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Low Light Dry Fly 

Dry fly fishing is considered to be the pinnacle of fly fishing for most seasoned anglers, and is Trout Chasers bread and butter on the Bow River. When there are bugs around we're confident to find a rising fish or two on most full day trips. With the right conditions, it is possible to fish to rising fish all day long. Unfortunately, the bright sun and uneducated river users often push fish into deeper water for large chunks of the day. This can make full days of stellar snout hunting a not so common experience during peak season. Our Low Light Dry Fly Trips are specifically developed to overcome those factors. Not to mention, there are also a few perks to dry fly fishing in low light conditions. In essence, we have learned many of our fish want to rise, but sometimes aren't comfortable doing so during the day. When the sun begins to drop and the other river users are long gone, the fish regain confidence and begin to rise more steadily. On top of that, many insects such as, stoneflies, caddis, and BWO's, prefer low light conditions. 

 

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 Low Light Dry Fly trips begin simultaneously with the Mothers Day Caddis hatch, Caddis can be fished to snouts with success during the day, but in the evening, an influx of bugs will return to the water just before sunset to lay eggs. This is typically when the greatest number of caddis will be on the water bringing fish into the shallows to eat. This time, without the sun or daytime river traffic to keep them on edge. Our evening trips continue through the whole season adapting to the current hatches. 

Low Light Dry Fly trips are available upon request and are only booked if Trout Chasers guides are confident you'll have shots at multiple rising fish. As the season progresses rising fish on the Bow can get difficult, this can prove to be a challenging trip for many anglers, and a great way to fast track your learning curve.  View the Seasons of the Bow or our Hatch chart to discover what hatch appeals to you. These trips typically start between 6:30 and 7:30pm and run out of the Jet Boat, But to keep it as accommodating as possible, many of the logistics are flexible. The outcome of a Dry Fly trip is largely based on your fishing ability, and for many fisherman this isn't about the number of fish you'll catch but rather, how you caught them. In our opinion, nothing beats targeting and methodically fooling a wild trout.  

Fly fishing bow river
Bow RIver Dry Fly Guides

What's Included

  • Transportation from predetermined meeting place to the river, and back after your trip on the water

  • at least 3.5 guided fishing hours for 1-2 people 

  • Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks 

  • All rods, reels, lines, terminal tackle, flies and waders if needed 

Bow River Dry Fly Guides

What's Not Included

  • Guide gratuity 

  • Foul weather gear 

  • Hat and sunglasses

  • Alberta fishing licence 

  • 5% GST

  • Lunch

Bow River Dry Fly Guides

Gear

For any dry fly specific trip stealth will be your best friend. Delicate presentation is required especially later into the season. We like rod weights between 4 and 5. Preferably a 9' 4wt. or 8'6" 5wt. Pair your rod with a matching floating line. Typically, we like a tapered leader between 10 and 14' tapered down to 4 or 5X  depending time of year. We usually asses the business end of every rig before hitting the water and we'll happily deal with the leader, tippet and fly portion of your setup. Not to mention we can supply dry fly rods, reels and lines as well. 

  • DRIES: 8' - 9' 4wt or 5wt. rod paired with WF floating line.

Bow River Dry Fly Guide - Matt Chatani
Bow River Rainbow Trout
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