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Upper Bow River Tactics
How does the fishery of the upper River differ from that below Calgary? How must a middle Bow angler adapt in order to be successful here? It seems that the main difference is the predominance of brown trout in the upper Bow and rainbows below Calgary.


The Bow River Bugger may be the area's most productive streamer pattern. Retrieve it in short, sharp pulls to imitate the sculpins and bullhead minnows these big brown trout feed on.

Successful anglers focus on a slightly different type of water on the upper river. Browns love cover, particularly bank-side cover and some of the best places to find them are around deadfall, log jams, and undercut banks. There will also be fish along current seams, runs and dropoffs, but the best browns will almost always be in water with significant cover.

Big browns in the Upper Bow River stick close to cover. Anglers who concentrate on the areas around deadfalls, log jams, and undercut banks will have the most success.

How good are the best browns on the upper Bow? The size of the fish varies, and won't average as high as below Calgary, but fish in the 18- to 22-inch range are reasonably common, and fish over five pounds are caught every season. Best of all, when all the pieces of the puzzle are in place on the upper Bow, dry-fly fishing becomes more than just a hopeful possibility--it becomes the most effective method to use.

Throughout the summer and fall, the upper Bow fishes best on cloudy or overcast days. These are, after all, brown trout, and they are the trout least likely to be active in bright, sunny conditions.

A good angler who is consistently successful below Calgary will hold his own on the upper river if he makes these adjustments to his strategy and perhaps fishes a little more quickly, covering more water then he might otherwise be inclined to. Anglers should also be aware that the fishing regulations on the Bow in Banff park are different than those outside the park, and a park license is required for waters inside the boundary.

In comparison to the river below Calgary, the upper Bow is quite accessible. The upper reaches, above Lake Louise, can be reached from Highway 93. From the town of Banff downstream to Exshaw, access can be gained from either Highway 1 or 1A. In addition, there is reasonable foot access in the towns of Banff, Canmore, and Exshaw as well as at the Seebe Dam.

A short distance below Seebe the river enters the Stoney Indian Reserve, and access to the river on the reserve is unreliable. Anglers have good access to the river again in the town of Cochrane.

There are a number of places where drift boats can be launched in the upper river. They are rarely used above the town of Banff, and the first logical place to put a boat in the Bow is at the river's confluence with the Spray River at the west end of the town of Banff.

Fifteen miles and a full day's float from there the next take-out is at the bridge in the town of Canmore. The next one is a couple of miles downstream, beneath the Highway 1 bridge.

There is a rough take-out at the Dead Man's Flats Campground, eight miles below the highway bridge. There is good water between the highway bridge and here, but there is also a lot of braiding and some dangerous log jams. This float is best done with someone familiar with the correct route through the maze.

There is a four-mile float from Dead Man's Flats through Lac Des Arcs to the town of Exshaw at the east end of the lake. Anglers are advised that the Exshaw area is known for the fierce winds that funnel through the river valley here, even when wind is not a problem farther up river. Crossing the lake can be problematic, even dangerous under these conditions. The final logical boat access on this part of the river is just above the Seebe dam, which can be reached via the access road between Highways 1 and 1A.

As of this writing, there are no commercial vehicle-shuttle services operating on the upper Bow, although that may change before long. For now anglers must move their own vehicles prior to their trip or hire a cab from Canmore to help.

Guides and Flyshops
Upper Bow Fly Fishing Company Banff, Alberta 403-760-7668	Alpine Anglers Banff, Alberta 403-762-8222
Banff Fishing Unlimited Banff, Alberta 403-762-4936	Green Drake Fly Shop and Mountain Fly Fishers Canmore, Alberta 403-678-9522
Monod Sports Ltd. Banff, Alberta 403-762-4571	Roberts Fly Shop & Fishing Co. Cochrane, Alberta 403-932-5855

Jim McLennan is the author of Blue Ribbon Bow and Trout Streams of Alberta. His newest book, Fly-Fishing Western Trout Streams will be available February 2003 from Stackpole Books..

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