What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 5pm

St. Mary Angler

Home
Canada
Cranbrook, BC
St. Mary Angler

Professional guiding service in Southeastern British Columbia, specializing in dry-fly fishing for wild Westslope Cutthroat. Since 1992 the St.

Mary Angler has been introducing fly-fishing enthusiasts of all ages and abilities to the pristine waters of Southeastern British Columbia. We provide guided trips on the St. Mary, Elk, Bull, Skookumchuck, Kootenay, and upper Columbia Rivers, and feel truly privileged to refer to these tremendous fisheries as our "home" waters.

10/26/2026

Fishing Time!!!!

10/26/2026

Report #12 (October 19, 2026)

We Wrap up our 2026 Season with Another Wonderful Float on the Columbia River.

Today we completed our last trip of the year on the stretch of the Columbia River just above the International Boundary. The weather this fall has been very nice with lots of clear sunny days and little rain. Today the crisp blue sky and the colorful leaves of the trees made for a particularly lovely day out on the River.

The temperature in the morning started off quite cool at 5°C (41°F), warming up to around 14°C (57°F) by mid-afternoon. Great fishing weather as long as you dress in layers to accommodate the chilly mornings and warm/sunny afternoons.

The cool starts are usually accompanied by slow fishing in the mornings, but once you figure out where the fish are and what fly to use, things improve from there. The more you fish the Columbia, the easier this process becomes.

This float focused on the stretch of the Columbia from the put-in at Gyro Park in Trail, up towards Genelle. We fished some of the big eddies, but mostly targeted the bank edges for the rainbow trout. Every time a cast is thrown into these waters, you never know what size of fish you are going to catch, so it’s a constant adventure, cast by cast.

The Columbia River rainbows, no matter their size, fight extremely hard and can jump like crazy. The fall fishing is just amazing here because the trout have been eating all summer and are packing on the weight, so they are ready to go, once hooked.

The guys threw mostly streamers, in addition to some nymphs. At one point, the guide spotted rising fish in an eddy so they switched over to dry flies. It is so exciting to catch one of these rainbows on a dry fly, just to see them come to the surface and eat the fly on this big river is soooo exhilarating!

The flies in the mix today included the Pickle, Sculpins, Prince Nymphs, Copper Johns, European Nymphs and October Caddis. For those brave enough, the smaller BWO patterns were also casted. On the day, the anglers managed to land around 10-15 trout each in the 17-20 inch range. As a bonus, they managed to catch a couple of beauties in the 22-24 inch range! A very nice bonus. OMG these fish fought hard and pulled the fishers line out into the backing! But the clients were up to the task!

At one point a sturgeon jumped out of the water close to the boat, as eagles and ospreys patrolled above. There is so much beauty to be observed on the Columbia at this time of year.

So that concludes our 2026 guiding season in southeastern B.C. We were fortunate to have another safe season with many clients. We would like to thank everyone who made it up to fish our waters and those who came into our flyshop! We are proud to be part of so many of the good memories our clients made while fishing with us in 26’.

Our rivers here in the East and West Kootenays are truly amazing and the fly fishing is just out of this world spectacular. We are so happy to be able to share it with everyone.

Have a wonderful fall and winter!

Till next year, stay safe and keep on fishing!

Tight Lines,

Kelly and Karen

St.Mary Angler

PS if you are thinking about an exotic fishing experience to Christmas Island or Argentina… give us a call at 1-800-667-2311. We can make it happen.

10/14/2026

Report #11 (October 5, 2026)

One Last Float of the St.Mary River for 2026!

It’s early October and we are still fortunate enough to be fishing the St Mary River. The weather on this fall day was absolutely beautiful. The morning temperature started off at a very cool 2°C (36°F), climbing to a high of 23°C (74°F) later in the day. We had fog in the morning that lifted to reveal a beautiful blue-sky day!

