If you have keys and a car and were wondering how you could put them to good use; insert they keys into the ignition and drive immediately to the Kootenays. Planes are also handy and sometimes quicker but if you can find the time I highly recommend coming here to fish the Elk, Columbia, Crowsnest, Oldman Rivers, etc, etc and so on.
The low snow pack and rising temperature have the rivers dropping fast and in prime shape. Hatches are as abundant as I've ever seen on the Elk River as stoneflies and mayflies are in symphonic ritual above the riverbed. Been chucking a bunch of bugs to bring the cutts up from size 10 South Fork Chernobyls to smaller size 14 PMX's. The variation of sizes and colours in the stones has us switching flies up a bit during the floats but a big Golden imitation with long legs seems to bring up the meatier specimens when twitched tight to the bank. Another nice thing about the Elk right now is the lack of crowds. Spent a day without seeing a single other angler on the Elko run and were blessed with some great dry fly fishing....super pleased with how the river is fishing
and they did!!! That thug took a size 14 caddis off the top and bent Jonny's new Sage Method 6 weight over as it dug for the bottom. Kevin, Jonny and myself kept the rods bent for most of our two hours of heaven before nightfall set in. Couple of craft pints at the Lion's Head Pub was the perfect close to that wicked lil outing.
I managed to procure more rod days through some of the outfitters in the Elk Valley. Also the good Dr. Dre McGaughey decided to put the hammer down and get back on the sticks now that his house in the Pass is completed so we have some openings again on the Elk. Adam Richard and Colin Dunbar also have some time available so we have some of our best waiting for the call.
The low snow pack and rising temperature have the rivers dropping fast and in prime shape. Hatches are as abundant as I've ever seen on the Elk River as stoneflies and mayflies are in symphonic ritual above the riverbed. Been chucking a bunch of bugs to bring the cutts up from size 10 South Fork Chernobyls to smaller size 14 PMX's. The variation of sizes and colours in the stones has us switching flies up a bit during the floats but a big Golden imitation with long legs seems to bring up the meatier specimens when twitched tight to the bank. Another nice thing about the Elk right now is the lack of crowds. Spent a day without seeing a single other angler on the Elko run and were blessed with some great dry fly fishing....super pleased with how the river is fishing
Last evening a few of us arrived in Nelson to check on our beloved Columbia River and as we approached the river we began noticing the clouds of brown hovering above pretty much every single tree. As I put the newly trimmed boat into the Robson put in I knew good things were about to happen......
and they did!!! That thug took a size 14 caddis off the top and bent Jonny's new Sage Method 6 weight over as it dug for the bottom. Kevin, Jonny and myself kept the rods bent for most of our two hours of heaven before nightfall set in. Couple of craft pints at the Lion's Head Pub was the perfect close to that wicked lil outing.
I managed to procure more rod days through some of the outfitters in the Elk Valley. Also the good Dr. Dre McGaughey decided to put the hammer down and get back on the sticks now that his house in the Pass is completed so we have some openings again on the Elk. Adam Richard and Colin Dunbar also have some time available so we have some of our best waiting for the call.
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| The New Ride for the Columbia |
