Fishing Reports
Report #14 (October 26, 2024)
As October draws to an end, so does our fall fishing on the Columbia River!
Fishing on the Columbia this October has been outstanding. The weather for the first half of the month was very good, then cooled down significantly as we entered the third week as per usual.
The mornings now start out cool, around 4C° (40F°), warming up to 16-18 C° (60-65F°) by the afternoon. Today was a nice sunny day and the beautiful fall colors of the trees made for some spectacular river views.
The fishing this morning was slow to start which is typical for late fall. The action heated up in the late morning all the way through the afternoon. Things got quiet for the day around 5 p.m. So, there was still plenty of time to hook some feisty rainbows!
We fished the section of the River from the Gyro Park boat ramp at Trail upstream past Mary’s Rock. We mainly threw streamers, as well as nymphed a bit. The water levels have come down quite a bit at this time of year. Today the River was running around 1,100 cubic meters per second (39,000 cubic feet per second). So, you have to be careful while boating at this time of year. Knowing the River is very helpful come the fall, but you have to remain very observant out there.
The flies used on this trip included sculpin patterns, the Pickle, and a variety of streamers. As for nymhps; we tossed Copper Johns, Hare's Ears, Prince Nymphs and Pheasant Tail Nymphs. There were no hatches coming off on the day, so we never attempted to dry fly fish.
There are still some fish in the eddies, but most have now moved back along the bank edges and into the runs. We caught and released around 20 trout, the biggest being a nice 22-inch rainbow. Man, can these fish run! This guy took me almost into the backing! And jumped many times.
We just love catching these guys!
It was quite a day on the Columbia. We also saw a good amount of bird life as we fished along the river; eagles and ospreys, etc. It’s always cool to spot them up in their nests, readying themselves to head out to hunt fish.
That's all folks!
We are now finished guiding on the Columbia so that’s it for the 2024 season!
We at the St. Mary Angler would like to thank everyone who fished with us this year! We would also like to wish everyone a relaxing fall season and a great Holiday Season with family and friends!
We had a fantastic year on all of our rivers, but it could not happen without your participation, so many thanks!
We are already taking bookings for the 2025 season.
Check our website in the New Year for our tradeshow dates.
Have a good one!
Tight Lines
Kelly and Karen
PS The shop in Cranbrook will remain open through Christmas, so please drop in when in town!
Report #13 (September 30, 2024)
It’s the Fall Fishing Season…and the Weather has been Great!
We are in the midst of fall and the weather has been spectacular. Cool in the mornings, warming in the afternoons with clear blue skies. The nighttime temperatures now dip as low as 4C° (40F°) but reach highs of 26C° (79F°) later in the afternoon. We have had some rain showers and cloudy days, but overall, it has been a very nice September.
Fishing on the rivers have been quite good. Early mornings have been tough getting the cutthroats to come to the surface for a dry. So, your window of opportunity has shrunk quite a bit. Typically, by 11:00 a.m., the sun’s rays are penetrating deep into the water column and the fish are getting active on the surface. This activity usually lasts till 3 or 4 in the afternoon, then it slows right down.
Today the guys floated the St.Mary River from the Pumphouse down to Wycliffe. The weather was absolutely beautiful with very little wind. The temperature topped out at 18C° (65F°). Again, it was a cool morning starting out at 4C° (40F°), definitely baseball playoff weather!
The trees are all turning bright orange and yellow now. It is really pretty to see when drifting down the Mary.
The fishing was slow in the morning with only 6 to the boat, but by the afternoon 15-20 were landed. The fish were in the 14-16 inch class. The cutthroats are definitely chunky now as they have been fattening up all summer. They are all fattened up to survive the coming freeze of winter.
The St.Mary is running at its summer flow now, but it still has more water than this time last year. We can always tell when things get really low by the number of times the guides have to get out of the boat and pull you through the shallow braids! So far, they haven't had to get out yet, so the flows are still pretty good for this late in the season.
The flies tossed today included; October Caddis, Purple Haze, Stimi Chew Toys, foam patterns, Chernobyl Ants, beetles, Blue Winged Olives and Mahogany Duns. As always one has to cycle through the patterns till you find what is working on the day.
The wildlife is everywhere out there now; elk, deer, ducks, ospreys, eagles and turkeys. If you are lucky to see them, it really enhances the outdoor experience.
Our guiding on the rivers in the East Kootenay region is slowing down now with only a few more trips scheduled. We have had an amazing season of fishing and have met many new clients who came here to see what we often take for granted.
While the East Kootenay is closing down, the Columbia River trips are still going strong. We expect to continue through October unless the weather gets cold and wet causing us to stop sooner.
The fishing on the Columbia River has been very good with many rainbow trout caught and released daily with the average size in the 17-21 inch slot.
So far this fall the clients have managed to catch a couple of really nice big rainbows up to 24 inches in length! The rainbows are very healthy and strong fish who love to dive, tug, run and jump!
The rainbows have been feeding all summer long and are well fed now! The Columbia River is a big chunk of water and the clients that come to fish it… love it!
So that’s where we are at now as we soak up another beautiful fall day. We hope you get a chance to get out and go exploring soon.
And there is nothing better than trying new water in the fall. There are few people out there fishing, so it is really relaxing.
Take care out there!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS if you are in Cranbrook, drop by our fly shop to checkout our gear and to touch base! Oh, and since its baseball playoff season…Go Royals!
Report #12 (September 12, 2024)
As We Move into Fall the St.Mary Continues to Produce Well.
It is feeling a lot like fall as we approach the middle of September. The days can be dark and rainy and they are shorter too!
Today the guys grabbed their waders, rain jackets and a hot thermos of coffee as they headed out to the St.Mary River. On the drive to the put-in they saw a fox trotting down towards the River and an Elk cow with her calf out in a field. We think that its good luck to see all this wildlife first thing in the morning!
The boat went in at Sophie's place near the Mission as they floated the bottom section of the Mary pulling out at Fort Steele.
The depth of the St.Mary has held up pretty good this season. As a result, the fish have been pretty active in their cooler, deeper environment.
With the rain, hatches can occur daily now with an assortment of Green Drakes, Mahogany Duns and October Caddis coming off. At this time of year, we also see Blue Winged Olives coming off, so it’s an exciting time to fish the dry fly imitations.
The anglers searched the usual spots; along the bank edges, behind rocks and along structures, in search of the Westslope Cutthroat Trout. They also got out of the boat to fish up the back channels in hopes of hooking into these wild fish.
During the float the guys landed 15 fish each, loosing just as many more! Again, the flies they we using included; Purple Haze, Stimy Chew Toys, foam grasshoppers, caddis patterns, Sparkle Parachute Adams, Mahogany Duns and Fat Alberts. Many flies were tried and put away as they caught one or two fish and then nothing. It was a day of constantly changing flies to figure things out!
We are now seeing the kokanee salmon running up the St.Mary and its tributaries to spawn. This spawning activity can sometimes make it hard to successfully use dry flies. The trout like to hangout just downstream of the spawning kokanee in the hopes they can feed on some drifting eggs.
That said, the cutthroat will still come to a dry if it is presented well, with no drag. One thing about cutthroats to remember is that they will by pass up a nymph to come eat a dry fly when they want it!
Today the anglers commented on how beautiful the lower section of the St.Mary River is. There are lots of braided channels to fish and the view is amazing.
On the float they spotted eagles and ospreys up in their nests feeding their growing young.
We have started our guiding over on the Columbia River and the guys are now out on the water everyday until the end of October. Here the fishing for the big rainbows remains strong throughout the fall.
There is still good fishing to be had so head to a lake or stream near you and enjoy the great outdoors this fall!
Remember to read the regulations before you head out. If you are in the area stop by our fly shop at 401 Cranbrook Street for the latest news on the rivers and lakes you have access to in our area.
Have fun out there!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to talk directly about the fall fishing on the Columbia River.
Report #11 (September 1, 2024)
September is Here, but There is Still Lots of Time Left to go Fishing!
Today we were up on the Bull River. We have gone to float the Bull quite a few times this season enjoying the stunning scenery and awesome fishing. The Bull River winds down through the Rocky Mountains between the Steeples Ridge and the Lizard Range before joining the Kootenay River. Around every corner the views are just breathtaking.
The anglers’ choice today was to float one of the sections above the small run-of-river Aberfeldie Dam. This section of the Bull has many boulders and structures in it so the guide has to be on the oars a lot. He has to maneuver around the obstacles in the River trying to find the best route given the flow. It is quite a technical river to row, but very exciting for rower and angler alike!
The weather has been quite cool of late. We recently had some snow up in the mountains. We do get snow in August once in a while so this is not uncommon. Today included a clear blue sky with the crisp feeling of fall in the morning air. The temperature started at 10C° (50F°) and by the afternoon warmed up into the high 20’s C° (low 80’s F°) providing us with a beautiful day.
The guys strung their dry fly rods and carefully selected a fly to start the day. One thing about the Bull River is that right out of the launch you are catching fish.
The average size cutthroats in the Bull run between 12 and 14 inches. That said, you can catch some in the 15-16 inch range if you get a really good drift in the fast moving water.
During the float the anglers landed about 20 fish each, all on dry flies. The flies that were working most of the day included the H&L Variant, Royal Wulff, Purple Haze and Royal Trude. Later in the afternoon the bigger foam patterns like the Fat Albert, Hoppers and Stimi Chew Toys were also productive.
When you float down the Bull you have to make many quick casts as you don’t get long drifts. You have to put your fly behind rocks and along structures where fish like to hold then quickly move on as you drift by.
On this trip the anglers got to see eagles and ospreys circling overhead looking for their next meal and deer along bank edges with their young…which are loosing their spots now.
After this last long weekend of summer we are now on track for fall. On this trip everyone enjoyed the float and the fish they caught. What way to spend a day soaking up the sun, catching fish and enjoying the views.
We are almost ready to head over to the Columbia River just upstream of the International Boundary to commence guiding there. We will be fishing on the Columbia by the middle of September in search of the big rainbows.
The lake fishing has been very good during our recent cool snap as the fish have been moving back into the shallows and feeding! We heard Premier Lake was fishing very well. Pulling Leaches and hanging a balanced leach seemed to work for those who tried it.
So, you still have time to get out and enjoy the fishing in southeastern B.C.!
If you are new to the Kootenay Region, come into our Cranbrook fly shop for a visit. We can help you get your bearings as well as provide any needed gear or tackle.
Have fun out there!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book your fall fishing trip on the Columbia River. We will be there by mid-month!
Report #10 (Aug 21, 2024)
While the Summer Temperatures Have Peaked, Plenty of Fishing Remains!
Well the rain has started to move into our part of the Province and this can make anglers reluctant to go outside. But on the bright side, it improves the late summer river flows and cool water temperatures that entice the big fish to come out and play!
On this morning the rain was coming down hard with the temperature starting out at 13C° (55F°). After things cleared up the temperature rose to 23C° (73F°) by mid-afternoon. As the day progressed there were some looming dark clouds hanging around threatening rain again, but it never materialized.
It is a good plan to wear a rain jacket, waders and wading boots on days like these. If it gets warm you can always take things off, but if you don’t bring the gear along, then according to Murphy’s Law, things can go wrong. When fishing in the Rockies you never really know what weather you will get, but if it’s iffy to start with, you better be prepared.
Today’s destination was the upper St. Mary River, launching from St.Mary Lake. There was a Blue Winged Olive hatch in the morning, as well as a few Mahogany Duns to great the anglers.