Our fishers today were Darryl and Jim. A couple of clients that have been fishing with us for 15 years. Such awesome people! Thanks for everything guys!

We floated the section of the lower St. Mary from the St. Eugene Mission down to Fort Steele near the confluence with the Kootenay River.

There was no rush to get out on the water on this fall day. Since the fish do not get active until later morning or until it warms up a bit, there is not much point in fishing early. But once the sun is high enough that its rays pe*****te the water column, the fish become active. In the fall the time to fish is shorter, usually between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. You could start your day earlier by nymphing or throwing streamers, but the fish tend to be less active.

Today’s anglers chose to fish dry flies only as they headed downriver casting along the bank edges, behind rocks and along logs, branches and brush.

The St.Mary is definitely at its summer low flow and the guide had to get out of the raft a couple times to get them over rocks and shallow sections of the River. We run NRS Slipstream Rafts which draw very little water making for easy passage along our east Kootenay rivers.

The fish are now moving downstream towards the Kootenay River, so many fish were hooked up. The guys caught around 15 fish each with an average size of 14-17 inches. Some of the rainbows, or cut-bows, were a bit bigger, up to 18 inches. These fish jump and pull hard!!
As they have been feeding all summer the fish are nice and chunky!

As for the flies used on the day, the guides cycled through a number of patterns until they found the ones that picked up fish. At this time of year if you fish smaller flies, you can do well. Patterns such as; Blue Winged Olives, Mahogany Duns, and smaller sized (16-18) Purple Haze, Klinkhammers and Elk Hair Caddis worked well. That said, if you see a hatch of Green Drakes, use them. Late in the afternoon, the guys got lucky using some bigger foam patterns - Grasshoppers, Fat Alberts and Chubby Chernobyls. These patterns can produce exceptionally well later in the afternoon.

The fall brings out many animals to the rivers. They are consuming as much as possible in preparation for winter. On the lower stretch of the St.Mary you can regularly see bear, deer and elk, as well as eagles and osprey.

When we see an elk or deer crossing the river it is a simple, yet amazing sight! It reminds us that we are fortunate to fish and live in such a beautiful place. So, come and visit to experience it for yourself!

While we are wrapping up our guiding on the east Kootenay rivers, we are still guiding on the Columbia River till the end of October.

The fishing has been very good on the Columbia, as they are feeding heavily with the change of the season and winter on the horizon.

We still have some nice days coming in October, so get out and fish as much as you can.

Have a good one!

Tight Lines,

Kelly and Karen

St.Mary Angler

PS feel free to drop into our shop on Cranbrook Street to check things out!

09/30/2026

Report #10 (September 22, 2026)

Fall is Here and we are Back on the Columbia River!

As summer has turned into fall the time to fish the rivers of the southeastern B.C. is coming to an end for 2026. The leaves on the trees have all started to turn yellow, orange and red so there is a little urgency in the air to go along with the crisp, clear skies.

Granted you can still fish all the way into winter when the temperature is warm enough that the guides on your fly rod do not freeze up! But September and October are still wonderful months to fish, especially on the Columbia River.

We are quickly coming to an end of guiding season on our East Kootenay rivers. While we still have trips booked into the first week of October, then ‘it’s a wrap’ for the year. However, some of our guides are now taking anglers out for big rainbows on the stretch of the Columbia River over in the West Kootenay just above the International Boundary.

The Columbia River is an amazing fishery. We are guiding it from the middle of September
throughout October, weather permitting.

Today’s report is on the stretch of the Columbia below the City of Trail, near the Beaver Creek boat launch. The temperature started out at a cool 8°C (46°F), warming up in the late afternoon to a nice 24°C (75°F). And yes, we dressed in layers!

The sky was blue and the trees were in the midst of changing color… so pretty!

Prior to launch the guide had all his rods strung up for streamers, nymphs and dry flies. This time of year, one never knows what technique will be most suitable, so we get ready for everything. And right out of the gate both anglers were casting eagerly and picking up fish!

