Harps

In 9 years only 26 anglers died while wading (what was the cause and mech of death... heart attack, slip, something else?). In 1995 alone, there was an estimated 3.7 million angler days, just in Alberta (probably twice that in BC, and tons more across Canada). Wider across Canada, thats 676 recreational fishing related deaths (most were boating accidents) in 9 years... with approximately 4 million anglers licenced per year. 75% of the anglers are male and the average age of an angler in Canada is 46 (assuming unlicenced seniors don't fish). Average 75 deaths a year out of 4 million anglers (near 50 million angler days) *not including unlicenced, untracked seniors and kid anglers That's a 0.00015% chance of a drowning during an angling event in Canada without the alcohol or age bias. Be safe, but don't be scared. I think fishing is more likely going to add years to your life rather than end it prematurely.

Read the full Auditor General report here: http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/...01_e_32511.html Here's the kicker: And, the news: Winnipeg Sun, Toronto Sun, and Ottawa Sun (same article). Maybe it is time for some letters calling on the gov't to pull up their pants...

There was talk about it a couple of weeks ago here: http://flyfishcalgary.com/board/index.php?...amp;#entry85454 (the Featured Article mentioned above by Tightline)

Too bad, I was thinking you could have tyed a few on Friday night. We'll have to fish together this summer... Cheers,

Terry, are you coming up to Lethbridge for the conclave this weekend?

Birchy, I meant that suckers are a slower fish and easier prey (plus their biomass is generally much higher than trout in a healthy system... except high mountain streams). I would almost never say there are too many suckers... may there aren't enough big trout to eat young suckers though (lake systems especially). If all the suckers were wiped out it would crash the system. it would be darn near impossible to remove all the suckers though. In places like Beauvais, they actively kill suckers because they compete with the 10" trout (I don't even believe that's really an issue...the issue is over stocking with little trout, then over angling the large trout). Removing the coarse fish (one of the bottom layers on a food pyramid) would cause havoc. Just like removing the top predator causes havoc>> over abundance of deer and elk in urban areas.

There can be a balance... a dynamic balance, but balance none the less... Otters would move on and switch prey image if trout got to difficult or sparse... like I said though... suckers first. Although, we need other places for otters to go. It was a very very limited list of impacts to cold water... but I don't include "fish gobbling beasts and birds" in the mix... they are a natural part of the ecosystem tht we've screwed up. Our management only causes more damage in the long run (okay thats not completly true, but I'm in a bad mood and thinking poorly about mankind right now). I prefer to limit man's influences on cold water... its also where my career has taken me. As for the 3 rivers Damn... well I'm sure you know my opinion... I considered myself a friend of Andy Russell- I spent a lot of time sitting with him listening to stories; between him, my grandpa, and my dad I learned to respect all of the ecosystem, not just the part I was using... I also learned to fish in the areas wreaked by the dam... for me, it was a starting point. I can't take any more of Alberta's crap on that scale (although we all do every damn day). I won't roll over and die... when I lose, which unfortunately happens everyday, I'll pick up and fight some more. Maybe eventually people in this country will do some of their own fighting, and the environment will get more respect for what it provides to us>> everything.

Otters mink and mergansers will all eat more sucker and coarse fish than trout... plus survival of the fittest, they will eat the dumb slow weak fish, leaving the tricky, good fighting fish for us, while protecting populations from stunting. Their range has been depressed, and it would be nice if they expand. Give me a day of few fish and an otter watching experience over a day full of fish, anytime! When we start killing otters and native natural predators to protect a introduced fishery is the day that we might as well start stocking again. You can't have a healthy wild fishery without natural predators... especially in areas that most people fish catch and release + are closed to fishing for some of the year. Otters are not and will not be a problem for our fisheries, especially compared to all the chemicals we dump in the streams (ag runoff, stormwater, treated(not) water, road salt); compared to all the habitat we wreak (riprap, culverts, cribwalls, diversions, irrigation water taking, etc); compared to all the fishing damage (walking on redds, taking fish, introductions, C&R mortality, etc), and comparded to all the hydrological changes we cause in the system (cutting the headwater forests, paving drainages, blocking floodplains, etc).

Cliff replaced a broken flybox of mine recently... very quick, plus some extras thrown in... It was a pleasure!!

Hey Rick, I never even looked into the cause... I just like the video. I am all for having areas where no fishing is allowed, especially commercial fishing. Protect fertial areas and fish numbers increase outside of those areas too... of course I don't believe in total banning of fishing, but we need better regulations on timing and gear restriction, I also think there should be areas where there is no consumptive human use allowed... and even areas of research only.

