Fishing Reports
Report #16 (October 12, 2022)
The Incredible Fall Weather and Fishing Continues on the Columbia!
This will be our last fishing report of the 22’ season and what a season it has been! We have been enjoying an exceptionally sunny, warm and dry October. Summer has continued into to the fall with no end in sight! While the fall fishing season has been outstanding, we do know it could end soon… but until it does…fish on! The mornings have recently started out at around 5°C (41°F), but it’s still reaching the mid 20’s °C (mid 70’s °F) by late afternoon. Splendid fall weather for sure.
The fishing on the Columbia River has been very steady to go along with the balmy weather and fall colors, so the anglers have been very happy.
Today we put the boat in at the Gyro Park launch in Trail and powered out into the current then headed upriver a distance. We then cut the motor and started drifting down a run. We immediately started landing some smaller rainbows in the 12 to 15 inch slot. Man, these little guys like to jump, sometimes landing right in the net!
As the day progressed so did the size of the fish. The anglers landed a good number of rainbows, with the biggest one measuring about 24 inches. Wow, did it pull hard! This fish had a bright red stripe down the side, set against a background of brilliant silver scales. It was a beautiful rainbow trout! We find it encouraging to land rainbows of various sizes on a day trip. It shows a healthy distribution of age classes across the trout population.
In terms of hatches, we only saw one round of Blue Winged Olives coming off on the day. But there was a lot of food in the water being concentrated by the currents into the feed lanes. So, the fish were keying on these areas; hanging just below the surface and slurping the bugs up from underneath, so cool to watch!
On this float, the guys threw mostly streamers, along with some nymphs and a few dries in the various runs and back eddies. All three different techniques worked well, producing fish. It is advantageous to have different rod setups at hand, along with many different patterns to try as the Columbia River can be difficult to figure out on occasion. So, the more tools you have at your disposal, the better your chance of hooking a fish. Today we tossed many different fly patterns including; Copper Johns, Hare's Ear, Pheasant Tails, Purple Princes, Super Streamers, the Pickle, Sculpin patterns, October Caddis and BWO's! All worked at some point throughout the day.
We only saw a few different types of birds on the water today; Canada Geese and our resident population of eagles and ospreys. But what a day, week and fall season we have had this year!
We will continue guiding on the Columbia River for another couple weeks, weather permitting. If you have plans to come up next season to fish with us, we encourage you to call or email us soon so we can book you into your preferred dates. We are already booking people in, but do not take the trip deposits till 2023.
Keep fishing as long as this glorious fall season allows!
Cheers and tight lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS We will let you know via facebook and stmaryangler.com, what tradeshows we will be attending in early 2023. Our Season in Review will be uploaded sometime in the new year.
Q. Did you know the Canada Goose is named after a Dr. John Canada and not the country of Canada?… so, don’t blame Canada for those poo littered lawns along lakes and rivers all over the place!
Report #15 (September 30, 2022)
The Fall Weather and Fishing are fabulous on the Columbia!
As we move into October the weather continues to be fantastic on the Columbia River. This has allowed the fall fishing to thrive as the anglers bask in the sunny days of early fall. The temperature in the mornings starts off cool, a brisk 5°C (41°F), but tops out at a robust 27°C (81°F) by late afternoon, just beautiful.
Today we started out at the top of the stretch of the Columbia River we fish - putting the boat in up by Robson and fishing down to towards the D-Bar-D Ranch eddy. This stretch of the river possesses an excellent assortment of riffles and classic runs and plenty of walk and wade water where you can find fish when the levels are low. The Columbia is a big river with lots of habitat, but by fishing it regularly we have learned a lot about where the fish tend to hangout.
After we launched the boat, we drifted down river with the current, bobbing along the bank edge casting nymphs and streamers as we went. The flow of the Columbia has come down quite a bit in recent weeks and the fish are now feeding closer to shore. The River is currently flowing at around 1,500 cubic meters per second (53,000 cubic feet per second). This makes casting from shore much more doable now and allows avid anglers to break out the two hand Spey Rods.
It was not all wet line work on the day as October Caddis, small midges, Blue Winged Olives and a few Mahogany Duns were observed hatching. So, the guys used their dry fly setups and were able to land a few. This River is so big with its some strong currents that it makes hooking and landing a rainbow a challenge at times, especially on a dry fly. But give the guys credit as they managed to land a few!
Today the anglers landed around 20 rainbows between the two of them, using an assortment of techniques and flies. Trying different methods of fly fishing on a regular basis will ultimately makes one a better angler, and on this River, it comes in handy. Even as one improves as a fly fisher, there is always more to learn and experience. The flies tried today included; October Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, Mahogany Duns, Prince Nymphs, Purple Prince Nymphs, Copper Johns, Hare's Ears, Pat's Rubber Legs and an assortment of sculpin patterns.
The guys did spot some wildlife along the River on this float including a black bear running up the bank. A few flocks of turkeys were also spotted grazing for bugs along the river edge. Of course, they saw the resident ospreys and eagles patrolling overhead and fishing for themselves.
The Columbia River is fishing quite good right now as the fish are feeding aggressively and are in peak form. But that could end almost any day now if the weather turns cold. Until then, every nice day on the River is a gift.
The small streams in the East Kootenays, particularly the Elk River, are still fishing very well. Nymphing is recommended in the mornings until the sun’s rays penetrate deep into the water column, then dry flies can be used for the balance of the day. Flies such as Mahogany Duns, Blue Winged Olives and Green Drakes work very well at this time of year.
We have heard of a few people heading out to the local lakes around Cranbrook to camp while the weather stays pleasant. On the lakes, the fish are slowly moving into the shallows and the fishing has picked up on some of them including; Whitetail, Whiteswan, Moose and Lazy. But the usual fall fishing caveat applies; some days are more productive than others.
Flies being used on the lakes include; black and olive balanced leeches, the pumpkin head, blobs and boobies, dragon flies, the Doc Spratley, half backs and full backs… just to name a few.
So, get out there and take in some of this beautiful fall fishing while you still can before Old Man Winter shows up and takes us into the season of cold and snow!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS All the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions have been dropped at the Canadian Border as of October 1. Yay! Stay safe everyone! For details go to: click here.
Report #14 (September 18, 2022)
Roll On Columbia; We Are Back!
It is now fall and we are back over fishing on the Columbia River for the big rainbow trout. As we make the transition over to the fall fishing season on the Columbia, the small streams in the East Kootenays are still fishing amazingly well. The warm and dry September weather has allowed the cutthroat dry fly fishing to continue deep into the month. We will continue to guide on the St. Mary and the Elk rivers until the first week of October, in addition to guiding on the section of the Columbia River just north of the Canada-U.S. border.
Today we decided to put the boat in at Genelle and fish around this section of the Columbia. The weather started out at a cool 8°C (47°F) climbing up to over 20°C (70°F) by mid-afternoon. It was an absolutely beautiful early fall day on the River!
After we put in at Genelle we powered upriver to fish a few of the regular back eddies. In the morning we concentrated on the eddies, but as the day went on we could see the fish were moving towards the bank edges where they were feeding steadily, so we followed of course.
The fishing was quite consistent throughout the day with the average sized fish landed in the 14 to 16 inch range. Happily, the anglers managed to hook a few nice rainbows in the 21-22 inch slot as well. The fish were healthy looking and quite thick as they are nearing the end of the fattening-up cycle in preparation for winter. On the day, each angler managed to land 15 rainbows, a nice day of fishing on the Columbia River for sure.