They started off fishing the big back eddies, then moved along and fished the adjacent bank walls. The Columbia is still a little high for this time of year as our friends south of the border tell us they have been filling Lake Roosevelt (the reservoir behind the Grand Coulee Dam) for the last few weeks. Today’s flow rate at Trail was 1,610 cubic meters per second (CMS) which is 56,856 cubic feet per second (CFS).

The rainbow fishing was quite good throughout the day, once they found a fly the fish were keying on. As always, if you don't have the right pattern on, this can be a difficult place to fish. It always takes some time to figure it out, working through the usual suspects in the fly box and changing as many patterns as necessary.

During the day the guys noticed a few hatches coming off including, Blue Winged Olives and October Caddis. The guys fished small streamer patterns, the Pickle and Sculpin patterns.
They also nymphed part of the day and used Prince Nymphs, Copper Johns, Lightning Bugs and Hare's Ears. Later in the day when the October Caddis came off they tried some dries; Caddis patterns, Stimulators and BWO's. Again, cycling through the patterns in your fly box to see what works, is the ticket. Each day the River changes and when the levels of water drop, the fly you used today with success, may not work tomorrow. That is what makes flyfishing challenging and exciting.

The morning on the Columbia is typically a bit slower than the afternoon. On this day the anglers landed about 12 rainbows each in the 17 to 20 inch slot. In addition, each guy caught a nice trout in the 22 to 23 inch band, nice fish! All the fish fought hard and jumped clear out of the water. They had great colour and were thick! If you are not careful, or perhaps lucky, they can possibly jump right into your boat!

At one point while the guys were casting towards the bank and stripping the fly back in, they heard a rustling sound in the bushes when out popped a big brown/cinnamon bear! It sauntered down to the water, took a big drink and then proceeded to glide into the eddy, swam around, got out and proceeded on its way down the riverbank. We saw a few eagles chasing away ospreys and crows out of their fishing holes. The guys also caught a glimpse of a sturgeon breaching! Now that was cool! We just love seeing nature all around us out on the Big River!

Today was a great day out on the water and there is still plenty of time to get out and fish. Just make sure you check out the fishing regulations before you go.

As always, if you have any questions on patterns or where the fishing is good, come into the shop and we will help you out.

Fall is here, the fishing is great, and we hope you can take advantage of it!

Tight Lines

Kelly and Karen

St.Mary Angler

PS If you want to experience the Columbia River first hand, give us a call at 1-800-667-2311 as we still have a few days available in October!

09/09/2026

Report #9 (September 1, 2026)

With Fall Around the Corner, our Rivers Continue to Fish Very Well!

The calendar has turned over to September and it sure feels like fall is near! It was like someone threw the light switch and we went from summer to fall. The mornings are now quite cool with temperatures starting off at around 10°C (50°F), warming up to a pleasant mid to high 20's°C (75+°F) by the afternoon. We have had quite a bit of rain over the last few days, which is great as it ensures we will continue to have no fires of note in the area…yay!

Against the background of early fall, the rivers in the East Kootenay have been fishing absolutely great. These rainy, cool days have made the fish very active.

Today we floated the St.Mary River from the Pumphouse down to the Wycliffe takeout. The River is running at its summer low, but with this recent rain, it helps to keep the level stable, if not push them up a bit.

The morning started off with rain, eventually clearing up in the afternoon. But wow, there were so many insects hatching during the day! Blue Winged Olives, Mahogany Duns and Green Drakes were coming off the water continually resulting in a spectacular day of dry fly fishing!

The anglers casted their lines along the bank edges, behind rocks and along structures where the fish like to hold and feed. Many fish were coming up and trying to drown the fly before they ate it, sometimes missing the fly altogether. When that occurs, the guide quickly changes the bug to a different fly.

