As an angler who loves to travel I’m always looking for new and exciting destinations to explore with fly rod in hand. After nearly a decade of fishing the famous, and not so famous, rivers of the American west, my search for the next great place led me north to Canada.

In the summer of 1996 a fellow guide and I were talking about trips and places we were headed in the near future. He’d been spending his late summers, after the trout fishing in the southeast was winding down; guiding on the Bow River in Canada and said it was definitely a river I should check out. I’d been organizing and hosting groups to various destinations and had several clients that were ready for something new. A few months later, after research and planning, a group of us were on our way, ready for new adventures and a new river of possibilities. What’s developed from that point is a personal love of a river and its trout that has kept me coming back every year.

I really don’t think I’m much different than the average fly fisherman on the water today. When I think of and try to find a destination that’s really great it’s got to have some essential qualities. Big fish, a good population to ensure consistent fishing, nice scenery, hopefully some trout that like to rise, and if I am really lucky it’s not going to be crowded. The Bow River does very well in all categories…along with many more.

The Bow River is a food factory, resulting in healthy, quick growing trout that rival the famous rivers of the American west. Great rivers such as the Bighorn, Green, Missouri, and Madison have fish that average in the 15″ to 17″ with fish counts of 3000 to 10,000 trout-per-mile. In my experience the Bow’s trout average around 18″ to 21″ with fish up to 24″ and larger fairly common. It also has a lower fish-per-mile count - around 2300 - resulting in more food-per-fish.

The most famous and most productive stretch of the Bow flows south from the city of Calgary, a city with a large population, the vast majority with no idea of the fishery that lies at their back door. With most of the fishing pressure coming from traveling anglers and a limited number of good guides, the river seems empty compared to some of the previously mentioned favorites. I have spent hours with a guide and my fishing buddy working rising fish seeing only a handful of other anglers float by. From Calgary the river offers over fifty miles of trout water, so with all but the very upper stretches, you wouldn’t even know the city even exists. And it sure seems strange to grab a coffee at the local Starbucks less than fifteen minutes from launching your drift boat for a day on the water!

The lower Bow River flows through rolling hills and groves of trees offering gorgeous western scenery as you fish along. The river produces varied conditions, from long fast runs and gravel bars to slow pools and back channels perfect for sight fishing cruising trout. What ever type of fishing you prefer it can be done on the Bow, good hatches of stoneflies, caddis, and BWO’s to name a few come off through out the season.

The river is also a perfect spot for terrestrials, with large fish lying very close to the grassy banks waiting on a wind blown hopper. Nymphing can be also be productive, in the fast runs and riffles the length of the river, while on overcast days it’s hard to pass on the opportunity to fish large streamers for the big brown trout looking to make a meal of smaller fish.

The Bow River: Banff to the Reserve
Here, an angler has the option of fishing nearly a hundred miles of trout stream, starting at the rivers headwaters in the Canadian Rockies and traveling to the SikSika Reserve. For all practical purposes fishing the river starts near the tourist town of Banff, where the river is very clear with a slight blue tint brought on by the glacier silt. From here to Seebee dam the river offers good fishing and incredible scenery. In fact, it would probably be a more popular fishery if it weren’t for the quality of the river below Calgary.

The Bow River below Calgary is best fished using a drift boat (to cover more water), away from the popular public access points. The upper section actually starts in the city itself at various different put ins. In this section you may be fishing behind buildings, near the highway, or with in sight of houses. Don’t let this fool you though, for in the right conditions this can be a very productive stretch of water.

A couple miles down stream is the access known as Policeman’s Flats (an old Canadian Mounties camp). From here to McKinnon Flats is a nice float where I have spent many days floating and walking, looking for fish willing to rise to a well placed hopper. In this section the Highwood River comes in, a major spawning tributary for the Bow, and a good fishery in the upper section in itself.

McKinnon Flats to the Carseland Weir is the bottom section for drift boats; this section has good water for all types of fishing and many side channels in the lower half. Floating anglers should use caution and take out before reaching the weir, which drops sharply, providing oxygen to the river below. Oh, and when heading home from Carseland don’t forget to stop at the Blue Hotel for a cold beer. It’s quite a cool dive.

