When one contemplates fishing in and around the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, one immediately thinks of the magnificent and dynamic Bow River that flows through the center of the city. As we’ve discussed in the past, the Bow River is over a hundred yards wide, interspersed with many tiny islands that can only be accessed by a floating boat. This can be very taxing on your pocketbook, as the daily fee for a boat and a guide can be very expensive.

For the average angler who likes to hike in hip or chest boots, it is highly recommended that you tour the tributary of the Bow River, called the Elbow River. Starting at the edge of K (Kananaskis) country, this mighty stream, water no more than fifteen, twenty-five yards wide, has an adventurous journey zigzagging along wooded terrain, has a sudden drop at famous Elbow Falls, continues its along the town of Bragg Creek and the Redwood Golf and Country Club and eventually discharges into Glenmore Dam, Calgary’s water reservoir.

Equipped with modern waders, you can start your journey by fishing in the waters along the Redwood Meadows Golf Course. The golf course is about twenty-seven miles west and a little south of Calgary. The trout around here are around eight to forty centimeters long. The cold, fast current energizes the fish, so that one really gets a good investment from winding it up.

Several miles from Redwood Meadows Golf Course and past Bragg Creek, the next target is Elbow Falls. For a “catch and drop” angler like myself, this is not an ideal place to fish. You drop your line about ten meters downward by throwing it into the falling water and letting it float. The idea is that you wait for the fly to end up where the trout wait. The problem is that once you catch one, you would hesitate to drop a twenty-inch rainbow over ten meters for the damage it could do to the fish. Then you will have to walk downriver for about thirty meters and let it gently enter the water. It is not a good plan.

Above the falls, you could walk along the riverbank for miles, looking for likely trout spots. There is no shortage of large rocks or sudden drops where a large trout can be easily seen waiting to be caught.

The entire trip can easily take a whole day, including a short lunch break sitting on the shore by the babbling waters, or making it a short drive out of town and spending a couple of hours, pulling the line, whichever is better. it seems to him. Fishing will not disappoint.

A trip to Kananaskis Country on the edge of the Alberta Rockies and a trout fishing adventure on the Elbow River is a must for all avid fly fishermen.