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Fish Southern Alberta: Lakes, Streams, Rivers and MoreCopyright © 2007-2008 Travel Alberta, All Rights ReservedWritten by: Travel Alberta Angling in southern Alberta involves casting for trophy fish amid a vast and spectacular landscape of lakes, streams, reservoirs and one of the world's best fly-fishing rivers. Long summer days and short nights mean anglers can maximize their river time, from the glorious sunrises that tinge the countryside pink to the spectacular sunsets that bathe the waters in orange and gold hues. No matter what your fishing appetite, southern Alberta will satisfy. "Imagine locking into a twenty-six-inch brown or rainbow and have it rip to your backing in seconds and tail walk two or three feet out of the water," says Mike Gelinas, host of television's Fishing with the Dodger and owner of Rock Dodger Outfitters. "Whether you've come to fish or enjoy the scenery, there's a challenge for everyone." The size of southern Alberta means that fishermen can take advantage of its remote areas to fish all day without seeing another soul. Or they can take on the Bow River, which has some of the world's greatest fishing within minutes of Calgary, an international gateway city with one million residents and every imaginable amenity. The Bow is ranked among the top-10 rivers in the world for fly fishing and it's where Tom Cutmore, owner of "Must Be Nice" Drift Company guides his clients. "The river has a great reputation and deservedly so," he says. "We drifted for 30 kilometres yesterday and saw three other boats on the water. There's nowhere else on the continent where you can boat a blue-ribbon river for 30 kilometres in July and see just three other boats." One of Cutmore's clients also caught a 61-centimetre brown trout while on the trip, the largest he'd ever caught. Though it's a substantial fish, which Cutmore's clients say fight "better than salmon do," it's still smaller than the 75-centimetre trout Cutmore occasionally sees on the river. Fish the Trophy Stretch "On the trophy stretch of the Bow I'm not interested in catching 50 fish in a day that are 12 inches long," says Cutmore. "I'm after the big boys. If I can catch a half dozen fish over 20 inches, I'm happy." Like Cutmore, Tom Windsor, owner and operator of Bow River Hookers, takes his clients out on the waters of the Bow. "I've been to New Zealand fishing both the North and South Islands, but you'd have a hard time pulling me off the Bow River," he says."It's a world-class fishery." The Bow has about 1,300 fish for every kilometre of water. While that's an impressive number, it's surpassed by the numbers of fish in rivers elsewhere. The difference is that in the Bow, the fish that are counted are of substantial size, says Cutmore. But the awesome size and mesmerizing numbers of fish aren't limited to the Bow. Alberta's streams, lakes and reservoirs are teeming with westslope cutthroat, bull, rainbow, brown and brook trout as well as whitefish. Dolly Varden and splake can also be found in select lakes and rivers and walleye are readily available in Southern Alberta's reservoirs. Most of these species of fish respond to specific lures, challenging anglers to use different techniques. Where 'Those in the Know' Go Because of its fame, the Bow River attracts fishermen from around the world. But those in the know head to places like Crowsnest Pass in the southwest corner of the province, the Cypress Hills area around Medicine Hat, the Rocky Mountains or Kananaskis Country. They're more remote and offer scenery so spectacular that guides say their clients often abandon their rods to pick up a camera and spend a day or two shooting. Furthermore, some of these fisheries are near the U.S. border. The Bull's Head Reservoir, along with the Oldman and Crowsnest Rivers, pack "monster trout" and are within a half-hour drive of the border, says Gelinas. The province's incredible density of catch-and-release streams and lakes nestled in every corner of the province, from the towering Rocky Mountains to the forests and big-skies of Alberta's prairie country, make Alberta an appealing destination for anglers of every ability. Throw in the waterways' proximity to Calgary and the U.S. border, the lack of crowds and the remote and spectacular scenery and it's a winning combination for anglers. Brent Schlenker owns and operates Cypress Fly and Tackle in Medicine Hat. Within three hours of the city there are about 85 destinations for fishing, he says. "The Cypress region is all pine and aspen and it's got all the wildlife that the mountains have got," he adds. "Then it changes to a prairie landscape in the lower regions. Within a couple hours you can be somewhere completely different with a big change of scenery." Given how near it is to the U.S. border and how easy it is to get an Alberta fishing license, it's a wonder the area isn't more crowded. Clients fly into Calgary International Airport, one of Canada's top-rated airports, settle into their hotel and call up their guide. From there, the guide takes them to a fly shop for specific supplies. Within minutes the fly shop can issue a fishing license. A few minutes later and client and guide are fishing on the river. It's as easy as that, says Cutmore. In fact, good fishing on the Bow is so close to Calgary that businessmen and executives sometimes hop into the hip waders and cast a line or two during their lunch hour. "If I were to choose a trout destination to fish, taking into account the fish population in that stream, how busy it is and how difficult it is to access, I would choose the Bow River," says Cutmore. His sentiments are echoed by Windsor from his Calgary-based shop. "So many people don't know what we've got in our own backyard," he says. "I can get in my boat at Highway 22x and within 10 minutes you're gone. You're in the middle of nowhere. It's an unbelievable experience." About The Author:
*** Digital Reprint Rights *** *** Author Notification *** We ask that you notify the author of publication of his or her work. Travel Alberta can be reached at: travelalberta@raremethod.com *** Print Publication Reprint Rights *** If you desire to publish this article in a PRINT publication, you must contact the author directly for Print Permission at: travelalberta@raremethod.com
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