KOOTENAYS By David Y. Wei And Suzanne L. Clouthier
Finding your fish in the Kootenays
Kootenay Fly Fishing Photos
YOU TRY TO KEEP YOUR EYES GLUED on the tiny dry fly tied to the end of your leader. Your guide rows constantly to control the big double-ended drift-boat as it bounces over the boulder-strewn riffles of a crystal-clear, glacially fed stream. Your attention wanders, drawn
to the rugged snow-fringed peaks that tower high above sub-alpine forests. You scour the steep shale slopes for a glimpse of a mountain goat or bighorn sheep and, lower down, for herds of elk, or a deer blending in with the trees. Or perhaps even a grizzly or black bear, foraging along the riverbank. You glance back to your fly – just
in time. A sudden flash of silver is followed by a loud slurp as the fly disappears. You instinctively raise your rod tip; the solid weight of a chunky westslope cutthroat trout tearing out its first long run brings you an involuntary whoop of sheer delight.
Amid the stunning backdrop of the Kootenay Rockies, you’ll discover exceptional fishing in pristine high-altitude lakes, rivers, and streams. In addition to blue- ribbon dry fly-fishing for the famed westslope cutthroat trout, which draws anglers from all over the world to the region’s free-flowing rivers and streams, anglers can fish for rainbow trout, eastern brook trout, bull trout, whitefish, kokanee, burbot, walleye, and bass. Large lake reservoirs hold trophy-sized rainbows, with lunker bull trout almost as big. The fabulous fishing in the east and west Kootenays is year- round; excellent catches continue right into the winter months, with ice-fishing. The region’s biggest natural lake is Kootenay. More than 100 kilometres in length, this lake is home to the world-renowned Gerrard strain of rainbow trout, whose mature specimens can average over six kilograms in
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