RIVER CONDITIONS
BOW RIVER - Updated July 1, 2011
Water Conditions: Starting to come down, and fishing very well. Vis now about 1 foot above
the Highwood.
Fish Activity: A lot of rainbows have returned from spawn, and are aggresive feeders!
The caddis have started as well, and fish are keying on the dries and nymphs. Stoneflies are starting to hatch, lots of small
ones out now.
Flies: Elk Hair Caddis #16 tan body and wings has been a killer for us the last few days.
Walk slow banks during a caddis hatch and search for risers and you'll probably be rewarded. The standard nymph steup (9ft
leader under an indicator) and a #4-8 san juan worm, and #6-10 golden or brown stonefly is working well. Try small copper
john's #16-18, prince nymph #16-18, and hare's ear #14-18 right now. Streamers are always a good bet, especially right before
dark for big browns. Try #4-8 Bow River Bugger, Black Leeches, Clousers and vary each retreive until you find out what's working
for the day.
CROWSNEST RIVER - Updated July 1, 2011
Water Conditions: It has come down to flows in the 13m/sec range now, and has at least
2ft of clarity, possibly closer to 3ft.
Fish activity: Getting more active now, willing to chase dries, and aggressive
to stonefly nymphing.
Flies: Big orange bellied stimulator to imitate salmonflies will work magic if you can
find where some salmonflies are hatching. Nymphing stoneflies also will be deadly. If fish start slapping at your indicator,
switch to the dry! San Juan worm #4-8, copper johns, hare's ear, prince, caddis larvae, all in sizes 16 and smaller, work
good this time of year as well. I'd concentrate on using stoneflies right now, especially if the water is off color, and then
if that is failing and no hatch can be found, then switch up and fish the light nymphs.
MOUNTAIN STREAMS - updated July 1, 2011
UPPER OLDMAN - Very high, not wadeable, vis about 1-2ft in Gap area. Cold, still a lot
of snow up in the mountains.
LOWER OLDMAN (below the damn) - vis was about 2 feet. Water levels are up, river is quick.
OLDMAN TRIBUTARIES (racehorse creek, livingstone
river, upper oldman) - clearing and dropping, still very high and fast, starting to fish better, should be fishing well in
about a week or two now, with warm temps in the forecast.
CASTLE - High, fast, about 1ft vis. Cold and a lot of snowmelt yet to come.
WATERTON - High, fast but steadily dropping now. About 1ft vis below the reservoir.
