The Oldman River is the major drainage in S.W. Alberta. The scenic river starts in the mountains, spills out of the foothills then flows over the prairies before eventually joining the Bow River. The tailwater stretch of the Oldman is home to brown, rainbow, cutthroat and bull trout, and has superb hatches resulting in some outstanding dry-fly fishing.

Fly Fishing The Oldman River
The Oldman’s major tributaries are all notable fisheries in their own right, including the Crowsnest, Livingstone and Waterton Rivers. The Oldman itself features three distinct sections and offers a multitude of angling possibilities – from tumbling pocket water to classic tailwater. They fish differently enough from one another that we`ll discuss them separately.

The Upper Oldman and Livingstone Rivers
The upper reaches of the Oldman and its tributaries are classic high country cutthroat streams – rugged and remote. Due to special regulations they offer the best westslope cuttie fishing in Alberta.
Dry-fly fishing is the norm on these waters, but working the deep pools with streamers can result in hooking-up large bull trout. Adventurous small stream aficionados will love the many feeder creeks and the remarkable cutthroat fishing to be had.

The Middle Stretch of The Oldman River
Nutrient load and water temperature increase as the Oldman leaves the mountains, and the river sees a change in trout species as rainbows and cuttbows replace cutthroats. From late June to mid-July – while the Salmon- and Golden Stoneflies are hatching – we float the river using rafts. As summer progresses and flows drop, walk & wade trips are the norm. During this time anglers can experience some fantastic hopper fishing – especially on warm, windy days. In short, the middle Oldman offers the visiting angler non-stop dry-fly fishing with large attractor patterns.

The Oldman River Tailwater
The tailwater stretch of the Oldman below Three Rivers Dam is best described as a blend of the Bow, Bighorn and Missouri Rivers. Like all tailwaters, it can test your piscatorial skills. This floatable stretch of river is home to a self-sustaining population of rainbow, brown and bull trout. In fact, the Alberta record brown trout of 16+ pounds was caught in this classic tailwater fishery. Count on lots of action while you fish streamers, hopper-dropper and double hopper rigs from a drift boat. Then, when the PMDs, caddis or Blue-wings start to hatch, we change tactics and stalk large hot trout that run and fight spectacularly.

The Season
The season on the Upper Oldman opens in late June, while the middle and tailwater stretches are open year-round. We suggest fishing the tailwater and middle stretches in May or after run-off, which usually ends in late June. D.B.O. guides on this river until mid-October.

Trip Duration
We suggest fishing the Oldman for 1-2 days. This is a great option or add-on to a Bow River trip, S.W. Alberta trip or a S.E. British Columbia trip, as the Oldman is only 2 hours from Calgary and 1 hour from Fernie.

Other Options
The other options in the area are the Crowsnest, Castle and Waterton Rivers. S.E. British Columbia's Elk River is an hour away.
The Dave Brown Fly Fishing Outfitter's Advantage
We have been guiding on the Oldman River since 1995, and are one of the original guide services on the tailwater portion of the river. We are the only guide service that uses drift boats on this stretch. D.B.O. also makes use of private access so that we can extend your float.
If the river or fly fishing conditions deteriorate on this stream, D.B.O. has the flexibility and capability to move you to another river with a fully capable guide. The advantage to you is no lost fishing time!

Accommodations
We base our S.W. Alberta Trips our of Fernie B.C.

* Hatches may very depending on elevation and watershed *