Bow River Blog – Page 39 – Is Your Fishing Resource For Spin Fishing The Bow River

Aug 20

Bow River Trout Fishing Success Stories

By Mike Robertson in Testimonials

The sweet smell of success

Quite often I field questions via my Blog in regards to fishing the Bow River. I admit openly I am not the guru of the Bow River nor do I know all of her secrets; I still have much to learn about her ever changing moods and seasons. I do however enjoy answering to the best of my knowledge questions anglers have regarding the Bow River. Some people move to the city and want to tap into the resources the mighty Bow has to offer. Some have never fished trout, let alone an intimidating river the size and speed of this river. Last week I received an e-mail come in through my contact form. John and his wife were looking for more info on where and when to fish the river. John has already found some success fishing the river but was searching to improve his success rate. Here is his message.

“Hi Mike, Great story, I enjoy the peace and quiet on the river early in the mornings. My wife and I have started trout fishing this year and are hooked. We have been fishing Glenmore, Deerfoot Bridge and MacKinnon Flats with great success, Big Rainbows and huge Brown’s. We have tried 130 Avenue and no luck at all! Can you suggest some other good spots on the lower Bow that are great and not too many people? Also is the fishing good all day or just mornings and evenings? We are new to this and enjoy the tips we read on your blog.

Thanks,

John and Joyce”.

I replied to John’s message and offered him a few more places to try his skills out. Sometimes I hear back from people and sometimes I do not. I was very grateful to hear feedback from John about his new adventures fishing new locations on the banks of the Bow River. I finished guiding the river yesterday and was pleased to see another e-mail from John. “Mike, fished this morning, we parked under the bridge at Anderson and Bow Bottom. We hiked downstream into Diamond Cove and down that nasty hill. The hike was not good on my back as I am having treatment on it all week for a sciatic nerve I wrecked last weekend fishing. We fished from 7- 10 AM and didn’t get a thing! We hiked back out to the bridge where the truck was parked. I said to my wife, I’m going cast a few under the bridge before we pack it in; the second cast this monster brown hit it. I was using a Rapala countdown rainbow #7. Good fight bringing it in and snapped a few pictures of this beautiful species of trout. I got it back in the water safe and it took off to fight another day. The tips you gave me on the Blog brought us to the spot and we can’t thank you enough, we are going to try the dog park tomorrow but think we might be back under the bridge. Thanks Mike”.

Judging by the size of this fish, I have a really good feeling that John and his wife will be back many more days to fish this wonderful resource we have right outside our backdoors. Thanks so much for your e-mail on Saturday, looking at the picture of that beast brown trout, I hit a massive pothole and almost lost the front left tire of my vehicle.

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Aug 10

A Gentle Softer Flow

By Mike Robertson in Trout Fishing Stories

It has been said that the finer things in life are free.

With summer sounds upon us and bliss in full swing, what better way to spend time beside a soft flowing stream. Sitting and watching the stars under clear skies in the thick cover of blackness, no city lights to be seen for miles. As smoke from the fire billows upward to the heavens, the sounds of coyote’s and crickets captivate your ear drums. Trout splashing playfully in the pool that team’s with life. Since I was a child, I always wanted to be outdoors in the wild. Now with offspring of my own, I can pass that boyhood passion down to my daughter. The original PlayStation was ropes hanging from a thick tree beside the river bank or a small tributary creek of the main channel where we would watch minnows and pounce like a cat, trying our best to catch one. A pond close by our house where the sounds of frogs could be heard through the front window left open. When I was young we played outside for hours with most of the summer holidays near, or in water. Perhaps this is why I am drawn to its shimmering glow.

Fin’s and skins was the game, one day a slice and the next a hook, hooked jaw browns taken from gin clear streams of the Rocky Mountains. Now I fish and camp as I did a minor, still following that hooked jawed brown that escaped my grasp long ago. I lay in bed at night thinking of him, why did I not net him to see his entire splendor. Some fish you land and some fish get away without a touch, haunting me until we meet again some other day. If fishing were just catching, I believe I would have lost my rod and perhaps the passion long time ago. What keeps me coming back for more is the one’s that escape me, some I see and some never surface, they just pull and pull without catching a glimpse. You know they are massive but they are shy, and don’t want human interaction.

My juvenile dreams come to life each and every time I step into my boat or along the bank. Whether I catch or not, that shimmering light refracting off the surface draws me in recurrently. Life is short and the most treasurable commodity we have is time, after all we cannot get it back! I make the most of my time with my friends, my family and my fish. Some fish have seen me before and some have yet to feel my touch. So I return year after year to reconnect with them and the sweet smells of pine and poplar. Fishing is a little different than most other sports, once you have all the gear it is relatively inexpensive, a little gas in the vehicle and off you go on another adventure.