The guide had the fishers cycle through a number of patterns in search of the best fly. They found some beetle and ant patterns, as well the BWOs, produced well. They also tossed the Fat Albert, Chubby Chernobyl Ant, Stimulators, the Purple Chubby, Elk Hair Caddis, Purple Haze, H&L Variants and the Sparkle Adams - which all worked to a degree.
As per our experience, they had some big fish come out and play in the rainy weather. On the day each client caught and released from 15 to 20 fish with the average size in the 14 to 17 inch range. While they caught mostly wild Westslope Cutthroats, they landed a few Cut-bows and a couple of nice rainbows as well. Oh, those rainbows love to jump!
On one occasion when a nice fish was hooked, the guide pulled the boat over and the angler got out, brought the fish close and posed for a picture.
Many of the fish caught were holding and feeding adjacent to the overhanging bank edges, behind big rocks and along rocky in-river structures.
During a rain the fish become very active and seem to feed on whatever is floating down the river. But as always, a good drift is necessary to keep that fly looking natural in order to entice the fish to feed on your fly.
The rain did not deter the wildlife today as they saw a bear with two cubs run up the bank when they floated around a bend. They also spotted an eagle and an osprey fighting over a fishing spot … fortunately we don’t have to fight for our space on the St.Mary!
It sure feels like the peak of summer has passed and things are now cooling down. Our thoughts are turning to the coming fall. But there is still plenty of time to get out and enjoy the scenery in the back country of southeastern British Columbia before the season ends.
When in Cranbrook, please feel free to drop into our shop and check out the selection of flies and gear. If you are having trouble finding what flies and gear are working, just ask and we will help you out!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book your fall fishing trip on the Columbia River.
Report #9 (Aug 13, 2024)
It’s Fun for all Skill Levels on the St.Mary River!
The summer fishing has been fantastic and the weather had been seasonably nice the last couple weeks. The St. Mary did not face any water temperature/time closures this year, which everyone is very grateful for. The rivers have stayed cool and we assume the fish are accordingly happy!
Today the anglers floated the Canyon section of the St. Mary River. The temperature in the morning started out at 13C° (55F°) and throughout the course of the day it warmed up to 29C° (84F°). We had some thunder showers during the day, but they came and went quickly. Once a system moves through the valley the fish are up and feeding again. Just a reminder that if you observe groups of birds skimming along the top of the water, you know a hatch is in the works and the fish are likely feeding below the surface. So, it’s go time!
We had some beginner anglers today so the guides started them off with big bugs and helped them with their casting and mending techniques. Sometimes our guides will give a short casting lesson at the beginning of the float to help those struggling with their casting, or if requested. We try to ensure everyone has the tools to have a successful day on the water.
On today’s float they fished along the bank edges, focusing first on casting short distances until they got the hang of the casting stroke. The guide taught them the types of water to look for where the fish prefer to hangout. They were also instructed to give the fly a little shake after the mend to get the fish to come up and eat the bug!
If you are just learning to fly fish, going on a guided trip can help you speed your way up the learning curve. You have a teacher at your disposal all day who will answer your questions and help you understand the techniques.
The new students on this float trip each landed 8 fish, which for first timers on a guided trip, is awesome! The average sized cutthroat was 13-15 inches. Of course, many more fish came up to the fly to take a look. Many times the anglers got excited and pulled the fly right out of the cutties’ mouth! But whether the fish got hooked, or got away, the anglers had a wonderful time. They did more fishing than catching for sure, but had a blast.
The flies used included; big stone fly patterns, grass hoppers, stimulators, Fat Alberts, Chubby Chernobyl Ants and various beetle patterns.
On occasion when the guide stopped and parked on a section, they would switch to some smaller traditional patterns. But when they were on the move the clients just threw big bugs!
As the season is moving along we are now seeing lots of Mule deer bucks, as well as big bull Elk, chasing the does. It’s kind of cool to see this happening as you float on by. Again, we saw lots of ospreys and eagles moving overhead or sitting in their nests which are now crowded with their growing chicks!
As we approach September, we expect the cooler temperatures to bring out some good hatches including; Mahogany Duns, Blue Winged Olives and Green Drakes. Its our favourite time of year to fly fish.
So, if you haven’t already managed to get out to fish, there is still plenty of summer left and all the fall to come. So, get out there!
A couple of notes…
- The Whiteswan Lake area and access road are open again as of the August 9th. You can also fish the White River now as the fire closures have been lifted.
- The Skookumchuck River remains closed, but things can change any day. Check the ‘B.C. Wildfire Service’ site for the areas that are closed.
So, make sure you know what’s open before you head out to fish.
Feel free to stop by our Cranbrook flyshop for anything you need; flies, leaders, information on closures, or fishing locations! We are here to help you have success out there on the water.
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book your summer or fall float today!
Report #8 (Aug 4, 2024)
The Elk River is ready to go!
We are finally seeing a cool down with some rain in our area. The cooling trend may not hold for very long, but its welcome news! Now the water temperatures will decrease and the fish will increase their activity in the water.
We also expect to see more hatches coming off as per usual when we get summer rains … and now the big boys will come out to play.
Today the anglers wanted to head over to fish the Elk River. They chose to float the lower stretch of the Elk just above the small town of Elko.
The morning was quite cool and crisp compared to what we had been experiencing. When we left Cranbrook to head to Fernie it was 16C° (61F°) and Fernie is always a little cooler due to its elevation and location. Oh, and the weather forecast was overcast with rain, but its summer, so off we went.The dry fly fishing ended up being very good, but fishing for cutthroats means you have to expect that you will be cycling through patterns to see what works best at different times of day.
The anglers got a lot of fish to rise, landing about 24 trout between the two of them. The flies tried were a mix bag of stone patterns; small ones to start with working up to bigger ones in the afternoon. Fat Alberts, Hoppers, Purple Haze, Stimi-Chew Toys, Caddis patterns, Swisher’s Caddis, Ant patterns and Parachute Adams were all in the lineup.
If you do not already have one, a robust fly box is a key element to fly fishing success. It allows you to find the right fly when you are out on the water. If you do not have one already, you are encouraged to start building one slowly now. By collecting a few at a time within a few years you will have this basic tool of the trade.
On this trip the anglers fished 9 foot, 5 weight rods with a 9 foot leader attached. When they changed their bugs to very small flies they extended their leaders up to 10 feet so the fly would have a longer drift time on the water. On the Elk the fish see a fair bit of angling pressure so it is okay to fish 4X or 5X tippets. Sometimes the fish just needs time to see the fly. If it starts to drag on the surface the cutthroats will not eat it as they are very drift sensitive.
Any in-river structure near the river banks, or behind the big boulders in the middle of the stream are the prime places to look for fish. And you do not need to wade too far into the water either. Cutthroat trout like to hunt close to the shore.
As the boat drifted down the Elk, we all took in the beautiful vistas of the Rocky Mountains…. its breath taking. We rounded a corner and saw an elk drinking from the River, as soon as it saw us, it bolted. Lots of bird life was observed; eagles and ospreys protecting their nests and on the hunt for their next meal. What a wonderful way to spend a day out on the water.
The rivers and streams of Region 4 are fishing very good right now, but sometimes when a storm rolls through the barometric pressure plummets and the fish shut down. However, after it rains the fishing can get very good. You can often see the birds come out and feed on the hatch just above the surface… and logically the fish are doing the same…just below.
So, we hope you are getting out and enjoying the beautiful area we live in… or the outdoors wherever you are.
Remember to check the government websites before you head off into the back country. If road closures are up due to wildfires, please respect them.
Make sure you have the proper licence for the rivers you are fishing and know the regulations before you head out.
If you are in Cranbrook and need a little help figuring things out; be it where to go or what and how to use it, come visit us at the shop and we will help you out.
See you on the river!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book your float today!
Report #7 (July 28, 2024)
The St.Mary River has been very productive so far!
We are on the verge of heading into August with a bang! The St. Mary River has been our main focus through July as the conditions and the fishing has been very good.
Over the last few days we have finally got a break from the scorching weather. Temperatures have dropped drastically from high 30's C° (90’s F°) to the low 20’s C° (70’s F°). It almost feels like one needs to put a sweater on … almost. We could also use a little rain in the forecast.
Today we floated the St.Mary River from the Pumphouse down to the St. Eugene Mission takeout. The Mary is holding its depth and the water temperature has dropped significantly with the dip in the heat. While the anglers appreciate the change in the weather, this is even better news for the cutthroat trout.
Once launched, the anglers dry fly fished all day. They casted along runs, behind big rocks and beside any other in-river structure that created habitat for the fish. The cutties have been keying on big stone patterns lately, but now are moving on to beetles and ants as well. Purple Haze, Stimy Chew Toys and foam patterns such as Chubby Chernobyl Ants and Fat Alberts are working quite well. We like to cycle through the patterns when fishing as just changing things amongst a preferable group of flies works well. Sometimes the cutthroat will come up to a dry and decided not to eat it, that’s when we change bugs and go to a smaller fly.
On this float the clients landed around 15-20 trout, each. The cutthroats fought hard, plus they hooked a few cut-bows that jumped clear out of the water. It was good fun!
Everyone enjoyed the scenery and wildlife. They spotted a bear cub, without the mother around. They floated by the little guy quickly…just in case mama showed up! The bird life was at its fullest; ospreys circling overhead, eagles and ducks were out and about.
It was a wonderful day on the water.
We recommend that you head out and enjoy the outdoors ASAP. Make sure you check the regulations before you put your line in the water to ensure you are in compliance.
Remember, in our part of the world, it’s a single barbless hook and one fly only… no 'Hopper Droppers'.
And try to bring the fish in quickly… and keep the fish wet.
Come into our fly shop in Cranbrook to check out which flies are working on what streams, we will help you out!
See you on the river!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to chat about your fishing adventure!
Report #6 (July 20, 2024)
The Summer of 24’ is here!
The summer days are cruising on by with the end of July already in site! The rivers and streams in our region are still holding their water with good flows and cool temps. The St.Mary had been dropping daily, but in the last couple of days it has been holding steady…. it has hit its summer groove. The Elk River is definitely rounding into shape over this last week and the Skookumchuck and Bull are coming together as well. Summer is here!
Today the choice was to float the Bull River. The upper portion made more sense as the lower section (above the dam) was still running high and fast.
The weather has been sunny and hot for most of July. We are now seeing some smoke from the wildfires west of us in the Slocan Valley, but it’s not too bad.
The temperature today started off at 17C° (62 F°), climbing to a high of 34C° (93F°). As we climbed up to the put-in on the Bull, it was a little cooler due to the elevation. After we got set up and hit the water the fishing was great right from the start.
During the float the guys caught and released around 15 cutthroat trout each, with the size ranging from 13 to 16 inches. These wild Westslope Cutties are very healthy and in good shape now!
The guides are on the oars most of the time when running the Bull. There are lots of rocks and fast-moving sections to navigate through. While the anglers get to cast behind rocks along the bank edges and behind logs and other in-river structures in search of cutties, the guide is working feverishly to keep everything floating smoothly! It’s quite the ride.
It was definitely a dry fly day as the anglers cycled through their favorite patterns until they found what was working best. They tossed; Chubby Chernobyls, Fat Alberts (Red and Black), Black Beetles, Stone patterns (red, brown and yellow), Stimi Chew Toys and H&L Variants. The grass hoppers are not quite out yet on these higher elevation streams.
The anglers enjoyed the amazing views of the Rockies and saw some wildlife along the way. Eagles and ospreys flying overhead and deer with their fawns drinking at streamside. The Bull River winds itself down and around revealing some amazing vistas and views along the way. And today everyone soaked them right up!
