It's Cutthroat Season!

I love fly fishing for cutthroat trout! They reside in some of the most beautiful places in our province. I have had an opportunity to get out on some cutthroat water a couple of times last week. Conditions were not ideal because the water flows were high! Nevertheless we did encounter lots of west slope cutthroat! The weather was quite unsettled. Lots of thunderstorms and showers have the rivers a bit high! Always check Alberta Basins to ensure the river you want to fly fish is safe to cross. We used caddis imitations and golden stone imitations. The cutthroat were indeed looking up. Do take care on our rivers. Travel with a friend, have bear spray, layers and snacks. Safety first. The rivers are coming into excellent shape. 

 

Early Morning Float on the Red Deer River

The alarm on my phone rang at 3 am. I dragged my sorry backside out of bed and stumbled down to the kitchen to make coffee. Steve picked me up at 3:45 am and we were off to the dam to meet Josh. The golden stone hatch is happening on the Bow River. Hatch chasers get up early to float the Bow River because golden stones are an early morning hatch and the browns and rainbows are looking up! What about the Red Deer River? Well we were floating and casting just after 5 am.  The first thing we saw was the Red Deer River was up in flow, about 80 m3/second. We were casting very large golden stone dry flies that are size 2 and size 4. I had three takes in the first bit of the float. I finally had a very nice brown stay on and I was able to land it! The browns were certainly interested in the large golden stones. Around 9 am, we encountered a brown drake hatch. That was interesting. I usually fish brown drakes in the evening. Both Steve and Josh connected on decent browns and they landed them both. About 9:30 am , PMDs stared to appear on the water. We had several takes on our float. I certainly realized that brown trout are interested in golden stones. I think we would have been more successful if the flow on the Red Deer was not bumped up. The Red Deer River brown trout population seems to be doing very well in the last few years. That is excellent news.

Steve hooks a brown on a brown drake imitation.

Josh landing a brown that was fooled by a brown drake imitation.

 

Are You a Hatch Chaser? ...I am!

Fly Fishers in Central Alberta are so blessed to have a wide variety of fly fishing opportunities. We are also fortunate to have many classic mayfly hatches on our trout waters. The last few days, Karen and I along with many of our friends have been camping in the west country. It is the Canada Day Long Weekend after all. We always have a great time. 

Caddis, brown drakes, hexagenia, hoppers, green drakes, golden stones, PMDs, and BWOs are showing up. Trout love these hatches and if you are lucky, you may have a day or two of amazing fly fishing! Many of us have our spots. We have done our homework and our fishing journals remind us of when and where some of these fabled hatches might happen. My favourite doesn't start on a specific river until August.

I have encountered several different evening hatches in the last week or so. Browns sipping quietly on caddis in a small deflection under a spruce tree, brown drakes and hexagenia popping with big browns greedily gulping down a big meal. Every fly fishing outing is about moments. Sometimes my friends ask me why I just sit and watch! I tell them that for me, fly fishing is unhurried and it is fun imitating what a trout is eating and then fooling them into taking your imposter! Some of my friends just stare at me blankly when I explain what I do. I laugh!

Fly fishers are protective of their favourite hatches. I can understand their sentiments at times. I love our summers here in Alberta.

Every spot in this picture is a bug! Yes the trout are smacking their lips.

Day time browns smashing dry flies, rocks!