Bow River – Upper and Lower reaches
Crowsnest
Oldman
Livingstone
Time spent fishing is not deducted from your life span.
Updated: January 14, 2016
Please note that I have very few dates open for the 2016 season.
Upper Bow conditions:
Southwestern Alberta survived the worst flooding in Alberta history in 2013. Banff itself saw relatively limited adverse effect. Other areas and most of the rivers we utilize were not quite so lucky.
Upper Bow River flow rate: ft3/sec m3/sec (@ 8:00 a.m.)
Visibility: Frozen 🙂
Water Temperature:?C
Upper Bow forecast:
Just waitin’ for spring.
Lower Bow conditions:
Open, but high.
Visibility:
Water Temperature: oC
What’s OPEN:
Inside the Park:
The Bow River:
Lakes: Minnewanka closed.
Two Jack and Johnson are closed.
Outside the park:
Eastern slopes streams Closed til June 15.
Please, always check the regulations, available form the links page.
HATCHES:
Upper Bow: Nada.
FLIES:
Dries: Stones.
Streamers:
Nymphs: Prince, hare’s ear, stonefly, sj worms, evil weevil, etc.
Oldman, Livingstone and Highwood :
Other lakes :
Hector at Nakoda – No current report.
Gap Lake – Murky.
TIGHT LINES: SCREAMING REELS
Time spent fishing is not deducted from your life span.
| Hatch charts, by their very nature are estimates ONLY. Actual hatch timing varies greatly from year to year. Factors involved include, but are not limited to: Snow pack, ambient air temperature, water flow, water temperature, and water clarity. | |||
| Month | Fly Pattern | Size | Imitates |
Lower Bow River Hatch Chart | |||
| All season Especially heavy mid June to end of July | Elk hair caddis Goddard caddis Adams Caddis pupae Soft Hackle wet flies | 14, 16, 18 14, 16, 18 14, 16, 18 14, 16 14, 16 | Adult Caddis Adult Caddis Adult Caddis Caddis pupae Caddis pupae |
| Mid June to end of July | Light Cahill Pale Morning Dun(PMD) Thorax PMD Spinner | 14, 16 14, 16 14, 16 | PMD PMD PMD |
| August 1 to mid October | Trico Thorax Trico Spinner Adams Flying Ant – Red | 18, 20, 22 18, 20, 22 18, 20 16, 18 | Tricorthyodes Tricorthyodes Tricorthyodes Tricorthyodes |
| Mid August to end of October | Blue Wing Olive Adams | 18, 20 18, 20 | Baetis Baetis |
| Mid July to end of September | Hoppers | 6, 8, 10 | Grasshopper |
Upper Bow River Hatch Chart | |||
| Early June | Blue Wing Olive Adams March Brown | 16, 18, 20 16, 18, 20 | Baetis Baetis |
| Mid June to Mid July | Western Green Drake Giant Golden Stone (Sofa Pillow) Elk Hair Caddis Goddard Caddis Pale Morning Dun | 10, 12, 14 4, 6, 8, 10 10, 12, 14, 16 12, 14, 16 12, 14, 16 | Green Drake Giant Golden Stone Caddis Caddis PMD |
| Mid July to end of August | Elk Hair Caddis | 10, 12, 14, 16 | Caddis |
| September and early October | Elk Hair Caddis Blue Wing Olive | 10, 12, 14, 16 16, 18, 20 | Caddis Baetis |
Eastern Slope Streams Hatch Chart | |||
| Mid June to Mid July | Western Green Drake Giant Golden Stone (Sofa Pillow) Elk Hair Caddis Goddard Caddis Pale Morning Dun Adams | 10, 12, 14 4, 6, 8, 10 10, 12, 14, 16 12, 14, 16 12, 14, 16 16, 18, 20, 22 | Green Drake Giant Golden Stone Caddis Caddis PMD Baetis |
| Mid July to end of August | Western Green Drake Elk Hair Caddis Goddard Caddis PMD Adams Hoppers | 12, 14, 16 12, 14, 16 12, 14, 16 14, 16 16, 18, 20, 22 6, 8, 10 | |
| Later | Hoppers Elk Hair Caddis | 6, 8, 10 12, 14, 16 | |
Nymphs: Use ’em pretty much all season. Use emergers of the insects in the hatch chart appropriate for the time of season. | |||
| Gold ribbed hares ear: 8 to 18 (depending on what you are imitaing) | |||
| Black stone fly: 6 to 14 | |||
| Golden stone fly: 6 to 10 | |||
| Prince: 8 to 16 | |||
| Pheasant tail: 10 to 16 | |||
| Olive flash back: 10 to 14 | |||
| Steamers: use ’em all season. Great searching patterns when nothing is rising | |||
| Bow River bugger: 2 to 8 | |||
| Clauser: 2 to 8 | |||
| Leeches (black or green or white): 4 to 10 | |||
| Muddlers: 4 to 10 | |||
| Wooly buggers (black, green or white): 2 to 10 |