Bow River Blog – Page 59 – Is Your Fishing Resource For Spin Fishing The Bow River

May 26

Fishing Trips Gone Wrong

By Mike Robertson in Fishing Trips Gone Bad

Fishing Trips Gone Bad

Many moons ago two fishermen set off to a secluded high mountain lake to fish for the fabled monster rainbow trout this lake was stocked with. Opening day on the lake was to arrive in two days. So the gear was packed away in the truck in anticipation of what was to come. Sleep was hard to come by that night as my heart was racing and I was jacked up for these trout I heard stories of. So we caught a few hours sleep and we were off a little later then we had hoped to be. We arrived in the parking lot and unpacked the gear from the truck; there were lots of fluids loaded into the backpacks for the long hike ahead.

This was our first time hiking to this tranquil location so we were not quite sure which direction to go. We were lucky to come across another hiker along our journey and she pointed us in the right direction. After another thirty minutes we had finally arrived. We could see the water through the tree line and we almost flew down the steep path to the shoreline. At last we were there, WOW what a place indeed and not another soul fishing the lake. This was it, this is what we had waited weeks for. Before we could tie our lures onto the line, a monster rainbow slowly swam by us. Talk about being revved up! Those fish were getting the best of us for the first hour and then Tom hooked up; a sweet rainbow was landed and released. Then it was my turn not so many minutes later. Yeah baby this is the life.

We fished all day long walking around the lake at least three or four times. Many fish were hooked up with a variety of spinners and buzz bombs. It was starting to get to the point where we needed to leave as it was a forty five minute hike back out and I told Tom, “time to shut it down”. Tom never likes to leave a prime fishing hole even when the fishing is slow. Not a chance was Tom going to budge; he kept saying “just one more fish, one more fish”. I knew the window of sunlight was going to close very soon so I clipped the hook off my line and put it away into the back pack. I made sure everything was secured in the pack and swung it over my shoulders to head out. There was Tom still casting away like we just got there. I yelled again “HEY, let’s go now”. He finally packed it in and we hiked up the hill back towards the path we came in on. By this time the sun was getting ready to set and we picked up the pace to make it back to the truck before dark.

We walked and walked until we hit the cross road in the paths. There was three ways to go and in the day time I am sure we would have taken the right path, but it was almost dark now and we took the wrong path out. We walked and I wanted to turn back but Tom insisted we stay on the path we were on, as he was confident that we were in fact not lost. We finally arrived on a road, what road we had no idea bit it was a welcomed site as it was now pitch black. We watched a car drive past us and I tried to wave it over to ask for directions but it never stopped. This was actually a good thing we saw a car as we now knew which way to walk. We figured the car was not coming into the area, it was leaving. I know fishermen are so smart! We saw another vehicle coming towards us and this time we stood smack dab in the middle of the road, you know so we could ask the driver if in fact we were walking the right way. He said we were going the right way and offered us a ride in the back of his truck box. We gladly accepted and jumped in. He drove us to Tom’s truck a short way down the road. We thanked him for helping us out and grabbed our gear out of his truck. Tom reached into his pocket for his keys and his jaw dropped wide open as he franticly searched for his keys. I knew he was not joking by the look on his face and he said something like “I F$#k’in left my keys on the shoreline”. “You got to be joking” I replied. “No I’m serious; my line clippers are attached to my keys. When I changed lures I clipped my line and I must have left them on the shore”. Now what!!!

I ran over to the truck to ask if we could catch a ride back into Calgary as we were now stranded in Kananaskis country with no ride. He was kind enough to do so and was nice enough to drop Tom and I at my house. “WOW what a day” I said to Tom as we walked through my door. Tom’s reply was “at least we have a reason to go fishing tomorrow” as we laughed at ourselves. Tom was concerned about someone picking his keys up and driving his truck home. We woke up early the next morning and drove back out to Kananaskis country to retrieve the keys to the truck and catch some more trout’s. As we rolled into the parking lot at dusk, we started to unpack the backpacks and fishing rods for another hike. I searched my car for my fishing rod but it was not to be found. I left it leaning on my house! HOLY CRAP what a start to this day.