The weather is warm now so when you hook up a fish, try to bring it in quickly so you can let it go fast. We want to reduce the stress on the fish so are suggesting the use of a 3 or 4 X tippet to support the process. And if you want a picture, keep the fish submerged as much as possible and let it go quickly.
It’s summer now so have fun out in the backcountry! If you need any help, come visit us at our Cranbrook fly shop. Feel free to ask for advice and information on the rivers and lakes you want to fish, and we will do our best to help you out.
Tight Lines!
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to discuss available days for your float trip this summer or fall.
Report #5 (July 14, 2024)
The St.Mary River is rounding into form a little ahead of the others.
Summer time, when the living is easy… oh, the warm weather we have had this past week!
Temperatures have now cooled down to the low 30’s C° (low 80’s F°), which is way better than the 39C° (102F°)!
As the St. Mary River has been fishing very well lately, it was an easy choice as our destination today. The Mary is now crystal clear and continues to drop slowly every day. We still have some snow high in the mountain peaks, where the sun has trouble reaching the north facing crevices, but it won’t be around for long.
While things are stabilizing on the St. Mary, the Bull and Skookumchuck rivers are still running high, but starting to clear up.
The Elk River is also running high and off color with about 3 to 4 feet of visibility. It is dropping daily so will soon be in decent shape. People are fishing it, mostly nymphing and throwing steamers. If you are a ‘good stick’, you can throw dries very close to the bank edges and get a good drift by mending the fly to get the fish to come to the surface. I think another few days and the Elk will be looking good!
So, on this Mary float we targeted the lower section of the River, taking out at Fort Steele. The River braids a lot on this section providing a wide array of cutthroat habitat.
We casted dry flies along the bank edges, behind rocks and structures, and in the pocket water. As the River settles down into its summer flow regime, the cutthroats are moving into their customary spots and are aggressively feeding throughout the day. Today the anglers landed 15-20 fish each with most of the cuts in the 14-16 inch class…nice!
On the day we cycled through many different patterns to find the choice fly including; orange Stimulators, Swisher’s Caddis, Chubby Chernobyls, Fat Alberts (red and black), Purple Haze, Stimi Chew Toys and other big attractor patterns.
When one is casting big attractor patterns, it needs a little shake, or on the mend sometimes the fish will jump right out of the water trying to eat it!
When floating the lower section remember to lookup on occasion as it is an absolutely beautiful landscape with views of Fisher Peak and the Rockies topping it off.
The wildlife is all around you here; with eagles, ospreys, mergansers, deer and elk to be seen.
In general, the rivers are now in pretty good shape and the water is still very cold. We have heard the lakes are still producing quite well. Some of the lakes in our area are very high for this time of year because of the cool May and June we experienced, with the runoff happening right now.
Premier and Whiteswan lakes are fishing very good on balanced leeches, scuds, blobs and boobies.
Trolling a Doc Spratley, a Halfback or Fullbacks can work well at this time. But as the lakes drop they warm up and the fish will seek cooler water moving out into the deep.
Enjoy these summer days, get out and explore. Fish different water and see new areas!
When in Cranbrook feel free to come by our store to discuss what is working this week and chat about your fishing experiences.
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen Laatsch
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book your fly fishing trip today.
Report #4 (July 4, 2024)
The St.Mary River is getting closer summer conditions!
Well summer is here and the heat is on! The St. Mary River is clear, but still moving fast as the River slowly drops towards its summer flow regime. We still have snow on the north faces of the Rockies, but with this recent heat wave is having an effect. That snow is melting quickly now and it should be gone in the next couple of weeks.
We had a little spare time today, so we decided to float two sections of the St. Mary River from the Pumphouse down to Sophie's takeout.
The sun was out, the sky was mostly clear and the temperatures reached a high of 34C° (93F°). We had some wind, high clouds and blue skies and the dry fly fishing was definitely on! We floated and casted our lines along the bank edges, behind big rocks and up against the logs.
One has to get a good drift on the fly to get the fish to come to the surface. When fishing big bugs like stone flies, you must also move the fly a bit in order to make them chase it. We saw many fish come up under the bug take a swipe and not eat it… so off came the fly and on with a different pattern.
We landed quite a few cut-bows, cutthroats and pure rainbows. We had a bull trout chase our cutthroat, but it never got it as we were able to land and release the cuttie safely. On the day we landed in the order of 15 fish each, missing that many more as well.
The cutthroats and cut-bows looked very healthy. As we had a strong tippets on (3x), we could land them quickly and let them go without even taking them out of the water!
The flies tossed today included many different stone fly patterns, as well as the Swisher Caddis, Purple Haze and Stimy Chew Toys in orange and yellow.
It was such a fun day overall, a nice day to get out and fish.
We saw quite a few animals on this float. Deer making their way to the water to get a drink, eagles and osprey circling the River fishing for their next meal. We saw a very young Elk with his spots, drinking from the Mary, but there was no mother around. She was probably just out of eyes view!
If you are heading out onto the rivers make sure you check the regulations first. Feel free to drop into our Cranbrook shop for the latest gear and information.
We can help you choose the right flies and tell you what rivers are fishing great!
Hope you get out and enjoy the back country soon.
And remember to have fun!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen Laatsch
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to enquire about available days or to book a trip today.
Report #3 (June 16, 2024)
The Rivers are Open!
June 15th has arrived and another season of fishing has started with the opening of the St.Mary and Elk rivers! All the streams are now opened to fishing, weather and flows permitting!
This last week has seen very cool weather with rain in the valleys and snow up on the Rockies. While this restricts our river access for the moment, it will do wonders for the rivers later in the summer.
Last Sunday the day started off at 8C° (46F°), only reaching a high of 15C° (60F°) later in the afternoon… burr! Up on the mountain passes it flat out snowed! Crazy June weather for sure.
So, what are we to do? Dress warm and head out onto the St. Mary River to float two sections we say! Sunday was our annual Father's Day float to check out the river morphology to see what has changed after the runoff, and to see if the fishing is fit yet.
In terms of flows, the water is running high, but clear. We did not get much of a runoff this spring as the less than average snowpack has been slowly melting off the mountain peaks, delayed by the cold spring weather.
The weather was quite cool so there were no hatches and the cutthroats were not coming to the surface! Once we came to realize this was not going to change quickly, we switched to ‘Plan B’ aka nymphing techniques.
With some early spring persistence, we managed to coax a few to the fly.
We pulled all the boats over to the shore around noon and had a nice shore picnic lunch. After our break we pushed off again enjoying the warming afternoon temperatures.
We did see a few more cutthroats attacking our flies in the afternoon. At one time we had a cutthroat on and a bull trout competing to eat the same fly. The cutty managed to swim into the net and we released it unharmed! We also managed to get a bull landed. We call these smaller bulls “chickens” as they are about the same size!
It was a real treat to be out on the water again. The fish we caught all looked very healthy and fought hard! The average cutthroat was 13-15 inches with a couple of 16-17’s hooking up, then dropping off short of the net. Mixed in with the scenery, the smell of the great outdoors and spray of the water…it was a great day!
The flies that worked when the sun was on the water were the orange and yellow stimulators, Chubby Chernobyl Ants, Fat Alberts, Stimy Chew Toys, big stone fly patterns, Parachute Adams and Purple Haze. Nymphs such as Hare’s Ears, Prince Nymphs and Copper Johns all worked as well.
At this time of year, the mother deer keep their fawns close to them, but there are many to be seen. On this float we saw the does on the bank edges and the fawns in tow or hiding in the bushes. We also saw ospreys and eagles overhead looking for food. There were also many small fledgling songbirds flitting about. Spring is a real time of birth and renewal with the evidence all along our rivers.
The Elk River is still high and dirty. The Bull and Skookumchuck rivers are still high and brown, but are dropping every day.
Meanwhile, over on the lakes the fishing is still very productive. Premier, Whiteswan and Moose lakes have been very good lately.
Overall the spring fishing season is here and we are seeing lots of people out and enjoying the outdoors.
When you are in Cranbrook, feel free to drop into the shop to find out what flies are working and where to go to catch some fish.
Remember to read the fishing regulations before heading out. You want to be in compliance to ensure a successful trip!
Give us a call at the shop at 1-800-667-2311 if you want to go on a guided float trip on our rivers this summer or fall.
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen Laatsch
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book a trip today.
Report #2 (May 19, 2024)
The Columbia River is starting to rise with the freshet, but continues to produce!
This May has definitely been all over the place when it comes to weather. We have seen a rollercoaster of temperatures this month along with bouts of rain, wind, snow, cloud and sun! As everyone has been saying… “wait 5 minutes and the weather will change!”
This long weekend was a bit of an example. The temperature started off cool in the morning around 5C° (40F°) and topped out at a high of 14C° (57 F°) by the afternoon. This May long weekend was cold!
So, the guys headed out this morning dressed in layers. You always should bring along a vest and rain jacket just to be safe. Fortunately, the built-in gear boxes in the boat allows you to store that extra clothing and other items that you bring along!
After descending into the valley from Rossland, they drove along the Columbia River to the boat ramp near Castlegar. The Columbia was flowing at around 1,550 Cubic Meters Per Second (CMS) or about 55,000 Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS). The River flow has increased about 20,000 CFS since our last report. So, the water flows are now creeping up as the freshet builds. When the Columbia starts to rise at this time of year, we have to be aware of the debris that is refloated off the shoreline. This is especially true for the big logs that are washed in and start floating down river, getting caught up in the big gyrating back eddies.
On this trip the guides set up the rods for streamer fishing and nymphing. A dry rod setup was also smuggled aboard… just in case! You have to be ready for all types of fishing on the Columbia.
After launching, the boat headed downriver looking for signs of feeding fish in the eddies and along the bank edges.
It took the group till around noon to figure out what the fish wanted. But once the anglers dialed it in, they proceeded to land around 10 to 15 rainbows each. The size range was from 17-20 inches. The trout looked very healthy and fought hard when hooked up. It was so much fun. A few of the fish hooked up almost jumped into the boat!
The guys tried many different flies in order to find the right one. This included; Copper Johns, Hares Ears, Prince nymphs, Purple Prince nymph and different types of chironomids. They also tossed the Super Streamer, the Pickle and various sculpin patterns which ended up working pretty well.
The wildlife on the Columbia can be amazing in the spring. Watching the ospreys and eagles overhead as they elegantly cruise around looking for their next meal is so relaxing to see. But, perhaps not so much fun for the mamma ducks and their chicks who spend all their time trying to avoid being that next meal! A number of turkeys were also seen along the river banks foraging for food. After all, ‘everyone‘s gotta eat!’
While the wildlife is enticing to look at, remember that watching your fly line as you are stripping, really needs to be your focus so as not miss the hook up!
Just a reminder that all the rivers in Kootenays are now closed to fishing to aid cutthroat spawning. Mind you, most will be unfishable soon due to the runoff so best to stay away anyways. The exception of course is the Columbia and the Kootenay rivers. They are open all year round.
The previous week of warm weather sure bumped up the stream flows as most were running high and dirty. But with this recent string of cold days the mountain streams have definitely dropped and cleared up. So, there is still quite a bit of snow up in the high country that will be running off!
The Lakes:
Recently we have heard from local anglers that Whitetail Lake has slowed down a bit. Fortunately, Premier, Whiteswan and Moose are still fishing quite well.
As we are in the month of May, everything is hatching on the lakes. Recently we had the black flying ant hatch which if you are lucky to be on the lake for, can provide some exciting fishing. Some of the lakes have already experienced the callibaetis hatch and people have done very well.
