Alberta Fishing Guide 2017 Mid-Summer Digital | Page 74

Flat, shallow water is easiest to access from a boat, although wading can be effective too if it is safe to do so. Unlike dirty or high water streamer fishing, you don’t have to “pound the banks” to pick up fish. While fish will be found near the shore, many fish also hold mid-river. Try to cast slightly downstream between 30 degrees and 60 degrees from the boat (or your standing position) and strip about two feet of line at a time at a consistent, moderate pace. If this doesn’t work, mix the retrieve up by doing the foxtrot (slow, slow, quick, quick, slow) or another rhythm of your liking. If fishing from a boat, it’s good to have one angler dedicated to covering water from the bank to the boat while the other angler is fan-casting from the boat to the center of the river.

In addition to picking your water and fishing mid-river, three other elements are key to fall streamer fishing on the Bow: weather, fly selection and line weight. Fishing shallow water in the fall requires cloudy conditions due to high clarity of the water. Cloud cover provides fish respite from predators, such as eagles, osprey or cormorants as they are harder to see beneath the surface. If the weather is sunny, there is a good chance the fish will be taking cover in different water - a little deeper or at least choppier.