Halloween In April
It’s been sometime since I wrote a blog post so I felt the need to sit down this evening and tap the keys for a few hours and let you all know how the fishing has been on the Bow River. I have been out quite often shore fishing, as well as several guided fishing trips on the Bow River. The brown trout fishing has been stellar to say the least. After the rainbows went up the Highwood River to spawn, it left the Bow River wide open for some killer trophy brown trout angling. Both I, and my clients have caught several jaw dropping browns, both from the boat, and on the banks of the river. I have been looking at some new lures and new colors to try this year for trout on the river. The lure that caught my eye is the Rapala Shadow Rap Shad, in the Halloween color. I gave this lure a good thorough work out, both from the banks and the boat, and it’s a trophy taker indeed! Early season brown trout fishing on the Bow River has been much better than seasons past. Shortly after the rainbows head up the Highwood River to spawn, it leaves the browns hungry and ready to feed up.
For the most part, I have been fishing the stretch of water from Policeman’s Flats to just below where the Highwood River converges with the Bow. The water has been stained up too much to fish any further below the Highwood! I acquired some new Rapala lures and was dying to give them a shot on the Bow. I am always looking for new ways to catch bigger and better fish each and every time I step in my boat. I asked my good friend Steve if he could join me on a trip to try the new tackle I was itching to cast. He agreed and we headed out of Policeman`s Flats to find some bruiser browns. When I acquire new lures that I have never fished, I am always curious as to how they look in the water, and what techniques will work best to catch the intended quarry. The day we fished, the water had a slight stain but was clear for the most part.
The Rapala Shadow Rap Shad has some very realistic looking colors and also boasts a rattle inside the lure, which will get the attention of some of the most sluggish of fish. We launched the hook down into the river in all the usual locations, and in the first forty five minutes of our journey downstream, we both came up empty handed. It was bizarre to say the least, and it was not for lack of trying that’s for sure. When this happens, it can usually mean a few things,
(1) The fish are tight lipped and not feeding that particular hour or day.
(2) You may be fishing the lure to quickly for the water temperature that hour or day
(3) The fish may be laying up in different types of water (ex) slower water.
We slowed up the presentation of the lures, and added a pause on the retrieve, and we got hits. I decided it was time to fish slower water, water that most anglers would scoff at or totally ignore outright. Remember friends, fish move into all kinds of different locations of a river. The fish are not always in the same spots and in the same kinds of water! This will change week to week and day to day. That’s why I absolutely love fishing a big river like the Bow, its challenging every single time you fish.
After moving into different water, we found fish, BIG FISH. Steve reeled into some tank brownies and I caught some absolute beauties myself. The Halloween Shadow Rap Shad was slaying monster browns all day and I looked at Steve and said with a smile, “we have a winner here“. If you have not already tried the new Rapala Shadow Rap Shad, or the Rapala Shadow Rap, I would strongly suggest you pick some up HERE up and try them on your local river or lake!
Now to switch gears and start fishing the lakes of Alberta while the Bow River finishes it’s run off. Huge thanks to all my friends and clients who fished with me in April and May.
