Troutapolluza 2012

A three day fishing extravaganza!

It has been a seriously busy year for me guiding the Lower Bow River this year! I have been booked solid with trips every single weekend. It has been both an honor and a pleasure to meet so many fishermen and women. Quite frankly I have been exhausted and needed a break to recharge my batteries and perhaps catch a few fish of my own. After witnessing so many fish come aboard the boat, I needed to hook up and land one of those fish for myself. I love watching others catch fish don’t get me wrong; but catching your own fish is always a good feeling. The line screaming rush of a 20 plus inch brown is very hard to beat.

A window of opportunity came available recently where I could break away and have my own shot at trout bliss. I wanted to share my knowledge with a few friends who have never had the chance to float the Bow River. A chance for them to experience what serious float fishing the Bow is all about. Jason had just moved from Edmonton and wanted to become familiar with the Bow River. Corey, who is a local, also wanted a crack at some big trout from the boat. So we all chipped in 300.00 and bought all the necessary camping gear; to camp and fish till our arms fell off.

The Launch:

We started our long journey Friday afternoon after finishing work, putting the boat in at the 22X boat launch. With a fully encumbered boat we set sail down the now gentle flow. Our plan was to fish for a few hours and then dock off and set up camp alongside the river. All of us did manage to land some strong, feisty rainbows in the first two hours; the largest was Jason’s fish which was approximately 23 inches. Just below Policeman’s Flats we rowed off the river and set up shop. The three of us unpacked the boat and began to set up the new 8 man tent. As Jason and Corey got busy getting our bedding ready, gathering firewood and unpacking the chairs, I unloaded the new Coleman grill stove and whipped up some dinner for us. Friday night was a simple meal; a couple sirloin burgers each from Safeway hit the spot perfectly. We all sat back and chatted before round two of fishing commenced. I wanted to night fish for browns as this is a perfect time to catch the trophy fish as they predominately feed at night under the cover of darkness or just at dusk. All three of us loaded the head lamps and some fishing tackle and headed down river into a corner where the shallow shelf meets deeper holding water.

We started at the top of the hole, concentrating on the water spilling into the corner over the shallow shelf. This is usually a classic spot for fish to wait for food to come over the shelf, and then eat the food as it drifts down into the deeper water of the ledge. After several casts and no reward, we moved down pecking our way along the bankside. I had a several hits and momentarily had fish on, but they managed to escape only spilt seconds after hitting. I then added new sharp hooks and fired my minnow imitation back out, twitching and cranking as I made my way further down river. Finally after many casts I had a nice rainbow that gobbled up what I had to offer, a Live Target minnow which has a wide wobble and rattles to attract most species of game fish. The fall sun was starting to set and fish were rising everywhere. Mostly smaller fish were taking bugs off the surface but there were also some larger specimens shooting out and making a loud splashes. Both Corey and Jason were soon into fish of their own; Corey had a Panther Martin spinner tied on and Jason landed his fish on a Rapala Countdown. After catching some great rainbows and one brown that got away, we decided it was time to head back to camp and light up the fire. A fantastic start to the trip! As the fire crackled we sat and drank coffee and talked about the Bow River and why I love to drift here year every year. There is just something about a clear night’s sky, combined with good company and camp coffee that cannot be beat.

After joking and laughing till 11:00 PM, the sun and fresh air had taken its toll on the three of us; by this time the fire had flickered out and no wood was left to burn, the deadfall we gathered went up in smoke. Time for some shut eye!

Day 1:

I awoke to a cool sleeping bag and unzipped the tent to see the early morning fog hovering over the river valley. I needed an extra sweater on as I was beginning to get very chilly. Six thirty in the morning and the sun was just poking its head over the horizon. I fired up the stove and got the coffee brewing, eggs and bacon for breakfast then time to tear down the tent and pack up all the gear and get moving. I cleaned the dishes as Corey and Jason packed the tent and sleeping bags; then back onto the river for day two.

