Date: March 27, 1994
Time: 9:45 – 2:45.
Species: Rocky Mountain Whitefish
Crowsnest River
Water Temp/Time: 37º/10:00 a.m. Air Temp/Time: 9ºC high?

Peak Activity for this day: 2:00 p.m.

The wind is howling, it’s cold, the water is 37ºC, I’ve got my toque and neoprene gloves on. Start @ iron bridge @ Burmis, head up. At first bend/rock cliff, tie on Rick’s Mink, fire it straight upstream. Lo & behold, I watch as my line stops and starts heading upstream. It’s a good fish! In these conditions? On my first cast? It seems too good to be true! Well, it is… the fish turns out to be a chunky Rocky Mountain Whitefish! Turns out he has company, at least 3 fellow travellers succumb to Rick’s Mink. This sets the pattern for the day. Wind never does stop howling; gale force all day long. After landing a couple more RMW’s upstream, we head back to cliff area, where I notice a pool of RMW’s rising to a good hatch! Glen and I then take turns catching some more of these 14-16” fish on #16 BWO/emerger; Glen’s first fish on dry fly. I end up with 8 or 9 good sized RMW’s, Glen with 2 for the day. All in all an eye opener – apparently there is good fishing in March, you just have to head south!