LastBoyScout

I also think the Forestries will be closed soon certainly before the long weekend so those areas will get some reprieve then.

Sad state, reminds me of the early eighties here in the deep south. I don't know what the Bow was like then but we had zero flows in many tributaries for up to six weeks and it was a very hard few years. There were watering restrictions but I can tell you the priorities were #1 people #2 livestock #3 crops and there was no #4. the eastern small reservoirs were little stinking mud holes and the Oldman was a trickle at Lethbridge. I love the closures but it has had terrible execution and I can't see any way they will be able to prosecute anyone for fishing on the closed waters. The addition of special care areas only confuses the issue as ethical fishermen practice special care at all times. The ethical informed fishermen will stay home and the slightly less ethical fishermen will be impossible to prosecute.

I've always had good luck with the Sage warranty, longest wait was four weeks for a section of a real old rod.

Nice work.

Thanks I'll be giving my 9 a good look before I hit the water as well

Three cheers for some enforcement, a few more of these in July and August and the message will get out.

My rules are 0 degrees if sunny and calm, +3 if cloudy or windy. I try to avoid guide icing.

I've had far to many, lucky my wife doesn't know. I was out alone on a long day float couple years back, I had noticed a big black cloud far to the north since early morning and I kept an eye on it all day. It didn't seem to be going anywhere and I really had no choice but to keep goings anyways as my car was still far away. Well of corse I was in a fast moving section with large boulders and shelves when I noticed the first eruption on the water a few yards away. Took a second and a quick glance at the cloud to figure out wtf was going on. With in seconds I was in hurricane force wind getting pounded by hail much bigger than golf balls the river was boiling with splashes reaching far over my head. I really needed to row just to stay afloat and work toward the nearest shore and I didn't think swimming in class IV rapids would be an upgrade.. Of corse there were no trees anywhere near by and I was taking hits in the head that were giving me the dusty taste in my mouth if you know what I mean. I made it to land and crawled under my pontoon to cover up as best as I could. All said and done I was covered with welts and bruises for a couple weeks my hands knees feet and back of my head were badly swollen. It was nearly a week before I was brave enough to float again.

Sitting here wondering the same thing, lots of online places but would rather skip the learning curve. Boy does Lethbridge ever need a real fly shop.

Been keeping a diary since early 90's, I thought I could learn the deep mysteries by keeping one. Keep track of location, basic weather, air temperature, wind speed, sky condition. I also keep track of what worked and what didn't as well as any funny, odd or ridiculous thing that happened. The thing that ended up being most important thing I keep track of is who I shared time on the water with. I never learned any deep dark secrets but I do use it to refresh my memory about a certain place and it always ends up being a walk down memory lane. Full of great times spent on beautiful waters pursuing feisty trout with the best of friends. Other wise it likely would have all turned into one big long day, it's been time we'll wasted.

When I run two nymphs I always have progressively lighter tippit as well. Saves the odd fly and since I always run a smaller fly lower it helps it move better. At least in my trout loving warped mind.

Nice photos and I would say rare. All the big cats I have encountered have been very shy.

U

More and more bow invasion up there, Carbondale has had plenty for ever sad to hear tribs are going the same way.

Been routed by a few range bulls before so when a cow gave me the treatment I attributed it to my more decrepit state.

I've certainly landed two of the three. To many fly wreckers a few beauty macleod bow and I think I. May have caught pigmys, I caught several unusual tiny whities when I gave a close inspection the eyes seemed to large they were ever leaner than high elevation rmw also their pecs seemed to large for their size. Tiny left trib of Athebasca a long time ago.

I've had "run ins" and "run aways" from most of the critters on the east slopes over the years, might as well have a run in with an otter as well. Even had a knuckle headed range cow put the run on me a couple years back, must be gettng old.

Are a little lucky as it looks like alot of the high elevation precipitation was snow.

2 cents on the 3wt 4wt 5wt. I fished a Sage LL 7'9" 4 for years and loved it then I found a Sage LL 9'0" 3wt. I all ready had a 9' 5wt. I found the 3 with the extra length perfect for smaller water because the extra length gave me better mending and line control. The poor 4wt hasn't been out of the tube for years. I run both the 4wt and the 3wt with an Orvis Battenkill 3/4, with less line on the water and shorter casts it has worked perfectly for well past 30 years.

Thought I would review my post flood fishing predictions. The big fish seemed to be very hard to come by, I never got a fish past 20 all year in flowing. Lots and lots of small 1 and 2 year fish that likely won't all spawn for a year or two. Fish were caught in unusual places, many seasonal creeks seem to be year round for the last few years. Major riverbed changes are obvious and the low water in winter will be revealing. Was a great year and my fingers are crossed for a perfect spring spawn.

I always make sure I know where I'll end up if you know what happens. I never leave myself where I could end up in fast deep water or swept into a log jam or sweeper. Or during the winter months getting swept under a sheet of ice.

Fishcat 9 discovery, been a great ride and took some nasty knocks for the last 7 or 8 seasons. Opened up on a fresh cut tooth on the Oldman this later Summer 1200 denier seemed thin that day. Don't know what's better, multiple near death experiences survived realitivly unscathed

It seems only yesterday $25 would get you half a two piece shipped on a life time warranty. Times have changed, 60 bucks for a usable quality rod isn't bad. I think the prevalence of 4 piece rods has less to do with ease of packing for fishers and more to do with keeping warranty replacement costs down. For rods I plan to use for awhile I have been buying an extra tip section as it seems to be the one I break most, saves shipping costs and I get to keep using the rod.

In my opinion our season here is short and it is not time to wrap it up just yet. There have been October's that had tons of bluebird days, no need to get up early, mosquitoes and wasps and deer flies mostly dead incredible scenery and crowds mostly gone. Day trips are great when shared with friends. I'm a hopeless addict so for me it's never over but the fall can be a great time of year to flyfish.

They seem to run as full as possible on the Oldman as well, something about providing the best possible pressure for privately run power generator in the diversion tunnel. Further to that I have never seen a precautionary release there, in fact quite the contrary. In June huge rain was forecast for the south when the reservoir was near full, they held the flows steady, the first inch fell in the Pincher Creek area and still nothing by the time the second inch fell they had grudgingly loosened up to 500 m3 then with in a few hours we were over 2400 when the monitoring station washed away. Precautionary releases, I wish.