Bow River Trips
July - August
The Bow River is a large western trout river thats headwaters flows from Banff National park and flows east through the city of Calgary Alberta. The Bow boasts some of the most challenging and exciting Rainbow and Brown trout fishing in North America. On a good day, it’s possible to encounter numerous fish over 20 inches. The sizeable seasonal runoff on this river has helped these trout evolve throughout their short history - only the strongest and most robust specimens remain.
Our Bow River trips target anglers of all ages and experience levels. Our guides will work with you on all aspects of feeding these fish, improving your fundamental angling skills, identifying productive water, casting, as well as fly selection & presentation. We not only want you to leave with lifelong memories but also with an improved skill set that will help you be a more productive well-rounded angler. We prefer to access & fish the Bow with a drift boat or occasionally with a jet boat, both of which are very stable and comfortably fish one or two anglers. Our boats are equipped with ample waterproof storage to accommodate any extra items that you may need for your day. High-quality meals are an essential part of our trips and are one of the many highlights of the day. Whether we eat in the boat in the shade or set up a riverside table & chair affair often depends on what the fish are doing.
The fish of the Bow River can be caught in a variety of ways. Our preference is to target them with dry flies, streamers and hopper-dropper rigs. Although nymphing may occasionally be practiced it is our least preferred method.
DAY TRIPS
Day trips typically start between 5am-11am - your guide will meet you at a predetermined location. Most days, we spend 8-10 hours on the water, but due to the logistics of these trips (travel time, float length, etc.), the total trip length is usually 10-12 hours, door to door. The day can be tailored to suit your schedule, and if you need to be off the water at a particular time, please advise us of that at the beginning of the day.
Items to pack include raincoat/pants OR waders, polarized glasses, hat, sunscreen, camera/phone, water bottle, and other personal items.
5-6 weight fly rods with floating lines are recommended - rods/reels and flies can be provided upon request.
Alberta angling licence is not provided but is available at Fishtales Fly Shop or online HERE and must be purchased prior to meeting the day of your trip.
We understand that everyone’s food requirements vary – if you have allergies or preferences, they can be accommodated with plenty of notice.
These trips often book a year in advance - please don’t hesitate to be in touch so we can find dates that will work for you or get you on our waiting list.
comfy canvas tents with cots and mattresses.
MULTI-DAY TRIPS
Sunrises, sunsets, incredible meals, campfires and starry nights. The ultimate Bow River experience, these three-day trips have an entirely different vibe from a regular day trip. There is no rush to be anywhere, no dinner reservations and no boat launch to reach each afternoon. It’s a genuinely incredible outdoor camping experience without all the hassles. I want you to experience the Bow as I do on my days off.
We primarily fish the 55Km stretch of the Bow downstream of Calgary. Delicious, hot meals will be prepared riverside by your host and to your liking. Camp accommodations are spacious canvas wall tents, outfitted with comfy cots and plush sleeping pads. The camp is equipped with an outdoor shower & privacy shelter and a Cleanwaste portable toilet system.
Camp items to pack include: sleeping bag, camp shoes, beer/wine/spirits, headlamp, toiletries.
Fishing items to pack include: raincoat/pants OR waders, polarized glasses, hat, sunscreen, camera/phone, water bottle, other personal items.
5-6 weight fly rods with floating lines are recommended - rods/reels and flies can be provided upon request.
Alberta angling licence is not provided but is available at Fishtales Fly Shop or online HERE and must be purchased prior to meeting the day of your trip.
We understand that everyone’s food requirements vary – if you have allergies or preferences they can be accommodated with plenty of notice.
These trips often book a year in advance - please don’t hesitate to be in touch so we can find dates that will work for you or get you on our waiting list.