The last section of fishable water is below the weir known as the Reserve. This section flows through the SikSika Reserve, limiting public access to only a put in/ no take out for floating. The best way to fish this section of water is with an experienced guide who knows the river and will use a jet boat for transportation. With such limited access and only a handful of guides fishing this section of river you have the possibility of having the river to yourself.

The Bow River: Seasons and Hatches
The Bow River has a relatively short season for the visiting angler, with late runoff and an early winter, making the most consistent fishing during a roughly three month period. Most years the runoff ends in early July and with that starts the stonefly and PMD’s. These hatches can be very productive, since the fish have just come out of a long winter and are ready to feed.

In August, as the water and weather get warm, the hoppers start becoming active along the banks. The fish can go crazy for these large bugs, making for exciting surface takes. Many clients and I have taken fish over 23″ on large foam hopper imitations fished in shallow water. At the same time the caddis come out, providing more technical match-the-hatch opportunities, with hatches usually beginning a couple hours before dark. On the Bow I have fished to rising fish so long that I was watching my bug drift in the light of the moon. Towards the end of the month you also get the start of the tricos.

These bugs may carry on into September, being joined on the way by blue winged olives. This can also be a great time for streamer fishing with the cooler temps of the month’s end. Nymphs and streamers work year round on the Bow so these summer months are not the only time to come. I have spoken to guide friends who get out fishing whenever they get good weather and warmer temperatures friends in winter and early spring.

The Bow River: If You Go
So if you think you want to give it a try? Here is what you need to know and the expectations you should have to make a successful trip. Traveling to the Bow River is easy; flights to Calgary come in from many major US cities on a daily basis. Car rental agencies are prevalent or you may take a taxi to your lodging if you are fishing with a guide service that is providing daily transportation.

At the time of writing there still aren’t any so called fishing lodges on the river, maybe one reason for the lack of crowds. I always stay in hotels in the Calgary, giving my clients and me access to great restaurants. Lodging options and areas are many depending on your budget; I prefer to stay in southern Calgary, making the drive to the river, without going through the city, shorter. If working with a guide service or booking agent they may have special rates for their clients at particular hotels in the area.

Now the next big thing is: Are you going to fish with guides or try to do it yourself? I have already mentioned that floating the river in a drift boat is the best way to fish it. An angler fishing on his own without a boat would be very limited, and in my opinion this isn’t recommended. Pick a float and go fishing - after several days on the water you’ll start to learn where the fish are.

The best option for a visiting angler with limited time is to book a guide. There are some very good guides that fish the Bow River - several of them are the very best I’ve ever fished with. They can show you a great river and keep you on the best possible fishing with the changing conditions.

The last and probably one of the most important parts of a good trip is realistic expectations of the river. The Bow is not a river that you will wade into and catch fish at will, it takes some time to learn where the fish live. Obviously fishing with a good guide will greatly shorten the learning curve. I would recommend anglers traveling to the Bow fish for a minimum of three days, and ideally have five to six days on the water. This gives you a spare day or so, just in case a summer storm comes in blowing out the river or the fishing turns off. Fortunately the Bow clears very quickly after a storm - I’ve had several days when hard passing rain has come through the night, leaving blue skies and a muddy river. I’ve then spent the morning in a coffee shop and been out fishing again by early afternoon.

I often tell people that the Bow is not the place to go if a huge fish count each day is what you’re after, though those can and will happen. The Bow is the place to go if you are interested in catching quality trout, in a great setting, and quite possibly on dry flies. In my years of experience fishing the river, by myself and with clients, I have found that an angler with solid casting and fishing skills can expect to catch an average of five to fifteen fish-per-day. These fish will average 18″ to 21″ with most anglers landing some 23″ and better on a three-day trip. I time most of my trips to coincide with the hoppers and caddis fishing and have found that I can have great days fishing nothing but dries.

Give the Bow River a try this upcoming season, and remember to value, respect and help preserve such a unique and exciting fishery.

Ryan Meulemans started and operates Expedition Angling, a fly fishing travel company organizing trips for clients around the world. He has spent years traveling and fishing through out the American west, South America, New Zealand, the Caribbean and of course Canada.

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