Chironomids are still hatching at different times of the day, and guys have been fishing mayfly nymphs along the bank edges, as well as damsels and dragon fly nymphs. Things are producing pretty well.
If you are trolling; leeches, Half Backs and Full Backs, as well as Doc Spratleys are working quite well! Another technique to try is using a balanced leech under the indicator.
Now if nothing is hatching or working, guys will throw blobs and boobies with a sinking line and this technique can be a very productive way to catch fish.
Regardless of how you fish, just get out there and enjoy this beautiful place we live in!
Remember to stop by our fly shop in Cranbrook to find out what flies are working on the lakes. Feel free to ask us your fishing questions and we will do our best to answer them.
The rivers and streams all open as of June 15th so we are almost there!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen Laatsch
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book a trip for this season. The earlier you call, the more likely you will get your preferred dates!
Report #1 (May 10, 2024)
The 2024 Fishing Season is Here!
Well here we are, already going full tilt on the 2024 fishing season! It has started with a bang! The lakes of the East Kootenays are all open and the fishing has been outstanding!
We have received nothing but glowing reports on Premier, Whiteswan, Moose, Echo and Whitetail lakes. Chironomids, balanced leeches, damsels nymphs, scuds, and of course blobs and boobies, have been working very well.
The weather up to now has been cool and rainy with snow continuing to accumulate in the high country. Average temperatures have been cool in the mornings starting off at around 5 C° (40F°) and topping out at 12-15 C° (55-60F°) in the late afternoon, but with the wind makes it feels cooler!
The rain has obviously made the fish happy and they have come out to play! Things are gonna change this weekend as temperatures are ramping up to high 20's C° (low 80’s F°) which should jumpstart the high mountain snow runoff.
The rivers around this region are still running clear, but that is about to change as the freshet kicks off. The reports from the government say the B.C. wide snow pack is quite low, sitting at around 66% of normal. We are a little bit better off in the West and East Kootanies as our snowpack sat around 70 and 77 percent of normal respectively on May 1. Let’s hope we get some rain this spring and summer to aid river flows.
We will know how the rivers are shaping better up by mid-June. We will either see high water and be waiting to fish, or it will be clear enough to fish early. Given the size of the snow pack now, it could very well be an early start to the season on the St.Mary River.
But as of right now, we are in full go mode on the Columbia River where the fishing has been amazing. We have been on the River since mid-April. While the weather has been unpredictable at times - rain, snow, hail and of course wind - the fishing has made it worth it!
On our trip out on May 5th the weather was still cool, starting at 6 C° (43F°) with some clouds and rain showers throughout the day.
We met our anglers at the Prestige Hotel in Rossland, and after a wonderful breakfast, headed downhill to launch at Genelle. We launched our rowable jet boat and cruised upriver inspecting the eddies and runs as we passed by. The Columbia is still running pretty low at this time of year as the dams are holding water back to support spawning in the river reach and stack water for this summer. On our trip out the River was running at around 1,000 Cubic Meters Per Second (CMS) or about 35,000 Cubic Feet Per Second (CFS).
The fishing has been quite good in the eddies as the clients caught and released around 10 to 12 rainbows each. The fish averaged 17-20 inches, with a few smaller guys thrown in, which we love to see. Seeing multiple age catches tells us how productive this River really is!
The fish are now mostly finished spawning and can be very hungry at this time. Judging by the fish we have been catching, the rainbows have wintered quite well and are very active when you hook one up!
The guys switched back and forth between nymphing rods and streamer rods today. If a hatch popped off they came prepared to dry fly fish as well.
The flies used included Copper Johns, Hares Ears, Prince Nymphs and a variety of different streamers patterns throughout the day.
We also saw lots bird life on the River with osprey, eagles and mergansers (fish eating ducks) fussing about with their young. We also saw some turkeys along the shore! Lots to see when you are out cruising along the Columbia for sure.
One thing you need to remember when you are out fishing at this time of year is to look out for wood ticks. They can be fairly abundant, so we usually have the guys stop on a rocky spot to have lunch and not worry about sitting in the grass or a treed area.
We still some dates open in early June on the Columbia River if you have an itch to get out on the water and catch some nice trout this spring. Just give us a call at 1-800-667-2311.
In addition, if you are looking for place to fish and want to know what flies are working on the lakes, stop by our shop in Cranbrook and we will help you out.
So, get out and enjoy all the fabulous places we have to fish… or at least start to plan to do so and you will do it!
Remember to check the fishing regulations before you head out to play. All the small streams are closed from April 1st to June 15th to protect the spawning cutthroat.
Stay safe and tight Lines.
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
St.Mary Angler Guide Service: Review of the 2023 Fishing Season.
An Overview of the Environmental Conditions for 2023
The snowpack in 2023 took some time to accumulate. In January and February the snowpack was below normal running at about 80% of average. However, the snowpack increased significantly to near average by March 1st across the Province of B.C. The West and East Kootenays were over 90% of normal by this time. March was cool and dry throughout B.C. and the snow pack remained in reasonable shape. But in the first half of May we saw unseasonably warm weather resulting in rapid snowmelt across B.C.
In May the snowpack in the East Kootenay region, which includes the St.Mary, Elk, Bull and Skookumchuck rivers, quickly plunged to 26% of ‘normal’. Over in the West Kootenays, where we fish the Columbia River, it was 73%. So, we saw a decent snowpack, but it disappeared quicker than we would have liked.
The month of May turned out to be the hottest on record which generated rapid melt of the snowpack across B.C. Many places measured record low snow cover for June 1st. Another heat wave in the first week of June pretty well depleted the snowpack.
The result of the intense heat was the rivers cleared up and dropped quickly. So, the St.Mary and Elk rivers were ready to fish in mid-June, quite a bit earlier than we usually see.
In the East Kootenays we saw higher than average rainfall in August, with things drier than normal in May, June, July, September and October! But the August rainfall was very well timed as it provided a needed boost to flows and reduced water temperatures for the fish.
In terms of air temperature in the East Kootenays, it was warmer than usual all season. May and June were particularly toasty with the average daily max. +5.2°C and +3.6°C higher than usual.
In terms of forest fire smoke in 2023, we did get a week of it blowing in from wildfires from other parts of B.C. and south of the Border. Fortunately, it really did not affect us much.
The warmer summer temperatures and lower rainfall did create some challenges as the water temperatures became elevated. So, we had to institute “Hoot Owl” hours in August on the St. Mary for a while. Fortunately, the August rains showed up and put things back into equilibrium and the fish were fine.
Over on the Columbia River in the West Kootenays, the air temperatures were cooler than average in April. Things really heated up in May +5.2°C and June + 4.7°C and remained warmer than the longterm average thru October giving us some lovely spring and falls days on the water. Rainfall was near normal April thru June, July was really dry, August and September near normal and October dry. As the Columbia is a ‘’tailwater fishery”, located downstream of Keenleyside Dam at the mouth of the Arrow Lakes on the mainstem Columbia, the water conditions are more dictated by dam operations than the local precipitation. So, we experienced very good fishing conditions on the Columbia in 2023.
Spring Rainbow Fishing on the Upper Columbia River in the West Kootenays.
We fish the stretch of the upper Columbia River from just below its junction 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 as described on our webpage. This gives us lots of water types to choose from. In 2023 our plan was to hit the water in early April and fish through June.
The Columbia River fished very well for rainbow trout this spring. Our first trips in mid-April produced some nice fish showing a lot of energy when hooked up. On our April 29th float we managed to land a nice 23-inch male! At the front end of the spring the flows in the Columbia are reduced by the upstream dams to about 35-40,000 cubic feet per second (CFS). This allows the rainbows and whitefish to spawn in the gravels and see the water flows only increase from here on in to ensure the redds are not dewatered. In the early part of the season the fish like to hold along the bank edges. As the flows of the River increase and corresponding related habitats change, the fish head into the big eddies to hold and feed. So, we start the season fishing bank edges and runs, then move into the big eddies as the fish move over.
By our early May trips, the weather was beautiful… it was actually hot. The rainbows were feeding aggressively and had moved into the eddies. The heat wave led to the release of more water into the River from the upstream dams increasing the flow to around 85,000 CFS. After a couple of days of adjustment, the debris settled down and the fish settled in. We were mostly nymphing and throwing streamers and catching lots of rainbows. It was apparent that the rainbows had wintered well with the majority of the fish being landed in the 16-19 inch range. The anglers were having lots of fun spring fishing for rainbows!
The flies working well in May included different black and white streamer patterns as well as an assortment of nymphs. The nymphs of choice included variations of Prince Nymphs, as well as Hare's Ear 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 continued to fish the Columbia into the beginning of June. On June 1 we launched at Gyro Park at Trail, and worked our way up towards the wide stretch of water at Genelle. We worked our way along the River, casting flies into the flow on the edge of the eddies, as well as fishing streamers and nymph patterns in search of active feeders.
The flows in the River at this point were around 92,000 CFS. The rainbows in the River were acting as if it was summer, heading to deeper water. In response, we followed them into the depths and ultimately landed about 10 fish each. Most of the rainbows were caught in the afternoon, coming in at between 14-17 inches. The biggest rainbow landed was a 21 incher. It was nice and chunky, pulling hard and making a few strong runs and jumps along the way! In addition to casting our assortment of nymphs and streamers, caddis patterns were now in the mix. Since the Caddis flies were showing up, dry flies were being used and a good caddis pattern worked as well!
The fishing on the Columbia this spring was again consistently very good. The anglers had good catch rates and the average sized fish was in the 16-21 inch slot. Bigger fish over 22 were also landed with some awesome runs and jumps that came with them. In the spring the Columbia River gives us so many options to explore and we take full advantage of 35 mile stretch with our rowable jet boat.
Summer Cutthroat Fishing on the St.Mary, Elk, Bull and Skookumchuck Rivers in the East Kootenays.
The St.Mary and Elk rivers rounded into form very early this year and fished very well. They were fishable when they opened on June 15th! Having the rivers ready on opening day is not normal, but we took advantage of it to get out and do our annual reconnaissance run! The higher elevation streams; including the Bull and Skookumchuck rivers we running high on June 15th, but they were clear and fishable as well!
The early start to the season was about 2.5 weeks ahead of schedule. The fishing conditions held up until early August when water temperatures started to rise and the BC Fisheries Department mandated “Hoot Owl” hours to protect them. As a result, our float trips on the St.Mary River were running from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Some timely rain in August bolstered the flows and led to the 2 p.m. restriction being lifted late in the month.
By mid-July we had done numerous trips on the Elk, Bull and St. Mary rivers. On June 15th we floated the Mary from our put-in at the Kimberley Golf Course down to Wycliffe. We hit the water at around 8:30 a.m. with the beams of sunshine lighting up the gravels of the river bed. While the boat was readied by the guide, one angler casted into the run hooking up a cutthroat as the dry fly drifted overhead!
The St. Mary River is not a hatch-oriented river. The fish are always ready to pounce on a fly, but there is one caveat…they are very drift sensitive. The goal is to get the fly to float naturally down the River, then you stand a good chance of attracting a cutthroat from below.
On this float the anglers caught around 20 trout each, a mix of Westslope cutthroat and rainbows. Most of the fish were between 12 and 16 inches, but they did land a few in the 17 to 18-inch range. Some of the fish jumped out of the river and slammed down on the fly, or just jumped like crazy … these were the cutbows or rainbows.
