Quote:
Originally Posted by deeman
Sheep River- I have fished it and familiar with access
Highwood- Never fished and looking for some insight. Like just outside of Longview looks pretty good from Google Maps with deep pools but also looks like all private access??? In the Eden Valley area doesn't look to bad but agian access? Where to park and hike up and down the River?
Upper/Lower K Lakes- Maybe try a day from the Pontoon, depends I may want multi days on the Highwood.
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OK. You have hit a soft spot. I make it a strict policy to not talk about any river specifically other than 'the big 3': Bow, Red Deer, and North Sask rivers. I never had a chance to go fishing with my dad.
South of Highway 1, I would probably hit 3 rivers. Livingstone, Cataract Creek, and Highwood.
The Cataract Creek campground is a good home base for a couple of days. It is a little expensive, but well-maintained. Livingstone is surrounded by crown land. Access it anywhere below the falls for amazingly eager cutties. Cataract creek is a neat fishery because of the sheer abundance of little brook trout. They are not big, but the action can be non-stop and a great place for kids. As well, exploring the beaver dam areas can produce some good sized brookies. There are a dozen or so access points for the Highwood west of Longview. The landowners have allowed some blanket access. You can see the yellow signs. The only place I would recommend not accessing it is near Eden Valley---it is a reservation and they tend not to like it if you are on their side of the river. I made the mistake while walking upstream. I was asked very nicely to fish on the other side of the river, which, of course, i did promptly, but I would have rather avoided the confrontation all together. With the Highwood, you can get 'trapped' meaning you will have to climb out of the valley to get around a structure. There is a campground that provides a good access point or at least a reference point.
I would avoid the Sheep and K-Lakes unless I was on a bull trout only mission. The Sheep can be productive at times. It is close to my house, so I can make a trip to the Sheep in about the same time it often takes me to get to the Bow. The sheep can produce prodigious amounts of whitefish, but it has taken me a few years to hone in where and how to fish and a success evening out will produce 2-3 trout, usually with 3km or so of hiking.
K-Lakes has always been a disappointment. It is a beautiful area with some incredibly mediocre fishing. Again, if you are targeting bull trout, it is possible to pull some out, but I would put my efforts into something a little more productive if I had my kids in tow.
I have much less experience north of hwy1. I hope this helps you out.