Hooking a Bow River trout on a dry fly is a fun and exhilarating way to fish. Getting out of the boat and hunting the fish will be a large part of your Bow River experience. However, you do want to be versatile and be willing to change to nymphs and streamers to ensure success in your day should the fish choose not to rise or due to conditions on the river.
Public access is quite limited due to the terrain and private ownership of the lands along the banks. Floating the river with McKenzie drift boats is the best way to access all the good fishing spots. East of the Carseland weir, some guides will use jet-boats and this opens up another 32 kms (20 miles) of fishing terrain. They use the jet boats here as there is no public access along the Siksika Indian Reservation riverbanks. Fishing here can be a lonely experience as often you will only see several other boats there with you. The fishing is typically less pressured here and can be very rewarding.
Due to the long hours of daylight in Southern Alberta you can spend as many as 12-17 hours on the Bow River fishing if you have the mental stamina to endure the day. Be prepared for a 16-22.5km (10 - 14 mile) float. Most guided trips average between 7 and 10 hours on the river. A typical fishing day from the Lodge begins with the guides picking you up around 8:30am and returning around dark.
North Bow Lodge is the only full service Lodge on the Bow River and is situated on 1.6km (1mile) of private land, approximately 14.5km (9 miles) upstream from the Carseland weir access. Some excellent walk and wade fishing spots are along our banks and are only a few footsteps away. There is a private boat launch at the lodge that is exclusive to the guides guiding guests out of the Lodge. This affords the guests an easy and fast way to get on the river. Several of the access points are only 15 minutes drive away, the rest no more than 40 minutes.
The "Blue Ribbon" Bow is 40 miles of a fly fisherman's dream. It's 64kms(approx 40 miles) between Calgary's Glenmore Trail Launch and the Carseland weir access. It's big water, averaging about 150 to 200 feet wide. The terrain along the Bow river valley is quite unique. Outside of Calgary the valley cuts deep into the prairie landscape. Bluffs reaching heights of 80m-100m (250-300 feet) are common. Much of the southern shoreline is steep and covered with Douglas Fir trees. The Bow River was named so by the North American Indians, as they used the trees to make their bows more than a century ago. The north bank of the river is a mixture of prairie bluffs and cottonwood poplar trees, during a hot, dry summer it can almost seem desert-like.
The main citizens of this section of the Bow River are of course its populations of Rainbow and Brown Trout. Fish population is about 2500 fish per kilometre , it is a naturally wild population with no stocking of the river. Your average size catch is generally between 40-45 cm (16"- 19") but be prepared for hooking ones upwards of 60cm plus (24"). If you manage to hook one of the big browns, get set for a battle of epic proportions! Great skill and a little luck are required to bring in one of these fantastic fish.
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