Bow river - can't keep 'em????

Artist · #1 04-02-2010, 04:10 PM

I'm fairly new to Alberta and after reading (and trying to figure out the endless regulations regulating the Bow river) I thought it might be just a simple to ask here:Is there anywhere on the Bow that you can keep Trout, (other than the little Brook trout)?I noticed quite a crowd out on the Bow today (around the Calgary area). Is it all catch-and-release? I love the sport of fishing, but it would be nice to finish the day off with a nice meal too!!

What's the story on the Bow?

Maybe an additional question would be this: Is there any good river fishing on any river around the Calgary area where you can keep what you catch?

DarkAisling · #2 04-02-2010, 04:30 PM

There are only a couple of sections where you're limited to Brook trout.

The regs for the Bow are a mess to read through. Here are the sections from the 2010 regs in ES1 where you can keep something other than a Brookie (you can't, of course, keep Bulls):

Bow River

from first dam below Hwy 1X downstream to Ghost Reservoir (not including the reservoir), & tributaries except Ghost River
Apr. 1 to June 15 – Trout limit 0; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Bait Ban
June 16 to Oct. 31 – Trout limit 1 under 35 cm; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Maggots are the only bait allowed and only in the river from Aug. 16 to Oct. 31.
Nov. 1 to Mar. 31 – CLOSED

from (Ghost Dam) downstream to Bearspaw Reservoir (not including the reservoir), & tributaries except Jumpingpound Creek
Apr. 1 to June 15 – Trout limit 0; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Bait Ban
June 16 to Oct. 31 – Trout limit 1 under 35 cm; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Maggots are the only bait allowed and only in the river from Aug. 16 to Oct. 31.
Nov. 1 to Mar. 31 – CLOSED

from Bearspaw Dam downstream to Western Headworks Diversion (W.H.D.) Weir (including the Elbow River below Glenmore Reservoir).
CLOSED Apr. 1 to May 31 and Oct. 1 to Nov. 30
June 1 to Sept. 30 and Dec. 1 to Mar. 31 – Trout limit 1 under 35 cm; All Trout over 35 cm must be released; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Maggots are the only bait allowed and only in the river from Aug. 16 to Sept. 30.

from the Western Headworks Diversion (W.H.D.) Weir downstream to the Carseland Weir (includes 500 m of the Highwood River) but excluding all waters in the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary (see Inglewood Bird Sanctuary) – Open all year.
Apr. 1 to Mar. 31 – Trout limit 1 under 35 cm; All Trout over 35 cm must be released; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Bait Ban.

from Carseland Weir downstream to the Hwy 24 Bridge (downstream side)
CLOSED Apr. 1 to May 31 and Oct. 1 to Nov. 30
June 1 to Sept. 30 and Dec. 1 to Mar. 31 – Trout limit 1 under 35 cm; All trout over 35 cm must be released; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Pike limit 3 (no size limit); Bait Ban.

from Hwy 24 Bridge downstream to Bassano Dam, including Bassano Reservoir (Fish Management Zone 2, Watershed Unit PP1) – Open all year.
Apr. 1 to Mar. 31 – Trout limit 1 under 35 cm; All Trout over 35 cm must be released; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; Pike limit 3 over 63 cm; Bait Ban.

notagoodtroutfisher · #3 04-02-2010, 04:36 PM

the fish in the bow may taste like latex and bleach. ha

DarkAisling · #4 04-02-2010, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notagoodtroutfisher

the fish in the bow may taste like latex and bleach. ha

One <35cm trout doesn't make much of a meal, but I wonder if anyone can comment on how the fish out of the Bow actually do taste. I've never eaten anything out of it.

the local angler · #5 04-02-2010, 05:01 PM

i normally fish from the centre street bridge and up and have eatten fish from there and they taste fine to me and hasn't affected me yet affected me yet affected me yet and i feel fine. lol. but if you look at where the bow river flows into and such like travers, macgregor and little bow res from various canals and such. i fish and keep fish from here too. it all depends if the fish taste funny then don't eat it.

hal53 · #6 04-02-2010, 05:13 PM

haven't fished it for probably 8 years, but I could never come to grips with eating a fish that is living down stream from a million people flushing who knows what

even though they have produced a world class fishery below Calgary, and believe me, people in the southern states ask me if I have fished it, must have a heckuva of a sanitation, water dep't. in Calgary
H.

Artist · #7 04-02-2010, 05:52 PM

...seems to be an unfolding picture here of "you'd have to be pretty hungry to eat them in the first place!" It's probably best to release them even if it were legal to keep them!