In terms of the hatches, we started to see some come off in the afternoon including Big October Caddis, as well as some Blue Winged Olives and small midges. We did not see many fish feeding on the surface so stuck to streamers and nymph patterns. The flies that work well were the Prince Nymphs, Purple Prince Nymphs, Pat's Rubber Legs, Copper Johns and Sculpin patterns.
The bird life is everywhere on the Columbia River now. Ospreys, eagles and mergansers are all out feeding. And when the midges appeared, the swallows come out in force to feed along the river surface. We also saw a good many turkeys feeding along the grassy shoreline. Oh, and skunks! They are on the move so watch out for those stinky, but cute critters.
The days are getting shorter so we fished untill 6:00 p.m., calling it a very successful day. Fall is now here, but the weather is still nice on the Columbia and we will continue to fish into early October. The small steams in the East Kootenays are still fishing well on dries when the sun is on the water. Hatches of Blue Winged Olives, Green Drakes and Mahogany Duns are all showing up.
The lakes in the East Kootenays are also beginning to fish well again. The cool mornings and rainy days will help move the fish into the shallows to feed more regularly. We have been hearing that Whiteswan, Whitetail and Lazy lakes are all picking up. But its early in the fall so any of these lakes can be hit or miss, day to day.
We hope you get a chance to get out and fish this fall.
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Our Christmas Island trip originally scheduled for Oct. 2022 has been cancelled due to issues with the airline. It has been rescheduled for Oct. 24-31, 2023. Call us at 1-800-667-2311 for more information.
Report #13 (September 9, 2022)
As September rolls along, the fishing remains strong!
The month of September started off great with refreshing fall temperatures in the mornings while reaching upwards of the high 20's or low 30’s °C (82 to 90 °F) by late afternoon.
Unfortunately, the last few days have brought us smoke from wild fires from south of the border in the U.S., as well as from coastal B.C. Today we had some smoke in the morning, but it cleared off quite a bit by the afternoon.
We have been taking most anglers to fish the Elk lately, but we have also been up to the Skookumchuck and the Bull rivers. Today the guys floated the lower section of the Elk River putting the raft in at Morrissey and taking it out at Elko.
On this float trip they hit water early and were catching fish right from the start. The urge to nymph fish in the cool fall mornings can be great for some anglers, but with these cutthroats loving to feast on the surface, we started off using dry flies. That said, if the fish are not moving and coming to the surface the way we expect, then we will switch over to nymphs.
Selecting the right fly is half the battle. But cast placement; close to the bank edge, or even close to the boat, can make things more productive.
But when the fisher makes that perfect cast; good placement, good drift, along with the right choice of fly, everything aligns. And that is when one sees the snout of the fish breaking the surface and eating the bug! That’s what's brings anglers back for more… the tug is the drug!
The guys in the boat were rewarded for their accurate casting along the bank edges, behind rocks and through the riffles, landing around 20 fish each today. Most fish were in the 12-15 inch range, but they did see a few in the 16-18 inch slot. The cutthroats remain in good shape, bright colors highlighted by the bright red slash and round bodies. These fish have been eating for months and now are fat in the advance of winter.
The most productive flies remain the Chubby Chernobyl Ants, Fat Alberts, Elk Hair Caddis, Green Drakes, Blue Winged Olives, Mahogany Duns and October Caddis.
Of course, into September you can fish smaller flies with a lighter tippet as the fish on the Elk can sometimes can get picky.
It is always a good idea to have a good selection of flies in your fly box so you can react to all situations. Also having a selection of tippets in your vest/pack is a good idea as well. Having 3x, 4x and 5x will cover you for most situations.
During our float the anglers were lucky to see eagles and ospreys flying high overhead looking for their next meal. They also saw a black bear roaming close to shore, running for cover as the boat approached.
The month of September is well on its way and that means we will be moving over to the Columbia River by the end of the week to start guiding over there. We are still guiding here in the East Kootenays till the first week of October.
We have trips booked on the Columbia from mid-September through October. We still have a couple openings if you have the urge to come up and catch some nice, big, healthy rainbows! Just call for available days.
Fishing on the lakes around the East Kootenay region are starting up again. We just need a few more of those cool fall days to perk the fish up. People are starting to heading out to Whiteswan, Whitetail and Premier lakes to check them out.
We will let you know how the lakes are doing as soon as we hear from our friends and customers who frequent the shop. Things usually pick up as the weather gets cooler, which is soon.
So, there you have it, have a great time fishing this fall!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to discuss the few available days we still have on the Columbia River this fall.
Note: For details on coming to Canada to fish this year go to click here.
Report #12 (August 25 2022)
St.Mary River Report; Old Reliable.
Today the St. Mary River was the destination of choice. Partly because it is fishing so well and partly to avoid the results of the recent storms rolling through the mountains that have caused the Elk and Bull rivers to dirty up. So, we floated the lower section of the Mary from the Mission down to Fort Steele.
This float has been tricky of late because as the river level declines later in the summer, there are logs that appear and we have to pull the boat over them… lots of fun!
We got on the water at around 9:30 a.m. at a temperature of 10°C (50°F). Now this day was absolutely crazy as the weather was all over the map. In the morning it poured very hard and then the wind started to blow! It was a dark and stormy morning... But by 1:00 pm the weather had cleared off and it warmed up to 28°C (82°F). It seemed like the wind blew the storm right through!
With the morning rain and cooler air temperatures, the water level of the St.Mary came up slightly and the fish were very happy. The cutthroats were very active and taking the dry on the surface aggressively.
Foam patterns worked quite well. Chernobyl Ants, Fat Alberts, Chubby Chernobyls, foam grasshoppers and beetle patterns were all producing. If the cutthroat came up and looked at the fly and swam away, they angler would just pull the fly in and change it! Sometimes you can flip over to a smaller pattern, but today the fish liked foamies!
The anglers managed to catch and release 20 fish each. The average size was 13-15 inches with a couple of nice 18 inch fish landed as well.
After the rough morning weather had passed, it turned into a truly spectacular afternoon! Coupled with the aggressive fish and scenery on the lower section of the St. Mary it made for a wonderful day on the water.
They saw eagles, ospreys and at one point a few Elk crossed the River in front of the boat. Nature at its finest.
The anglers had a really good day with lots of wild weather stories and of course fish tales to tell!
September is almost here and we have just a few spots open on the Columbia River this fall season if you have a desire to chase the big rainbows!
Give us a call or email us if you are interested!
Get out and fish this fall while the weather is still great!
All the rivers are fishing very well and as it gets cooler the lakes will start fishing great again to.
See you on the water.
Cheers,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to discuss the few available days on the Columbia River this fall.
Note: For details on coming to Canada to fish this year go to click here.
Report #11 (August 14 2022)
The Elk River is Rounding into Form.
Everything is running late this year. We are now into the second half of August and the Elk River is just now shaping up! The cutthroat trout in the Elk are finally in their summer feeding stations and the dry fly fishing is on!
The Elk River is an hour drive from Cranbrook. Today’s group wanted to take a shot at floating the bottom section of the River, so off we went dark and early to avoid the road construction delays.
The weather has been absolutely beautiful with morning temperatures starting around 16°C (60°F) and reaching upwards of 34°C (93°F). It sure is nice to be on the water when it is this hot out. And when we really want to cool down we can just wade in!
On our floats we always ensure there is a lot of water to drink along with an awesome shore lunch to enjoy. So, you are well taken care of.
