Fishing Reports
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