If you like the chase of a fly, the take (or refusal), and get excited over strip setting, then fall shallow water streamer fishing on the Bow River is for you.
Anglers don’t usually list streamer fishing as a late season tactic for catching trout on the Bow River. Water levels are low, clarity can often reach the gin-clear level and angling pressure from the summer can result in seemingly timid fish. These conditions lead most anglers to rely on proven techniques: small bugs, both wet and dry. However, the Bow River provides optimal conditions for another tactic that has proven to be fun and successful: streamer fishing flat, shallow water with small streamers.
And flat, shallow water is the first key ingredient to successfully fishing this method. This type of water has a depth of two to four feet with little to no noticeable macro features like riffles, drop-offs, bends, etc. The current is slow to medium and micro structural features will be present, such as boulders or slightly larger rock, logs or small depressions in gravel. These are features where one to three fish will often hold. They are sought after by fish as they need to exert little energy in the mild current and can rest in the depressions or amongst the structure. The Bow River has this structure in spades - some great examples are found between Glenmore Trail to Policeman’s Flats. These include water below Sue Higgins Bridge, Fish Creek Park, Cranston and below the Deerfoot Extension Bridge.