The anglers casted their dry lines along the bank edges and behind structures and rocks in search of fish. The cutthroat in the Elk River take the fly very slowly. So, when it looks like the fish is hooked up, wait just a tad longer before you set the hook, or you may pluck the fly right out of the mouth!
On this float the anglers landed many fish while taking plenty of pictures to support their future memories. The average size landed was in the 13 to 15 inch range with a couple of 17 inchers thrown in.
The fishing was consistent throughout the day, only slowing down around 4:00 pm. They landed a few more taken right at the takeout near the end the day to cap things off with a mini-flourish.
Some Green Drakes and stones were hatching during the float, but nothing of real significance came off. The flies that produced well were the Chubby Chernobyl, Fat Alberts (red and black), hopper patterns (yellow or pink), Purple Haze, Sparkle Adams patterns, Klinkhammers and Green Drakes.
Sometimes the anglers had to put on a lighter leader and tippet to fool the fish the eat the fly - 5X or 6X. If you fish really small flies make sure you lengthen the leader so you can get a good natural drift. The fish need to see the fly floating naturally long enough to prompt them to eat it, but if the fly drags you will not fool these guys!
On the Elk River you are right up close to the Rockies providing you with beautiful scenery and vistas everywhere you cast your eyes. It really is a pretty place to float.
At one point, we came around a corner on the River to see a black bear down close to the water, but as the boat approached, it turned up the bank and lumbered into the trees. There was lots of bird life spotted on the float including ospreys and eagles moving to and from their nests. It was nature at its best!
The Elk, St.Mary and Bull rivers are all fishing very well these days and things look good for September and the fall fishing season. The river conditions are excellent and the fish are thriving this year.
We hope you are able to get out and fish wherever you are. Certainly, our East Kootenay Region has lots of room for everyone this summer if you are in the area, or plan to come up.
Cheers
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS We are expecting an extended fall fly fishing season this year so call us at 1-800-667-2311 to discuss your venue options and available days.
Note: For details on coming to Canada to fish this year click here.
Report #10 (August 5, 2022)
The St.Mary and Bull rivers are fishing great, and the Elk is almost ready to go!
We are in the midst of a beautiful summer with temperatures hovering just below hot and the rivers staying cool and refreshing. This is good for both angler and fish alike! As of today, there is still some snow left up in the high country. That’s hard to believe with daily temps reaching the low 30’s°C (86-90°F) here in Cranbrook. That said, the overnight temperatures dip to around 13-15° C (55-60°F) leaving us with a cool start to each day.
The rivers are still dropping steadily. With every week that goes by we can see quite a bit of difference in the levels. The fish are now in their summer feeding spots and are feeding aggressively most of the day.
We have fished mainly on the St. Mary and Bull rivers so far this season and both rivers are fishing very well.
The Elk River is about a week away from being clear. The Elk has been a little crazy this season as it still has only has about 3-4 feet of visibility. At this point, a lot of guys are nymphing and throwing streamers. But, if you are a skilled dry fly angler you will be able to land some nice fish. We will find out just how things are first hand as we have some trips lined up on the Elk at the end of the week, so stay tuned.
On today’s trip we floated the stretch of the St.Mary between Wycliffe and the St. Eugene Mission. There are so many nice runs and holes on this run where you can stop and fish. That’s in addition to casting on the fly along the bank edges, behind rocks and close to logs. Fishing from the boat on the Mary is so nice because this river can be very slippery. If you decide to wade, you need a set of good felt bottom wading boots so you do not fall and hurt yourself.
Our approach today had the anglers casting, then putting a nice mend on the fly in order to get a good drift down the run. Most anglers are using 5 or 6 weight rods with a 9-foot leader, usually a 3x or 4x tippet. If they are fishing smaller patterns, they just add a bit more tippet which helps to get a good drift on the smaller fly.
You have to keep that fly on the water in a nice drift long enough for the cutthroat to see it. Once this is achieved, you will see a mouth come up and hammer the fly. That folks, is what it is all about!
Today each angler landed about two dozen fish. That included some cut-bows and few rainbows. They hooked many more fish, but just couldn't close the deal.
The flies used included; Stimi Chew Toys, grasshoppers, Fat Alberts, Chubby Chernobyl Ants, Parachute Adams, Royal Wulffs, Lime Trudes and a few beetle patterns.
As we hit midday, we stopped for a shore lunch. Everyone loves the shore lunch. The guide pulls the boat over, picking a nice run to stop and fish while he unpacks things.... table, chairs, food and drink. Then the anglers put the rods down and sit for lunch in a beautiful on river location… paradise!
During the float today eagles and ospreys patrolled the sky and a group of elk were seen crossing the river in front of the boat….what a treat.
If you are coming into Cranbrook, stop by the fly shop and check out all our latest gear and discuss what rivers are fishing well.
Cranbrook is known as the ‘Base Camp of the Rockies’. After getting all your provisions in Cranbrook you can head out and enjoy the backcountry to the fullest extent.
But before you head out, read the fishing regulations first!
Stay safe and enjoy some tight lines!
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book a float trip.
Note: For details on coming to Canada to fish this year click here.
Report #9 (July 30, 2022)
The Bull River is running fast, but fishing very well!
Lately we have been enduring a heatwave here in the Kootenays. While the mornings have been reasonable, starting off at around 20°C (68°F) the temperatures have reached highs of 35°C to 37°C (95-99°F) by the later afternoon…it has been smoking hot! We are looking forward to the temperature dropping in the next few days.
The St.Mary River has been fishing very well, so we have focused on it so far. But with the warm weather, all the rivers are dropping and the Elk River is finally starting to shape up.
On this particular day, we decided to shake things up a bit and headed up to the Bull River. The Bull is located up in the Kootenay side of the Rocky Mountains, about an hours drive from Cranbrook.
The Bull provides absolutely stunning scenery and amazing views of the stretch of the Rockies known as the Steeples. The Bull River is also dropping steadily, although it remains slightly higher than it normally is at this time of year.
So given the higher flows, we decided to run two sections of the Bull River above the dam today. The clients were excited to see a different river especially when they heard they may encounter a couple of stretches of white water.
Right from the launch, they were hooking into the cutthroat trout as the fishing started out with a bang. On the trip they caught around 20 fish each in the 12 and 14 inch slot. There are some bigger fish in the Bull, but you do not see many of them come to the surface. With the beautiful scenery and steady action, it made for a fantastic day of dry fly fishing.
On the Bull River, the guides are on the oars all the time as the River moves along at a good pace. While the guide is busy maneuvering the boat, the anglers are picking up and casting continually as they toss their lines behind rocks, along bank edges and into small pools. The key to success is getting the fly to float naturally. The clients get to hear over and over from the guide, “pick it up”, “cast”, “okay, now mend!”
There were no big hatches on this day, just a few stone flies. The guide tied on several dry flies including; Black Beetles, Ant patterns, H&L Variants, Fat Alberts, Chubby Chernobyl Ants, Stimulators and Green Drakes, which all produced fish.
During the float the anglers got to see white tail deer and a baby black bear cub traveling on its own. They also spotted ospreys and eagles who were busy about their nests and looking for food their young.
There is much to see as you float down the Bull River! They stopped at a beautiful spot, got out to fish a bit and then the tables and chairs were set and a nice shore lunch was served. All afternoon they continued to hook fish.
The rivers are all fishing wonderful now so get out and enjoy yourself in this great place, go have fun and make some good memories.
Feel free to stop by our Cranbrook shop to check out what flies are working for each river. We definitely can help you out so you hit the water with the right set of flies in your kit.
See you on the water soon.