Great video with the guy from Reno 911:

Introduced into ths SSR, Newell, EchoDale, Henderson, Nic Sherian, the Magrath ponds... pretty much every waterbody where kids have played. Pike in Henderson eat alot of crayfish... premature worn down teeth and all. I know people in Pincher Creek, Calgary, Med Hat, and Lethbridge that kept Crayfish from Echo Dale and Handerson in Tanks for a while... some were released (illegally). Eitherway, 20 years ago they were only found in the Beaver River System in Alberta and a few ponds were they were known to be introduced (Dr Rassmussen thinks that dams may have played a role). They probably aren't a big problem in rivers, but they've been shown to harm fish populations in ponds (Bullshead!?!).

Crayfish feed on plants, inverts, algae, and detris. They are agressive, tough, and prolific breeders. They are in direct competition with native species and prey on them at the same time... making them the perfect invasive species. They are also imposible to eradicate. In the midwest, an invasive species has greatly reduced stream vegetation and wiped out native inverts in some sections of streams. Also fish and other predators can change their feeding habits... when they start eating crayfish, they ignore some other organisms which causes an imbalance, leading to over-population, skewed predation, and eventual population collapse. Imagine this: Crayfish introduced> they start eating slow moving caddis and the algae that the caddis eat> caddis die> trout start eating crayfish and ignore longnosed dace> dace populations increase> dace eat all the trout eggs> trout recruitment drops> no eggs for dace to eat> dace die and get eaten by crayfish> Only crayfish left. Or anglers may never notice a difference... From the Alberta Fishing Regs: http://www.albertaregulations.ca/fishingre...s.html#crayfish

This is the only native crayfish from the Beaver River system http://sunsite.ualberta.ca/Projects/Aquati...h=1&Page=33

Crayfish are not native to the Bow... only native to one river system in Alberta. They are an introduced/invasive species that are spreading. If you start seeing them in Cal, well they are spreading. Who knows what negative impact they'll have.... maybe they'll wipe out caddis hatches or certain mayflie species.... The ones in the Lethbridge area seem to be expanding their range... bad thing.

I'm all for a mandatory test before you get a licence. Then jack up enforcement 'cause there's no excuse... although the gov't should pay for enforcement, not us. I'd go for a test to get a east slope stamp... no fishing in the East slope zones unless you pass the test... then extra for the stamp. 100% of the ES stamp could go to enforcement and restoration on the esat slopes. The test could be administered in any licence bureau... retaken when you renew your WIN card. Then make the "stamps" mandatory to display when you fish... anybody could see them and if you don't see one... call. Big Brother

Wading jackets are designed short so you don't soak them while you wade.

Gut Throw in pan with butter Eat hot, with fingers. mmmmm

Elbow River Citts are pure westslopes... one of the reason they are going endangered is that they are voracious, and easily impacted by angling (over harvest, mis-handling, hooking injuries, etc). I'll only eat brookies... and then its becoming a rare thing (Sorry Taco).

The conference in Canmore (99 or 97 or something)?? I'd love to see that vid. Found whole ducks in Pike... a whole len thompson, awhole crayfish in pike, mice in all sorts of trout... Trout will eat American Dippers too... so big feather flies will work. Bob, The article above was written by a friend in NWT... very cool to find something like that, "the first recorded interatcion between fish and porkies"... Weird stuff always happens to him.

Streamers are good year round, but like you say... nymphs are more productive. I also don't fish straight mono anymore... I think a tapered leader even a short one will turn the fly over better and help with those presentation casts. Dave Bloom in Craig showed us a great tapered leader to tie up... it turns big flies over. I like Montana, and hopefully will get more time down there this year. I never got your way this season, but I made it further west in Montana for a week. You're in a pretty amazin' piece of property... I've fished my way down to W. Yellowstone a couple of times, that scenery is unbeatable! If you were in Calgary you should have stopped and fished the Bow... its Alberta's only fishable river, but its a good one.

I use the biggest tippet I can get away with. Never ever less than 3x for even my small streamers. Most of my streamers are clouser style... sparse and zonkers (tied upside down). I prefer the short shank hooks as I think there is less leverage cranking the hook in the fishes mouth. Never use stingers, most takes are head strikes or a blow (side smack to stun the bait?) and then a head strike. If I get a hit but no immediate tug I let the fly drop then begin frantic/erratic stripping. 1/0, 2, 4, 6, 10 are most of my streamers, the 1/0 clousers being 4-6in long. Colours match naturals or red and attracting/aggression inducing colours. Much of what you are asking depends on equipment setup, target species, location, etc... Why not provide some background.

Come on... this one is making big waves!! Lets show folks that Native, wild fish are more important than industrial agriculture (fish feedlots). Thanks for posting this CrisD! BTW this petition is about Canada... not New Zealand... so some people here should put their money (signature at least) where their mouth is... The West coast is taking a beating... we can't afford to F this up, there will be no recovery.

I use the Strap vest to cover my man boobs... Actually I've really liked the Filson Strap Vest for the last few years. http://www.filson.com/product/index.jsp?pr...rentPage=family I'm also tying to figure out a good way to attach my Mclean's net.