2025 BOW RIVER GUIDED FLY FISHING - NOW BOOKING - LEARN MORE

Bow River Fishing Report - June 7, 2025

Bow River Fishing Report - June 7, 2025

Runoff is on pause? Over? Who knows? The River has been dropping in both the city, and Banff. The river is "streamer green," with about 2 feet of visibility. Warm weather early in the week followed by the possibility of rain could bring on another surge of water, but that will depend on how things are handled upstream.

Recently the streamer fishing has been awesome. The fish are chasing, boiling, and eating streamers with reckless abandon. Nymph fishing has also been good, and some fish have been caught on the dry, by some patient, and observant, anglers.

Bow River Flies - Staff Picks - Hai

Top to Bottom - Left to Right: YFC's Kousin Kim, Coffey's CH Sparkle Minnow, Galloup's Dungeon, Hai's Jig Leech Bomb, Vampire Leech, Naughty Bunny Tung Jig, Parachute Caddis, Parachute Purple, Double Vision PMD
There are still plenty of caddis happening, but it is still kind of hard to pinpoint steady risers. A caddis imitation is an excellent choice right now. Larger, darker, tan bodied hair flies have been producing well, but sometimes a small mayfly imitation can coax up a fussy riser.

Nymphing continues to be a good choice to catch fish. A larger, darker, nymphs, continue to produce, as well as the trusty San Juan. Hopper dropper rigs are a great way to work rifflie water. A large foam dry fly with your nymph of choice hung 18-24 inches below is a fub way to work the water, and may result in an eat on the dry fly.

All right, I already called the river colour, "streamer green." The slightly off colour, high water seems to give fish the confidence to chase streamers in a big way. It could also be that their normal feeding lanes have been disrupted, and they are more on the hunt out of necessity. What ever the reason. It's on.
Using a trout spey to swinging wet flies and small leech imitations through runs and riffles has produced some outstanding hits and takes. Multiple hits per swing can get the blood pumping. Skating dry flies should start to really produce once the stonefly hatch starts in earnest. A couple, or three weeks, A new vice to indulge your vice? Ton's of options for every level, and style, of tyer. 

Pike                                                                                                                                      Pike fishing has been good recently. The Bow River along with Lake McGregor, Crawling Valley Reservoir, Lake Travers, Little Bow, Clear Lake, Twin, Badger, and Lake Newell, are all great options.  Click to learn about tips and tactics for Northern Pike.

Magazine's are a great way to keep up with current trends, and fly fishing culture. Also, who doesn't like cool fishing pics?

Echo Fly Rod Demo Day                                                                                                        Saturday June 21, is Echo Fly Rod Demo Day. Test out a new rod, or two, and receive some valuable casting input from industry experts. 

Level 1 Fly Fishing Course

A one day session where students will spend the morning in a classroom environment, learning about equipment, lines, knot tying, etc. Then, after the included lunch, the students will head outside for a dry-land casting session.

Classes are filling up quickly.  Click here for Course Dates and to Register Online

Please try to keep fish wet and remember to pinch your barbs. Keep fish in the water as much as possible. Pinching your barbs will make releasing the fish a lot easier for both you and the fish.

We ask that you handle your fish with care by:

  1. Pinching your barbs
  2. Keeping fish wet
  3. Eliminating unnecessary fish contact with dry surfaces 
  4. Reducing handling time

Fly tagging assembly line.

Bow River Flies to try:

Dries: Booty's DL Cripple BWODouble Vision BWOBlack Micro Frank, Galloup's Double Winged Caddis, Keller's Centre Stage CaddisRIO's Skater TotNinch's Iceberg Caddis, Pav's X Caddis

Streamers: Bow River BuggerHi Res Bugger, Tungsten Found Ya BuggerSlum Lord Jig, FM Olive Sculpin, Clouser Minnow, JT's Kreelex MinnowCone Head Lightning Bugger, Marabou Clouser

Nymphs: Jimmy LegsRubber Legged SquirrelWill's Chai TKaleidoscope, Tungsten Prince, BWO Killer Jig, Bead Head Prince, MFC Lightning Bug Purple, Puparazzi Tungsten Jig Caddis, 4 Bead Caddis, Juan's Jig UV Kryptonite Caddis, Tungsten Mic Drop

Trout Spey: Rio's Pocket Rocket, Aqua Stu's Ostrich Intruder, Jerry's WMD Sculpin, AF Mattoli's Spey BuggerKing Squirrely Muddler


FYI - As per the Government of Alberta:

The forecast calls for warm temperature early in the week followed by possible rain. These factors should combine to start another, possibly final, push of water, but whether that push is significantly felt in the city, and downstream, is yet to be determined. The usual factors, irrigation, flood mitigation, and reservoir top offs, will all play their part.

Hackle. A great variety of grades and sizes. From bugger packs to size 22 dries, we have options.

Wade with caution. High water can be tricky, with higher than usual flows, along with poor visibility. Things can change quickly over the course of a day, or even an afternoon, so make sure your don't wade somewhere that you can't get back from. If you are constantly putting yourself in jeopardy, like me, you may want to consider a wading staff.

Get out there whenever you can. Runoff will continue to dictate, when, and where you can fish for the next while. If you don't go you don't really know if it's fish well, or not. You should always err on the side of going fishing if you can.

Fish Tales

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