As we moved into August the combination of the early snowmelt, higher air temperatures and lack of rain were showing up as elevated water temperatures in the rivers. In order to protect the fish on the St.Mary, a daily 2 p.m. shutdown came into effect and we ran our floats accordingly. The only real rain in August showed up as a couple of good downpours in the last week. This provided enough precipitation (1.6 inches) to raise the river abut 6 inches so the restricted hours were dropped!
On August 13th we hit the Canyon Section of the St.Mary, bright and early. We left the shop by 6:30 a.m. and hit the water at around 7:30. It’s a different perspective being out there on the water that early in the morning!
Getting on the water early makes the dry fly fishing a challenge to start. The fish need sun on the water before they get active and take a fly on the surface. So, until the sun hit the water, we were nymphing. A bright colored strike indicator added to the line let us know when the cutthroat were trying to swallow the indicator instead of the nymph. When this happened, it was time for a quick changeover to the dry flies!
The anglers caught fish all morning and at one point we drifted through an amazing black ant hatch on the River. The Westslope cutthroat trout went into a feeding frenzy resulting in our anglers catching and releasing some very nice 16 to 17 inch fish caught on dry flies! Wow that was fun! Over the course of the day each angler caught around 20 fish, the bulk of which were in the 13-15 inch class. Some of the cutties jumped out of the water, hungry for that fly!
When we hit the St.Mary on Sept 15th the river was looking good. The day and evening temperatures had now been dropping for a week and the conditions were excellent. The flows were still being sustained by our August rain and we only had to push the raft a couple of times! The September hatches usually include October Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, Green Drakes and Mahogany Duns. It is a lot of fun to fish these classic patterns as they can be very productive for cutthroat. Today the hatches coming off included some Green Drakes and Blue Winged Olives.
In September we usually start out fishing small patterns in the morning, then jump to big bugs later in the afternoon. The patterns cycled through on this day included; Purple Haze, Blue Winged Olives, Mahogany Duns, Sparkle Caddis, Hi -Vis Parachute Adams, Fat Alberts and the big foam in the afternoon.
On our float the two anglers caught and released 25 fish between them. Most of the cutthroat were in the 14-16 inch range with some over 17, qualifying as a “big fish day” on the St.Mary!
While we were still guiding on the Elk and St.Mary river into September to finish up the summer, we were already taking clients out on the Columbia River to start the fall season thru to the end of October.
Fall Fishing for Big Rainbows on the Upper Columbia River.
By the middle of September, we were back taking fishing on the upper Columbia River. By then, the evenings were already getting a bit cool, but we were still experiencing nice warm daytime temperatures. Thru September, the fishers were averaging rainbows between 17 and 20 inches in length, with quite a few in the 22 to 24 inch class being landed. The fish were all getting big and fat by this point in the season. We were having a great time out on the Big River.
On our October 1st trip we could see the mountains had a wonderful dusting of snow and the leaves on the trees along the River were turning beautiful hues of orange, yellow and red. The boat was launched on the lower stretch of the Columbia River at Trail. We powered downstream towards the border, then cut the motor and drifted along the bank edge and into a big eddy casting nymphs and streamers.
During the day we saw hatches of Blue Winged Olives, Mahogany Duns and October Caddis coming off. At this time of year, the fish are feeding heavily before things slow down for winter, so they are very susceptible to our flies!
Fishing started a little slow but picked up nicely just before lunch and got really going by the afternoon. The anglers landed about 15 rainbows each, ranging from 18 to 21 inches. They were very nice trout… thick and bright.
The anglers had a lot of fun throwing streamers and nymphs and then dry flies over the course of the day. The Columbia River is a fantastic place to exercise all your casting techniques in a single outing!
We finished our fall with a trip in mid-October. While the nights were cold, the weather was still holding with pleasant afternoon temperatures. We launched the boat up above the big bend at the village of Genelle. There is lots of nice water in this section of the River. Our approach focused primarily on casting nymphs and streamers. We floated along the bank edges casting away; either stripping the streamers in fast, or nymphing when the run looked promising. But when a hatch did come off, the dry fly rods came out too.
The average size of the trout landed grows as we fish later into the fall. Today we saw most of the rainbows landed in the 18-22 inch range, and they were all fat! The real bonus was each of the anglers landing 10-15 rainbows! One fellow caught a nice 25-inch rainbow that jumped and rolled, trying everything to get off! But the guys were able to net this beautiful trout, keeping it in the water while the fish pictures were taken! It was a very successful day out on the River!
This fall on the Columbia this year was a real joy. The weather was very pleasant and the fishing was fantastic. We also enjoyed seeing a lot of wildlife against the fall colors and hosted a lot of very 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 and 2022. However, now that travel has opened up again we were pleased to fish at Christmas Island and in Argentina’s Patagonia region in 2023.
Christmas Island.
Our hosted trip to Christmas Island was finally a go on October 24-31st, 2023. The island had been closed to travelers and anglers for over 3 years. It was great to go back and find that the fishing was amazing! We hosted 13 anglers to our favorite saltwater destination.
Everyone on the trip caught lots of bonefish, and given the forced rest of the fishery, the size of the fish was up. The average bonefish landed was 3 to 4 pounds, with a good number in the 5 to 6 range available. In terms of the fishing, most casts were under 30 feet. As these fish had not seen any pressure for three years, they were quite easy to catch.
Of the 13 anglers in our party, all but one caught GT's. Nine GT's over 25 pounds were caught along with plenty of triggerfish. Seven of our 13 angler party are coming back for our next hosted trip to Christmas on Oct 28 - Nov 4, 2025. We have 6 spots still available, so call us if you are interested in coming along. This will be our 12th hosted trip to this magnificent destination.
Patagonia - Argentina
We have been looking for sometime for a lodge that can host a group of couples in South America. As most lodges are solely focused on fishing, it is difficult to find one that caters to fishing and other outdoor activities equally. After a bit of a search, we have found one in Spring Creek Lodge, located in the Lake District of North Patagonia, Argentina. This Lodge is part of a group of fishing venues operated by SET Fly Fishing.
After getting to know the people at SET Fly fishing, Karen and I were invited down to visit a few of their lodges in Argentina. We left North America on November 22, 2023 and headed to Spring Creek Lodge in North Patagonia.
Spring Creek caters to both anglers and non-anglers alike. The fishing was fantastic, but so were the other activities offered through the lodge. There are over 50 different single day adventures available there. Everything from a full horseback trip into one of the National Parks, to cooking classes and everything in between. SET will lay out the entire week-long itinerary for the fishermen or non-fisher. So, if one of you only wants to fish a bit, adding in other outdoor activities, that can be accommodated. It’s a great way to accommodate couples who love the outdoors, but like to do things a little bit differently!
Our next trip to Spring Creek Lodge is scheduled for Feb 1-8th, 2025. Let us know if you are interested in coming along!
The second hosted trip venue in Argentina is Casa de Campo Lodge located north of Spring Creek a couple of hours by car. This trip is less expensive than the Spring Creek Lodge and is a focused flyfishing trip. This trip runs Feb 8-15th, 2025.
Let us know if you have a visit to Patagonia is on your bucket list. We can help you make it happen.
Argentina - Golden Dorado lodges
We also visited two other lodges on our trip to Argentina that cater to the Golden Dorado fly fishers. Golden Dorado seem to be on the bucket list of every hardcore fly fisher! SET Fly Fishing operates three lodges that cater to Golden Dorado fishing.
For first time Dorado fishermen, we would recommend either of the two lodges set in the large marshland complex known as the Iberá Wetlands in the Province of Corrientes. You will catch a lot of Golden Dorado at either Jetu'u Lodge or Ibera Wetland Lodge.
The third lodge we recommend is Itati Lodge. Itati is located on the Parana' River, which is known for having some of the largest dorado in the world. It is an expert fishery, providing the chance of catching huge dorado from 10-30 pounds.
We do not have any hosted trips setup to these lodges at the present. But, we are more than happy to put you in contact with the friendly people at SET Fly Fishing to get you that once in a lifetime trip for Golden Dorado.
So, there you have it, 2023, “The Post-pandemic Year” is in the books! It was a great year of fishing and we can now say we officially made it through the Pandemic! But it was only possible with the patronage and support of our loyal anglers, both local and far away! We thank you very much for all for your support. We hope 2024 will continue where 2023 left off! We are attending tradeshows in Colorado, New Jersey, Washington and California in early 2024, check our website for details. Call us for tickets if you are in any 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 travelling and good health in 2024.
Take care,
Kelly & 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
Report #14 (October 12, 2023)
The Columbia Only Gets Better as Fall Moves Along!
As fall advances into mid-October the fishing season is slowly coming to a close on the Columbia River. We only have a few more trips left on the big river before we fly over the big water to our hosted trip at Christmas Island from the 24th to the 30th of this month.
But what a great fall it has been! The weather has been very good as the days start off at around 7-10 C° (45-50 F°) and end up in peaking in the late afternoon in the high teens C° (mid 60’s F°). You just can’t beat that late fall warmth out on the water! A mix of sun, clouds and blue sky have been the norm, with a few days of rain mixed in, that’s fall on the Columbia!
Today’s trip included some brief rain showers, but it was mostly sun and high clouds with temperatures reaching a high of 20 C° (68 F°).
The boat went into the Columbia up above the big bend at the hamlet of Genelle. The anglers quickly loaded their gear in the boat and jetted up-river to fish. On this section of the River there is plenty of good water with many runs to float and cast your fly into.
The approach today focused primarily on casting nymphs and streamers. They floated along the bank edges casting away; either stripping the streamers in fast, or nymphing when the run looked promising. But when a hatch did come off, the dry fly rods came out.
All types of nymphs, streamers and dry flies were used out on the water today. In terms of the nymphs; the Purple Prince, Copper Johns and Hare's Ears worked well. The streamers tossed included; the Pickle and Kelly's super streamer. As for the dries; they used Blue Winged Olives and October Caddis.
As the month of October moves along, it seems the average size of the trout landed grows as well. We are now seeing most of the rainbows landed in the 18-22 inch range, and they are fat!
The real bonus today was that each of the anglers landed 10-15 rainbows! One angler caught a nice 25-inch rainbow that jumped and rolled, trying everything to get off! But the guys were able to net this beautiful trout, keeping it in the water while the fish pictures were taken! What a successful day out on the River!
There were many osprey and eagles spotted over the River, buzzing their nests high up in the trees. And a black bear cruising through the bush was also seen. There are lots of bears around this time of year!
October weather has been wonderful and the fishing over in the East Kootenay's has also been very good. The guys are now out on the Kootenay River fishing for Bull Trout every day, with a lot of success.
The Elk and St.Mary rivers are also still fishing well. But if you want to dry fly fish, the daily window is shorter. When the sun is shining into the water column, usually from around 10-3, the dry flies are a go!
Christmas Island Trip:
We are hosting our Christmas Island trip from October 24th to the 31st this month. It should make for some amazing salt water fishing! We will post a report upon our return.
There are still lots of fishing opportunities out there. So, we encourage you to get outdoors while you still can and keep fishing until the frost forces you off the water!
Stay safe and tight Lines.
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
Report #13 (October 1, 2023)
Fall Fishing on the Columbia is as Productive as Ever!
We are now exclusively fishing for rainbow trout over on the Columbia River just above where it crosses into Washington State. It has been fishing very well this fall and this report is all about how the fishing can get spectacular at this time of year! The days are getting shorter, but it has not deterred the many anglers who are still out fishing and enjoying the backcountry!
Today the weather was a mix of everything. It started at a cool 8 C° (46 F°) climbing to a high of 15 C° (60 F°) with sun, cloud and even a few splashes of rain. The mountains have a wonderful dusting of snow now and the leaves on the trees along the River are turning beautiful hues of orange, yellow and red.
