Crowsnest River Report, Mid- April 2013

Winter returned to the Crowsnest Pass this weekend. At least one foot of snow accumulated. Increased snow pack will pay dividends in August. I managed to negotiate the slippery roads and get to two rivers: the Lower Oldman and Crowsnest where I checked out several reliable dry fly spots. The midge hatch was fairly good, but there was no sign of life: no risers; no surface disturbances at all, just jumbo snow flakes melting into the mercurial river's surface. The rainbow and brown trout appeared to be hunkered down; probably watching golf on TV. The white river banks were flecked with many small dark midges and little stones. There was also a few big bugs, Skwala. The water temperature at both places was around 39-40F. It all looked so, so promising and I thought I'd catch a couple on top, but the Trout said "No". To stay warm I did some walking and took photos.

Here is a snap of the Crowsnest river in a snow storm:

Here are some snowy riverside shots:

 

Lots of midges in a small back eddy:

Beautiful horses near my home: