St. Marys River
The St. Marys River Tailwater in Southern Alberta can best be defined as a Trophy Water. Rainbow Trout in the St. Marys average over 20 inches and anglers may be fortunate to hook one of the larger trout that reach 26-29 inches. The right fly matched with the perfect presentation may hook into a true trophy. Getting a net under one of these trout is a whole other story. These are hard fighting trout that will test the quality of the rod, reel, hook, tippet, and angler. These large trout can often be brought to the surface with large terrestrials or by running a streamer or a nymph through the right run, Light tippets and fine hooks are not the answer in this river.
The St. Marys River is generally not recommended for the beginner fly caster or an angler expecting to catch a lot of fish, This is a trophy river with large, educated, and strong trout. An angler may only hook a few fish a day and will likely land less than half. Experienced anglers will enjoy the challenge and may catch the largest trout of their life.
The tailwater below the St. Marys Dam opens Mid June and with early season water levels we will float sections of the river that run through large sections of private land. When the water levels drop we will walk and wade. Certain sections will require more walking than others and anglers prepared to walk can certainly cover more fishable water.
We will be fishing the river and monitoring water levels throughout the year. Give us a call and we can discuss conditions and options.
