Bullshead Reservoir

If you told me that Larry and I would have two windless days at Bullshead Reservoir in the Cypress Hills, you would have said that was a lot of bull. Amazingly, it is true. Even the third day we fished, the wind was not a big deal. We dragged our sorry butts out to the car at 5 am and headed towards Medicine Hat and on up the Eagle Butte Road to Bullshead. It takes a good 4 plus hours to get there from Red Deer. The endless prairie along Highway 1 is only interrupted by power lines and long trains! Of course we were motivated by the opportunity to catch some giant rainbows. 

Bullshead Reservoir is nested in the Cypress Hills and there is not a tree in sight but the rolling hills make a great back drop for the reservoir!

Well our in tell gave us a starting spot and we were not disappointed. Size 14 flashbacks and baby damsels fished great during the day. We actually saw boatmen seemingly raining onto the lake when it was calm. As the day was winding down, ice minnows did very well too. The rainbows were chasing forage fish.

There were lots of fly fishers, many walking and wading like us and others in boats. Many fly fishers went for a good walk to find a favourite stretch of water. Everybody was spread out and the reservoir can handle lots of fishermen.

The small pond at the north end that is connected to the main lake by a culvert fished great.

The water was still cold. The week before we arrived saw two feet of snow hit the Cypress Hills. The snow quickly melted during our stay. 

The mornings fished a bit slow but the afternoons were spectacular. It may have been warming water temperatures that caused this to happen. We caught upwards of 40 fish a day with about half of them over 18 inches with a few hitting 24 inches and a couple even better than that!

It is interesting to see a delayed harvest lake be so successful. Everyday, "keepers" leave the lake. My only disappointment are the fisherman who remove more than 1 "keeper" a day out of the lake. There is enforcement at times at the lake. Luckily the lake seems to endure this.

The chironomid fishing should start very soon at Bullshead and all the lakes in southern Alberta.