Bow River Day Trips
July - August
TThe Bow River starts in Banff National Park and flows east through Calgary, offering some of the best trout fishing in North America. It’s a big, powerful Western river known for strong Rainbow and Brown Trout, and it’s not uncommon to find fish over 20 inches. The river’s heavy spring runoff helps shape a hardy, healthy trout population.
Our Bow River trips are great for all ages and skill levels. We help anglers understand how these trout feed, read the water, improve casting, and choose the right flies. The goal is simple: enjoy a great day on the river and leave with more confidence and better fishing skills.
Most of our fishing is done from drift boats, and sometimes jet boats, which provide stability and plenty of room for one or two anglers. There’s lots of dry storage on board, and we always include a high-quality meal—one of the highlights of the trip.
Trout on the Bow can be caught with a range of techniques. We focus on dry flies, streamers, and hopper-dropper setups. Nymphing is used occasionally, but it’s not our main approach.
What To Expect
Most Bow River day trips start between 5 AM and 11 AM, with your guide meeting you at a set pickup spot. You can expect to spend about 8–10 hours on the water, and with travel and float time, the full experience usually runs 10–12 hours door to door. If you need a shorter day or have a specific schedule, just let your guide know at the start—they can easily tailor the plan to make it work.
Items to pack include a raincoat/pants OR waders, polarized glasses, a hat, sunscreen, a camera/phone, a 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.
An Alberta angling licence is not provided but is available at Fishtales Fly Shop or online HERE and must be purchased before 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.
Gratuity is not included