It is, as we say, “all about cycling through your patterns” until you figure out what the fish want!
The flies in the cycle today included; Fat Alberts, various Beetle patterns, Sparkle Parachute Adams, Purple Haze, Klinkhammers, Mahogany Duns, Green Drakes and Blue Winged Olives.

You need a good diversity of artificials in your fly box. The best way to go about getting them is to build up your collection over time giving thought to the conditions and locations you usually fish. In addition to the dries, you will need some nymphs and streamers as well. We recommend building three individual boxes instead of one overstuffed box with everything in it.

The guides were on the lookout for rising fish all day, telling the anglers where to cast. The extra pair of experienced eyes was very helpful to those doing the casting. On the day, the anglers landed about 15 fish each, loosing many more along the way. They caught a mix of Westslope Cutthroats, some hybrid ‘cut-bows’ and two rainbow trout in the 19 inch range. While the rainbows jumped and pulled very hard, the cutthroats pulled hard, staying below the surface. The average size cutthroat caught and released was between 14-17 inches and the guys were so excited to have them!

During the float the anglers spotted a few eagles and osprey overhead, as well as a deer with a couple of fawns making their way along the St.Mary. Bears are readily visible in the backcounty now, eating as much as they can in advance of the coming months of cold. There is lots to see out there as you fish the rivers of the East Kootenays.

September is a wonderful time to get out on the rivers to explore and fish. Fall is definitely our favourite time of year!

If you have any questions about where to go fishing or what flies to use, stop into the
shop in Cranbrook for a chat. We will pass along whatever intelligence we have on hand as we want to help make your outing a success.

Fall fishing is the best!

Hope to see you out there!

Kelly and Karen

St.Mary Angler

PS When in Cranbrook, feel free to drop into the fly shop to check out our inventory and get caught up on the hot spots!

08/25/2026

Report #8 (August 15, 2026)

The Elk River is Perfect!

We just got settled into summer and “bam!”, September is just around the corner! It’s crazy how fast this summer has flown by!

We have remained lucky here in the East Kootenay region with no large fires looming around us, unlike some other areas of the Province. With the cooler mornings now upon us, it is a strong signal that fall is around the corner.

On this day we fished the Elk River near Fernie; the bottom section to where we take out at Elko. There was some smoke in the morning, but it mostly cleared out by early afternoon. This section of the Elk River is very scenic as it moves away from the highway, improving the look and feel. The Rockies are like eye candy … and in Fernie you are right in the Rockies so it is an amazing landscape to float thru.

Temperatures in the morning started around 15°C (60°F) reaching a late afternoon high of 28-30°C (80-85°F). The Elk is in great shape now and the fish are feeding on dries from the get go!

As normal, the guides cycled through the ‘usual suspects’ of candidate patterns, always including a few beetles and ants in the rotation. In addition to these standbys, they also tried; the Klinkhammer, Purple Haze, Stimi Chew Toy, Chubby Chernobyl, Green Drake and caddis and foam patterns.

When it comes to one’s personal fly box, our advice is to slowly build it up over time with various types of foam patterns, small dries, larger traditional fly patterns, nymphs and streamers. It is nice to be able to look into your box at any point in the day, and depending on the conditions, pull something promising out!

After launching, the guys floated downstream, fishing along the bank edges, behind rocks and along structures where the fish hang out and feed. They were running rods set up with a 9 foot, 4X or 5X leader and tippet. If they fished smaller patterns, they just added more tippet to make the leader portion up to 10 feet. This allowed the smaller flies to get a longer drift. The fish can be quite drift sensitive on the Elk so the proper setup and diligent mending can be the key to success. On the float each angler caught and released around 15 fish… all on dries! The average size was 15 to 17 inches. A few smaller guys were mixed in, but there were some really nice and chunky fish too. These fish have been eating well!

