The good news is, Alberta is receiving some well-needed rain…the bad news is (especially for farmers) that we may be getting a bit too much.  Hit the water for a few hours and first thing that anyone would notice if they made it to the banks is that the river is up considerably from last week (about 2 feet) and visibility is down to about 6″.  While the river is high and fast, it isn’t quite runoff yet.  A bit more rain in the mountains and some warm weather to melt the remaining snow pack, and we’ll get the flush we’ve been waiting for.

Don’t be disheartened by the water color or the level, the fish are still there and feeding.  During this time of year, there are a few favorite methods to try.  The first is “bombing” the banks with streamers, the second is dead-drifting streamers, and the third is nymphing.  Occasionally you will also see see fish rising, so be sure to keep your dry box handy!

Today the fish were found in slack water.  This doesn’t necessarily have to be near the bank, it could be below an island or gravel bar or even the point right before where two seams converge.  There wasn’t much seen hatching on the surface during my time on the water, with the exception of a yellow sally or two, but there were certainly food items below the surface.   All fish were caught on either a worm, caddis larva or prince nymph.  Streamers and large stones were tried to no avail.  However, there have been reports that these have been working.