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05-07-2017, 02:07 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 36
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Help with the bow
Hey guys, been on the bow for the last 2 days at different locations, hwy2 south where it crosses over the bow and Stoney, by mckenzie golf course. I've tried many different setups buy have been skunked completely. I am new the bow and I was wondering if anyone can help me find a decent place where I can wade in and hopefully catch something. Also, I'm not very good at "reading" the river, so any help with that would help me a lot
Thanks!
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05-07-2017, 06:15 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 146
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Don't get down on yourself, the bow is a difficult river to fish. My first 5-6 times on the river i was skunked so what you are going through is normal. The places you named are good spots so its not where you are fishing.
The last couple days the river has become pretty dirty which will make fishing tougher, also a lot of the rainbows are spawning so their numbers in the main river will be down.
As for reading water, its probably the most important thing about fishing rivers. Pick up a book on reading water, it will be worth it!
Based on the water temps you'll probably find fish in the slower water, if you can find a nice piece of water, where the surface is broken and has good depth give it a try. Remember most fish will be no more than 30 feet from the shore line so there's no need to wade in deep or cast far.
The most important thing is to keep moving, fish a spot for 10-15 minutes if you aren't getting hits move on to the next spot.
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05-07-2017, 07:54 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fenix_84
Don't get down on yourself, the bow is a difficult river to fish. My first 5-6 times on the river i was skunked so what you are going through is normal. The places you named are good spots so its not where you are fishing.
The last couple days the river has become pretty dirty which will make fishing tougher, also a lot of the rainbows are spawning so their numbers in the main river will be down.
As for reading water, its probably the most important thing about fishing rivers. Pick up a book on reading water, it will be worth it!
Based on the water temps you'll probably find fish in the slower water, if you can find a nice piece of water, where the surface is broken and has good depth give it a try. Remember most fish will be no more than 30 feet from the shore line so there's no need to wade in deep or cast far.
The most important thing is to keep moving, fish a spot for 10-15 minutes if you aren't getting hits move on to the next spot.
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Thanks! This helps a lot
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05-07-2017, 11:44 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 13
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Depth
You didn't say what technique you were using, but unless you see fish actively rising (or it's hopper season) prospecting with a dry fly is a low percentage game on the Bow. Nymphing is the main tool for most anglers on the river.
With that in mind, are your flies getting near the bottom quickly? If you're using an indicator, add split shot (either on a dropper from your last fly or at an appropriate distance above it) until you're catching on the bottom every so often. Adjust your weight and/or indicator depth based on the water speed until your flies are consistently down near the bottom and in the face of the fish.
There are other techniques you can master to help get them down (tuck cast, mending slack into your leader right away, and so on), but adding weight is the easiest for a beginner.
Remember your goal while nymphing: a naturally drifting imitation of something a trout wants to bite (not necessarily eat - otherwise why would ridiculous attractor patterns work?). Your objectives therefore are 1.) find water where fish are holding, 2). put your flies in front of them in a natural-looking manner, and 3.) detect the take. You need a reasonably taut connection between fly and indicator for that, plus an eye for subtle bites. When in doubt, set the hook. Every 20th rock or so has fins.
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05-08-2017, 09:27 AM
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 248
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fenix_84
Based on the water temps you'll probably find fish in the slower water, if you can find a nice piece of water, where the surface is broken and has good depth give it a try. Remember most fish will be no more than 30 feet from the shore line so there's no need to wade in deep or cast far.
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The fish have moved into summer water with all of the BWO's hatching in the last week or two. Every fish yesterday was nosed right into gravel bars in the fast riffles
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05-08-2017, 10:00 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2016
Posts: 23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NorthernAggressor
Every 20th rock or so has fins.
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Very true. I've lost too many fish due to a non-aggressive hookset when I'm expecting to hit bottom in a certain place after adjusting my indicator. Just set that hook every time, I learned that pretty quickly as a beginner.
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05-09-2017, 08:49 PM
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Join Date: May 2015
Location: Calgary SE
Posts: 108
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I've been skunked a lot on that river. Got tired of fly fishing and chucked a crankbait, hit on the 3rd cast. Go figure, its unpredictable.
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05-09-2017, 11:51 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Saskatoon
Posts: 680
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fly fishing Alberta
Hey guys, been on the bow for the last 2 days at different locations, hwy2 south where it crosses over the bow and Stoney, by mckenzie golf course. I've tried many different setups buy have been skunked completely. I am new the bow and I was wondering if anyone can help me find a decent place where I can wade in and hopefully catch something. Also, I'm not very good at "reading" the river, so any help with that would help me a lot
Thanks!
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one key thing is that you do not always need to wade into rivers to catch fish. Most of the structure such as trees, over hangs and undercuts are right on the bank. Always be sure to give these spots a look before you go marching into the water especially as the water continues to warm for the summer. Lots of good advice on here otherwise, good luck!
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