Fishing Reports-August 11

Bow River Report – August 11, 2016

For this week’s Bow River Report we are going to try something completely different. This report is going to be formatted only with answers to the top shop and guiding questions over the last number of weeks…..

1)    No, the river is not higher than normal. Other than a couple of short duration (1-4 hours) bumps from rainfall events, the river is flowing at levels we would normally see late summer to early fall.

2)    No, the river is not unfishable. For the most part, clarity has maintained at always at least around 18” of visibility. It has varied here and there with some of the downpours, but there has only been a couple of days where the river wasn’t worth getting out.

3)    Yes, we have been catching fish with all this rain. Some of the biggest fish we have seen in 4 years have been caught in the last 2-3 weeks. W ere just having the yearly colored water that we normally have from the end of June to mid-July in late July to mid-August this year. If you want to catch the Brown Trout of a lifetime colored water give the best opportunity.

4)    No, there is no dry fly fishing to speak of right now. There’s a better chance of seeing a Unicorn at a boat launch than getting a foam eat right now. There was earlier, then the rain hit and the bugs kind of stopped. Except Tricos but colored water doesn’t lend well to rising fish on them. If we get a drying pattern we may see some hopper fishing get going. Forecast calls for our first high pressure ridge for a while so next week is warm and sunny.

5)    Yes, we are catching some really big fish on streamers.

6)    Yes, we are catching a lot of fish on nymph rigs. However, you’re better off nymphing with small leeches right now than some of the usual stuff.

7)    Yes, in general, it is somewhat annoying to hear the constant complaints about rain when, only a couple months ago we were looking to have the drought of the century. If we had not gotten all of this rain none of us would likely have been able to fish due to closures by the end of Stampede week.

Remember #KEEPEMWET

Hatches:  Tricos

Dry Flies:  Chewbakka Hopper, More-Or-Less Hopper- Tan or Peach,

                  Quigley’s Flag Ant, Flying Ant-Black or Cinnamon

   

Nymphs:   Jimmy Legs-Coffee, Tung Stud-Olive #14, B/H Pheasant Tail,
                  Hotwire Caddis, Chamois Leech, Crystal Bugger

Streamers:  Silveys Sculpin Leech, Grand Master Flash, Chamois Leech,                            

                   Clouser Minnow, Crystal Bugger-Black or Purple

Crowsnest and High Country Report – August 11, 2016

  

Other than the southwest corner of the province getting a lot of rain yesterday, nothing has changed for a while on the Crow and High Country. All of that stuff should clear up by the weekend.

Hatches:  Yellow and Lime Sally Stones, PMD’s, Caddis, Hoppers, Ants, 

Green Drakes in the high country.