Back In the Saddle Again. PHOTO GALLERY
I decided enough is enough and moseyed on down to the Bow River to see what kind of shape it was in. Spinner fishing the Bow River has always been one of my favorite things to do when I have time on my hands. I opted to bring along my fishing rod and tackle just in case the river was ready to fish. I arrived at the river at seven o’clock and made the short hike though the tall grass that is now lining the banks along the rivers edge. I have not been even close to the Bow River in over a month, so needless to say I was a little revved up to get my sparkly gold minnow spinner into the tea stained water. As I tied my hook up I paused to inhale a deep breath of crisp clean rocky mountain air, ahhhh that familiar smell of summer cannot be beat.
I knelt down beside the rivers edge and tied my first offering up with great haste. The Minnow Spinner by Blue Fox usually does the trick I thought, which proved to be correct only four casts into my evening. I heaved the three inch spinner/minnow imitation up the river and a 21inch Rainbow Trout clobbered my present. This fish was one hard fighting trout and flew out of the water to shake my Eagle Claw hooks. He was successful in spitting my hook out but made me grin from ear to ear while doing so. Tough little sucker I mumbled under my breath. I moved up the river ever so slightly and three casts it was fish on once more. This time your mine I said out loud, you’re not getting away from me. I slowly coaxed this sizeable trout to the bank and gently popped the hook from his mouth. I was starting to have fun but, today I was after the elusive Salmo Trutta or otherwise known as the Brown Trout; and left that deep riffle alone.
After arriving at a deeper, slower hole; I tied up a silver bait fish imitation and launched it into the murky abyss. I slowly pulled it across the water column and no action for twenty minutes. I moved up the river into a slow calm area where I figured there would be trout feeding, as it was late in the evening. I re-casted and slowed down the presentation considerably and BANG a fat Brown Troutexploded onto my Berkley Frenzy. I left the trout in the water and gently removed the barbless Eagle Claw hook from his mouth. I snapped a quick photo and he was on his way. It sure does seem to me like the fishing here on the Bow River will only get better as time goes by. I believe it’s time to deploy the inflatable and float the river once again.