On the lower section of the Elk they got to see a bit of wildlife including a series of eagles and ospreys flying about. They also got a closeup of a doe with her fawns. Ever notice how deer are always feeding…. as much as they can to fatten up for winter! It is always a treat to see wildlife from a quietly drifting boat…

Well another season is going by fast. If you can get out and fish the rivers, do it! It is ‘good for the soul’, they say. Everyone needs to get out into nature and relax and enjoy themselves. We all work so hard in our daily lives!

Please pop into the shop on Cranbrook Street if you need help picking out flies, or if you are just starting fly fishing as we will help you out!

Tight Lines,

Kelly and Karen

St.Mary Angler

PS Give us a call at 1-800-667-2311 to talk to about available days this fall.

08/12/2026

Report #7 (August 6, 2026)

The Bull River is Clear and Fishing Great!

August is here and we are wishing it would just rain sometime! B.C. is having a tough time right now with smoke rolling in from fires originating from both within B.C. and from outside in Washington State. There are no fires threatening us here, but the smoke is real.

On the bright side the weather service is calling for some rain this week, so hopefully it will happen.

Today we had a couple people booked on the Bull River. The guides decided to float from Camp 6 down to the take out, about an 8 kilometer (5 mile) run.

On a clear day the views are absolutely stunning from up on the Bull. On this day the smoke was light in the morning, decreasing by the afternoon, so we had some nice views.

Anglers love the drive up to the Bull River. It is on the back side of the Rockies and provided an exciting drive up the road spotting a few deer along the way. Upon arrival at the access point the raft went in the River along with the rods set up to dry fly fish.

Soon after the launch, the fish were very active with the 12 to14 inch cutties aggressively hitting the dries. One lucky angler hooked a nice 17 inch cutthroat, which is huge for the Bull! It was very exciting for the guide, never mind the client…”fish on!” We rarely see big cutthroat trout way up on the Bull. The clients caught and released around 20 fish each, with each cutthroat looking healthy and fighting hard!

It is such a beautiful and amazing float down the Bull River. It has a lovely blue tinge to it and is very clear, and it has finally dropped enough to fish great!

They fished behind rocks, along bank edges and beside logs to see if they could fool a cutthroat into looking up, and eating a fly.

As usual, the guides cycled through flies until they found what worked best. Some of the flies that worked well included; Sparkle Purple Haze, Royal Wulff Haze (a new fly in our shop), the Klinkhammer and the red Fat Albert.

The rivers this year are holding their water levels pretty well and this bodes well for fishing this fall. The water temperatures are also holding nicely, despite the conditions. We had a sizable snowpack in the higher sections of the Rockies that has held on, and the smoke has actually lowered air temperatures also factoring in to the water temperatures.

On the float along the Bull, they saw many bird species including the big raptors (osprey and eagles) on the wing and hovering over their nests.

A wonderful time had by all.
Before you head out, check in with the shop to hear what flies are working well on the rivers and be sure to enjoy the outdoors!

And pray for a little rain to scrub the skies clean!

Tight Lines,

Kelly and Karen

St.Mary Angler

PS Give us a call at 1-800-667-2311 to talk to about available days thru the fall on our East Kootenay rivers.

08/06/2026

Report #6 (August 1, 2026)

As We Enter Wildfire Season, All the Rivers are Fishing Well.

Well, we have entered the 2026 wildfire season. Our little area of the East Kootenay region of B.C. has recently seen a number of forest fires. Fortunately, our amazing firefighters have so far been able to manage things. The town of Kimberley was on Evacuation Alert for a week before it was rescinded. We have seen a fire up the St. Mary valley, but it is not threatening the city of Kimberly anymore.

Very recently we had a scare up by Wasa Lake and Tata Creek, another fire and again the fire crews worked all night to get control of the it. Thank goodness!

So that being said, the fishing business is still cruising right along as the St.Mary has been fishing very well.

Today the temperature in the morning was quite cool starting at 10°C (50°F), only reaching a high later in the day in the mid 20's°C (70’s°F).

