Brown trout streams Alberta ~ brown trout fly fishing ~ Fly Fish Alberta's brown trout streams

Back in 1999 we had the opportunity to guide fly fishing gurus A.K. Best & John Gierach. We hosted them on a small spring creek in central Alberta. A.K. and I had been up stream a while when John called us back to see a rising trout. We didn't go right away as we worked a line of spruce where very large browns (27 - 34") had been caught earlier in the spring. A.K. had been snapped off by one brute that came snorting at a large sedge pattern A.K. had tied up for his Newfoundland brook trout trips. He just happened to have two in his box. Thankfully he had two as the first big brown snapped his 2X on the take . We walked to where John was and John let A.K. have a go, as the brown he was working had thus far refused his offerings. It was cruising erratically through the pool, but it always made a pass through its lair... a miserable spruce tree. How predictable!

A.K. cast out along the far bank as the large trout swam the other direction. It was slow motion as we watched the fish cruise over and snuff the big dry fly. To this day, the vision resembled a muskrat's head popping behind the fly. The fight was on and the brown sliced the pool. Twice it screamed under the spruce tree. The 3X tippet and bamboo held and the big, old, 23" male brown trout appeased our cameras for a spell. It was his largest brown on a dry fly at that point... also our only fish of the day. That's the way of spring creek fly fishing.

A.K. Best's large brown trout certainly isn't the norm, otherwise we wouldn't mention it. It was a special moment for sure. Not an unexpected one, mind you, as there are much larger trout in that spring creek and we know it well. We certainly don't catch fish like that every day, they are tough. Wading crystal clear streams is very challenging, some only a couple of feet wide, with a whisper of error room due to the bank's heavy foliage. We can host you on that very water or take you to other more forgiving streams.

From AK Best & John Gierach. "Just a short note to thank you for showing us where the good fishing is. In particular, the 23" brown! You are a good guide and it was a pleasure to share several days with you. I am eager to see some photos of the big fish, what a prize he is. Thanks again, Dave. I hope we can repeat a visit and include more fishing with you. Take care & good luck!"