Tight lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book a float trip for this summer or the fall.
Note: For details on coming to Canada to fish this year click here.
Report #8 (July 22, 2022)
The St.Mary River is ready to go!
Another week and July will be done. Summer is cruising along and we are in full swing, guiding every day. So far, we have been doing most of our floats on the St Mary River as it has been fishing amazingly well! This makes it hard to pull away from the Mary, but the Elk and Bull will be calling soon as they are shaping up nicely and should be in outstanding form within a week.
The weather here in the East Kootenay region of southeastern B.C. has been spectacular. The temperature in the morning starts off at around 13-15°C (55-60°F) and reaches a high of 32-34°C (95-98°F) by late afternoon. The skies have been marked only by a few clouds floating by throughout the day with only a couple of showers occurring in the last week. Overall it has been a very nice summer to date.
On this particular day we decided to float from the Pumphouse down to Wycliffe takeout. It is amazing how the St. Mary River has come into shape over the course of the last week. The runs have formed and the fish have finally moved out of the side channels and deep pools in to their summer feeding locations all along the River. We still have some snow up in the mountains, so we have lots of water for our fish and river ecosystems into the fall.
As soon as we launched this morning the anglers began to dry fly fish along the bank edges, behind rocks, along logs and in the runs. Fishing from the boat you do not have to cast long distances. While getting a good 20-foot cast is ideal, putting a good mend on the line is key. You need a good mend to get the fly to drift along naturally long enough for the cutthroat to find it. Once they see your fly floating in a natural state, they will hammer it! Sometimes when the fish are hungry two cutties will come up and try to eat your bug. It can be so exciting to watch a fish come to the surface, completely fooled by your fly, and then slam it! You can never get enough!
On this day the fish were hungry and when the anglers got the good drift, the fishing was awesome. The flies that were working included the Chubby Chernoybl Ants, Stimulators, Purple Haze, Stimy Chew Toys, Caddis patterns, Parachute Adams and Fat Alberts. Grasshoppers should start working soon; sometime near the end of July going into August they will be providing a feast for the fish.
The fish caught today were a good size; very healthy with amazing cutthroat colors. Each angler caught and released 20 fish, so it was a very good day!
The wildlife is everywhere over here in the back country of the East Kootenays now. There are so many mother deer with their fawns roaming around. Eagles and osprey are patrolling overhead and merganzer ducks are active along the edges with their young.
When casting and fishing in the great outdoors, sometimes it hard to look up and see the scenery around you. But you have to stop and look as its absolutely breathtaking out there!
We have a few trips coming up on the Bull and Elk rivers this coming week so we will give you an update on those rivers in the next report.
Until then, feel free to stop by our fly shop and we will get you set up with gear and direct you towards where the fishing is good.
Have fun out there on the water and be sure you read the fishing regulations where you are fishing.
Tight lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book your float trip today.
Note: For details on coming to Canada to fish this year click here.
Report #7 (July 16, 2022)
The St.Mary River is rounding into form!
The St.Mary River is shaping up quite nicely now with water levels dropping daily and water clarity steadily improving. Finally, yaaaa! The cutthroats are slowly moving out of the side channels and into their summer spots and feeding like no tomorrow. As the St.Mary has been flowing pretty good up to know, we are running two sections of the River on each float.
So today we floated from Wycliffe down to the Fort Steele takeout, near the confluence of the Kootenay River.
The guys rigged up their dry flies on 4 and 5 weight rods and were out on the water by 9:30 a.m. The cutthroats become active once the sun penetrates deep into the water column, so there is no need to be out there before that occurs. Banker's hours we say!
The weather has been spectacular recently with temperatures in the morning starting at 15°C (60°F) and reaching the low 30’s °C (mid 80’s °F) by late afternoon. There has been some wind picking up in the afternoon, but overall the days have been just magnificent.
The boat was maneuvered along the bank edges so the anglers could cast behind rocks and along log structures as they floated by. All the while trying to get their fly to float as natural as possible. You want that cutthroat to find the fly and hammer it on the surface so the longer it floats naturally, the better chance you have to hook a fish!
The stone fly hatch is now working its way up the St.Mary River. So, flies such as Stimi Chew Toys, foam patterns such as the Chubby Chernobyl, Fat Alberts (Red and Black) and some of the more traditional flies like the Sparkle Caddis, Pale Morning Duns, Purple Haze and Stimulators are all drawing action.
With the higher flows we are still stopping the boat on occasion to allow the anglers to walk up the back channels as they are still producing as the fish adjust to the post freshet period. On this trip the anglers landed around 15 fish each. One of them hooked a nice bull trout that was chasing a cutthroat which he had hooked up. The guide managed to land both the cutthroat and bull trout, what a trip! Everyone was so excited!
As we floated down the St.Mary today we saw a mother deer with her fawns crossing a shallow section of River. We also saw golden eagles and ospreys going back and forth from their nests. These birds were also fishing the River themselves, it was so cool to see.
The St. Mary River is such an amazing place to fish and we are so lucky to have it in our backyard to share with everyone.
River Roundup.
The Elk, Bull and Skookumchuck rivers are also dropping daily and the fishing is turning on as we speak. With all the snow in the mountains this year the rivers are in great shape and they will continue to be into the fall months for sure! Happy fish is what we like to see and lots of water through the summer makes it so.
If you are heading out to fish in our area, feel free to stop by our shop in Cranbrook to talk to us about what flies are working on the river you desire to fish.
We hope you have plans to get away to fish this summer and remember everyone out there fishing wants to have fun, so be kind!
Tight lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book your float trip today.
Note: For details on coming to Canada to fish this year click here.
Report #6 (Report #6 (July 8, 2022)
St.Mary River Report; Running High but Fishing Well!
Summer is finally in full swing! We have had a long and cool spring, which has made for a controlled, but prolonged spring freshet with no flooding. But the stretched-out runoff period has meant the guiding season is now just beginning.
The St. Mary River is running high with about 2 to 3 feet of visibility. The St. Mary River benefits from St.Mary Lake at the top of the system, which helps moderate flow and sediment load in the River. It tends to act as a big holding pond for the water which means the river clears up much faster than in our other streams and rivers.
The Elk, Skookumchuck and Bull rivers are also running high, but starting to clear. Because the Elk River has so many small tributaries that join it, it can stay dirty for a while.
On today’s float to the St.Mary River everyone was anxious to get out onto the water as fast as possible. So we left the fly shop in Cranbrook at around 9:00 a.m. The weather was quite nice in the morning with temperatures starting at around 11°C (52°F) reaching a high of 24°C (75°F) by midafternoon.
The thunder storms rolled in later in the afternoon bringing some wind, rain and eventually lightning. Luckily the lightning did not start till we were off the water. Given the present high flows on the Mary we decided to float two sections today; from the Kimberley Golf Course down to Sophie's take out near the St. Eugene Mission.
As the water is moving quite quickly we were able to see a lot of the River and just use the boat as transportation from one fishing run to another. We also pulled into a number of side channels so the guys could jump out and fish for the hungry wild Westslope cutthroats holding in these pockets of calmer water.
On the day the anglers landed about 15 fish each, with the average size in the 14 to 16 inch class. They also managed to land a few nice Cutbows in the 17-inch range. But the surprise of the day happened when one of the angers hooked into a big bull trout, almost getting it into the net before it broke loose! Wow, what an exciting time to fish for a cutty and hook into one of these monsters!
When the water is up like this, you have to find places on the water to fish as you float by. So it can be pretty high tempo fishing at times, but when you fool a trout it’s all worth the effort!
