Castuserraticus

None of the smaller creeks and rivers are open until Monday the 16th.

Makes me remember the little lake near where I grew up. Back then, it was a dirt track that was inaccessible 90% of the time. Now it's paved with a developed recreation area.

Ignorance is not an excuse. He does not have a point. Just cause guns and bows are sold within the city limits doesn't mean you can hunt there. They are taking part in a regulated activity and have a responsibility to know and abide by the rules. The onus is on the user. A car dealership does not require you to take a driving test prior to selling you a car. The heavy fines for poaching are an educational tool. They're not going to break anyone but it can sure make them think twice about breaking the law again. I've argued with a person over his contention that marshmallows were not bait. I didn't have a phone at the time to call him in. The CO would have settled the argument. Can you turn a friend in for poaching? Why not - especially if they're habitual? The program is anonymous. Some older guys who wish for "the good old days" do not want to change their ways to adapt to the reality of today's world. I've had this conversation with my Dad.

Ticket is the first step. Then, just like a speeding ticket, they either pay (guilty plea) or court has to convict them. CO has to appear in court to testify if the ticket isn't paid. Judge has some discretion is amount of final fine.

He may have a buff body and a pretty face but the girls still aren't interested. Interesting looking accident of nature. That's pretty well a once in a lifetime catch, eh? Or does Sask. stock them?

My wife has recurring back spasms. The best remedy she found was Dr. Brian Abelson - he's a chiro by training but does pretty well 100% active release now. We've both used acupuncture through Saatcha Health Centre and like it - Jag Johal. Have you tried therapeutic massage? I've gone to a guy at 5th Ave. Physio for various sports injuries. Most massage therapists burn out in less than 5 years due to repetitive strain injuries but Dave has lasted over 12 years because he's 6'4" and real strong. He can usually get everything moving after 3 treatments. He's shown me many pains are referred - the injury site and the pain location are not the same - so it takes a broader approach to actually get relief. It hurts like hell initially but it sure works.

Environment Canada website gives pressure and trend info.

Well I won't be vacationing with you Vic - you're a trouble magnet. I always thought you looked like a wealthy, drug smuggling, terrorist and this confirms it.

Sounds like wear and tear. I've had the same problem with waders. It's an easy fix. Turn then inside out to access the feet but leave the foot portion inside in. This is to retain the proper shape and not create potential pressure points. Coat the inside of the heels with a couple of layers of flexible urethane (shoe goop or aquaseal - seems to be the same stuff). Work it into the fabric covering the neoprene and into the holes. Let cure for 48 hours. With one pair of waders I glued some denim into the heel for additional protection. The patch is stronger than the neoprene.

I don't think total weight is the only balancing issue. I've wrestled with weight distribution. I've found the simplest to cast for me is having increasing mass towards the tip. This may be counter intuitive to line turn over but I try to use the current to load the rod most of the time with minimal false casting. I used to use the lead strips for weight but feel I get faster penetration with shot as the mass is concentrated and there's less surface area to cut through the water. I struggled when I first start using a swivel as adding another potential hinge point to the line seemed to cause even more tangles. When my concentration dropped, the loops would start to tail and the various hardware and knots would begin to catch on each other. With various shots, flies, and the swivel the physics of each weight moving at slightly different directions causes some spectacular tangles. Does the ideal drift have all the flies ticking the bottom or do you want to cover some water column? The primary role of the swivel is to prevent line twist and resulting tangles. Additional weight is secondary? Would it be as effective to go with the lightest swivel and place it just below the indicator? This reduces terminal tackle/knots with potentially less chance for tangles?

There has always been partying in the random camping areas. One thing that has changed is that we are a disposable society - pack it in and throw it away. And, the nature of the garbage has changed. Plastic sticks around.

For my wading belt, I use a runner's belt with bottle holster. Works good for me. On longer days I bring a backpack with a refill bottle that I leave on the shore.

