Well known for its hard fighting and high jumping tendencies, the rainbow
trout is one of the world's most famous fish.
Alberta has plentiful opportunites to chase these pretty trout in some
gorgeous settings. From canyon-lined mountain streams, to lush meadow, to prairie river, to stocked lakes...rainbow trout
are quite abundant here.
The Bow River rainbows are well noted for their reel-emptying runs and
acrobatic jumps, and are some of the hardest fighting trout you will ever encounter.
A huge rainbow trout from a river in Alberta would be considered 24 inches
or more. Specimens close to 30 inches have been taken from the Bow, and some of our lakes hold fish in excess of 15 pounds.
The rainbows we target are mainly in the Bow and Crowsnest rivers, although they are present alongside cutthroats in the Oldman
and Highwood rivers. Rainbows account for about 80% of the Bow River fish we catch, as they are more active during the day
than the browns are.
The best time for rainbows is March and April, and again in September and
October. During the heat of summer you can also catch rainbows by nymphing the faster oxygenated riffles. Some of our
rivers like the Crowsnest have excellent summer hatches, and if you come across one or more, you can have fun with rising
fish almost all day.
Our rainbows can be found in almost any structure in the river, from the
fast riffles, to undercut banks, to sunken root balls, to tailouts of pools - just about anywhere, depending on the conditions
and the available food.
It's hard not to admire the colours as you hold a just-caught rainbow,
and then a quick thank you, and back she goes.
We're looking forward to introducing you to some of our beautiful Alberta rainbow trout soon!
