Alpine Anglers - Guide Service in Bow River Oldman, Livingstone and Crowsnest RiversAlpine Anglers - Guide Service in Bow River Oldman, Livingstone and Crowsnest RiversAlpine Anglers - Catch and Release Excursions in Alberta
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The Ghillie Fishing Reports


Bow River - Upper and Lower reaches
Crowsnest
Oldman
Livingstone

Time spent fishing is not deducted from your life span.








Updated: August 31, 2010


Upper Bow conditions:

Open to fishing over the entire length.
All rivers and streams clear and are at seasonal flows.
Pmd's, caddis, bwo's.


Upper Bow River flow rate : 1099 ft3/sec 31 m3/sec (@ 8:00 a.m.)

Bow River Basin Flows


Visibility: TONS!
Water Temperature: 14 oC

Upper Bow forecast:


Weather:

Banff Weather

Lower Bow conditions:

Open, fishing very well, both on the surface and down deeper.
Hoppers!! on the right days.



What's OPEN:

Inside the Park:

The Bow River: The river is open to fishing. Caddis, pmd's, bwo's.

Lakes:
Low elevation lakes are open (Minnewanka, Two Jack, Johnson Lakes).
Outside the park:

Eastern slopes streams OPENED June 16 2010.
Please, always check the regulations, available form the links page.

HATCHES: Bwo's, PMD's, caddis.


FLIES:

Dries: Adams, bwo, brown drake, elk hair caddis, goddard caddis, black gnat.
Streamers: Clausers, muddlers, buggers
Nymphs: stones, 20"er, hares ear, green drakes, worms (san juan), black copper john.

Oldman, Livingstone and Highwood.

Low and clear. Look for hoppers, caddis, pmd's, bwo's.

Other lakes :

Hector at Nakoda - No recent report.
Gap Lake - No recent report.

TIGHT LINES: SCREAMING REELS

Time spent fishing is not deducted from your life span.
.

Hatch chart, 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 6, 8, 10  

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




Alpine Anglers
P.O. Box 2440, Banff, Alberta T1L 1C2
Phone: (403) 762-8223
Email: guides@alpineanglers.com

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