A long cold winter
It seems like forever that I got the chance to fish the river. In reality, it has only been three weeks. When you have a deep burning passion for fishing like I do, a few days is too long. It feels like the Chinooks we get here have been few and far between, and when we get them, they are on weekdays when I am hard at work at the shop. The last time I fished was January 21st on a Saturday afternoon. I spent several nights making a plan as to where I wanted to fish, more specifically, what part of the Bow River. There are many over wintering holes located both within the city limits, and just outside of Calgary. I chose the scenic drive just out of town to where jumbo trout shack up in the winter months. If you know where to locate these bruisers in the dead of winter, there is a good chance you will hook a trophy with the right presentation and lure.
I arrived at the destination and parked my new truck. There were not many vehicles in the parking spot when I rolled in, another reason I like to fish in the winter months, it keeps some of the weekend warriors at home. I geared up with warm pants that are water-proof and wind resistant, then fleece lined hoodies before finally putting the winter coat on top. I elected to tie up a Live Target smelt for my first offering. The lure has flashy colors, combined with a rattle. The lure suspends upon pausing and will stay level in the water column, rising ever so slowly imitating that slow death movement the fish can’t resist. Remember friends, when the water temps are cold like they are now, you must adjust your retrieve speed accordingly. I cannot stress this point enough. The fish are lethargic and do not move quickly like they do in the other three seasons of the year. I move the Live Target smelt slow, with many pauses in between short retrieves, duplicating that over and over again.
It is wise to start out slow with your retrieve speeds, and then pick up the pace a little as the day gets warmer and water temps warm up slightly. If you are having no success, you can switch lures and go deeper bouncing the bottom, or slightly off the bottom. A Panther Martin spinner or Rapala Countdown will do the trick here nicely. You can also move down or up the river accordingly. Remember, you are the hunter and you need to find your prey. The more you move up or down the river, the more success you will have. Look for weed beds on the rivers bottom in the winter or deep pockets of water where the fish feel safe to take cover.
After several casts upriver, there was still floating ice that had not melted into the river. The water was still too cold! I wandered downstream to find flowing water that dropped into a deep bucket. I knew the fish would be here, as they were stacking up in this hole in the fall. My boots carried me the five minute walk down, and I let the back pack fall off my shoulders setting up shop here. For me, it is important to cover lots of water during my outings; after all, we only have limited time to take advantage of the day. That four hour window seems to close quickly, so covering water by both walking, and casting far, will increase your success rate. When I fish the river in the winter, I do not use waders. The water is too cold for my old bones, so I chose to remain on the bank at all times. The key to success for me is to have a full spool of line on a large capacity reel. This will make my casts reach all the way to the other bank with a good weighted lure, such as, the Live Target smelt, the Live Target Trout Parr, the Rapala Countdown series lures, or the Rapala Shadow Rap shad series baits. The weight of the lures, combined with a full spool of line, lets me reach those fish that are “way out there” in the river system.
After many futile casts, I finally had action on a slow retrieve with a long pause. I tweaked the lure slightly after the pause and boom; I had my first fish of the day, a strong brown. My heart skipped a beat as I released the fish back into the chilly river. No matter the size of the fish I catch, I always look at them with a deep and respectful admiration. The deep love of fishing has never left me since I was a child, fishing the Bow River with my late grandfather Jack. Shortly after releasing my first prize, I made my way a little further downstream hooking up with another German brownie. This fish was chunky and dark buttered colored, and sparkled in my eyes as I let him back into the water. It was just after 1:00 PM and I decided it was time to make my way back up the river, to the initial spot I had started. Siv and I, who was my fishing partner for the day, took pictures along the short walk back up the river. Siv is a super talented photographer and also loves to fish both rivers and lakes here in Alberta and beyond. Through deep snow and ice cracking below our boots, we arrived back where we started. Siv had asked if she could change lures and I gladly tied up a new hook for her to offer the awaiting trout below. I also changed hooks to a new color of Live Target smelt. Siv chose the Rapala Shadow Rap shad in the Halloween color pattern, which has a deep orange underbelly, a flashy silver side and a dark black top. The rattle combined with the way the lure moves through the water is simply irresistible.
Siv was casting the lure out as far as possible with no action originally. I was pacing up and down the river myself, looking for my next taker. I asked Siv to come stand in a prime location a little further up the river from where I had been casting. I moved down river and switched spots with her. I was really hoping she was going to get her first fish of the day. I was dialed in and focused, as if time was standing still. Often times, I get mesmerized and tunnel vision kicks in. I happened to glance over my left shoulder and noticed Siv’s rod heaved over almost touching the water. I knew immediately that this was a big fish, so I dropped my rod and hurried over to position, coaching her with a few tips, “rod tip high up and steady pressure, If the fish wants to run, let him go”. She fought the fish like a true champ and guided the monster male into my awaiting net. When reaching out over an ice ledge, it’s important to have a long reach net like this Lucky Strike net I bought a few years back. It has a telescopic handle which keeps you safe while reaching out over sketchy ice ledges that line the banks of the Bow River. What an amazing trophy brown trout. I snapped a few pictures for her before loading the fish back into the net and letting the fish return to its happy home. The day would have been totally complete right there and then, but Siv was blessed to land another fantastic brown trout. The sun started to dip almost below the horizon, so we decided to call it a day, and a fantastic it was.
In closing, I would like to leave you with a quick tip. If you are fishing without a partner, please don’t lay the fish on the ice or in the snow. The fish have sensitive eyes, and you could permanent damage to the eyesight of the fish by laying them down. It is better to take a quick selfie of the fish. Gain control of the trout with one hand and snap a few quick pictures before releasing the fish. If it is a chilly windy day, it is better to release the fish without pictures. Unhook the fish quickly and release it promptly back into the river. A GoPro camera can be used instead and you can save the memories of your catch with the GoPro footage.
