Beginner on the Bow

[The O-Fish-al Fisherman]

Hello all

I've recently started fly fishing and have to say it is fun so far. I haven't landed a fish on the fly rod yet but I know I soon will hopefully. Just wondering about what you would set up for the bow at this time. I've been a couple of times in may and have seen lots of fish surface feeding and so I threw all of my dries out there to experiment. But to no avail. I have read that this is runoff time and that June isn't the best month but I am still going to try.

What would you guys recommend for flies and rigs? I preferably like dry fly fishing because you can see them take the fly but am open to nymphs and streamers. Though I haven't had much experience with nymphs and streamers.

Thank you all
Kyle

[Flieguy]

bow can be a tough fishery but keep at it and you should catch something.

Turn over rocks at the water's edge and match what you find with nymphs. Make sure they're presented on the bottom.

If fish are rising, match the hatch.

[The O-Fish-al Fisherman]

Ok thanks. I've heard BWOs work good right now. Is this true?

[scel]

Originally Posted by The O-Fish-al Fisherman

Ok thanks. I've heard BWOs work good right now. Is this true?

Bow River hatch charts tend to put BWO April-May and August-September.

I do not know a single fly fisher that doesn't prefer catching fish on dries. That being said, unless the fish are actively feeding on the surface. The easiest way to determine if the fish are actively feeding on the surface is simply wait once you see a rise. If you see a second rise, try to determine what it is eating.

I have spent a couple of days just doing recon. I have not seen that many fish on the surface, definitely nothing consistent. I would say that 2/3 of the fish that I have seen are whitefish (they like to splash a lot) or just little guys (who also splash a lot).

I have never caught a fish on dry fly during run off. Fish tend to not rise when the water is dirty. Sitting at the top of the water column is dangerous. At least on the Bow, dry fly water is *usually* less than 1m deep. So, if visibility is less than 0.4m, you will not see many fish on the surface, at least on the Bow River.

Good news is though...it looks like run off is being 'normal' <knocks on wood>. We have not seen a good stonefly season in a couple of years. And then you get a month of obvious caddis.

Good luck.

[The O-Fish-al Fisherman]

Thanks. Does that month of caddis start now? Or soon?

Kyle

[grinr]

Originally Posted by The O-Fish-al Fisherman

Thanks. Does that month of caddis start now? Or soon?

Kyle

There's a fair amount of caddis out right now,has been for a couple weeks at least,along with brown drakes mid-day,and a couple species of small stones.That said,I've yet to catch a fish on a dry this year.....haven't really tried too hard to be honest,only one evening,and the surface action as mentioned has been very sporadic,with just the odd fish rising here and there.Also as mentioned,the visibility is generally poor for dries right now for the most part.Obviously,fish still feed in the stained water,but it chisels away at my confidence.Dry fly fishing can be tough enough without throwing poor vis into the mix.
Best bet if you really want to fish dries imho would be caddis late in the evening,that's generally the most consistant surface feeding right now.Aside from that,I'd stick with streamers and nymphing thru the day,and don't be afraid to try bigass ugly stonefly nymphs(as in #4-6) over the next few weeks.

[Lornce]

Originally Posted by The O-Fish-al Fisherman

Hello all

I've recently started fly fishing and have to say it is fun so far. I haven't landed a fish on the fly rod yet but I know I soon will hopefully. Just wondering about what you would set up for the bow at this time. I've been a couple of times in may and have seen lots of fish surface feeding and so I threw all of my dries out there to experiment. But to no avail. I have read that this is runoff time and that June isn't the best month but I am still going to try.

What would you guys recommend for flies and rigs? I preferably like dry fly fishing because you can see them take the fly but am open to nymphs and streamers. Though I haven't had much experience with nymphs and streamers.

Thank you all
Kyle

If you want to fast track your learning, hire a guide for a day.

[4D7]

If you like dry fly fishing around this time, I've had luck putting on Stimulators in a bigger size before sunset as mentioned above. Also from previous experience if you nymph, do so close to the shore they aren't very far from the banks during run off. I can't say much for streamers since I've been trying to familiarize myself with streamer tactics this year.

Tight lines

[The O-Fish-al Fisherman]

Ok sweet thanks everyone

[Scott N]

One of the more common nymph setups for the bow is a heavy San Juan Worm and a dropper fly under an indicator. Also, be sure to learn how to properly mend your line so that your flies are bouncing on the bottom drag free.

I'll second the suggestion for a guide... they are not inexpensive, but the knowledge that I gained from spending the day with him was well worth it.

[The O-Fish-al Fisherman]

Yeah I was thinking about a guide. I'm going to head to Fish Creek tomorrow night and see if I can get my first fish fly fishing. Let ya'll know how I make out.

Thanks again