Once again, we have arrived at Christmas and New Year. I always like to wish those of you that read the blog, holiday greetings and blessings for a new year. Blogging is much different now …
With the boat put away for the winter, the time has come here in Calgary to switch to shore fishing. Winter has arrived indeed, but we are blessed to get those chinooks that break up …
With mild temperatures running into the second week of November, and snow finally blanketing the ground today, I think its time to winterize the jet boat and close the 2024 boating season. Once again, it …
Fall fishing in swing and today we are joined by the best receiver in the CFL, Mr. Reggie Begelton and his teammate Mr. Tre Odoms-Dukes. As most of you know, Reggie is a seasoned angler …
Recently I have seen an increase in poaching on the Bow River while out fishing. Poaching is bad for our fisheries and can cause severe decline in fish populations rapidly. Not only is it against …
On behalf of myself, and the Bow River Blog, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a prosperous new year. Santa Claus was good to me once again this year. I am looking forward to warmer weather and getting back out on the Bow for some winter fishing action. I hope Santa was good to you all and you can use your Christmas goodies on the ice, or the open water very soon!
I would also like to thank every client who came out fishing with me last year. I am very grateful you could all join me in the new G3 jet boat for another epic season. I hope to see you all back once again in the 2022 fishing season. I have some exciting news to announce here soon, so stay tuned to the Blog for that in January.
This week I was interviewed by Michael Short of Let’s Go Outdoors regarding the latest article in the Conservation magazine, which is a publication of the Alberta Conservation association, written by Paul Christensen and Dr Michael Sullivan. We discuss the decline in the rainbow trout population in the Bow River and some possible solutions going forward. There have been several AEP meetings held this past month, where both the biologists, and the river stakeholders (users) are included in the Zoom meetings. Here, we all discuss possible solutions to an ever-increasing problem on the Bow River, which is more angling pressure and a decreasing rainbow trout population.
Several ideas and possible solutions have come out of these important discussions this far, which will hopefully be positive for the Bow River trout populations going forward. The Bow River plays a huge role in tourism, and generates income for guides, hotels, car rental companies and restaurants. Seeing the Bow River collapse would have a massive impact on all these businesses!
Without pointing fingers, as I was taught, when you point your finger at someone or something, there are three pointing back at me! When I am on the river either fishing or guiding, I see fish caught and played out far, far to long. On several occasions, I have pulled off the river for lunch. While getting the lunch from the cooler, I see a boat across the river catch a fish. I pass the lunch to my clients and have a sandwich myself. During the time it takes us to eat lunch and have a drink, the fish the person across the river caught still has not been landed. We are talking ten to fifteen minutes that fish has been played on the hook. In my opinion that is far too long for a fish to be caught, landed then released. This is happening all day, everyday in the peak months of spring, summer and fall. If you have been fishing for any length of time, you know this puts major stress on any fish caught. Biologists and experienced anglers alike will tell you this leads to high mortality rates and is harmful to any trout species. In the peak months of fishing, which we know are July and August, there is normally thirty to fifty boats on the water from Policeman’s flats to the Carseland Weir daily. I will leave it up to you to do the math.
According to many articles published online, good catch and release begins with playing the fish well. Here is a snippet of some best practices I found online through a simple Google search.
“The key to proper catch and release is playing the fish quickly and safely. The longer you play a fish, the more lactic acid is built up in their system and the more they struggle to recover. Playing the fish for over 2 minutes, is generally a bad idea. Trout don’t recover as quickly making them susceptible to suffocation or being eaten by other trout or birds of prey. Play the fish quickly by keeping side pressure on the trout to bring it to the net quickly. Side pressure is turning the tip of your rod to the left or right of the fish to turn its head back towards you. You’ll be amazed how doing this can bring the fish in quicker and with heavier tippet and leader, you can bring them in quickly (under 2 minutes max) for a safe release. *Note the author of the article says under two minutes. That’s a big difference from the ten to fifteen minutes I see happening often!
LAND FISH QUICKLY USING HEAVIER TIPPET Fish don’t care as much as you think when they see the line. Often you don’t need 5x and 6x or even 7x tippet. You can be just as successful with 2x to 4x. Fishing with heavier leader will allow you to land the fish quicker and keep you from wearing out the fish beyond what it can recover as mentioned above.”
Obviously, there are several other contributing factors as to why the fishery is in a steady decline, as discussed in the zoom meetings, but I never heard this mentioned as a factor. I feel its important to mention. I am by no means perfect, and have made mistakes in the past, but I am continually learning and trying to better myself and educate my clients and friends along our journey. Will I make mistakes again, absolutely I will! As I mentioned in the video with Michael, I am continually asking myself “How can I do my part” to make less of a negative impact on the river as possible. However, wherever I can help in a positive, constructive way, I shall!
With fall fishing in full affect, the angling on the Bow River has been great this month. October is normally a great month to fish as the trout are munching down, putting on weight before winter sets in. I have noticed the fish are moving out of shallower water or current and settling into their over-wintering holes. It’s important to take note of this if you want to put fish in your net. Remember, the fish are not always in the same locations in all four seasons of the year! Learning the patterns of the quarry you intend to catch always gives you the upper hand and normally translates into a good day on the water.
The second part of the puzzle is figuring out the lures to use and the speed of presentation for the water temperatures. A key point to note here is, as the water temperatures lower, the fish also slow down. Adding a pause, and or several pauses to your retrieve speed, will most often let the fish catch up to your hook and smash it. Lately on our last several trips, I have been using an old lure called a minnow spinner. I can cast it into places where even a shallow diving lure cannot go.
Getting creative on the water and using lures the fish have not seen before can increase your odds. Using colors that are different and unique will most often find you fish. As an angler and guide, I am not afraid to try new things, whether it be colors of lures or size of lures to find success and catch fish.
Trying new ideas or things on the water can increase your catch rate and help you become a more well-rounded angler. I encourage you to try different colors, sizes of lures or even new water to find success and happiness while enjoying the splendors of nature and our beautiful province of Alberta.
As the water temperatures cooled down this month, the bite was hot, and many great trout were put into the net. After the record temperatures we had here in Alberta, it was great to see the water temps return to normal levels, giving the fish suitable habitat conditions.
The weather was fantastic, and I spent many days on the Bow River with guests and friends alike. My dear friend Rob from Edmonton came down to fish the river with me. It was such a great day with tons of laughs and great fish into the boat. Rob is such a great angler and all-around great man, so it’s a true honor to watch him work and pick apart the river! We spent the day laughing and joking and telling many stories along our journey below McKinnon Flats.
Rob is the assistant manager at The Fishin’ Hole South Edmonton and possesses an abundance of knowledge on many of Alberta’s sport fish. For those of you in Edmonton. I highly recommend Rob and the Fishin’ Hole for all your gear and tackle needs.
Big thanks for coming down to Calgary to see me and fish with me Rob. I cherish our time together and the friendship we have built over the years.