If you look at the above picture, you will see my shadow. The day turns to night as the water rushes bye, gently softly it flows. The fish move in and out of its course wanting me to return again another day. As the sun dips below the horizon, I slip away begrudgingly. What keeps you coming back? Is it the fish or perhaps just the serene settings of nature? Leave a comment and let us why you love the outdoors.

Jul 30

Guided Spin Fishing Trips On The Lower Bow River

By Mike Robertson in Trout Fishing Stories

When you dream, dream BIG

When we daydream or dream while slumbering, we might as well dream big, big like the fish you see in the image above. When the lure meets the water, whether it hits the back eddy, the seam from a corner or the bucket, most of us want at least one massive fish before the days have all expired. Today was a day where reveries materialized, where that vision had been allowed.

I was cheering on Adam from the start of our float. Derek was cleaning up on the hungry rainbows and amassed quite a lead for the first hour. Adam hooked and landed a few fish later but had a mini dry spell going. I was not counting the amount of fish Derek caught, ok I admit I was counting, and was cheering Adam on from the bankside. I kept saying, 26 inch Brown, 26 inch Brown. Adam had a sweet rainbow locked up but it popped off on him before it reached the boat, do those count? I don’t think so! Then we pulled off the river again in a nice area of the river where three channels of the river converge. I docked the boat and we all jumped out apprising Derek and Adam that there should be a few dandy fish hanging along the bank just before the two channels of the river met up. The water was back pooling here with a nice gentle seam making its way into the head of the pool, the location was just screaming big fish. Derek’s forth cast was rewarded, a voracious rainbow took hold and flew out of the water to spit Derek’s rainbow Rapala minnow imitation. No way was Derek letting this fish slip off. He coaxed the trout to a location where he could step down and land his prize. That’s one more fish to hand for Derek. Continue reading

Jul 19

A Friendly Fishing Trip on The Bow River

By Mike Robertson in Gone Fishing

A new fishing relationship is forged

If we take a look at the meaning of the word relationships its meaning is “a state involving mutual dealings between people or parties or countries”. The past years have been full of new relationships both on and off the water. Most often I first meet people on the internet via my Blog or some kind of angling related web page where sport fishing is the common denominator. I am often quick to offer advice to folks who are looking for tips or to just share my memories of past fishing trips. I always find it interesting how anglers are great story tellers! This is how I met Grant Roadknight.

Grant is the Western Canada representative for Canada Pro Angling & Outdoor Agency which carries a great line up of products including Okuma rods and reels, Live Target Lures, and Frogg Toggs Outerwear. Grant is from Langley British Columbia and was heading east to Calgary this week to mix a little business with his fishing pleasure. I first met Grant via my Blog, Grant and his business partner Greg were interested in having me involved in joining their pro staff. I gladly accepted that offer and as part of that deal, I was to test their products and forward my findings to you, the consumer. Grant and I we to meet up today to field test the products while floating the Bow River in my water craft. Grant flew in last Sunday night and we arranged to fish today.

I picked Grant up this morning at 6:30 AM and launched out at Policeman’s Flats for a day of fishing and talking shop. Both Grant and I tied up a Live Target Trout Fry and smashed the banks all day in search of the Bow River’s finest specimens. The water is quite dirty now and fast as they opened both the Glenmore Dam, and Ghost Dam. We did manage to land a few decent fish just below a chute on the top end of our float. Grant landed a decent Brown on a Live Target Brown Trout fry lure and I reeled in a sweet rainbow in the same stretch of river.

Today was more about building a long lasting fishing relationship than it was about the fish; the fish were but a bonus. The Live Target lures worked very well and for those who don’t know Live Target Lures, they just won ICast hard bait of the year, three years in a row now. The Okuma product line is excellent as well; you can pick up some of the Okuma line at Wholesale Sports here in Calgary. Frogg Toggs Outer Wear can be bought directly through their website at www.froggtoggs.com. If you require any further information on any of these products, please leave me a message in this post or use the contact form in the top right corner on the website. I will get back to you as soon as I possibly can.

Thanks very much to Grant Roadknight for all the great gear I received today. I can’t wait to take you up on your offer to fish the Vedder River for Steelhead this coming February. I also look forward to a long lasting lifetime friendship with Grant and all the products represented.

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That’s a Wrap on the 2024 Bow River Season

Bagels, Browns And The Bow River

Reporting Poachers- Why it’s Important to Do Our Part

Labor Day At the Lake

Fishing on a whole new level: My $1500.00 Rod and Reel Investment

Bow River Trout Fishing Success Stories

A Gentle Softer Flow

Guided Spin Fishing Trips On The Lower Bow River

A Friendly Fishing Trip on The Bow River

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