On this trip the guide met the clients at the Prestige Hotel in Rossland. After a hearty breakfast they headed down into the valley to the fish the mighty Columbia!
The boat was launched on the lower stretch of the Columbia River at Trail. They then powered downstream towards the border. After using the jet to get to their desired starting point, they cut the motor. As they drifted downstream the guide pulled out the oars and rowed along the bank edges and through the big eddies as the anglers casted their nymphs and streamers.
There is a lot of casting required when you go out on a piece of water like this and it can be a little wearing at times if one is not used to it. So, a little dry land training can be helpful!
Today the fishing was a little slow in the morning, but picked up nicely just before lunch time and got really good by the afternoon. The anglers landed about 15 rainbows each, ranging from 18 to 21 inches. Very nice fish. The fish have eaten well over the summer, as they are thick and bright.
Now we are seeing hatches of Blue Winged Olives, Mahogany Duns and October Caddis coming off. At this time of year, the fish are feeding heavily to build up their weight to survive the cool winter season, so they are very susceptible to our flies!
The flies cycled through today included; Prince Nymphs, Copper Johns, Hare’s Ear Nymphs, Purple Prince, Pat's Rubber Legs and October Caddis.
The clients had a lot of fun throwing streamers, nymphs and dry flies throughout the day. The Columbia is a fantastic place to exercise all your casting techniques in a single day!
We also saw a lot of wildlife in the River corridor today. There were plenty of osprey and eagles above searching for their next meals, as well as a number of turkeys foraging along the grassy shorelines. We spotted a couple of bears foraging down by the water.
Christmas Island Trip:
We will be guiding on the Columbia until almost the last week of October. We will then be hosting our Christmas Island trip from October 24th to the 31st, 2023. It should make for some amazing salt water fishing! We will post a report upon our return.
The Lakes:
The local anglers are now heading up to the local lakes including; Premier, Whiteswan, Whitetail and Lazy. The early word is they are having success catching trout on leaches, damsels and dragon flies. Chironomids are hatching intermittently, so you can try some of them as well. If nothing is hatching then blobs and boobies can be very effective at times.
Enjoy the fall everyone!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
Report #12 (September 15, 2023)
As Fishing on the St.Mary and Elk Rivers Winds Down, the Columbia River is Ramping Up!
Fall fishing has started even though we are not quite there yet! The weather has cooled down quite a bit with nightly lows of 7-8 C° (44-46 F°) and afternoon highs in the early 20’s C° (low 70’s F°).
All the rivers that were on the ‘hoot owl’ 2 p.m. closures were taken off the list on August 31st. This was good news as hatches were happening in the early afternoon and we were having to stop fishing under the 2 p.m. restriction. So, we are now back to fishing as per usual regulations.
This day they floated the Canyon section of the St. Mary River and it fished very well indeed! The skies were a little overcast with high clouds in the morning, but the sun showed up and stayed around throughout the afternoon.
The St. Mary River is reaching that time of year when the flows can require the guide to get out and push the boat through the occasional shallow patch. On this particular day we had to get out and do it twice! Now you may think that is a problem, but let me tell you there has been previous years where we have gotten out many more times! So things are still pretty good in terms of flows.
At this time of the year the hatches can happen throughout the day and can be very productive. Today the hatches coming off included some Green Drakes and Blue Winged Olives.
At this time of year we start out fishing small patterns in the morning, then jump to big bugs later in the afternoon. The patterns cycled through today included; Purple Haze, Blue Winged Olives, Mahogany Duns, Sparkle Caddis, Hi -Vis Parachute Adams, Fat Alberts and the big foam in the afternoon.
As the guys floated through the Canyon section fishing some nice holes and runs, the ospreys were dive bombing them as if saying “you are fishing in my hole!” We think the River closing down at 2 p.m. for the month of August told the animals the place belongs only to them!
On this float the two anglers caught and released 25 fish between them. Most of the cutthroat were in the 14-16 inch range with some over 17, qualifying as a “big fish day” on the St.Mary!
During the float the guys saw an elk and a bear down close to the water. As the kokanee are coming up the small streams to spawn now, the bears are like, yum… dinner time!
Columbia River
We headed back over to the Columbia River on September 12th to begin the fall season for big rainbow trout! We just can’t believe how fast September is going by.
We are pretty much booked up on the Columbia till Oct 18th this year, and so far, the fishing has been very good!
The guys have been averaging rainbows between 17 and 20 inches, with quite a few in the 22 to 24 inch class being landed as well.
These rainbows have been feasting all summer and are getting big and fat!
Right now, all the animals are also getting ready for winter. We see a lot of animals on the move feeding and trying to put on as much weight as possible as fall approaches.
You also know that hunting season is on the horizon as all the big bucks start moving into the town of Kimberley where they are safe from hunters!
I hope everyone is still getting out to fish this September. September can be a very good month and the weather usually is pretty pleasant.
Enjoy the fall everyone!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
Report #11 (August 25, 2023)
The Upper St.Mary River Runs Cool and Deep.
The last two weeks have been very challenging for some regions of B.C. There have been a number of aggressive forest fires that have threatened, then burned a number of properties in central B.C. Fortunately, we were lucky as our southeast corner of the Province did not have any fires of note, thank goodness. But we feel for those who have had to endure the fires in their communities and the associated stress, damage and loss.
So, on to the fishing. Today we chose to float the St.Mary River since it has been fishing so well. Our destination was above St. Mary Lake as there are no closure restrictions on the upper part of the watershed. As a result, water temperatures are low and we can fish all day without any worry of harming the fish. The upper River above the Lake is very cold and the fish are correspondingly happy.
The upper St.Mary River winds back and forth and is absolutely beautiful with its views of the Rockies; both amazing and spectacular! The upper section is not that long, but because of the many meanders there is enough great fishing spots to make it a full day adventure.
We put in on the River at 9:00 a.m. and began the day fishing dry flies. The sun was just hitting the water and the temperatures were rising so it was ready to go. The weather has definitely cooled down these past few days as the daily highs are now in the mid 20's C° (high 70’s F°) and nightly lows around 8 C° (high 46 F°).
The recent heavy rain we had caused the elevation of the River to rise about 6 inches. So we are hoping the ‘hoot owl hours” restrictions on the St.Mary below the Lake will soon be rescinded.
We took the standard approach on this float; casting along the bank edges, behind rocks and into the nice big pools near the log jams and on the corners. The day was a beautiful, blue sky affair, with no smoke … and the fishing was just fine!
One angler landed 15 fish and the other around 20 over the course of the day.
At one point some Blue Wing Olives and a few Green Drakes were coming off. The guys fished Chernobyl ants, beetles, Fat Alberts, Green Drakes, Parachute Adams and various Caddis patterns.
Whenever the cutthroat would come up and look at the fly, then swim away, the guide would change the bug. Most often this resulted in the next fish coming up and hammering the fly! The trick, if there is any, is to keep changing flies until you figure it out! It also goes without saying that you must have a good drift on the fly… that’s why you will hear your guide almost chant…” mend the line, mend, mend, mend (repeat)...!”
The guys saw a black bear cruising along the bank edge, eagles and osprey flying overhead and a mother deer with fawns darting into the thick underbrush. It was a very busy day for the animals and the anglers got to witness what nature has to offer on the headwaters of the St.Mary.
We hope you are getting out to fish and having a great summer.
Remember to check the regulations on the rivers you are fishing, before you go out and enjoy the backcountry.
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS call us at 1-800-667-2311 to discuss fishing for big rainbow trout on the Columbia River this fall!
Report #10 (August 13, 2023)
The Summer Fishing is just Wonderful!
What a beautiful summer we have had so far this year! We have been lucky to have only a couple of smoky days in our area as the local fire we had a couple of weeks ago has been stamped out.
The last couple of weeks have seen temperatures reaching into the high 20's C° (mid 80’s F°) with the nights cooling down to 12 to 15 C° (55 to 59 F°).
The destination of our trip today was the Canyon section of the St. Mary River. We are now up bright and early each day, leaving the shop by 6:30 a.m. and hitting the water at around 7:30 to meet the new guidelines. It’s a different perspective being out there on the water that early in the morning!
Hitting the water early means one gets to hear the morning sounds of the birds and see many animals down on the River to start the day. On this early venture out we saw elk, deer and a black bear! Ospreys and eagles were also be seen flying overhead looking for their first meals, bright and early.
Getting on the water early makes the dry fly fishing a challenge to start. These fish need sun on the water before they get active and take a fly on the surface. So, until the sun hits the water, we start off by nymphing. They started this trip nymphing with a bright colored strike indicator added to the line. When a cutthroat tried to swallow the indicator instead of the nymph, they knew it was time for the dry flies and made the changeover quickly!
The guys caught fish all morning and at one point drifted through an amazing black ant hatch on the River. The cutthroat trout went into a feeding frenzy resulting in our anglers catching and releasing some very nice 16 to 17 inch fish caught on dry flies! Wow that was fun! Over the course of the day each angler caught around 20 fish, the bulk of which were in the 13-15 inch class. Some of the fish jumped out of the water, hungry for that fly!
The flies used on the day included; grasshopper patterns, beetles, ant patterns, Fat Alberts, Chubby Chernobyls, Purple Haze, Stimi Chew Toys, Caddis patterns and Turk's Tarantula.
The clients fished hard, with a snack at around noon, then continued to fish till the mandatory closure of the St. Mary at 2:00 p.m. The guides then floated them down to a nice spot close to the takeout where they served a late lunch on the River. The late lunch is a nice adaptation to the new hours. The clients were very happy and thoroughly enjoyed their day on the water.
If you are looking to get out and fish and are unsure where to go, or what flies to use, come into our Cranbrook fly shop and we will help you out.
Remember to check the fishing regulations before you head out on the water and don’t forget about the temporary 2 p.m. to midnight closures on certain rivers.
Have a good one!
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS call us at 1-800-667-2311 to discuss available days this fall on the Columbia, or to get a jump on next year by booking a trip for 2024 today.
Report #9 (August 1, 2023)
Changes in fishing times to protect fish going into effect.
Anglers in the Kootenays are being asked to fish in the morning and early afternoon to protect fish from the effects of warm water later in the day.
The ministry is reducing recreational fishing activities for several areas in the Kootenay region.
From July 31 until Sept. 10, 2023, angling in these areas will be closed from 2 p.m. until midnight. To ensure people have an opportunity to fish, these closures will be in effect only for the times when the water temperature is at its highest.
This order applies to Michel Creek, Morrissey Creek, Lizard Creek, Coal Creek, Sand Creek and the lower St. Mary's River, as well as streams listed in Management Units 4-3 to 4-9. These waterways are located throughout the Kootenays, near Grand Forks, Fernie, Sparwood and Cranbrook.
Water temperatures in these systems are peaking at approximately 20 C in the afternoon to evening. Angling fish at these elevated temperatures has been demonstrated to have harmful, and sometimes lethal, effects on fish, and any fish released after being caught will have difficulty recovering.
The closures are supported by the Okanagan Nation Alliance, Ktunaxa Nation Council and the Kootenay Fisheries Regional Advisory Team.
If the temperatures cool sufficiently in the coming weeks, this order may be rescinded.
Anglers are encouraged to report fish kills to their local Fish and Wildlife office or RAPP (Report All Poachers And Polluters) line (1 877 952-7277) and refer to the online version of the Freshwater Fishing Regulation Synopsis for angler alerts and potential in-season fishery closures.
