February Fishing Fun on the Bow River

The Fish Get The Best of Me

As the month comes to a close the river is now wide open and totally ready to fish. After several days of having the flu, I finally felt better and was really ready to get out of the condo and onto the banks of the river. I posted on Facebook that I was looking for a fishing partner to slam some of the Bow River’s finest, and Doug Replied promptly that he too was ready to get out. I picked him up at 11:30 at his house and we swiftly headed south on the Deerfoot to a location I always have success in. After arriving we witnessed five trucks in the parking location and thought the river banks may be lined with anglers. I immediately though I was not the only one who felt cooped up. Once we hiked down to the river bank, we had the river all to ourselves; I guess the other anglers were further downstream.

We veered over the bank and I noticed we needed to walk a little further down river to get to the primo locale. The bank is steep and my wading boots have no spikes so it was a little tricky getting down the hill. We finally made it to the bottom and I could not wait to unload my Rapala Countdown into the wild blue yonder. Doug opted to bring his fly rod and had a nymph tied up with an egg on the top of his tandem rig. We both had our waders on so I let Doug wade out and I walked down river to give him room to heave his flies out into the top riffle. I walked the bank down to the middle of the run and then waded out to maximize my cast. I was working my minnow slow, with long pauses and small tweaks of the rod tip, and before long I had a strike and a few on, all but briefly. The fish spit the hook seconds after it grabbed a hold. I got to see the fish and knew it was a brown trout. I was sure hoping he was not the lone ranger of that stretch of river. There is lots of room and water here to fish, so I was hoping there were a school of fish hanging out.

Quite a few more empty casts and I decided it was time to get out of the water and stand on the bank to snap a few pictures and take in the beauty of the day. It is also wise to give the location you are fishing a rest, and either tie up a new hook or rest the one you are casting. Even a few minutes rest will produce another fish in the exactly same location you were just casting. I watched a golden eagle glide over our location, gracefully and silently then banking off and landing into the far tree line. It was exactly why I got outside and down to the river. I put both feet back out into the cold flowing water and began to cast again using the same retrieve speed and method and before long, another taker smacked my lure, and again evaded capture. Some days this really bothers me but today was not one of them. I chuckled to myself and brought the lure back into hand. The fish always tell me a story, and that is what makes most of us experienced anglers catch more fish I believe. I don’t say this to be egotistical, rather to let you know that you can learn lots when even the fish hit and get away. What my initial thoughts were was one of two things.

1. My hooks were dull and they needed to be swapped out for laser sharp Eagle Claw hooks.

2. My retrieve speed was too fast with the Rapala Countdown and I needed to switch hooks to slower moving bait.

I decided for option 2 and removed the Countdown from the fresh monofilament line I spooled earlier in the day. I wanted to stick with a minnow imitation bait, something I could slowly work just below the surface of the water. I selected a minnow spinner from Blue Fox and began moving a little further downstream to the tail out of the run. It was approximately 15 casts later and a super slow retrieve and boom; I see a large rainbow fold in half while he slams the side of my hook. Again the fish only smacked the hook but never wrapped his lips around the hooks of the bait. Finally after walking up and down the river, I hooked and landed a small pan fry brown trout. The fish love tapped the lure as well, and as I reached down into the water to unhook him, he kicked a few times and was gonzo. Soon after I landed this little guy, it was time to make a lure change again.

I sat on a log along the bank and watched as Doug made cast after cast. I saw his strike indicator dip below the surface and seconds later, he had the rod tip dancing high in the air with a ten inch rainbow on his nymph. Even those small ones on a fly rod can be fun! It was nice to see Doug finally get his first fish after an hour of casting. I removed a Buzz Bomb out of the package and swiftly tied it up. I saw the lure sitting on my kitchen table before I left and decided it needed to come for the trip with me, It had been many years since I casted a Buzz Bomb into the Bow River.

Back before I had my boat, I always carried this tried and tested lure in my tackle box. The lure is quite heavy, and you can cast this excellent lure all the way across the river on a full spool of line. Sometimes reaching the opposite bank or untouched water can produce fish. They come in two sizes, the 1.5 inch version and the 2.5 inch version. I most always opt for the 1.5 model as they snag up less often. I like to cast this lure upriver and let it bounce a little on the bottom before I add the snapping upward action to the rod. More often than not, you will get a reaction strike from a fish that dislikes the sound of the lure invading its territory. It was not long and I got a major strike, a brown trout that was absolutely was not coming into greet me on the shoreline. The fish jumped and leaped and shook with all its might until that hook went bye-bye from its lips. It was a great finish to a great day out on the water. Its days like today that make me want to keep coming back for more. The fish most defiantly got the best of me today, but that is what makes me come back for more, with sharper hooks and a winning spirit. If you have never used a Buzz Bomb, I strongly suggest you add a few to the tackle box as soon as possible.