The weather was amazing and the action got started early with several rainbows hungry for crank baits and spinners. I opted for a Luhr Jensen Bang Tail which for me, works very well on rainbows. Not long after I tied the Bang Tail on, I had a willing taker that was caught just off a ledge on the inside bend of a corner. The water here goes from shallow (six inches) to four feet in a 10 yard span. I cast my lure into the shallow water to avoid the splash the lure makes on impact, that way the fish don’t spook and the lure looks natural as it drifts over the ledge and into the deep water where the fish sit and wait in ambush mode. Sometimes the lure snags out and you will lose it, but the risk is usually worth the reward. If you look for ledges in a river, most often you will find big fish willing to feed on you offering!

Jason and Corey were soon into fish as well; more scrappy rainbows were landed and released. My plan was to float just past MacKinnon flats and pull off the river to camp on a corner which leads into a deep long stretch of river. As we arrived I got out of the boat and scouted out our soon to be home for the night, there was a good place to set up the tent and loads of firewood in the immediate area. A feast of AAA steak and corn on the cob was planned for Saturday night’s dinner, and as the men set up camp I whipped up the grub.

After dinner was finished we all decided to head downstream and fish the deep hole, I knew there was going to be some large fish in this locale. I had on a Live Target brown trout minnow imitation, this lure looks exactly like a trout par and also boasts rattling capabilities which these willing trout find irresistible! I was fishing my way downstream and after many casts, I found what I was looking for. A twenty eight inch hooked jaw male brown absolutely smoked my lure. The lure came to an abrupt stop, almost fooling me into thinking it was a rock I snagged out on. As the lure stopped, the fish bolted out back into deeper water peeling line at will; the reel screamed as I hollered to both Corey and Jason to come see what I had hooked up. They both jogged down to my position to view this amazing creature; pulling out their cameras even before they arrived. I guess the tone of my voice combined with the urgency sent them running in delight. We all gazed at this monumental specimen a few moments before I revived the fish; moving him gently back and forth in the water to move water back into his gills. Seconds after I held him in the water he was gone like a flash, scurrying back into his rocky hiding spot in which he came from.

This long stretch of river fished productively well for all three of us well back the sun set. We hooked many prodigious fish in the blackness of night here. After voluminous fish and sore arms from casting all day, it was time to withdraw back to camp and rest beside a hefty fire. There was still one more day left to fish and we all were a little fatigued from many, many casts into the river. Soon after we lit the fire, we were all dog-tired and crawled into the tent for some much needed sleep.

Day 2:

The second full day of our trip we launched just after McKinnon Flats to the Carseland Weir. A full day’s fishing began after fueling up on eggs and bacon and a belly full of orange juice and coffee. This stretch has been fishing really well all year long so I prepared both men for the best day of our trip. This stretch of the Bow River also has the most structure and prime locations for trophy fish. I wanted to pull off the river several times to fish the most productive holes I have discovered this past year. Many trips floating this section of river have revealed its best ledges, bank side boulders and underwater crevasses. In saying that, this is now a new season and the water has dropped substantially in two weeks. The river takes on new characteristics and fishes completely different than in the spring or summer months. Different lures are required and modified techniques are used in the fall months as opposed to the spring/summer months. Those deep diving lures only hook bottom now and must be switched out and replaced by shallower running baits; baits such as spinners and minnow imitations that float of run shallow. Lures such as the Rapala Original Floater, The Rapala Husky Jerk, Panther Martin sonic spinners, and Blue Fox Minnow Spinners! These lures will catch large fish and stay off the bottom and on your line.

We were mixing it up with our lure selections and finding great success casting to the east bank of the river. The sun was shining on the east side providing ideal water temperatures. Many rainbows were landed in deep runs in both the top and bottom end of the pools. I wanted a few more browns so I switched up my lure to the Live Target brown trout par. I was able to land two respectable browns with this lure.

Day two was a success and by far the most productive stretch of river. After a six hour trip I could see the boat launch at Carseland in the distance. I switched from casting to rowing and brought the boat into the launch at the Carseland weir. It was almost depressing that the trip had ended but the thought of a warm shower soon outweighed that thought. We unloaded all the gear back into the car thankful for a wonderful experience fishing the Bow. On the ride home we all agreed that this was the first of many Troutapolluza trips taken on the river. I am already looking forward to next year’s trip camping beside the trout filled waters of the Bow.