The dry flies of choice today included; Stone flies, Fat Alberts, Chubby Chernobyl Ants, Stimi Chew Toys and Stimulators (Orange or Yellow).
Fishing from shore is a challenge right now, but in a few days the St.Mary will drop enough so anglers can get out on the river banks. The bright side of all the water this spring is that fishing conditions will be great going into September and October. Lots of water means healthy and happy fish.
The river valley has so much wildlife on display now, which can be hard to take in while casting your line. The fear of missing the cutthroat coming up to the surface and eating your dry fly is real and it always seems to happen when you look away for an instant! Today we saw mother deer with their fawns, eagles, ospreys, geese and ducks, just to name a few of animals on the water today.
Oh, one more thing that you must be aware of. All the rain has meant a lot more standing water and with that comes mosquitoes. So be prepared to take precautions to limit their irritation!
When you are in Cranbrook, drop into our fly shop to check out all the latest gear and to chat about what rivers are fishing well and what flies you will need to catch wild Westslope cutthroat trout!
Tight Lines ,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
Note: For details on coming to Canada to fish this year click here.
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book a float trip today.
Report #5 (June 21, 2022)
As summer arrives, we are gearing up to start guiding on the St.Mary River.
The first day of summer is here, but it sure does not feel like it. The weather has been on the cool side with rain and wind throughout much of June. Daily temperatures over here in the East Kootenay have been starting off at around 7°C (45°F), reaching upwards of 20°C (68°F) on the warmest days.
All this cool weather has definitely slowed down the snow melt and accompanying freshet in our region. This has been a good thing as there has been no major flooding in our area (yet) and no repeat of last June’s Heat Dome as well (thank God!). On the other hand, the rivers are still pretty high and dirty which could delay the start of the fishing season. We will keep you posted as to when we have about 3 feet of visibility in the rivers because under these conditions, they can still fish quite well. If you do go out by boat, you can get out and fish up the back channels which can be very productive early in the season.
The weather services are calling for some hot days heading into the last week of June reaching upwards of 30°C (86°F). So, we do see the temperatures of summer in the near term.
In terms of a long term forecast on water conditions, we should have lots of water in the streams and the fish will be happy throughout the 2022 fishing season.
With respect to the lake fishing, some lakes are fishing well and others not so much! Whitetail, Whiteswan, Echo and Lazy have all been pretty good recently, but Premier has been more difficult.
All the food sources on the lakes are now out on the water giving you multiple fly pattern options that will catch you fish. Dragons, damsels, leeches, balanced leeches, chironomids, callibaetus and scuds; have all been producing well. Blobs and booby flies tend to work if nothing else seems to.
If you want to troll on a lake; Doc Spratley, Half Backs, Full Back, Muddler Minnows and mayfly nymphs are good to have in your fly box.
In addition to a well-stocked fly box, the most important thing is to get out and go camping on your favorite lake, fish and have fun!
It’s that time of year when you need to watch out for all the amazing wildlife that is emerging now. We are seeing loads of deer with their fauns out and about. Bears and their cubs are also being spotted throughout the region. So be aware of your surroundings when driving, hiking and fishing.
We start our guiding season on the St.Mary River the first week of July, so you can expect to see our weekly fishing reports starting then.
We are very much looking forward to some dry fly fishing for wild Westslope Cutthroat Trout in the next couple of weeks. Feel free to come along with us by calling 1-800-667-2311 to book a float today.
Remember to be safe and courteous around others.
Tight Lines
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
Note: For details on coming to Canada to fish this year click here.
Report #4 (June 6, 2022)
We are wrapping up spring on the Columbia River and moving back to the East Kootenay for the cutthroat season.
Wow we are cruising into the month of June already! The runoff on the rivers is in full swing now, about 3 weeks late according to those in the know. So far there is no worry about flooding in southeastern B.C., but you never know as the weather can change in a moment!
As of now, the lakes in our region are producing some really nice fish. That said, as everyone knows some days out fish other days. Weather can play a big part in how and when the fish feed. If a storm is rolling through and the barometer pressure drops, the fish will tend to hunker down till it starts to rain, then start feeding again. Or, if a huge hatch of black ants comes off, the trout will gorge on them and then digest for a few days not feeding at all. As fly fishers we know we have many tools in our kit to persuade the trout to eat, but some days the fish just are not happy!
Because of the cool start to this season and the delay in all things spring, we think June could be a very good month on the lakes. So, get out to one of the many wonderful campsites on the lakes in our area and enjoy what the back country has to offer!
We are now in the process of wrapping up our spring guiding season on the Columbia River. The trips end next week and we will prepare for the summer cutthroat season on the St.Mary, Elk and Bull rivers.
The fishing on the Columbia River is pretty darn good right now, but you need to be competent and confident in your casting abilities. In addition, the weather and all the debris in the River can be a real challenge at times.
On our trip on the Columbia today the weather was pretty nice with temperatures starting off this morning at 14 °C (57 °F), reaching 24 °C (75 °F) by mid-afternoon. We decided to put the boat in at the Genelle access and head upriver. The fish did not seem to like the warmer weather, as the morning was quite slow as we only caught 1 or 2 in each eddy we fished. But by 11:30, someone flipped that switch again and things turned on. The River is very high now running at around 3,300 cubic meters per second (116,500 cubic feet per second). So watch out for lots of debris and logs floating downstream, the Columbia in late spring can be a little hairy for even the experienced river pilot.
Black Caddis were swarming everywhere today, but the fish were not keying on these guys because they were laying eggs on the water. And the fish were feeding subsurface. So, we turned to our nymph rods and then our streamer rods, trying various patterns to see if the fish would be interested in our various offerings. Finally, after a number of wardrobe changes, the fish took to liking a couple flies and fishers proceeded to land around 10 fish each. The average size was in the 15-18 inch class. These fish were in great shape which made them tough to land after numerous jumps and runs. The guys had their hands full fighting these rainbows today!
Some of the more successful flies used on this trip included the Prince nymphs, Copper Johns and Hare's Ears. Sculpins, Black/White Streamers, Pat's Rubber Legs and some stone nymph patterns also produced well.
As for the wildlife, we were cruising downriver when we spotted a mother black bear with her two cubs moving along the shoreline…that’s when it’s nice to be in the boat! We also saw many Canada Geese along the banks, as well as lots of eagles and ospreys flying overhead, scouting for their next meal. There was lots of activity on the water for sure!
As fun as the Columbia River rainbow season has been this spring, summer cutthroat dry fly fishing is calling us back to the St.Mary, Elk and Bull. We will be back on the Columbia in the fall. But right now it looks like the cutthroat season is going to be great as there is lots of snow in the mountains meaning the rivers will be in good shape through the summer.
The summer is about to start, so get out and enjoy the outdoors.
Remember to be safe and courteous around others.
Tight Lines
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call 1-800-667-2311 to book a summer float on the St.Mary, Elk or Bull rivers today. And it is not too early to think about booking a fall rainbow float on the Columbia!
Note: For details on coming to Canada to fish this year click here.
Report #3 (May 15, 2022)
As we all wait for warmer weather, the Lakes and Columbia River are fishing well.
Welcome to the spring of 2022… or on some days, Winter 2022 continued! Oh my God, the weather has been crazy out on the Columbia River this spring. One minute it is nice and warm and the next it's hailing and snowing. What a start to the year!
A couple of weeks ago the rivers started to see some runoff, but with the recent colder weather they have dropped a bit and cleared up again. As a matter of fact, we even saw an addition to the snow pack in the last week!
