing line to get the bait down faster and increase casting range.

That should be enough to get you started.

It's unfortunate you live so far south. I'd be happy to have you come with me.
I could introduce you to far better fish for eating then our stocked trout.

Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions.

This....when I travel or am not totally sure of an area etc I hit up a tackle shop and they always point me in the right direction with regards to regulations, license, where to fish for what and what to use etc

Good luck

You can rent a canoe at glenmore if you want to make the fishing a bit different as well and get out further.

Try a 5 of diamonds spoon, just google that to see them. Yellow and red diamonds.

Light line for trout as mentioned. But there are a lot of small pike in there as well.

Good suggestion. The Five of Diamonds is always a good starting spoon for pike.

It works in more places, in more conditions, and for more species then any spoon in my tackle box.

Thank you!
 

Hey again,

thanks to everyone for your replies, I have read every single one and have some ideas now. I might message some of you to ask additional questions, but it was really helpful! I appreciate it!