Dispatches from beside the Pink Bridge, 2010
This report will be updated when there are significant changes in flow, temperature, bug activity or shifts in fishing pressure.
July 27, 2010
Dry fly fishing on the Crow as well as other regional streams continues to improve daily now that warm, stable weather has returned to the region.
Mosquitos are horrific, and bears are feeding on low elevation berry crops along many streams. It may not hurt to bring bear spray and definitely bug repellant.
July 21, 2010
Angling continues to improve on the Crow despite some recent late afternoon downpours that have resulted in fluctuating flows.
The forecast calls for warm temperatures and more settled conditions through next weekend. Flows should drop significantly in all regional drainages.
Adding to the mix of stoneflies are hatches of green and grey drakes, pmd's and light Cahills. Rusty spinners have been taken by many selective rainbows.
July 6, 2010
The Crow has dropped significantly and is crystal clear. Now crossable, but flows are still fast for this time of year. Many hatches of pmd's, large caddis and large and small stoneflies. Water temperature is 48F.
Warm weather in the offing.
June 26, 2010
The Crow WAS beginning to clear with fair to good visibility knee to waste deep. But now hot weather has set in, and volumes and sediment have increased again. The river is fishable; many stoneflies are airborne, but increased velocities hamper good drifts.
Wading is tricky and the river is impossible to cross at the usual places.
Water temperature today at noon was 48F or 9.5C.
As a matter of note, a 23-inch hen brown trout was taken on a nymph just below Highway #507 yesterday. It probably marks the largest brown taken above Lundbreck Falls, and may renew the debate about brown trout management above the falls. Browns were never intended for the Crow above the falls, a colder stretch where big wild Rainbows were the fish of choice.
It's believed someone illegally placed some brown trout in the upper Crow several years ago. They're being caught in increasing numbers and are confirmed spawning in the upper Crow.
June 17, 2010
Unless you're using dynamite or a gob of leaded nightcrawlers, there's not much sense trying to fish in southern Alberta today.
A steady, cold rain continues...some six inches over the past few days, and the forecast calls for a continuation of foul weather into the weekend. The Crow, like other regional rivers, is running chocolate brown and fast with debris. Totally unwadeable.
The forecast next week calls for sun and warming temperatures. Looks like angling opportunities will improve by mid week. Hopefully.
June 11, 2010
The smallest of angling windows will likely open early this weekend since water conditions are acceptable and some trout are willing to take big stonefly dries. Visibility in eddies today was about three feet or 1 metre.
Rain has subsided, some 5-plus inches over the past several days. But the ground is saturated and a considerable amount of snow was left behind at mid and high elevations.
The forecast calls for warm to hot weather the next several days, which means that snow will head downhill in a hurry..and the Crow will again be high and silty.
As an aside, golden morels can now be found along the river's banks.
June 9, 2010
Giant salmon flies have been fluttering about for a few days now both below and well above Lundbreck Falls.
The Crow, however, remains fast, high and silty. The entire river will open officially for angling June 15. Stay tuned on whether it will actually be fishable.
May 28, 2010
Steady rain the past 24 hours has turned the river chocolate brown. The flow has quickened as well. This should mark the beginning of runoff.
Don't count on improvements for at least a couple of weeks.
May 24, 2010
Much cooler temperatures the past few nights have slowed mid to high elevation runoff, and as a result the Crow is running slower, lower and clearer. Very fishable and wadeable.
Visibility is again good and should continue to improve for the next few days. No rain is in the immediate forecast.
May 18, 2010
Despite no rain and relatively mild temperatures, the river rose considerably the past week.
It's now turbid and fast. Better for canoeing than fishing. Water temperature was 47F at 4:30 p.m.
With cooler weather it should clear again before the major June runoff.
April 22, 2009
Crow and other streams in the region continue to rise rapidly with silty water. Visibility limited to shin deep.
Fishing sucks, but birding is good. Leaves just now budding.
April 19, 2009
For the first time in months the Crow is running cloudy.
Heavy, spotty thunder-busters combined with melting of mid-elevation snowpack has resulted in shin to knee deep visibility.
Flows, however, remain low and slow.
Visibility before yesterday was two meters or more.
April 10, 2010
On those rare, calm and overcast days this spring, dry fly fishing has been excellent with small flies like Griffith's gnats.
Rainbows have been sipping on the surface regularly with each huge midge hatch. River is quite low and very clear. Fishing pressure has been heavy on weekends and moderate mid-week.
Nymph fishing remains good regardless of weather.
Nearby Lee Lake was recently stocked with brood rainbows from the nearby Allison hatchery. They are averaging 7-8 lbs and fishing pressure has been heavy.
March 29, 2010
Nymph angling has improved steadily the past two weeks resulting in somewhat increased fishing pressure.
Flows are low and crystal clear. Ice jams earlier in the month clogged the river to the point where only a fraction of the normal flow was making its way beneath the Pink Bridge. Shifting ice likely caused some mortality.
Snowpack this year is well below normal in all headwater in regions. Unless there are heavy spring storms or unusual rain events look for early season fishing and little runoff.
Jan. 16, 2010
River is open, releatively free of ice above the falls. Legal, of course, up to East Hillcrest Bridge.
Quite wadeable. Some ice along edges.
A few anglers out Wednesday in 6 C weather. Beautiful day.
No much fish action, but otters at play. Turkeys crossing the Burmis road.
Planning a trip?
If you're planning a trip this way, but remain uncertain about timing, you might want to scan some of the flow and weather notes in this log. They now go back several years and if nothing else, show how unpredictable the weather and angling can be.
Yes, you'll find month and longer gaps in entries. That usually, almost always, means the river is either frozen or everyone is too busy casting to report in.
Yet, even those untold days should offer a glimpse into the best and worse times as seen through the eyes of a few observers on the Pink Bridge.
