The Bow River (Ah yes continued high water!)
We had a very nice window this past week (starting Canada Day) that had some very interesting fishing. Some big browns on streamers, the start of the golden stone hatch, fish eating pmd's and caddis dries! Then Thursday came along and changed everything. At the moment the flow has increased significantly and the river is high and dirty again. It will most likely be that way until mid week.
This could be our good high water streamer and stone week so be prepared for that. The forecast looks like our rain is done for the immediate future which should mean the rivers will drop fairly quickly once the rain water works its way through the system over the next few days.
The Elbow river is still causing most of the coloration in the river at this point and it has stayed high due to the rain. Hopefully it will start to drop with the forecast.
The best methods for fishing in the dirty water would be larger nymphs (stoneflies, worms, and leeches) and dark-colored streamers like black dungeons or Bow River Buggers with a sink tip to get the fly deeper to where the fish are. However, watch for fish rising in the quiwater to caddis or pmd's as they are eating them! It is the start of stonefly time fore sure so be prepared with the large foam flies and get them moving near the bank!
Some other suggestions on flies to try:
Streamers: Coffey Sparkle Minnow, Gartside Leeches, Dark Galloup's Dungeons, Kreelex minnows
Nymphs: Stonefly nymph patterns like the Jimmy Legs, Rubber leg squirrel, Wired Stone, Gummy Stone, copper johns, flash back pheasant tails, leech patterns.
Dries: caddis - brown or olive in size 14,16; stonefly dries like the True Goldenstone, Skid Bitch, Willie's Ant. and PMD dry patterns
Happy Fishing!
Fish Tales Fly Shop