We all know the snow will melt and the freshet will happen eventually, but it has been an interesting spring to date.
The lakes have all turned over some time ago and the fishing has turned on in the last week as they are now fishing fantastic. At Whitetail Lake we are still fishing Chironomids quite deep at around 40 feet, with only a few fish starting to move into the shallows. Whiteswan and Moose are fishing very well now with both Chironomids and Balanced Leeches being the primary productive flies. Echo, Lazy and Premier Lakes have also been fishing good with Chironomids, Leeches, Scuds, Dragons and Damsels working well. If you want to get out onto the lakes, it’s likely that no time this year will be better than now!
Over on the Columbia River we have been out on the water pretty much every day this month of May. The weather has been a challenge, but the fishing has been very productive. The morning temperatures today started at a chilly 3-4 °C (37-40 °F), reaching a balmy 10-12 °C (50-54 °F) later in the day.
Today the anglers did their homework by ensuring they were wearing multiple layers of clothing to stay warm. And we avoided the coolest temperatures of the day by hitting the water a little later than usual. So, after meeting for a hearty breakfast, we headed out, launching at around 10 a.m.
The morning fishing has been quite slow this spring because of the weather and today was no exception. However, after ducking through a couple of quick downpours, and at one point pulling the boat out of the river and heading to another section because the skies looked clearer, the trout turned on!
So, the majority of fishing on this day was on the Columbia below Trail, B.C. where we fished the big back eddies. Our approach was to cruise to the top of a big eddy, cut the motor and drift into the eddy then use the oars to keep us in proximity of the feed lanes.
The flows from the upstream dams has been rising, increasing the water level in the Columbia every day. Today the flow checked in at around 1,750 cubic meters per second (61,800 cubic feet per second). At this time of year, you have to be careful navigating on the Columbia as a lot of wood debris has been dislodged from the banks as the water rises. Big logs can get caught in the eddies, so always keep a 360° eye out. Prop-boats beware! That said, even jet equipped motors can have difficulty as small pieces of wood can get sucked into the intake and cause serious problems out on the water.
During the course of the afternoon, the anglers hooked around 15 to 20 rainbows in the 17-21 inch class. Small midges were hatching and some Blue Winged Olives were also coming off. The guys used their streamer and nymph set ups to throw; Pheasant tails, Copper Johns, Princes, Sculpins and black or white streamers. The fish were very feisty as they jumped quite a bit, which was a lot of fun! The anglers had a great day of fishing, pulling off the water at around 7.00 p.m.
There was a lot of bird life along the bank edges today as they darted back and forth from their nests to the water. We often see large groups of swallows feeding on the water surface which is exciting because it usually means that the fish are doing the same from just beneath it.
So, things are going very well on the lakes and rivers of southeastern BC now, it could only be made better by a nice run of sunny, warm weather!
Make sure you know the regulations on the rivers or lakes you are fishing before you go. Remember to stay safe and respect the outdoors.
Happy long weekend everyone,
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call 1-800-667-2311 to book a summer float today.
For details on coming to Canada to fish this year click here.
Report #2 (May 3, 2022)
Lake, Lakes and more Lakes!
The spring fishing season has begun on the lakes! But, brrr…. this spring has been cool, as temperatures have been well below normal and we have seen lots of rainfall to go with it.
Premier, Whiteswan and Whitetail lakes are all open now. In addition, the lakes up near Golden are open. These lakes take a little bit longer to ice-off because of their high elevation and more northern location. But hey, we are in May and this is the month when everything starts opening… and hatching.
The lower elevation lakes in our region have already turned over while the ones higher up are turning over now. Once turnover is complete, the fish will start feeding heavily.
We are now seeing the chironomids and callibaetis hatching. The dragon and damsel nymphs are now working their way from deep water to the shore lines in search of rocks to climb so they can hatch and start the aerial portion of their lives.
Leeches, Balanced Leeches, Wooly Buggers, Doc Spratley, Half Backs, Full Backs and of course Blobs and Booby Flies, work well throughout this time of year.
With all the different patterns available, it can keep a fisher pretty busy trying the different flies and their associated techniques on these lakes to catch trout. With lake fishing, as with any craft in life, you just have to get out there and practice. Over time you will become better at implementing all the techniques and knowing when to deploy them in the pursuit of rainbow trout on our lakes.
Rivers Report:
With the warming days and accompanying rain coming our way we expect the rivers to start running high and dirty soon. We see it already happening on the Kootenay River and all the smaller streams running into the St. Mary and Elk.
Over on the Columbia River we are starting to see increased releases of water through the dams above the confluence with the Kootenay River. This is the time of year we have to start looking out for increased debris floating in the Columbia.
We are on the Columbia River pretty much every day now through May to the middle of June. Today we decided to fish from the put-in at Gyro Park at Trail, up towards the big bend at Genelle. This section of the River has many spots that fish very well. From along the bank edges to the eddies, it produces a lot of nice rainbow trout.
Once the water rises on the spring freshet for the summer, the fish tend to move from the bank edges to the big rotating eddy structures.
Today the guys threw streamers and nymphs from the boat in the morning landing only a few rainbows. After lunch the fishing picked up and the guys caught and released around 20 trout. Most of the fish were in the 16 to 20-inch slot. The largest fish caught was a nice and fat 23-inch rainbow. Any size rainbow caught on the Columbia loves to take the line and jump like crazy, and this fish was no exception.
Flies that always work well at this time of year include a black or white Streamer, a Prince, Pheasant Tail or Copper John nymph. There are midges and Blue Winged Olives hatching daily now, but the fish are not necessarily keying on these guys on the surface yet.
That said, if you do see some fish feeding on the surface, like a pod of rainbows tracking a big rotating eddy, a small Parachute Adams or a small Black Midge will sometimes grab their attention. Caddis flies do not start hatching for another 2 to 3 weeks, but we can’t wait for that experience to kick off! In the mean time we will temp them with all our other artificials!
Wildlife is always a part of the experience on the Columbia River as the birds are abundant on this part of the Pacific Flyway and deer and bears are frequent visitors to the water’s edge.
At the fly shop it is so nice to see so many people getting ready to head out into the backcountry now. But remember to review the regulations before you head out onto the water to fish.
If you are in want of fishing information before your next outing to the backcountry, stop into our shop to chat with us.
Remember to stay safe and respect the outdoors.
Tight Lines
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS We are now booking floats for this summer and fall. Call 1-800-667-2311 today. For details on coming to Canada to fish this year click here.
Report #1 (April 20, 2022)
The Spring Fishing Report: April 2022
Welcome to Spring 2022! We made it through another Canadian winter and are very excited for this fishing season to begin!
We will start off by saying that it has been a cold and moist spring with the resulting slow start to the season. The average temperatures this April have been cooler than normal with daily highs ranging between 6-10°C (43 to 50°F) .
The cool temps have slowed down the start to the spring lake fishing season. We had a couple lakes ice off at the end of March, but it took until the middle of April for the majority of them to open up. The low elevation lakes open now include; Lazy, Grundy, Horseshoe, Campbell Myer and Edwards. It will be another week or so before the higher elevation lakes of Premier, Whiteswan and Whitetail open up completely.
As of April 1st, the rivers in Region #4 are closed for spring run-off and cutthroat trout spawning through to June 15th. That said, the Columbia and Kootenay rivers remain open year round.
