Trout Fishing Stories

 
Don’t Just Rise. Shine.

As the winter air has started to warm and the smell of spring has entered the crisp morning air, I find myself getting up a little earlier than usual. I have never been much of an early riser but when spring comes around I find I get out of bed a little sooner than on those cold winter mornings. I awoke to a clear clean view of the beautiful Rocky Mountains as I passed over the bridge towards the rivers edge. The calendar says the first day of spring is the third week of March and daylight savings time begins this Saturday evening. Spring ahead as we say here. This means we will receive an hours more daylight in the evening hours and it will still be dark in the morning. Suits me just fine as a fisherman!

As this time change occurs here it signifies a change in the fishing patterns. When I would normally catch a handful at three o’clock now means I will need to set this time back an hour as the trout will feed an hour later. I have seen this new pattern already happening on the Bow River since the first week of March. This rule is by no means set in stone as you will need to watch your own clock and see when the prime feeding times are happening. As I hook and release my fish I always look at my watch to see when the fish come alive and feed. I believe it makes me a better fisherman and I usually catch more fish than the next guy, usually being the key word. It also gives me a good idea of when to arrive at the river and optimize my time on the bank side. I prefer to catch fish more then I do casting for them but I guess that’s part of the fun as well.

The Bow River can be kind or it can be stingy even to the most experienced of anglers. So just what does a fisherman pull out of the tackle box first? In March I go with plugs and large crank baits. Why this you might ask, well the fish are hungry for a decent sized meal and not a tiny snack. Often the biggest fish in the hole will be the first to latch on. I have been fishing the Rapala X-Rap a great deal lately with great hook up success. This lure stays on top of the water and fish cannot refuse the loose wiggle of these proven hooks. I have also been offering them in a slow ripping motion. Here is a hook where you take with you everywhere you fish. I have been experimenting with all the colors this lure comes in and every single color has caught me fish.

I believe as I use a hook often and get to know its characteristics; I begin to generate more fish as a result. One day is always different than the next. Today I fished the hook slowly and made only slight rips with the tip of my rod, tomorrow I might rip it hard and reel faster than I did the day before. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your lure and you too will not only rise, but you will shine!