Banff & Jasper Park

[keram]

There is a 99% probability that I will visit this beautiful area in last week of May. I was there once, but only in transit so did not have much time to enjoy it. For at least 3 days I will be staying in Jasper ( Patricia Lake ). I'm looking for some tips, advice (definitely fishing related ) . If you know anything about the area, it's attractions and things worth to do, or places to visit, please help. I have a lot of info already , but OFNrs "personal touch" is the best.

Thanks in advance

 

 

P.S. I promise I will have a lot of pictures to post

Edited April 17, 2007 by keram

[Nemo]

Check this site out.

 

http://www.banff-fishing.com/

[outdoorguy61]

If you are fishing Banff, Minnewanka with a guide (likley downrigger fishing for lakers) would be the way to go. The river will likley be too high at that time of the year. The beloved Apex used to be the ticket here. For the Bow R., I would personally suggest looking up Don Reilly from Alpine Anglers if at all possible.....he knows his stuff and has a high rate of success, personal code of ethics which I admire. Fishing say a backwater off of the Bow R. for browns downstream of Banff or upstream for some brookies is nice. Fishing say Spray Lakes can dull ones senses if one gets past the mountsins,....and is intent on fishing.

 

Fishing Jasper can be good, especially in the Medicine Lk- Maligne Lake area or say the Maligne River. Get a guide say from either Curries guide service or Online Sports. It is an interesting fishery, especially Medicine given that there is a morraine at the one end of the lake creating quite a wide mud flat interspersed with a braided channel....with fish.... in the late summer, fall. Flyfishing a bloodworm (Medicine) or trolling a fly behind a Williams Wabbler (Maligne) with big freighter canoes and 101 pd thrust transoms is quite a site.

 

Given the short time you are there, do not be foolish and go without a guide. It will make a difference, and given the large difference with regulations, will be a cheap price for the information let alone the experience.

 

outdoorguy61

Edited April 17, 2007 by outdoorguy61

[Headhunter]

I have to agree with Outdoorguy regarding Jasper. I hired a guide from Curries (I think!) with a coupla other guys, when I was out there 5 or 6 years ago. Far too many options to fish without a guide in such a short period of time. We trolled for Pike with fly rods from one of those huge canoe's and an electric. Seems most of the lakes in the Jasper area are no gas engines. The guys who I booked with were not die hard fisherman, so the guide decided to take us to an easy lake to fish. Personally, I'd have preferred to fish a back lake for Trout, but was not the day for that!

One word of advice when bookin the guide. Make sure that the guide understands that you are an experienced fisherman and that physical challenges and bad weather will not affect your desire or ability to fish for the day. Many times, these guides get rookies to take out and will not always put you onto the best spot, but the easiest for novices.

Don't know the regs out there either, we were there late July/early August and I believe everything was open then.

ALso, be prepared for very drastic weather changes, very quickly! The day before I went out, it was an unheard of for those parts 33 degrees C! Next day, it snowed... That being the day we went out fishin!

Good luck!

 

HH

[Bitsmith2k]

i'm sending a buddy of mine an email right now to get some info for ya.. he runs the tram that goes up the mountain in Jasper... i'll let you know what he says..

[keram]

WOW. Thanks a lot guys. In 45 min I have already more relevant info then after 3 days on the web. I hope one day I will be able to return the favour

 

Bitsmith2k

Thanks a lot, first hand info is the best

[Bitsmith2k]

keram,

my buddy didnt give me any more details than whats been posted.. basically said the weather is hit and miss, lots of fly fishing the tribs for trout.. he did mention that the time your headed up is a good time of year.. also mentioned that theres a few outfitters in jasper that normally are pretty good about sharing info.. i'm gonna ask him for any recommendations for ya too..

 

mike

[outdoorguy61]

Note- There are a lot of lakes that are a waste of time in Jasper. Some might look pretty, but trust me on this.

 

Also, there is a unique strain of tiny rainbow trout in the upper Athabasca R. that is interesting to say one has caught. Very small, but a unique glacial relic.

 

outdoorguy61

[brickNblock]

Hi Mark.

When I was working northern Alberta this past summer the wife came out for a visit and we fished at Jasper, right in the park.

I dont know about a couple of day licence but as I was out there for a couple of months I had to purchase the Alberta WIN card (Wildlife Identification Number as well as a Fishing specific tag just as here in Ontario for hunting)..I think the total cost was about $45

Barbless hooks are a must.........just pinch them down, its easy.

Right in downtown Jasper in the village we rented a boat from for weekend too....it was from ;

Japser National Park - ....On-Line Fishing and Tackle Shop

Cant remeber the name of the lake right now but the pike fishing was abundant but nothing too large.

If you scroll through my posts you'll come up with the story and pics I posted about it...(around Late October early november /06........AWESOME it was.

Best of luck and truly..........truly enjoy your trip..it is breath-taking.

peter

Edited April 18, 2007 by brickNblock

[Eddyk]

If you get a chance check out the Columbia Ice Fields. They are unbeivable.

[keram]

Thanks a lot for all the info