Bow River Blog’s Photo Contest

Bow River Blog’s Photo Contest

Hello friends, after a great 2010 fishing season I have decided to hold a photo contest to all who read the Blog. You have seen my pictures, now it’s time to see yours. This contest is open to all who fish rivers and streams in North America. I chose rivers and streams as this is primarily the topic of the Blog. Sorry to all those lake fishermen/women out there. The winner of the photo contest will win six swim bait lures from Japan. Please send a picture or two of your prized catch from this fishing season (2010) to (e-mail address removed) along with a short story about your catch. Please include the species of fish, where it was caught, and what body of water it was caught in. At the end of November the contest will close and a winner will be picked. All of your pictures and stories will be posted on the Blog for everyone to feast their eyes on.

I am looking forward to seeing your pictures of those toothy critters. Good luck to everyone who enters the photo contest. A winner will be announced December 1 2010 and contacted by e-mail. 

~Mike.

Bow River Trout Fishing Video’s

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Big Bow River Rainbow Trout Fishing

It seems as though of late the big Rainbow Trout have come alive. We are power fishing the Bow River and battling large fish. Todd’s boat has been working perfectly to take us where the fish are. The boat is a Zodiac with a thirty horse power outboard motor. This is a pure luxury to fish a river like the Bow River. You can drive to your favorite hole or where you have hooked fish the previous day and get busy hammering fish. If you are able to hook fish from an area then you can fire up the motor and do it all again, and again, and again.

Previously I had thought that this method of fishing was futile as I figured the fish would all be spooked out from the sound of the motor, and therefore lay low and not bite. Well I was wrong, dead wrong. As I promised my readers and followers of the Blog, more videos were coming. I brought along my video camera and shot some footage of our day out on the Bow River. We were chilly once more in the morning but the adrenalin of some huge rainbows soon warmed our blood. The fishing action has been killer as of late on the Bow River.

Here is what we produced on our fishing journey. The video is only a short sample of what our day was like. We would fish a stretch of river, hook trout and then motor back up the river to produce more fish. Then we would leave that hole alone and move down river to find more fish. Once we were down the river as far as we wanted to go, we would then drive back upriver and slam trout once more. My two biggest fish of the day were twenty five inches; I then hooked and landed a twenty seven inch beast. Some days are better then others and lately there has been more good days then bad one’s. Hopefully you enjoy the video! If you like it then share it with your friends.

A Chilly Float Trip In October On The Bow River

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A Snowy Float Trip In October

Todd and I decided we were going fishing. I hit the tackle store for a few of my favorite lures and was all set to fish the next day. I awoke to a chilly cloudy morning that was not looking favorable to fish the Bow River. After hitting the coffee shop and returning home for my gear, snow was starting to fall before I reached my doorstep. I sent Todd a quick text message saying, “Still wanna go fishin”. He replied “will see, meet me for breakfast”. As we were munching on eggs and toast, the snow was getting heaver and more fell. We finished up and headed down to Policeman’s Flats to take a look at the river. “Let’s do it” Todd says to me. I’m thinking “what are you nuts” and also thinking “this could be an awesome day for fishing”. We bundled up, and I mean bundled up and launched the boat into the ice cold water. We hit the gas and down the river we went.

My hands we cold and wet as the snow fell harder with every passing minute. It felt like it was minus ten but the thermometer said only zero. The wind made it seem colder as we were flying down the river eager to get to the first trout producing hole. Todd cut the gas and we were fishing finally. What the heck am I doing? My hands were cold but I was warm, so I fired my lure into the back and ripped the Rapala back toward the boat. Nothing! Then as we were drifting I fired that Rapala back into the bank. It did not take long and I was scrapping a twenty inch Bow River Rainbow Trout. Yes sir that was the first of many fish to come. It seemed like every hole we fished, we caught.

After twelve noon the weather broke off and the sun came out. It was as if the fishing Gods were smiling down upon us. We were just coming into one of my favorite holes and then the river came alive. We hammered two trout simultaneously and the first double header was underway. My fish slipped away but Todd was able to land his, a nice Rainbow Trout. Again and again we hooked and landed rainbows. Just goes to show you that you never know what to expect in a days fishing!

A snowy cold morning turned into one of the best fishing days I have had this season. It was as though the rainbows came alive as the water temperature dropped a few degrees. We could have burned back up the hill and left Policeman’s Flats to return to the warmth of our houses, wondering if we would have caught fish. Well I’m glad we decided to fish instead of wonder! Watch the video and see the snow falling and the trout we landed!

Fall Fishing Trips On The Bow River

Big Bow’s And No Snow

Wow, what awesome weather we have been having here in Calgary for the month of October. Many fisherman have been taking full advantage of it let me tell you. I was on the water today guiding two clients that had booked their trip two weeks back, and what a day for fishing. The first few hours of the morning was a little chilly as we launched from Policeman’s Flats and headed down river for some big feisty fish. October is usually known for large Brown Trout that are fattening up for their spawn, but for some reason we have not seen many lately but what we have seen is some sweet fat rainbows.

As the weather warmed up and the sun came out so did the fish, BIG FISH! Jim and Melody both we hooking and landing some great sized fish early in the day and I knew this was just the commencement of a great day. Jim’s first lunker came as we rounded the corner below the Cottonwood golf course. I instructed Jim to cast toward the bank he was facing and keep the rod tip down towards the water to keep his crank bait down deep. As he rapidly cranked the lure through the hole, a huge rainbow smashed his offering. This brute was peeling off line like crazy. His reel screamed like a sixteen year old school girl at a high school football game. I figured he had a monster brown as the fish stayed deep but oh no, this was a king-kong rainbow. I had to ready the net and pull off the river to land this baby. Jim finally got the trout to the net and I scooped him up with delight. “Yeah baby”, I yell to Jim. Jim’s eye balls were the size of dish plates and drool was running down his cheek as he hoisted his prize for the river photo shoot. After the flash of the camera he gently revived the trout and released it back into the deep blue hole in which he came from.

As we were already off the river I figured we should stay in the hole and fish it for twenty minutes or so. Jim was able to hook and land a few more fish from this prime area. Melody had a few hits also but was unable to land any trout. We jumped back into the boat and headed on down the river for more action. Melody hooked and landed a nice rainbow not long after. I snapped a couple of pictures of her fish before releasing it back. Then Jim hits another pig in a choppy section of the river. This trout was previously a member of the circus and keep flying out of the river. After many aerial displays Jim brought him to the boat and I proceed to net him out. Another massive trout caught and landed. I love it when those big bow’s go nuts for crank baits!

Jim and Melody hooked and landed a pile of rainbows with a few smaller browns mixed in. The weather was fabulous and the fishing was great. We joked around a laughed a bunch the whole trip down the Bow River. Thank you so much Jim and Melody for making my day today. Thanks also for your business and the memories of a hot fall day and big rainbow trout. It was a privilege to guide you on the river today. I hope to see you out with me next year in the spring for some more fishing action.