Flood-altered Bow River a new experience for Calgary fishing guides

Few people know southern Albertarivers better than those who count on them to make a living.

That is especially true for the fishing guides who take thousands of Calgary visitorsfloating down the Bow River each summer.

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Another spring along the city's largestrivermeans the start of another seasonfor Kevin Peterson.The fly-fishing guide has been floating these waters for the lasttwo decades,but this year will be different.

"There is a lot of it that has changed, you know, a tremendous amount since the flood," he said.

For example, one local boat launch is now 60 metres farther east andgravelsitswhere water once flowed.

"The day that the flood happened, looking at the river, we had no idea what to expect whether we would get a guide season last year [or]whether we would be guiding what the river would look like afterwards," said Peterson.

Uncharted waters

Thosequestions remained as he dropped hisboatinto the water for the first time this season theonce familiar watersnow uncharted.

Along the banks of the Bow there are clear signs of the damage caused by last year's flooding and theattempts to repair it.

"It's amazing the volume of earth that has been movedhuge changes," said Peterson.

Those changes came quickly and alteredthe very path of this river. But despite the violenceand suddenness ofthe change was,it was also natural.

"This is the river, it's what rivers do they move and they change," said Peterson. "It's not a static environment.It's always changing and always evolving. Last year wejust had a whole bunch of changes compressed into one very short period of time."

But when finding fish is how you make your living,change isn't always easy, and overcoming those obstaclesis vital to more than just the river guides.

Economic impact

When touristscome up to fish the river they are also buying gas andfood andstaying in hotels, so there are economicspinoffsthat occurbecause ofguiding andthe river.

Some things do remain the same, such as customary preparations,but it isa new experience

"It's been a mixture of fun and frustration, you know, going and looking at some of the new areas and checking them out. But in a lot of cases it will take a little while for those areas to kind of hold fish," said Peterson. "I guess making sure you can find the fish and the fish being there is a big part of getting the business to come back."

Back on the river,the landscape may be different but certainly not spoiled.

"What we have here is as good or better than anything on Earth," said Peterson.

And the hope is that the tough times on this river are for now at least water under the bridge.