So...now that that's settled, let's turn a corner here in the discussion. Are there any other good river fishing places within a short drive of Calgary (1hr tops) where you can keep and eat your catch without having to first do radioactive testing on them?

go-big-or-go-home · #8 04-02-2010, 06:42 PM

the part of the bow that runs thru cochrane, is that section open now also then?

ericlin0122 · #9 04-02-2010, 07:42 PM

ate couple white fish form bow.
let me tell u this, they taste DIFFERENT than fish from lakes outside calgary. if you dont mind the taste, eat it, otherwise, they actually taste like....

TreeGuy · #10 04-02-2010, 10:25 PM

The handful of trout I've taken home from the Bow tasted just fine. Likely way better than anything you'll get from a fish farm. If you manage to catch one under 35cm, give it a try, you will not be disappointed.

Penner · #11 04-03-2010, 08:13 AM

Keeping a fish from the Bow is like hitting a guy when he's down in hockey. It's a un-written rule almost everyone kinda follows. A prime example of when anglers begin to respect a fishery, and limit themselves verse following a limit, good things will happen. And the Bow is a world-class fishery because of it.

Although I've never kept a fish from the Bow, I've heard the same thing about the taste. The smell of the water is all I need to be convinced personally. My own simple test is, if i cannot take a cup and drink the water directly, I sure as heck ain't eating anything out of it.

superspud · #12 04-03-2010, 01:10 PM

i agree with penner, the bow river is an amazing fishery and brings alot of money to the city. the river is under enough stress with a growing city around it. I think the bow is the rare example where a large amount of people realize the potential and dont keep fish because of it.

but each to his own as long as its within regulations. which thank god are pretty restrictive
personally i would not keep one (1) respect for a awsome resource. (2) if you ever fish near the outlet sewers i think that will help make your decision.

if ya wanna keep trout i sudjest you head to one of the many stocked ponds around calgary

bigjeff · #13 04-03-2010, 11:45 PM

In the regulations the Bow has a few spots where you can keep a fish.

IMO it is not a place to take fish from for two reasons.

1. Its a world class trout river not because people keep fish from it. Its a sport fishing river period. If you have fished a lot of different trout rivers in North America and abroad, you realize how special the Bow is. Go to safeway or get someone to let you into Sundance or Midnapore to eat and keep fish. Leave the Bow river trout alone.

2. Health risk of eating fish surrounded by a million plus people. Turds arent the only problem.

My .02

Jimboy · #14 04-04-2010, 04:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hal53

haven't fished it for probably 8 years, but I could never come to grips with eating a fish that is living down stream from a million people flushing who knows what

even though they have produced a world class fishery below Calgary, and believe me, people in the southern states ask me if I have fished it, must have a heckuva of a sanitation, water dep't. in Calgary
H.

Just a heads up , there are people living downstream from a million people flushing , bassano , brooks , many othe towns , who are drinking the same water , no issues , the water treatment plant in Calgary is high tech , if the water is no good the fish would die , throwum in the pan .
The only thing that would put me off from eating a fish from the bow in Calgary is if there was a human body floating in the same hole where l caught it.

DarkAisling · #15 04-04-2010, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigjeff

2. Health risk of eating fish surrounded by a million plus people. Turds arent the only problem.

What "health risk" are you referring too? I can find absolutely nothing to indicate that the trout downstream from Calgary are toxic or unsafe to eat in any way: not even a warning.

Personally, I have no qualms with someone keeping a fish out of the Bow: as long as they are operating within the regulations. I wouldn't want to see someone out there everyday keeping a fish from the Bow, but I fail to see the harm in keeping a couple over the course of a year.

Piers · #16 04-04-2010, 08:21 AM

All my years growing up on Vancouver Island, we caught lots of salmon and cod, and ate nearly everything we caught from the ocean, and also had a few lake trout when we had a chance, and ate those too (the early 80s were different times tho).

Last year was my first year fishing in AB, and after a few fruitless trips in various places on the bow, at Mallard Pt I finally caught a few (2 rainbows, a big brown and a white) .. my first rainbow was 34cm, and to give thanks to the fish gods, I dispatched him quickly and ate him for dinner. He tasted just fine as far as I was concerned.. I'm sure I put more toxins in my body during my lazy don't-wanna-cook-something-proper days than that rainbow put in my system.