This past Easter Weekend we were able to test fish the Columbia River to see how the big rainbow trout have wintered. Unfortunately, the temperatures crashed as we had a late winter storm come through the area with resulting temperatures in 3-5°C range (38 to 41°F).
We decided to wait till around 11:00 a.m. to hit the water and fish till 4:00 p.m. Thank goodness we had layered on the warm clothing and wore waders!
We decided to put in at the Gyro Park boat launch at Trail and head upriver to fish. We did not want to go too far in case the weather got nasty. To our pleasant surprise, the weather held up nicely most of the day!
We mostly nymphed using our 10 foot, 6 and 7 weight rods, but we also used the streamers rods.
So, we jetted upriver past our desired fishing site where we cut the motor and floated back down along the bank edges to see if the fish were hungry and wanting to feed. It took sometime for the fish to wake up, but we did manage to hook a few.
At the beginning we missed a few takes, but as the day progressed the fish aggressively took the fly and stayed on. About a dozen rainbows were landed in the 15 to 18 inch range. The fish looked great; bright and very healthy, with lots of energy.
Over the course of the day there was a Blue Winged Olive hatch going on as well steady flow of small midges. When this happens, you will notice hundreds of swallows out in force gorging on these bugs just above the river surface. The swallows are a good sign because the fish tend to be doing the same thing from just below the surface!
We used quite an assortment of flies today including; the Pickle, Kelly's Super Streamer and a variety of different colored Sculpins. In terms of nymphs; we used the Hare’s Ear Nymph, Prince Nymph and the original Purple Prince Nymph.
Out on the Columbia River, you cannot help but notice all the wildlife. The big eagles flying above in search of food. Ospreys and turkeys along the streambanks. We also saw a brown bear who looked like it just woke up as he rumbled down the bank edge for a drink of water.
The day was cut a little short before 4 p.m. when the clear skies clouded and we were on the receiving end of a nice winter squall that came through with wind and snow. That was our sign to head back downriver and head home to get warm, ha, ha!
We start guiding on the Columbia River next week and will remain on the Columbia all of May and into the first part of June.
The season has begun! Fish on!
Welcome back to all our American friends to the 2022 season! For details on coming to Canada to fish this year click here.
We hope to see you up in our part of the world this fishing season!
Tight Lines
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS You can call us directly at 1-800-667-2311 to discuss our services or book a float.
St.Mary Angler Guide Service: a review of the 2021 fishing season.
Overview
The Covid-19 Pandemic again had a profound impact on our lives in 2021. By the start of the season in May, the U.S. border remained closed, along with our border with neighboring Alberta. Within B.C. one could only travel within the three designated regions within the Province…so we continued to be shut out from guiding.
The travel restrictions within B.C. and Alberta were lifted in late June. It was not until early August, when for the first time in 17 months, Americans were allowed to cross the land border into Canada to fish with us. While this was great news, by then most people had made their travel plans so we did not see that many of our southern neighbours till the fall. But those who did venture north, were as happy to see us as we of them! We had some nice reunions for sure. So, we managed to stay afloat in 2021 in large part through the patronage of the locals and those Western Canadians who ‘stay-cationed’ in our part of the world. 2021 was another year of learning more about patience, perseverance, survival and hope! That said, the fishing was still pretty good!
The Conditions in 2021
Last winter brought us a snowpack that was more of less just above what we usually get. On May 1st the snowpack was ‘slightly above normal’ across British Columbia. The snowpack in the East Kootenay region, which includes the St.Mary, Elk, Bull and Skookumchuck rivers, was at 94% of ‘normal’. Over in the West Kootenays, where we fish the Columbia River, it was 91%. So, we started the year a with a little less snow than the long-term average.
Spring temperatures across B.C. for the month of April were normal as a whole, except for a strong ridge of high pressure from April 14 to 18th. During this period many new daily maximum temperature records were set throughout B.C. The hot spike also resulted in the rapid melt of lower and mid-elevation snow to kickstart the freshet.
April was a very dry month. By mid-May the accumulated snowpack was still holding firm in the West Kootenay, but disappearing quicker in the East Kootenay. By June 1st about half of the snowpack was melted. Very warm temperatures in the first week of June allowed the rivers to hit their peak runoff in mid-June, but with no flooding to speak of. By the end of June three quarters of the pack was gone as per normal, but then came “Heat Dome 2021” from June 25-July 1.
Wow did things get hot, we experienced temperatures as high as 39.2°C (102.5°F). The hottest temperature in the Province topped out at 49.6C (121.3) on June 30th in Lytton, B.C., a few days before their devastating wildfire. The result of the intense heat for us was the rivers cleared up and dropped quickly. So, we started fishing the St.Mary and Elk rivers in late June, a little earlier than we usually expect to hit the water.
In the East Kootenays we saw higher than average rainfall in August and October, but things were drier than normal in May, June, July and September. The August rainfall was a blessing after the dry and hot start of the summer and effects of the Heat Dome.
In terms of air temperature in the East Kootenays, it was quite a bit hotter than normal from May through July, cooling in August. June and July were scorching hot with the average daily max. (+5.4°C) and (+6.7°C) warmer than usual. August at (-1.9°C) below the average was a needed reprieve.
In terms of forest fires, the 2021 season was the third worst on record for B.C. While we did see smoke from wildfires from other parts of B.C. and south of the Border blowing in to our region, it did not have any serious impact on our operations.
The warmer summer temperatures and lower rainfall did create some challenges as the water temperatures became elevated. Fortunately, the August rains and cooling trend put things back into equilibrium and the fish were fine.
Over on the Columbia River in the West Kootenays, the air temperatures were also a little warmer than usual in the spring and fall when we were guiding over there. Rainfall was mostly below normal leaving us with some lovely spring and falls days on the water. As the Columbia is a ‘’tailwater fishery”, located downstream of a dam, the water conditions in the spring and fall where normal and we experienced very good fishing conditions in 2021.
Please see the PDF for detailed charts on the temperature and rainfall.
The Spring Season on the Upper Columbia River in the West Kootenays.
We fish the stretch of the upper Columbia River from its confluence with the Kootenay River down to where it crosses the Canada-U.S. Border. This tailwater fishery flows about 35 miles, with four distinct sections, so we have lots of water types to choose from. In 2021 our plan was to hit the water in early April and fish through June, hoping the Border would open and our American clients would join us. But the reality was that the Covid-19 closures were even more restrictive! Now one had to be a resident of the Kootenays to travel within our region! We did get out on the River a number of times to fish on our own, but had only a few guided trips with local anglers. So, the spring guiding season was basically a bust for us.
The Columbia River fished very well for rainbow trout in the spring (April-June). As per usual the fish had a lot of energy when hooked up. In the early part of the season the fish like to hold along the bank edges. As the flows rise and the river dynamics and related habitats change, the fish head into the big eddies to hold and feed. Therefore, we start the season fishing bank edges and runs, then follow the fish into the big eddies.
On one mid-May trip, the weather was beautiful and the rainbows were feeding aggressively in the eddies. It was apparent that the rainbows had wintered well with the majority of the fish being landed in the 18-21 inch range. The anglers had a great day landing 15-20 rainbows each, with a few double headers mixed in!
The flies working in Mid-May included; streamers of various colors, Purple Prince Nymphs, regular Prince Nymph's, Hare's Ear Nymphs and Pat's Rubber Legs. Certain dry flies, including small caddis, were producing well when the fish were up and feeding on the surface.