Lately we have had smoke from the wildfires coming up from Washington State, as well from the back-burns they were doing up in the St.Mary Valley. Fortunately, by noon the wind has blown it away, like it did today.

Our destination stream today was the bottom section of the St. Mary River; from the St. Eugene Mission down to Fort Steele near the confluence with the Kootenay River.

The water levels are normal for this time of year and the trout have found their summer lies… feeding away.

The anglers started off nymphing in the morning. As the sun hit the water the cutthroat trout started to look up for their food and the fishers switched to dry flies. The guides cycled through many patterns till they found some that consistently brought the fish to the surface. The flies they used with most success were; the Parachute Adams, Purple Haze, Stimi Chew Toy, Foam Patterns (such as Chubby Chernobyl Ants), Fat Alberts, beetle and ant patterns. The nymphs used included the Prince Nymph, Copper John, Lightning Bug and Hare's Ears.

The anglers had a good morning with lots of hookups. Just after 1 p.m. the fishing slowed right down so the guide pulled the boat over for their shore lunch. On the day they landed 12-15 fish each, with an average size of 13-15 inches. That said, they did catch a couple outliers at over 18 inches! The bigger fish were rainbows, and they came up for dry flies. It’s an exciting time when you hook into these fish and they respond by jumping multiple times and fighting hard.

As they floated down towards the Kootenay River the group watched ospreys and eagles spin overhead looking for their next meal. They saw merganser ducks along the edges of the River. The bottom float on the St.Mary is beautiful as you float the braided reaches moving towards the Rockies. Such an amazing view! We are so lucky to be able to host anglers in this part of the world.

In addition to the St. Mary, the Elk and Bull rivers are all fishing very well now. The dry fly fishing has been awesome on these rivers. If you can, go out and check them for yourself!

If you are heading into the back country, make sure you know the regulations. Also check for the latest update on wildfires in the area you are destined for. If you want to get a little intel on what is working on the water, wherever you are going in our region, come into the shop and we will help you out.

Do have fun out on the rivers this summer and stay safe! The time to enjoy summer is now as it is flying by quickly for sure!

Tight Lines,

Kelly and Karen

St.Mary Angler

PS Give us a call at 1-800-667-2311 to talk to about available days for August thru the fall on our East Kootenay rivers.

07/22/2026

Report #5 (July 15, 2026)

The St.Mary is ready to go, while the Elk is still on its way.

Summer is moving along very nicely as many anglers are coming out to fish with us here in the East Kootenays. With the rivers still running high in the first half of July, we are sending anglers off to the smaller creeks around the area. It seems everyone wants to get out and get the line wet now.

The weather generally has been very nice, with only a few overcast and windy days thrown in. Now that we are in the middle July we are experiencing a few wild fires in our area with some days of smoke. Fortunately, the wind has been blowing much of the smoke away.

The temperature in the mornings is now around 12-13°C (53-55°F) reaching highs of 27-28 °C (81-82°F) by late afternoon, with a few days over 30°C (86°F)

So far, we have been guiding mostly on the St. Mary River with just a few trips over to the Bull River. The Elk River has been high and dirty, but is finally coming down and clearing up so we will be heading over there soon. The Skookumchuck and Bull rivers are also clearing up with flows coming down every day.

Today we floated the upper St. Mary River from the lake down to Mathew Creek. This section of the St.Mary feels like one is winding through a remote forest. On this leg you will see a lot of trees down along the shore caused by the spring freshet and winter storms. So, if you decide to venture down one of the side channels you can encounter sweepers that can be challenging, if not dangerous. Our guides will keep you in the main channel of the River to avoid any such problems!

The guides are now setting the rods up for dry fly fishing as the wild Westslope Cutthroats are readily coming to the surface to feed. As soon as they put in at St.Mary Lake they started fishing along the bank edges, close to log jams and behind rocks in the middle of the stream looking for fish.

At the beginning of the day the guides will cycle through many of their favourite flies to find out which one is working best. So, if you cast 3 or 4 times in a great spot and nothing comes up to the surface to eat your fly… change it up!