(btw, everything else I caught last year got a kiss, a photo, and a quick re-entry back into the water)

baitfisher83 · #17 04-04-2010, 08:34 AM

The bow isn't as disgusting as some people make it out to be, I've eaten fish from it as well and didn't see any difference really. Now if only I'd have more luck fishing it

slingshotz · #18 04-04-2010, 01:41 PM

"Wild" Pacific Salmon can come from waters near Victoria where they discharge RAW sewage into the ocean, not to mention ships that discharge all their waste untreated into the ocean. Our sewage treatment plant is one of the best in the world (I'm sure there's more than one here that works for or knows of someone from the plant). Anything coming out of the plant that falls outside the regulated limits means someone's in big trouble.

I'm getting sick of people believing the Bow is a sewage sesspool of disease and viruses. If any of you have seen some of the "waters" in the world (even the USA) that people live off of, you'd gladly drink the water straight from the Bow.

Bushrat · #19 04-04-2010, 02:38 PM

If people saw where the bottled water their drinking came from they wouldn't drink it either. Drinking water from the Bow river is safer.

DarkAisling · #20 04-04-2010, 03:01 PM

The only concern I would have about untreated Bow water is "Beaver Fever." But then, I'd have that concern about any of our local watersources.

hal53 · #21 04-04-2010, 03:17 PM

I don't think any post said "don't eat" them, if you want to and it's legal, go for it, as I stated my personal feelings, are that I wouldn't, NP...as well, I'd feel guilty as H***k killing a fish out of a world class trout river, My opinion only, so enjoy!!!
H.

BowhuntAB · #22 04-05-2010, 12:13 PM

I love our river and made my living on it for many years! I defend it to the utmost extremes...that being said, the Bow is not clean the way some people thing it is. Yes, the treatment plants are top notch but the run off chutes, storm drains, field flow off, golg course run off and the fact that many use the river to dispose of some pretty sick stuff makes for some pretty gross things washing into the river. I have seen loads of Tampons, pads, condoms, diapers, needles...on the banks. Plus, we have lots of dead bodies in the river at any given time.

That being said, there are places on the river that you can keep some fish. If you are ok with eating them HAVE AT ER'!!!

Badback · #23 04-05-2010, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigjeff

In the regulations the Bow has a few spots where you can keep a fish.

IMO it is not a place to take fish from for two reasons.

1. Its a world class trout river not because people keep fish from it. Its a sport fishing river period. If you have fished a lot of different trout rivers in North America and abroad, you realize how special the Bow is. Go to safeway or get someone to let you into Sundance or Midnapore to eat and keep fish. Leave the Bow river trout alone.

2. Health risk of eating fish surrounded by a million plus people. Turds arent the only problem.

My .02

I was involved in a study a few years ago with the South Saskatchewan River Basin…Here is a way to sum it up - Wastewater from Banff, Canmore, Calgary’s 3 waste water plants, Cochran & Airdrie pump there wastewater to Calgary…Total over 800,000 cubic meters of treated waste daily into the Bow river..The plants take out solids and organics and the final treat before releasing is UV disinfection for Fecal coliform bacteria …They do not treat for metals like mercury or lead and if you remember a news story a few years back where the town of Brooks found traces of carbamazepine, a treatment for epilepsy in the water (from the Bow) going into their water treatment plant…

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...s_water030209/

WayneChristie · #24 04-05-2010, 06:28 PM

if all you people upstream are going to dump drugs into our water supply, at least make them worthwhile!!!!

Badback · #25 04-05-2010, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baitfisher83

The bow isn't as disgusting as some people make it out to be, I've eaten fish from it as well and didn't see any difference really. Now if only I'd have more luck fishing it

If anyone goes to Baitfisher83 for dinner, don't eat the fish....lol....

baitfisher83 · #26 04-05-2010, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badback

If anyone goes to Baitfisher83 for dinner, don't eat the fish....lol....

HAHA as if....

bigjeff · #27 04-15-2010, 07:55 PM

Right on Dave,

that was my point. Lots of people think its primarily dirty, due to the sewage treatment plant. However the treatment plant could be the least of your concerns.

Happy Fishing!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badback

I was involved in a study a few years ago with the South Saskatchewan River Basin…Here is a way to sum it up - Wastewater from Banff, Canmore, Calgary’s 3 waste water plants, Cochran & Airdrie pump there wastewater to Calgary…Total over 800,000 cubic meters of treated waste daily into the Bow river..The plants take out solids and organics and the final treat before releasing is UV disinfection for Fecal coliform bacteria …They do not treat for metals like mercury or lead and if you remember a news story a few years back where the town of Brooks found traces of carbamazepine, a treatment for epilepsy in the water (from the Bow) going into their water treatment plant…

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...s_water030209/

Beazer · #28 04-15-2010, 08:46 PM

I'll take "beaver fever" anyday lol.

On a side note, with all the talk it just makes more of a case to catch and release!