Bow River Fishing Report - October 11, 2026

The trout are spooky. Just in time for the Halloween season. Low, clear, water, and wind, were the main cause of this behaviour. The sketchy weather this weekend may cause some changes in fish, and angler behavior. Depending the runoff, the river may raise, and discolour, a bit, but probably not enough to make the trout less leery. The rest of the week is forecast to be sunny and warm. So, most likely the Bow will be low, and clear, again.

This weekends flurries may cause some anglers to pack it in for the season, but there is plenty of fishing left, before the real cold arrives and the snow flies. Now is the time to start layering up, and getting out there anyways. The fall is beautiful and there is still lots of bugs, and angling, to be taken advantage of.

Bow River Flies - Staff Picks - Braydon

Left to Right from top: Shultzy's Cold Water Nut, Cranford's Pandora's Box, Dornan's Chicklet Stinger, Bootie's DL Cripple, Brown Stimulator, Hot Spot Comparadun, Bead Head Flash Back Pheasant Tail, Dee's Jig Boatman, Tereyla's Jig Lightsaber

Bow River Fishing

There are still bugs! Small is still the way to go. Small hoppers, small BWO, just small, with  light tippet, has been the way to go on the clear, and low, late season, Bow River. If, and when, you find rising fish, it has been a bit difficult to fool them. usually, several fly, and/or tippet, changes, before the whole thing is over. Which typically ends with either a fish being caught, or a sudden stop to the rises, and a lot of "what if's?". A very rewarding time to conjure up a dry fly eat, if you can pull it off. Patience and persistence are the keys.

Smaller nymphs continue to be the most consistent way to catch trout. And Whitefish. Long, light, leaders, and tippet, will also improve your chance of catching, but the trade off is the increased chance of breaking off. It is a fine line. Deeper, walking pace, water will consistently hold the most fish, but fish will feed in the faster, riffle, head, and tail waters. These are fun to fish using Water Boatman patterns on the swing. The hit are sudden, and aggressive, making even the misses pretty exciting. Short sudden strips during the swing, or retrieve, can also produce some fish.

The streamer fishing has been hit, or miss. With some of the hits being very good. Deep presentations, through deep water continues to be your best bet, but don't neglect the tail outs, which will often hold feeding trout. Now is the time to trail a Water Boatman, if that is something you would consider. It increases your chances, just like trailing a leech, but can, at times, be more productive. 

Trout spey is a great way to cover larger amounts of water, in a shorter time, and with a bit more finesse, than single handed rods. Smaller, darker, streamers and wet flies  can be swung effectively through riffles, and runs. This is a fun way to cover lots of water, reaching places that you might not be able to reach with a single handed rod. This all done without the false casting that is required to build line speed with single-handed casting.

For more useful information on fall fishing check out out our Small for Fall article.

Fishing themed puzzles, drinkware, and decorations. For those who love fishing.

Eastern Slopes

There is still time to hit the East Slopes, but the season is coming to a close for the majority of the high country river, and streams. Get out there while you still can.

Level One Fly Tying Course - Fall 2026 and Winter 2027

Our Level One Fly Tying Course is designed to provide new tiers with the skills needed to sit down at the vise and tie most flies.

In this course you'll learn the key fundamentals of fly tying, including but not limited to:

• Vise and Tool Use
• Proportions
• Material and Hook Selection
• Proper Finishing Techniques

This course is one evening per week for five weeks. Classes start at 7 pm and run for about 2 hours. Courses are offered in-person at Fish Tales Fly Shop in our fly tying space.

Courses are limited to five participants.  or visit the store to secure your space today!

Fall 2026 Course Dates:

Session 1 - Tuesdays - October 27, November 3, 10, 17, 24

Register Here for Fall 2026

Winter 2027 Course Dates:

Session 1 - Tuesdays - January 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16

Session 2 - Tuesdays - March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Register Here for Winter 2027

Pike

The cool weather has the pike actively cruising the shallow bays, and is providing some great late season action for anglers. Click to learn about tips and tactics for Northern Pike.

Books

Books on Sleelheading.

Flies & Foam at Prairie Dog Brewing

Flies & Foam is back with an all-new lineup of fly tying events hosted at Prairie Dog Brewing.

Tickets for each event are $25 and include a materials kit for the night's flies and a $9 credit toward Prairie Dog Brewing food or beverage. Tying will start at 7PM, but participants are welcome to arrive earlier for a bite to eat, or to settle in.

Registration is required for these events.

This winters line-up:

Wednesday, October 21st, 2026 - Flashy Streamers with Gideon

Wednesday, November 18th, 2026 - Life Stages of Caddis

Wednesday, January 6th, 2027 - Leeches for Alberta Streams

Wednesday, February 17th, 2027 - Stonefly Life Stages

Wednesday, March 31st, 2027 - Terrestrials with Ray

Click here to register

Stickers are great for sticking.

Bow River Flies:

Dries: Harrop's Last Chance Cripple, Goddard Caddis, Klinkhammer Dry, Chubby Chernobyl, Heifer Hopper, Lil Pete Copper Hopper, Booty's Cripple, Adams Irresistible, Indicator Spinner Trico, Trina's Hi-Vis Sprout, Doug's Gnatty Boy, Renegade, Parachute Extended Body Mayfly, Parachute Sipper Mayfly

Streamers: Coffey's Sparkle Minnow, Galloup's Flat Head Kitty, Bjorn's Sculpalicious, CH Bow River Bugger, Kreelex Minnow, Lynch's Drunk and Disorderly, Zonker Skullhead, Vampire Leech, Precious Metal, Cheech Leech, Gartside Leech, Jailbreak Jig Leech, Bead Head Rabbit Leech

Nymphs: BH UV Zebra Midge, Wire Worms, Reese's Pieces, Puparazzi Tungsten Jig Caddis, BH Extended Body Caddis Pupa, Tungsten BH Rock Grinder Jig, Copper John, Red Shop Dip, CDC Pheasant Tail Jig, Tungsten Tailwater Tiny 

Trout Spey: General Practitioner, Tungsten Energizer Squirrel Jig, Jerry's WMD Sculpin Intruder, Stu's Steelie Piglets, Brett's Klamath Skater, Steel Plow Skating Dry, Hoody's Hanger, Mini Mousey McMouseface

We continue to ask that you handle your fish with care by:

After this weekends snow the forecast changes for the better. The rest of the week is forecast to be sunny, and comparatively warm. The bugs should continue to thrive, for the most part, with regular caddis, and Grasshoppers taking the hardest hits due to the weather. The river should continue to be low, and clear, despite the melting snow, and these conditions will continue to make the trout easily spooked.

All right, now that we have received our not so subtle reminder that winter is on its way. You may want to use some of the remaining nice weather to visit the river and try your luck. Before you know it, it won't be an option.