Gear up for Fishing

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articles and photos by

Joey Ambrosi

The Magnificent Seven

Within a drive of an hour or so of my home in the Crowsnest Pass, I am able to fish for seven different species of trout! Amazing! Fantastic! There are no other locations in the Canadian Rockies, or likely anywhere for that matter, that seven trout species – the Magnificent Seven – can be taken readily by anglers. The Crowsnest Pass area has long been a mecca for anglers, fly fishers in particular. The Crowsnest River has world-class status for its hard-fighting rainbow trout and seldom is there a day spring through fall when the river is not dotted with anglers. However, beyond the Crowsnest River, many other lakes and streams in the region attract both locals and visitors to test their waters.

The one hour driving radius for the Magnificent Seven from Crowsnest Pass extends south through Castle and West Castle watersheds to Waterton Lakes National Park, north through the foothills to Chain Lakes, and west across the Continental Divide to the Elk Valley in British Columbia. The seven species of trout are cutthroat, rainbow, bull, golden, brook, brown and lake.