reevesr1

Don't you have class or something? Nice fish! You are seriously nuts to be pontooning today! Don't post any pictures from tomorrow. It will make me sick!!

My Milano's still have no leaks whatsoever. 50+ trips I would say (so multiple years worth of fishing for many of you). LK, I know you are a new moderator and all and as such are very, very busy. But how are yours holding up?

So he's got a bad eye AND he's stupid. Actually, fooled by Maximum and Maxwell. That doesn't make him stupid, just unlucky!

Pens are the sexy pick, and are more fun to watch. Unfortunately, the Red Wings are kinda like the Spurs in Basketball. Everyone is tired of them, but they just keep winning. Wings in 6

Ed, I have a smart bomb with your name on it.

Too many people are absolute morons. This is a tough subject. How do you eliminate the morons so that the law abiding majority gets to enjoy the outdoors in whatever method they choose? I will say that advocating eliminating of any activity is a slippery slope. If we advocate the elimination of ATVs or random camping because of the goofs that choose to ignore the rules, all we are doing is teaching other, more militant groups a methodology on how to eliminate an activity a little more dear to our hearts, fishing. If I'm PETA, or any other animal rights or militant conservation group and fishing is in my sights, then I just look stories about poachers and say to my MLA "well, you can't get rid of the cheaters without completely eliminating the activity." I'm not saying that you don't regulate, of course you do. What is going on at several sites around Alberta has to be curtailed, and getting the MLAs involved is critical. But whatever plan put together has to be done with input from all communities and a solution with buy in from all has to be achieved. The reality is you may have to sacrifice some parcel(s) of land to build tracks, bogs, whatever for these guys to play in. Once that is done, you make any fine for illegal activity STIFF. Confiscation of vehicle, big fine, whatever. Maybe confiscation of license? A few 10K or more fines will get the lawless communities attention. Just my opinion.

You never call, you never write. Happy birthday anyway kid!

Why I oughta........

That would be because JMac has a whole book of knowledge, and more, in his head. I have like 5 paragraphs!

If I wasn't lazy, I'd go through some old posts that answer this question and post a link. Birchy will probably do it for me! Get a 9 ft 2x leader. Get some 2x, 3x, and maybe 4x tippet. Get a bunch of San Juan Worms, wire wrapped. Every fly shop has them. Get some Caddis pupae, copper johns, prince, pheasant tail, stone fly, and hares ear nymphs. The fly shops can help you with sizes. Basically, the Stone flies will be big, the caddis and hares ears in the 12 to 16 and the rest between 14 and 18. Those will get you started for flies. There are a myriad of dries and streamers you could get, but my advice, at first, is stick to nymphing. Its the quickest way to figure out where the fish hang out. Others will disagree with this. I've only been doing this for 1 1/2 yrs, mostly nymphing, and I catch fish very consistently now. Fish the transitions between fast and slow water. As the summer warms up, the fish will move into the riffles and diamond (fast moving choppy) water. Tie on a San Jaun Worm to the leader and one of the smaller nymphs using the tippet to the shank of the worm. You can reverse this (small nymph first, worm second) and it will cast better. I just find my method fishes better. Again, some may disagree. Put an indicator on your leader 1 1/2 to 2X the water depth above the top fly. If you don't know the water depth, just put the indi at the top of the leader (9 ft above the top fly). When fishing, cast upstream into the water you want to fish. Manipulate your line such that the indicator floats on the water without the line influencing the drift. The term is "drag free drift". You'll know it when you see it. Watch the bubbles. Your indi should be moving very near the same speed with no wake. The fish certainly know when the drift is drag free. They rarely hit when it isn't. Allow the indicator to drift below you. Every few casts, let it drift until it is dangling behind you, wait 5 seconds, and give a strip. Sometimes fish will hit when the nymphs rise. Try several casts in different parts of the run, working from close in to farther out. After you have worked a section, take 3 or 4 steps and do it again. Strike at EVERYTHING (I can't stress that enough) that makes the indicator do anything other than drift naturally. The pickup can be incredibly subtle, and the indi will just bobble. Never assume you are on bottom. And if you are not hitting bottom every couple of casts, my recommendation would be to add some small split shot. Oh, and don't assume the fish will be in the middle of the river. The best fishing in the bow IMHO is close to shore. Sometimes right on the shore. As far as access, all the fly shops will have a map of the bow and its access points. Fish creek park is a great place to learn, especially during the week as there are less people. Though when you are beginning, it is nice to get out there on the weekend. The crowds will show you where the fishing is good. If you see more than one person in a spot, watch them fish. And try to look at the river and determine why they are fishing there. You can also ask. Most people will be willing to share info. You'll know the one's who wont. They will be the ones who won't even look at you. Just don't crowd anyone who is fishing. Many will offer to share the run with you, but don't assume they will. There are lots of access points below the city where people launch or take out their drift boats. All of them have good fishing nearby both upstream and downstream. If you are willing to walk, it will pay off. Its a tough river to learn at first and can be very frustrating. Just stick with it, it will pay off. Once you start having some success, you can start streamer fishing, wet fly and dry fly fishing. All are a hoot, particularly dry fly!! I also recommend taking Maxwells Walk and Wade. He has special running until the end of the month. See Maxs Walk and Wade Best money you will ever spend to fish the Bow. Maybe I should have looked for an old post......

Fisherwoman, http://flyfishcalgary.com/board/index.php?showtopic=4408

Hey Dan, Not going until next month. I've learned my lesson on the sunscreen many times over. Did you try the fly rod on the reds or specs?

Or maybe www.golfsundre.com!

Nice! Pictures?? Love to see some.

No prob on the Shiner. Wouldn't be home without it. No tornadoes would be preferred. Taco, it would be worth it to see the looks of confusion when I introduced the big tall country boy as "Taco"!

All this talk of Cuba, Belize, etc. gave me the itch to hunt some trout and reds back home. So I'm off to Texas on June 6 for a week or so to try to scratch that itch. Hopefully I'll get lucky and catch a few days when the surf is right. Otherwise, I'll just blind cast around some reefs I know. I'm really going to try to stick with the fly rod, but know I may have issues not falling back on old tried and true methods. Whatever the case, I'll take lots of pictures. June is a great time to fish down there!! I need me some clousers!

mike, Apparently, hypocrisy only occurs from the left, never the right! I think we are on the slippery slope to similar legislation for a lot of reasons, primarily due to what Taco said. As we get more disconnected from the farm, attitudes toward animals changes. Eventually, the PETA attitude will convince enough people that fishing is cruel. That said, I think that is many, many years away in North America. I think Mike has it nailed, at least for the near to mid range future. For a glimpse of the future of North America, watch California and the NE US. They would be the first to enact any of this type of legislation. I'm sure something similar has been brought up there before, but no traction yet. California does however have (or is planning?) some Fishing Exclusion Zones.

Have a good one Chris!

Judging by the rate at which the younger generation is leaving the farm, they don't make much.

Jim, Never met you, but feel like I know you. I hope you have a speedy recovery! Fishing is great therapy and here's hoping you get a lot of therapy this summer.

Man, that's what I call a birthday. You have no idea how lucky you are.

I would love to go back there someday. It was the most spectacular inshore trout, redfish, and spanish mackerel fishery I have ever been to.

He'll understand. That's what friends do.

Happy birthday buddy!

Happy birthday Gregg!