Nice ones - they're sure thick. Aren't those spawning colours? I thought they were triploids.

It was the winner of Alberta's Next Top Bull Trout.

Wow - that's some skill shown there.

Exxon announced their record profit - same profit margin of about 7 1/2 %. They were about break even on the refining side. For reference, it's about the same margin as Safeway. Free markets are amazingly efficient. Competition is very effective at knocking down "excess profit". "Dirtier, older, less well maintained..." The workers? Bird kill facts - the largest single source of kills are lighted radio towers. There are reported instances of greater than 10,000 birds killed in one night at single towers. This tends to affect larger birds with big wingspans. The problem is the towers and the stabilizing cables. This happens in every country around the world. Alberta is being vilified internationally over 500 waterfowl. Go Greenpeace. Go media.

Health food specialty stores. Amaranth in Arbour Lake has dulce I don't know about others.

Just some fingers and toes... They can do this because they know they'll get the other limbs later.

Everyone brings up valid points. I did some research and found out that one of the largest contributor to bird deaths is lighted radio towers and their guide wires. There are reported instances of over 10,000 birds being killed in one night at single towers. Larger birds are most vulnerable. There have been significant strides made in positioning wind generators since about 2000. Prior to that no consideration was given for migration routes or proximity to habitat. Have these old wind farms been torn down or refitted to protect birds? My point was the newspapers have jumped on this implying it is the tip of the iceberg and more is to come. Righteous indignation is aroused. There's never anything but bad news. More birds likely die everyday in Calgary from hitting residential windows. Maybe every homeowner should be required to purchase a system that will prevent this and be fined when birds hit their house. The largest source of animal deaths is vehicle collisions. What can we mandate to punish people when they hit a deer, sparrow, or gopher? Everything is "realistically preventable" in media hindsight. Given unlimited $$ I suppose something could be engineered to never fail - until you add people. They're always finding creative new ways to screw up (except you and me Rick). And, oil companies do not set the price of oil. It is set by the market - the buyers. The facts are the world is running out of cheap oil. Don't believe the propaganda of abundant cheap oil from the Arabs. When oil was cheap and easy to find it was found abundantly, cheaply, and easily. The cost of any product is related to today's production/replacement costs not last year's or last decade's. Does anyone want their salary rolled back a decade in today's cost environment?

This event is nothing compared to natural occurrences. Every few years there's a botulism outbreak at Pakowki Lake (ehpemeral lake) in southern Alta. that kills tens of thousands. Considering the millions of birds that potentially fly through the area I'd say they do a pretty good job of keeping them from the ponds. But that type of successful activity makes for boring headlines.

I've seen this one before. Two guys with sparkling personalities enjoying a social occasion.

I've sight fished to what I was told were smallmouth at Surveyors Lake and Engineers Lake until it was closed to boats. Swimming a girdle bug was quite effective. Not many fish and not large but fun anyway.

Better be careful. The stuffed animal protectionist groups will be camped outside your door. Better add a disclaimer to the website.

Has anyone ever seen untinted polarized glasses? I'd like the option of not having tint in lower light conditions as my eyes aren't as strong as they used to be.

I've agreed with this position in the past but since so many active fisherman swear by air pressure effects I've re-thought my position. Since the fish are hugging the bottom on the edge of the current in optimal lies, they have to adjust their internal pressure. They can't go down and don't want to go up. In the ocean or lakes the optimal lie is related to temperature, oxygen content, etc. which is often closely tied to depth. Humans relate to adjusting to pressure changes by equalizing the inner/outer ear pressure - a simple act. There is more to it on a microscopic level as there are gas bubbles within the blood and tissue that are affected and while not noticeable at low pressure changes are catastrophic at greater changes (the bends). The fish has to equalize the pressure in the air bladder metabolically against the water pressure. It's very conceivable that they feel discomfort when the air pressure changes. And the brain is now empty....