Learn More:
Fishing regulations and restrictions for the Kootenays and province wide:
www.gov.bc.ca/fishingregulations
Report #8 (July 28, 2023)
Summertime on the Bull River!
The days of summer have arrived with their beautiful blue skies and occasional patches of high fluffy cloud, when they appear at all. The last little while the nights have been cooling right down again after a spell of warm ones. Summer is cruising along nicely, July is almost over.
We have been busy floating the St. Mary, Elk and Bull rivers. We have had many amazing trips with lots of fish caught and many happy anglers.
Today the trip was up into the beautiful backcountry where the majestic Bull River runs. Its absolutely stunning up in this area tucked in behind the Rocky Mountains. The Bull River winds itself down and around revealing some amazing vistas and views along the way. It takes about an hour’s drive to reach the put-in on the Bull from the gathering point at our Cranbrook fly shop.
The fishing on the Bull matches its quick flow. You will find yourself casting behind rocks, along the bank edges and into the deep pools in rapid fire succession at times. The Bull is fast, which means not only are the anglers working things pretty good, but the guide is on the oars a lot! It can be a little intense, catching and losing wild Westslope Cutthroats with almost every cast… ha ha, what a blast!
The fish are a little smaller on the Bull than on the Elk and the St. Mary rivers with an average size of around 11-13 inches. On this float the anglers did find a couple holes holding some nice 14 and 15 inch cutties, which made for some extra excitement. On the day they caught and released about 25 fish each…and probably lost that many again.
They dry fly fished all day with their 4 or 5 weight rods using attractor patterns. Fat Alberts, Chubby Chernobyl Ants, Stimulators (orange and yellow) and smaller traditional flies like the Purple Haze, H&L Variants, Beetles, Swisher Caddis and Parachute Adams were effective. They were always changing the flies around in search of the one that would work best!
The cutthroats would sometimes jump out of the water to grab the fly, as well as sneaking up under the bug and then gulping it down. Either way you have to wait to lift the rod, or you will pull the fly right out of the mouth. A little patience goes a long way here. On this River you also need to mend the fly steadily as they will not eat any artificial that is dragging. They will also not eat the fly if it is sinking, so using dry fly floatant is very important. You have to dress the fly with floatant before you start fishing and sometimes reapply.
Finally, in B.C. it is a single barbless hook only and most of the rivers are catch and release. Remember to read the regulations before you head out on the water. We have so many people come into the fly shop saying that the B.C. Fishing Regulations are hard to understand. If you want a little extra guidance and clarity on the regs, just come see us at the shop and we will gladly explain. It is better than making a mistake and then ending up in a conversation with the Conservation Officer! No one needs that.
Up on the Bull our group was fortunate to see a black bear cub bound across the road on the drive up. They also witnessed an osprey diving for fish and greedy eagles waiting in the wings to steal the catch! There are loads of wildlife out in the back country now, but when you are fishing you are watching your line for a take! So, while you will miss some of it, it is still so much fun just to be out here.
If you fly fish there is nothing better than watching a dry fly getting gobbled up on the surface by a Westslope Cutthroat Trout! Since they only have a few months to eat, they have to be aggressive feeders if they are going to get chunky and fat before winter. And this plays right into your hands!
Fire Update:
The St. Mary fires are completely under control now as the firefighters and the water bombers did a fantastic job over the last week. There is very little smoke in the area now and we are all happy and relieved that it is under control! We will keep you updated on any changes in fire activity.
In the meantime, get out and enjoy the fishing in our region, it is world class!
Take care.
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS call us at 1-800-667-2311 to discuss available days for August and into the fall.
Report #7 (July 15, 2023)
The Weather is Great and so is the Fishing!
So far this season we have had a beautiful summer weather here in the East Kootenays. Temperatures have not been terribly hot and things have been cooling down nicely at night. We have been very lucky so far in experiencing little wildfire smoke in our area. That said, the last couple of days we had a shift in the wind, bringing with it some smoke down here. Fortunately, it is already starting to clear out. Up to now we have been cruising through the early summer, getting anglers out on the water and into lots of fish.
We have run trips on the Elk, Bull and St. Mary Rivers to date. All these rivers are holding their water levels nicely and fishing quite well.
Today we fished the section of the St. Mary River from our put-in at the Kimberley Golf Course down to Wycliffe. We hit the water at around 8:30 a.m. with the beams of sunshine lighting up the gravels of the river bed. While the boat was readied by the guide, one angler casted into the run and the cutthroats played along; hooking up a fish as the dry fly drifted overhead!
After the initial excitement, the guys started to float down the River, casting along the bank edges, logs and behind rocks and natural structures. The guys were fishing 4 and 5 weight rods with a big stone fly attractor pattern on the end of a 9-foot leader. As they drifted along low hanging vegetation over the water’s edge, they looked to pull out a large cutthroat lurking in the shadows!
The St. Mary River is not a hatch-oriented river. The fish are always ready to pounce on a fly, but there is one caveat…they are very drift sensitive. This means the fish will not react well if the fly drags over the surface. If you cast up stream you must mend the line to get it out of the way and stop the fly from dragging. Your goal is to get the fly to float naturally down the River, then you stand a good chance of attracting a cutthroat from below. When fishing foam patterns, in addition to a good mend, you also want to give the fly an occasional little shake to entice the fish to come up and hammer the bug.
On today’s float the anglers caught around 20 trout each. Most of the fish were between 12 and 16 inches, but they did land a few in the 17 to 18-inch range. Some of the fish jumped out of the River and slammed down on the fly, or just jumped like crazy … those were the cutbows or rainbows.
The flies used on the float were mainly the big attractor patterns including; Chubby Chernobyl, Purple Chubby, Fat Alberts, Stimy Chew Toys (orange and yellow), Purple Haze, Royal Wulff, Swisher’s Caddis and Parachute Adams. They all worked just fine!
If you are out on the water and decide to nymph, well just about anything will work!… ha ha!
The wildlife was out in force today with deer and fawns grazing along the streambank, eagles and ospreys hunting overhead, Canada geese patrolling along the banks and common mergansers (fish eating ducks) feeding along the shore.
It was a day full of sights and sounds as they floated down the St.Mary River, absolutely beautiful!
When in Cranbrook, please drop into the fly shop to say hi and see what flies are working well now on the rivers and lakes in our region.
Tight Lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS call us at 1-800-667-2311 to discuss available days for July and August. Make sure you read the regulations and have the proper fishing license before you head out on the water for some fun!
Report #6 (July 4, 2023)
The Rivers are in Great Shape Early and Fishing Very Well!
Summer has arrived! We just celebrated our Canada Day weekend and July 4th Independence Day with our American friends. And we have done it by getting out on the rivers and fishing like crazy!
This year all the rivers were in great shape right from opening day! As of now, the river levels are about two weeks ahead of schedule and the fishing is awesome. We have already been out on the Elk and the St. Mary rivers multiple days and the season has just started. We are getting some rain as we speak, so things are really coming together nicely.
On this float we did the bottom section of the St. Mary River down to Fort Steele.
We hit the River at 9:00 a.m., and right out of the gate were catching fish on the dry fly in the 13 to 15 inch range.
The anglers casted along the bank edges, behind rocks and along log jams in pursuit of the fish. Some of the cutthroats came out of the water to eat the fly. These fish take a dry fly like it is their last meal!
Stoneflies are now in the process of hatching their way upriver on the St.Mary. We also saw a lot of small midges today. The patterns that were working well included; orange and yellow Stimulators, Chubby Chernobyl Ants, Fat Alberts in red and black, Purple Haze, Parachute Adams and Caddis patterns.
If you get a good drift on your fly, the cutthroat trout will generally come up, look at your fly and eat it. But if they come up and do not take your fly, change it out right away! These fish are very opportunistic for sure, but sometimes key on specific bugs.
The weather today was absolutely beautiful with temperatures reaching a high of 29C° (84 F°). We are lucky this time of year as the temperatures cool down in the evenings, sometimes to as low as 10 C° (50 F°).
Out on the Mary today, the anglers landed around 20 fish each, including a few Cutbows reaching 17 inches. These fish like to shake their heads, pull hard and jump! It is always a bit of a shock when you hook one of these hybrids.
During the float we saw eagles and ospreys up in their nests. One osprey was pestering a juvenile eagle who was getting too close to the nest, very cool to see. Oh, and there were deer and elk spotted along the stream! What an amazing place to be for sure.
We pulled over at lunch, set up the meal allowing the anglers to continue to fish till it was served. Lunch is the time of day when a client can sit back, take in the scenery and really enjoy the moment.
The East Kootenay Region of B.C. is a very special place, everywhere you look you see the naturally abundant “eye candy” this place offers to those who look! It is an absolutely beautiful place to visit!
If you are in the area or just passing through Cranbrook, stop in at our fly shop and ask us where to go fishing and what flies to use. We will help you to get out and enjoy the back country in our area and catch some fish.
Cheers.
Tight lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS call us at 1-800-667-2311 to book your summer float today.
Report #5 (June 18, 2023)
The St.Mary River is Ready to Fish!
The time has arrived!! The rivers in British Columbia’s Region 4 are all open to fishing! With the above average temperatures of May, the runoff from the winter snowpack sped up and all the rivers are about two weeks ahead of schedule.
June, on the other hand, brought us temperatures cooler than normal and accompanying rains that boosted river flow. We even saw a lovely dusting of snow on the mountain this past week which will only benefit river flows moving forward.
The Elk and the St. Mary rivers are fishable right now which is not normal, but we will take it. The higher elevation streams including the Bull and Skookumchuck rivers are still quite high, but running clear and are fishable as well.
On this past Sunday, Father's Day, we floated two sections of the St. Mary River as our annual reconnaissance run. The weather was all over the board with sun, rain and some wind! Temperatures included a high of 16 C° (61 F°). A little cool, but it meant we could all wear waders and not get to hot!
We put the boat in at the Kimberley Golf Course and floated down through the St. Eugene Mission section of the St.Mary.
The dry fly fishing started off as soon as we pushed off from shore. There were no hatches in the morning, but the afternoon brought us some Green Drakes and PMDs.
The fish however, were loving the golden stone patterns! On a float where we were interested in the changes to the morphology of the River a much as the fishing, we still managed to land around 20 Westslope Cutthroat Trout between the two us, while missing many more! A little rusty I guess.
The fish caught ranged from 12 to 15 inches, the biggest being a nice 16-inch cutthroat and a few Cut-bow hybrids! The flies that were working quite well included the Golden Stones, Yellow and Orange Stimulators and Green Drakes.
We could see a storm building through the afternoon and we were able to outrun (or out float) the big dark cloud until we were about to get off the River. That was when the skies opened above us and we were hit with 10 minutes of hard rain and hail. Then the sun popped out and it was absolutely beautiful!
It was a wonderful reconnaissance float as we got to see all the changes to the river, catch a few fish and reconnect with all our St. Mary Angler Staff.
We also saw bald eagles and ospreys actively hunting across the sky. And when we pulled up to have our shore lunch we spotted an elk calf running into the trees. Nature at its best for sure!
With all this cool weather the lakes are still producing; Whiteswan, Whitetail and Premier lakes are all fishing quite well.
So, get out and enjoy the backcountry lakes and rivers wherever you are.
Remember to check the fishing regulations before fishing any river or lake. Feel free to drop into our shop in Cranbrook for some advice on where to go fishing and what to use.
Cheers!
Tight Lines
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us in the shop at 1-800-667-2311 to book your summer float.
Report #4 (June 1, 2023)
The Columbia River continues to fish well as spring moves along!