We made it to the lake and low and behold there were Tom’s keys. Tom was relieved he had found his keys before someone else. I was choked that my rod was back in the driveway as Tom’s lure went outward into the still lake. Tom was kind enough to share his fishing rod and I made a few casts myself. We were so bagged from the hikes and the non-stop fishing; we packed it in after an hour and walked back to our vehicles. That my friend’s is the definition of a fishing trip gone bad! If you have a story of a fishing trip gone bad, I will be happy to post your story on the Blog.

May 24

Bow River Fishing Trips For Brown Trout

By Mike Robertson in Fishing Trips

In Search of Grandpa

Grandpa trout that is! I have been impatiently waiting to get my but to the river and fire out a lure into the rising waters of the Bow River. The water is swelling and run off has started now on the Bow River. I have been watching the river rise the last two weeks and I figured I would head south for some Brown Trout. The Rainbow Trout have made the way into the Highwood River and it’s tributaries to spawn leaving the Bow River prime for some rod pumping Brown Trout action. I fuelled up on Tim Horton’s coffee and burned down to the river.

What a perfect morning to fish, there was cloud cover but the weather was warm with no wind. The spot on the river where I fished is very hard to access by car and it took me about twenty minutes to walk to the river. I was hoping to not see another fisherman but with the sport gaining popularity, that’s a rare thing to not see anyone else. I arrived huffing and puffing a little and sat down to tie my first offering. A Countdown Rapala was tied on and I was fishing in no time flat. A boat was anchored across the river from me where a couple of fly fisherman were casting into the bank. I was casting into the end of a fast chute where the water gradually slowed down. After the first few casts were made and no fish hooked, I walked a little further down river to some calm deep water. The second cast in this calm water my first fish was hooked up, a scrappy Rainbow about fourteen inches in length. I landed him and let him go back into the water. I was happy to hook up a rainbow but I was looking for those massive browns I felt were in this stretch of river.

I needed to keep moving into slower water so I fished and moved, fished and moved until I started hooking some weeds from the bottom. I then stopped there and set up shop, I knew there would be trout sitting on either side of these weeds. First I cast way beyond where the weed bed was, hoping to hook a monster way out there. On the third try I had what I was there for, a big fat Brown Trout. I reeled her in and left her in the water while I popped the hook from her yapper. She bolted out back into the water and I reloaded for another cast. I put the lure into the same area of the river to see if there were more fish where she came from. I was quite surprised when I hooked another fish from the same area. I then made some casts on the opposite side of the weeds and was rewarded with another decent Brown Trout. I left this spot and continued to move down river hoping to catch a twenty eight incher. But there were no big Browns to be found.

I was happy with how the day went, after all ten fish over sixteen inches is nothing to scoff at. My only fish less than sixteen inches was a mini Brown Trout. This fish ate a one inch Buzz Bomb and was the length of my hand. It was a two year old fry that was one hungry little trout. I guess it goes to show you that those little trout’s will eat the big baits. I took a picture of this wee one and let him go. I then thought to myself, “Now I need to catch your grandpa”. I am looking forward to getting out and floating next week. I will bring the video camera along and shoot some movie for everyone to enjoy. Until then I will be thinking about those Grandpa Brown’s.

Apr 27

Summer Time Fishing On The Bow River

By Mike Robertson in Trout Fishing Stories

The Smell Of Summer Is In The Air.

The sun comes up over the horizon; the birds are a sweet sound to the ears early in the morning. The worms are squiggling out of the moist cool soil after a fresh spring rain. No need to dig for worms, they are all covering the lawn. The coffee pot clicks on and the shower fills the bathroom with moisture. The coffee is made and the first few sips go down so smooth. The fishing gear is ready and waiting at the front door and the mental check is complete. Rods, yep, hooks, yep, good to go. Then the mad dash for the river bank, there is no traffic at six am so the drive is a quick one. Then the heart starts pumping rapidly, adrenalin rushes though your veins as you walk to the fish. You know where they are and you’re prepped to get some reel screaming action. The hook is tied and you double check its strength in case a monster hits hard. Finally the first cast is launched and you’re in heaven.

