Brown Trout And Coconuts
I got down to the river today around noon and parked near the water treatment plant as you suggested. Hiked a short way to the river and found it dirty from the city storm run-off. Maybe 12″ of visibility in some places, but I figured I’d try my luck anyway. I walked downriver towards the Deerfoot Bridge and tried a variety of lures, mostly Rapala Countdowns and a couple of Panther Martin spinners. No luck until about 1:30 when I hooked into a nice 16″ brown on the Brown Trout Countdown (thanks for the tip). Then nothing again until I got past the bridge and then, just like the other days, at around 2:30 PM, I started getting fish. I had switched to a Berkley Frenzy Gold Shiner which brought in two nice browns and an 18″ rainbow but then it went dead again about 3:15 PM. Weird how that happens.
So I changed to a Berkely Frenzy Silver Shiner and bang… I started getting fish again. A fly fisherman came by just as I hooked into a nice 20″ brown and that’s who took the picture. He started fishing nearby and saw me take another brown on the Berkley, so he came over to get a better look at what I was using. I showed him the Berkley (he called it a Rapala and I didn’t correct him) and explained how I was casting straight out and letting the lure drift slowly and when it came around on the downstream swing, that’s when the fish hit. So he digs in his tackle and comes up with a silver/black streamer (called a Clouser Minnow) and starts to fish it just as I described, and he starts getting fish. He got three while I was nearby, one being a nice 20″ Brown. I took a couple of pictures for him and he thanked me for the tip!! That’s a first for me… usually the fly fishermen don’t say much about the fact I’m spin casting or they wait until they think they’re out of earshot to comment on how “anyone can catch trout with spinners”. Yeah, well, it just goes to show that a smart fisherman is willing to take a tip from anyone… and the smart ones catch fish!!
You’re probably wondering about the reference to coconuts in the subject line… well, I mostly walk and wade when I fish and I find all kinds of strange things on the river, mainly because we’re downstream from the city. Today, I was walking along and saw a blue package tied with a red string stuck between a couple of rocks in the water. I kicked it up on the shore and slipped of the string and started peeling back the layers of cloth and nearly freaked. I swear the first thing I thought when I saw what was inside was that someone had put a shrunken skull in there. But it turned out to be a coconut and off all things a quarter. So I took a couple of pictures, tossed the quarter up onto the bank (with a little wish to the Fish Gods) and moved on. Another spring day on the Bow River, 7 Browns, 1 Rainbow, 1 Coconut and a quarter. Not bad.
Chris B.
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Great report Chris, I look forward to seeing more reports very soon from everyone.
~Mike.
Well, I’m not a fan of coconuts, but with the fish and the quarter I’d say you had a good day.
This site is such a great find! My girlfriend and I are getting pretty serious into trout fishing on the Bow (I fished a LOT as a kid in Ontario then stopped for 15 years, and so she’s the one pushing us to go out!). I grew up using spawn for trout, never would believe they’d take a spinner or a spoon because I’ve never seen it! We’ve been out twice with no luck, it is hard to believe how positively people talk about fishing the Bow. I think your river fishing tips will help us a lot! She’s spinning and I’m flying/spinning…she’ll likely want to try flying soon enough though.
Thanks!
what a grerat day of fishing i was out on the bow on monday in burnsmeade its out in fish creek park and i went with my brother who is a newly declared fly fisherman i went spinning from shore and i got a 20″ brown on a red devil with the same technique its was about 630 pm and it was the first time i ever caught a trout on a red devil and the first truout of the season:) (been fishing over ten years now) but was i ever surprised about the red devil first cast too anyways good luck
Great post. BTW, I think that what you found with the coconut and the quarter is what’s called a “GeoCache.” They are buried or otherwise hidden treasures scattered around the world that people go out to find using GPS systems. The idea is that when you find one, you are supposed to leave something of greater value than whatever you take so that there is always something there for someone to find. I think this one has now been “muggled.”
I think I’ll leave that comment alone !!!!!
Could be possible though !!!!!
~Mike.
Thanks for the nice article. I am new to Calgary. Where along the Bow River is this water treatment plant that you speak of? Any tips are greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jack!
The water treatment plant spoken of in this article is 700 yards above the Deerfoot Bridge as you leave Calgary to Okotoks. You can park by the bridge and walk up or down the river here Jack. Nice little area to fish the Bow River.
I also have some openings in June if you are interested in a float trip. You will learn every good spot to fish along the river.
Thanks for the comment Jack,
~Mike