We fished the Columbia into the beginning of June. The fishing on the Columbia this spring was consistently very good. The anglers had good catch rates and the average sized fish was in the 17-21 inch slot. Bigger fish over 22 were landed with some awesome runs and jumps that came with them. While we fish the whole stretch of this piece of big water from the confluence with the Kootenay River down to the Border, we had some particularly productive days on the lower runs. In the spring this River gives us so many options to explore and we take full advantage of them with our rowable jet boat.
Summer Cutthroat Fishing on the St.Mary, Elk, Bull and Skookumchuck Rivers in the East Kootenays.
When we moved from the spring season over on the Columbia to guiding for cutthroats in the east Kootenays, the Covid-19 restrictions loosened, a bit. People from across B.C. and Alberta were now able to come and fish with us, but American anglers remained shutout. This created a lot of uncertainty for us and our American clients. Because how do you book a trip for peak season in July and August when you don’t know if the Border will be open by then? This went on until the Border finally opened to U.S. drivers in early August.
The St.Mary River rounded into form early and fished exceptionally well from late June through July. While the Heat Dome brought high temperatures, it did not affect the fishing as it was so early in the season. By late July the hotter than usual summer weather was leading us to start our days earlier and we were off the water by around 3.00 p.m. On July 29th we received an order from the B.C. Fisheries Branch telling us we had to stop fishing by 2.00 p.m. to protect the fish against high water temperatures. As a result, our float trips on the St.Mary River were now running from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Elk, Bull Skookumchuck and other streams we fish were not subject to the 2 p.m. closure.
On the first trip to the St.Mary under the early start measure, the anglers were ready to go bright and early. They were rewarded as they got to dry fly fish the lower section for the whole day. The fishing was a little slow at the beginning, but it was like turning on a light once the sun beams started to penetrate deep into the water. It actually was very nice to be out on the water in the early morning during the dog days of summer. The fishing was very good on this day as the guys each caught and released upwards of 20 fish. The flies that were working best were the foam patterns. We used a couple of the new Chubby Chernobyl patterns from the shop that turned out to be the hottest flies in the valley!
As we moved into August the hot weather was still dominating until August 7th when we got the first of a couple days of rain. It was very welcomed as things had been very dry since the spring. On our August 8th “busman’s holiday” to the Elk River the temperature topped out at a balmy 18°C (65°F) by the afternoon…what a change. With the recent break in the weather, the fish seemed a little fussy so we needed to cycle through the fly box to find what they liked… which seemed to change all afternoon. So once again, it was to our advantage to have a wide selection of flies to draw from!
Later in the afternoon, we came around a bend in the Elk to see a bald eagle swooping down over a run on the River. We took the big bird’s que and started to work this section for a while. The rain was coming down hard now, but the fish were still up and feeding! When we presented the fly properly, getting a good drift, we could actually see the lips of the fish come up, break the water surface and take the fly! When we dragged and dropped the fly as we floated, some of the fish would jump out of the water to take it. What fun! As we continued down the Elk through each run the fish began taking the fly more and more aggressively!
By late in afternoon the fish were up feeding on midges, Blue Winged Olives and Pale Morning Duns, so there was plenty of bug action. On the afternoon, we caught and released around 20 cutthroat each. The average size was 13 to 15 inches and we released a couple in the 16 to 17 range! All the cutthroat were very healthy and aggressive.
What a fun day for Karen and I to do our annual August busman’s holiday to the Elk! Life in this business can be rewarding, even in a Pandemic!
As August turned into September we were pleased to be hosting some of our American clients again. Had the Border not opened so late in the season we likely would have seen a lot more of them. All the rivers had benefited from the wetter than normal August and were fishing well. The 2 p.m. closure on the St.Mary was over. We fished the Elk and St.Mary rivers into the later part of September.
The temperatures in September were moderate as usual and the October Caddis, Blue Duns, Green Drakes and Mahogany Duns were emerging. It is a lot of fun to fish these classic patterns as they can be very productive for cutthroat. September is an awesome month to fish; the scenery, the hatches and open space make it fabulous!
Fall Fishing for Big Rainbows on the Upper Columbia River.
By the middle of September, we were back over fishing and guiding the upper Columbia River. Since the Border was now open, and people had enough time to plan, we had the fortune of guiding many of our American clients on the Columbia River again. In fact, we ended up having a very busy September with more interest than available days, so we were sold out.
On our September 26th daytrip things started off cool, but built to a comfortable temperature in the afternoon with only a few clouds, a nice day. We were fishing the lowest section of the River, putting in at Beaver Creek. We powered downriver till we spotted the top of a nice eddy, cut the motor and drifted in under the power of the oarsman. The anglers immediately started casting their lines toward the bank edge and out into the eddy.
On this day the anglers saw a lot of fish come to their flies as they managed to land between 10 to 15 rainbows each. The rainbows were in the 18-21 inch slot, with one 22 incher taking the angler into his backing. The fish were quite chunky after a season of feeding. The fight is always exhilarating with these trout as they jump and run, even the smaller guys fight hard!
The flies of choice included; Pat's Rubber Legs, a wide variety of colored streamers, sculpin patterns and an assortment of nymphs (Purple Prince, Regular Prince, Copper Johns), Blue Winged Olives, October Caddis and small midge patterns.
On October 24th we fished the Genelle Run on our final trip of the season. Using the jetboat we were able to power over most of the section. It is nice to have the options available that our jetboat provides us in terms of its roominess, comfort, rowing setup and the ability to go wherever the fish are. Our intent was to fish whatever technique was successful, be it streamer, nymph or dry. But our hope was to catch some fish feeding on the surface.
The afternoon brought out a nice hatch of Blue Winged Olives and October Caddis. So, the anglers were able to break out the dry fly setups and catch a few on the surface. It’s so exciting to see these rainbows come up and slam a dry fly!
Over the course of the day the anglers landed 15 fish each with the average size in the 16 - 19 inch slot. They also landed a few rainbows over 20 inches that were very chunky and feisty, making for an exhilarating fight!
The flies used on this day varied based on the temperature and where the fish were feeding. We cycled through our “Columbia River” fly box in order to keep up with what the trout were attracted to. We used Blue Winged Olives, October Caddis, Prince Nymphs, Hare's Ears Nymph, Copper Johns and different colored streamers at different times of the day…. and they all drew action!
In general, this fall we enjoyed the great combination of nice weather, great fishing and enthusiastic anglers…what else can we ask for!
Hosted Trip to Christmas Island.
Due to the Pandemic we were not able to host a group of anglers to Christmas Island in 2021. However, we are pleased to say we do have our local lodge booked from October 25th to November 1, 2022. If you have an interest in coming along to this exotic location for a trip of a lifetime, give us a shout at the flyshop to discuss the details!
So, there you have it, 2021, “The Year of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Take 2” is in the books! It was another challenging year for our business, but we survived it with the patronage of our loyal anglers, both local and from far away! We thank you all for your support. We hope 2022 will pose less of a challenge, but who knows for sure! Our hope is to attend tradeshows in Colorado and New Jersey in late January and mid-February respectively. Call us for tickets if you are in either of these locations. If you are local, feel free to drop by the fly shop for a chat. If you are in the U.S. and beyond, call us at 1-800-667-2311 or contact us via our website, or Facebook, to discuss a booking for next year.
We would like to wish everyone a safe holiday season and good health in 2022.
Take care,
Kelly & Karen
Kelly and Karen Laatsch
St.Mary Angler Fly Shop
401 Cranbrook St. N
Cranbrook, B.C. CANADA
V1C 3R5
stmaryangler@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/StMaryAnglerBC
Click here for PDF of our 2021 Season in Review and Fishing Reports