Yes the sure joy of fishing, many do not fully comprehend. What’s so cool about a slimy fish, well until you catch the bug you will never completely understand! For those of you who know, there is no need to explain. The lure is searching, high and low, bottom to middle to top. The wait is agonizing until finally a hit, a glimpse of hope that you will catch and land one. Tap, tap and then BANG, a solid hook set and the battle ensues. From side to side fights the trout, tugging the rod as it pumps up and down, then the trout takes flight and you see it in all its glory, the silver bullet splashes down and then you pick up the slack taking back the line he stripped just moments ago. Wow you say as you try and catch your breath, then the moment arrives you have been waiting for; you get to touch him and gently remove the hook from his jaws. Then you let him go back to where he came from, watching him with awe.

Fishing is enjoyed by all, young and old. It is cheep to get into and it’s rewarding far beyond words. Many campfire stories are told about the big one landed, or the one that got away. Memories that will never be forgotten are made on the water all over the world. New world records are being broken month after month and fishing just keeps getting more and more popular every year. For me, I think about catching fish almost every day. It’s that passion for the sport that keeps me on the river back year after year. What keeps you coming back for more? I’d like to read your comments, feel free to add your comment here.

Apr 18

Bow River Fishing Spots

By Mike Robertson in General Info

Bow River Fishing Spots

I want to go fishing on the Bow River; I’m not familiar with the river all to well so where do I start to fish. Where is the best fishing hole on the Bow River I can drive up too and start catching fish? I used to think like that and even searched Google for the answers, so many websites out there one of them must hold the answer to my question! After a few wasted hours and nothing on good ol Google, I drove down to the river and just did the old fashioned thing; cast my lure into the river. I remember the days when there was no Google, there was no internet and there was not an easy way to the answers I was looking to find, what ever answers they were. The answer is found on the river, the answer is found by looking at the water, the answer is found by studying the type of fish you are hunting for.

For myself I read and study the fish I am looking for and get to know what they eat and where they go at different times of the year. I also read a lot of books on trout fishing, spin fishing for trout as that’s my forte, then after reading I would go put it into practice. I used the hooks they talked about in books and I fished the water they discussed in the chapters. Not one book ever told me what spots to fish on the Bow River, and believe me I looked far and wide. The books and DVD’s did tell me where to find fish in rivers and streams, the classic holding spots for trout. What times of the year were the best for trout fishing and so on. When to fish a river is as big a factor as to where to fish a river. So after reading and watching, I was catching more fish, bigger fish, stronger fish and more often.

I want to show you where the best spots are on the Bow River; I don’t want to tell you, that’s too easy. I want you to do the work like I had to. I want you to catch more fish like I do. I want you to learn how to read the water, what signs to look for when you fish a river and what water to pass by or ignore completely. I have just finished putting the finishing touches on my new Saturn Inflatable raft and I want you to get in and fish. I want you to hook twenty fish in a five hour trip, or more. I want you to see what it takes to find the prime holding water where multiple trout dwell, and then slam them down until your arm wants to fall off. We won’t be watching DVD’s we will be making them so you can remember for years to come.

Yes you too will find out where every great fishing spot is on the Bow River. We will cover miles of water and stop at all the prime fishing spots on the Bow River, get out and get into the trout. So if you feel like fishing this spring and learning to catch more fish, then this is a trip you can’t miss. Click onto the “Guided Fishing Trips” page of the Blog and book your next float trip. I know you will be happy you did after your fishing day is over.

Foolin’ em on April Fools day

The First Trip on the Bow River, 2025

The Late February Thaw

Merry Christmas And Happy New Year 2025

Bow River Winter Fishing Tips

Fishing Trips Gone Wrong

Bow River Fishing Trips For Brown Trout

Summer Time Fishing On The Bow River

Bow River Fishing Spots

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