On today’s float the fish never really became active until the sun was beaming fully on the water. So, they switched over to nymphs for a short while, catching a few fish. Then one cutthroat came to the surface and tried to eat the indicator! At that point it was off with the nymph and on went the dry flies!

The anglers landed around 15-20 cutthroat trout with an average size in the 13-15 inch window. Because they were fishing on the upper part of the system all the fish caught were wild Westslope Cutthroat trout.

On this section of the Mary they spotted a mother Elk with her calf, at a distance… so cool. Further downriver they saw a brown bear and a coyote. It was a full day packed with fish and wildlife!

If you are heading out to fish be sure to check the fishing regulations and make sure you have the proper licensing. If you feel you can benefit from some knowledge about what rivers are fishing well and what flies are getting hookups, stop into our shop. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will answer your questions and provide you with any equipment or accessories you desire.

It’s summertime now, so get out and enjoy the back country! Have fun and stay safe out there.

Tight Lines,

Kelly and Karen

St.Mary Angler

PS Give us a call at 1-800-667-2311 to talk to about the available days on our East Kootenay rivers.

07/02/2026

Report #4 (June 27, 2026)

The Season is in Full Swing as Conditions are Rounding Into Form!

We started guiding on the St.Mary River on June 16th and are now rolling right along. Everyone is eager to get out on the River to fish, and we are ready to make it happen.

As it is early in the season the St. Mary River is in the process of clearing up everyday with the flow dropping steadily. Since the St.Mary River has a headwater lake, it clears much faster than some other rivers in the East Kootenay region. The Elk River is still running a bit dirty and high.
The Bull River and Skookumchuck rivers are clear, but running very high. As we move into July all the systems will drop and clear up fast, so it won’t be long before we are in full-go mode.

With the St.Mary motoring along quickly with the higher water, the guides have to search to find the slower back channels were the fish will hold and where one can throw a dry fly. Cutthroat trout need to be able to spot the fly and have a chance to eat it. So, the water can't be moving so fast that the fly gets pulled away from them faster than they can recognize and grab it!

Even with the higher flow rate today, the anglers still managed to land 12-15 trout each. The guys casted along the bank edges, behind rocks and along structures where the fish were holding. If one could get the fly to float long enough so the fish could see it… that was half the battle.
The fish were caught on dry flies, nymphs and small streamers. They caught pure cutthroats, cut-bow hybrids and a few full strain rainbows. While rainbows sure like to jump, the cutties like to pull just like little French bulldogs! The average sized cutthroat today was between 13-15 inches, with some of rainbows breaking 20. You never know what you are going to catch on the St. Mary River. Currently, the cutthroats are finishing up spawning and on their way back to their summer runs as they form up in the River.

The weather was all over the place on this day with sun, cloud and rain. The temperatures reached a high of 15°C (60°F). A typical spring day on the St.Mary.

The wildlife was abundant along the river today. There were eagles and osprey flying above, a moose sighting along the river’s edge and a big beaver doing renovations to her den. The mountain views of the Rockies were amazing as well. Such a beautiful place to visit!

This summer looks like it is shaping up to be amazing. We still have snow up in the Purcells and on the Rockies, which bodes well for summer flow conditions on the rivers. The weather service is calling for rain all this week which is awesome for the rivers as well.

Summer is almost here, so get out and do some fly fishing, or at least start thinking about it!

Remember to review the fishing regulations and have your licence on hand when you go into the backcountry. The rivers are starting to round into form and will fish better and better as we enter July.

Tight Lines,

Kelly and Karen

St.Mary Angler

PS Give us a call at 1-800-667-2311 to talk to about the available days for your summer float trip.

Address

401 Cranbrook Street N
Cranbrook, BC
V1C3R5

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm

Website

http://www.stmaryangler.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when St. Mary Angler posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.