Written and photographed by Mary L. Peachin
Vol. 12 No. 1
Guide Kevin Morrison enthusiastically advised, “Gotta let them eat…count one steamboat, two steamboat, the Canadian equivalent for ‘one-one thousand’…and then set the hook”. Many of Alberta’s Bow River rainbow and brown trout average 24 inches, and those big ones can take their time eating a fly.
Named for the bow reeds lining its banks, the river flows southeasterly 387 miles from Banff National Park. Fed by steady, ice-cold drips from the Bow Glacier, the river begins as a frosty Rocky Mountain trickle before descending into the turquoise beauty of Lake Louise. The River’s upper gorge transforms into foaming whitewater before calming between aspen covered foothills above the towering skyline of Calgary. The strong flow of the river flattens, its banks lined with cottonwood and spruce, as it passes through a treeless prairie of wheat, barley and canola,. Alberta’s prime black angus cattle drink at water’s edge, the river irrigates the fields of grains.
The North Bow Lodge enjoys exclusivity on this stretch of the river because owners Stewart and Michele Wheeler happen to be fifth generation farmers who still till the land behind the lodge’s perch on a high bluff overlooking the world class fishery. The fertile prairies lined with large farms and ranches are too pricey for a fishing lodge.
The Wheelers have built a comfortable and charming place. While grain, peas and canola mature in their fields, between July and late September, the 16-guest lodge welcomes fly fishing anglers.
Guides pick up guests for a ten minute or so ride to launch either Mackenzie-style drift or jet boats. The angler can fish from sunrise to sundown, there are no “fishing hours” at North Bow. Breakfast is served before departure and dinner is waiting at whatever time you return.
There are three primary 10 mile drifts: near Calgary, Carseland to a major diversion weir, and south of the weir to the Black Foot(Siksika) reservation. The river then spills into the Oldman river before joining the 340 mile Saskatchewan River which eventually flows into Hudson Bay.
In 1925, a truck headed to Banff with a load of brown trout fry broke down at Carrot Creek bridge. The driver, not wanting the fish to die, dumped them into the Bow. The fish in the river have naturally reproduced, there has been no stocking since the 1950s. Today, that equates to an estimated astounding 3000 catchable fish per mile. Catching and releasing 20-ish inch rainbow or brown trout with dry fly, streamers, or nymphs while drifting and wading is all in a good day’s fun.
During late summer, I spent three days testing my casting skills. Arriving mid-afternoon, Guide Kevin Morrison greeted me as we put in below the Lodge. Tying a Barrett foam stone generic pattern (a fly which imitates a golden stone or grasshopper) on a size 8 barbless hook to the tippet of a floating line, Kevin handed me the 9.6 foot, 6 weight Thomas & Thomas rod with an Okuma Sierra S5/6 reel. I looked for rising trout in the countless riffles, eddies, steep banks, downed trees, and seams. It wasn’t long before I found a taker-a small 15-inch brown trout, many run 24 inches.
Alberta was enduring a hot spell. Trout like water temperature ranging between 55-65 degrees and the weather conditions had warmed the river to a tepid 74 degrees, not ideal for fishing. I did manage to release a rainbow before nightfall.
The next two days were spent floating on Carl Blomer’s jon boat, powered by a 40 hp jet Yamaha motor. Carl has spent almost two decades fishing the Bow, and knows its fishing structure well.
We left the lodge on a brilliant sunny day heading south. Birch, silver willow, cottonwoods, and wild roses lined the banks. Great blue heron, seagulls, and white pelicans fed along rocky beaches. Fly catchers, waxwings, and robins swooped at insects, bank and cliff swallows were holed up on high muddy banks. Even with the fishing slowed by the warmth and strong winds, I managed to release a dozen fish.
The granddaddy of trout rivers can sometimes be grumpy on days when it is too hot or windy or those times when the river floods. On a good day, an angler can expect to catch several dozen or more fish using dry flies that match the hatch. Some of the favorites include stone flies, caddis, white and tan clouser, Bow River buggers, and, when the trout are not feeding on the surface, prince and San Juan nymphs.
More than 50 Bow River guides and outfitting companies attract more than 3,000 fly fishers annually and pump a cool $30 million pumped into the economy. In spite of times when the fishing is challenging, there are few rivers as magnificent as the Bow. And staying at the North Bow Lodge only enhances the experience.
If you go:
North Bow Lodge, www.northbowlodge.com, info@northbowlodge.com
Bow River Troutfitters, www.bowrivertroutfitters.ca, bowriver@flyshop.com