Summer is quickly approaching here in the Kootenay region of Southeastern B.C. Our spring fishing activity is slowly coming to an end, but wow what a spring we have had. Today’s report is about the Columbia River on the west side of the Kootenays.
The boat went in at Gyro Park at Trail, B.C. and the guys worked their way up towards the wide stretch of water at Genelle. The boat powered upriver until they found some back eddies that looked promising. The guys then worked their way along the River casting their flies into the flow on the edge of the eddies, as well as fishing streamers and nymph patterns in search of active feeders.
The weather was very nice with temperatures reaching the high 20's C° (mid 80’s F°). There was some high cloud, but overall it was a beautiful day on the water.
All of the low elevation snow is now gone and most of the white stuff high up is melting quickly. The snow disappeared fairly early this spring.
The rainbows in the River are starting to act as if it was summer as they have headed to deeper water. In response, the guys followed them into to the depths tossing many patterns and ultimately landing about 10 fish each. Most of the rainbows were caught in the afternoon, coming in at between 14-17 inches. The biggest rainbow landed was a 21 incher. It was nice and chunky, pulling hard and making a few strong runs and jumps along the way!
The flows on the Columbia River are slowly coming down after being pretty high and dirty. The Hydro Authority had let a lot of water through the upstream dams in recent weeks to catch the runoff in order to avoid flooding on the lower river in Oregon. But now the water levels are back to normal for this time of year. Today the Columbia’s flow was 91,800 cubic feet per second (CFS), after peeking on May 21st at just over 124,000 CFS.
The flies working today included; Copper Johns, Hare's Ear Nymphs, Pat's Rubber Legs, the Super Streamer and Prince Nymphs. Caddis flies are already starting to show up, so if you want to try dry flies, a good caddis pattern could work as well!
On the stop for lunch the guys noticed a group swallow tail butterflies swarming on the beach, doing their mating dance, pretty cool!
The anglers also saw eagles and ospreys cruising overhead in addition to a momma Merganser watching over her young. She needed to keep a close eye on her flock with those predators circling above!
Over in the East Kootenay region where the Elk and St.Mary rivers flow, they are dropping and clearing up quickly. It looks like these rivers will be fishable a little early this year.
Remember that all the small rivers and streams are closed till June 15th! But it is coming fast.
As for the lake fishing; Whitetail, Premier and Whiteswan are fishing quite right now.
So, we have lots of good fishing opportunities now with more to come mid-June.
Remember to check the fishing regulations before you head out fishing.
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us in the shop at 1-800-667-2311 to book your summer float on the Elk or St.Mary today. When in Cranbrook, drop into our fly shop to discuss fishing opportunities and checkout the latest stock on our shelves.
Report #3 (May 21, 2023)
The Lakes are All Open and Ready To Go!
It’s the long weekend in May and, no, it is not snowing up on the lakes this year! Quite the opposite, the weather has been very nice with the odd storm rolling through the mountains on occasion.
We had Sunday off, so we decided to run up to Premier Lake for the day. As the weather service was calling for some thundershowers later in the day, we headed up around 9:00 a.m. hoping to fish until we got caught in any rain.
We launched the boat at the Rod and Gun Club and went about working some of the little bays on Premier Lake. We then took the boat around to some of the drop-off ledges, in search of cruising fish.
Once we saw a few fish working their way underneath us, we anchored up with the wind to our backs and strung up the chironomid rods. We decided to fish in closer to shore and ran our rigs between 8-15 feet. We just moved the indicator up or down the leader to where it looked right. We fished with the chironomids 18 inches below the swivel.
The chironomid hatch of late has been occurring at different times of day and when it’s on, welcome to happy times! When there is no hatch, we like to fish a balanced leech, or blobs and boobies under an indicator. Or we will throw out a medium sink line and retrieve slowly with a leech pattern back towards the boat. There are so many productive ways to catch fish on these lakes!
The flies that are working best on the lakes right now include; the small black and green chironomids, Chromies and Rick's Prom Midge, all in the 14-18 size range. In addition, the black, brown, bruised and maroon-green balanced leeches are doing well. Boobies and blobs can also be effective either by stripping them fast back to the boat, or hanging them under an indicator. You can also troll around the lake using full or half backs, micro leeches, Doc Spratleys and Tom Thumbs. Or throw a damsel or dragon nymph towards the shallows and retrieve it slowly back towards the boat. One final note on flies is that if there is a Callibaetis hatch coming off, fish those patterns because it can be very productive! So ya, you have lots of tools in your flybox out on the lakes now.
On this day trip we hooked and landed between 8 to 10 fish each, staying till around 3 p.m. The average size fish was in the 15-17 inch range and they were all very healthy.
In addition to the rainbows, we also caught a couple nice brook trout. I think we may have stumbled upon a place in the lake for those guys.
Presently, Premier Lake has clear blue water amid its picturesque backdrop, just beautiful. Such an amazing place!
The wildlife around the Lake is abundant now with loons, eagles and osprey in their nests, or out fishing the shallows. We also saw some elk and deer along the ride up to Premier.
All the lakes in Region 4 are fishing very well now including; Whitetail, Whiteswan and Premier to name only a few. But each lake has its good days and tough days, it’s just their nature. But don’t let that stop you from getting out and enjoying the lake season and having some fun!
Remember to check the fishing regulations before you head out fishing. And be careful when you are walking along the streams and rivers during the spring runoff, they can be dangerous for kids and pets alike.
Tight Lines
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us in the shop at 1-800-667-2311 to book your summer float today.
Report #2 (May 8, 2023)
The Lakes are All Open and the Columbia River is Rising!
A week into May and all the lakes are open and fishing quite well now. As you know, some lakes can be moody; you just have to work a little harder to figure them out. And Lazy Lake is one of those places!
The lakes up the Columbia Valley by Parsons have also been open since around the 3rd of May. We have heard reports that Whiteswan is starting to clear up after receiving lot of debris from its main feeder creek a week ago. Moose Lake, over by Whiteswan, has been fishing fantastic lately so don't forget about it when making your plans.
Whitetail Lake is producing lots of fish, and people are heading up there to camp and hit the water.
The black ant hatch has already happened up at Whitetail Lake and they are now moving through some of the other of the lakes in the area. If you manage to hit this hatch, your will be rewarded greatly.
Many flies, besides ant patterns, have been working on the lakes. These include chironomids (black, gun metal, green and red on a sized 16-18 hook) and balanced leeches (black, brown, green and maroon on sized 14-16 hooks).
If you are trolling around the lake, the red and black Doc Spratleys, Half Backs, Full Backs and Tom Thumbs are a good bet. Blobs and Boobies can produce nicely when there is no sign of a hatch coming off. Fortunately, you have many choices of flies to go along with different fishing techniques when you are out on the lakes this time of year.
With the recent warming trend, the streams and rivers are all in full runoff now and the warming trend will continue this weekend so watch your step around flowing water.
Over on the Columbia River the upstream dams have been releasing a lot of water in the last week. This is in anticipation of the coming freshet fueled by the warming trend. A week ago the Columbia was flowing at around 1,300 cubic meters per second (46,000 cubic feet per second) but has since steadily increased to around 2,400 CMS (85,000 CFS).
This increase in flow caused the fish to be disorientated and resuspended a lot of debris from the banks which is now floating down the River. But the last couple of days the levels stabilized and the fishing has been very good!
Today the guys fished the lower section of the River downstream of the launch at Gyro Park in Trail. They fished the big back eddies, keeping close watch to ensure their lines stayed clear of the debris collecting in the eddies. They used nymphing techniques most of the day, but did throw streamers as well.
They tossed nymphs, such as Hares Ears, Prince Nymphs, Copper Johns and Lightning Bugs. In addition, streamers in black and white, and Pat's Rubber Legs were also fished.
During the outing each angler landed about 15 rainbows. The fish were a little smaller today in the 16-19 inch range, but they still fought hard. These rainbows like to jump multiple times, so they can put on quite a show.
As the anglers lunched on the shore, the wildlife was all around them…ospreys, eagles and ducks going about the business of the day. The Columbia is an amazing River and what an awesome fishery.
We hope you manage to get out and enjoy the spring this weekend. Camping at the lakes is an amazing way to spend time outdoors with friends and family. But be careful of the high water along stream and rivers.
When in Cranbrook, please drop by the shop for some tips on what lakes are producing fish and what flies are hooking them up!
Have fun out there! Stay safe.
Tight Lines
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Call us in the shop at 1-800-667-2311 to book your summer float today… things are booking up quickly!
Report #1 (April 29, 2023)
The Columbia River is Rounding into Form!
April has brought us a slow start to the 2023 season. The weather has been very much on the cool side with temperatures dropping below zero almost every night. This has slowed down the ice-off on the lakes and delayed the spring freshet on our streams and rivers.
Fortunately, this past week we have seen the weather turn a bit with some beautiful spring days. The lakes have started to open up and the turn-over is in process on many of them.
The lower elevation lakes including; Premier, Echo, Lazy, Grundy and Horseshoe are open and fishing quite well. Whiteswan and Whitetail lakes have yet to ice off, but we would not be surprised if the ice clears off by the end of the week.
Chironomids are hatching during the day on pretty well all the lakes. The timing ranges from morning to afternoon, it just depends.
When the chironomids are not hatching you can still catch fish on balanced leeches, scuds, blobs and boobie flies. Or you can troll around the lake with leech patterns, Doc Spratleys, Half Backs and Full Backs. So, you have lots of options on the spring lakes now.
This is the time of year, when everything starts to hatch. If you are lucky enough to be out on a lake when the flying ants hatch, count yourself lucky! The fish can go crazy when the ants hatch and you wanna be out there on those days.
We have started guiding on the Columbia River this past week over in the West Kootenays.
The Columbia is now running low, at about 1,100 cubic meters per second (39,000 cubic feet per second) to aid spawning of fish and prepare the system for the upcoming freshet. But the River flows have been increasing in the past few days.
The rainbow trout fishing has been quite good so far. Our most recent trip out was to the section of the Columbia around the hamlet of Genelle.
We are now seeing the fish moving away from the bank edges and out into the big back eddies.
When you throw your fly out into a run, you never know what you will get. Most of the fish we land are in the range of 17 to 21 inches; and they fight hard. The ones that stayed on the line today looked very healthy and have wintered well. You could hardly put your hand around the middle section of these little footballs!
The guys cycled through the rods, using streamer and nymph patterns throughout the day. Most fishers like to use 6-7 weight, 10-foot rods, which definitely help on bigger water.
On this trip they landed about 15 fish each with some fish jumping so much they almost landed in the boat.
The biggest fish was a 23-inch rainbow… big male…very good fight… loads of energy!
The flies used on the day included; black, brown and white streamers, Copper Johns, Lightning Bugs, Prince Nymphs, Pat's Rubber Legs and some sculpin patterns.
As for the wildlife, they saw what was left of a duck on the shore! There are lots of otter prints around which gave away who the culprits were. Eagles and ospreys could be seen in their nests overlooking their great big fishing holes. They also saw turkeys patrolling the shore.
So, here we are in late April and our season is off and running as we hit the Columbia with some clients.
When in Cranbrook, pop into the shop to check out the new products and chat about what’s working best on the local lakes. Make sure to review the new fishing regulations for this year before you hit the water.
Hopefully you are planning you next fishing trip now.
Cheers and tight lines,
Kelly and Karen
St.Mary Angler
PS Feel free to call us in the shop at 1-800-667-2311 to book a trip for this season… days are booking up quickly!
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
