With a break in the rains, I grabbed my rod and dog and headed down the river for some action after work.  The number one thing that surprised me was how much higher the river has risen in the past few days.  There was water in what was a footpath 3 feet above the water just a few weeks ago.  I believe, in speaking with some other folks around the shop, we are officially in runoff.  Looking at the SRD website reports for the Bow River Basin, flows are steady at around 155-160 m3s and levels are around 1.53 m.

I was fortunate enough to run into local resident and long-time angler Peter and fished the end of the night with him.  His night produced a trophy brown, proving that despite off-conditions, the fishing can be fantastic.  Visibility is 0-6″ and the water is high and fast.  Many of those seams you are used to are now full-on currents so you will have to do some sleuthing/exploring to figure out what is going on.  Streamers again were heralded by some, but didn’t produce.  The good ol’ go-to worm and heavy nymph rig brought them in. Try some troughs where slow/fast water meet, which may be a bit hard to find.  Peter and I also sat in awe for a good amount of time at dusk as dozens of well-sized fish were hitting the surface violently, indicating they were capturing food emerging to the surface.  Insects that were out include yellow sulphurs, caddis and the infamous mosquito (don’t forget your cigar or repellent!).

While fishing may produce some great fish this time of year, it is also dangerous.  Be sure to know your water, always let someone know where you’ll be, and if possible-fish with a buddy.  Tight lines!