BBBrownie

Glad to see that this didn't end up coming up in the yesterdays preceedings. Fisheries Act intact - for now.

I don't think in reality this is good for anyone, including industry types. A obvious key component to "fish habitat" is fresh water which is becoming scarce/overallocated/degraded. Taking protection of "fish habitat" away will result in degredation of water quality in Canada, among a multitude of other direct and indirect effects on plants, animals, abiotic processes...Water is a necessity of life, no matter how you make your living. If you think fish and/or water are important sign the petition below. fisheries act petition Hmmm, link function doesn't work? Here is the address: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/124/389/037...-fisheries-act/

Thanks for sharing, really enjoyed the collage style!

I have a mustang manual inflation waist belt type. At a lodge I guided at this fall we wore them while running boats. I found that interference with working/fishing was minimal. Huge improvement over past designs! Carrying an extra cartridge may be a good idea as the handle on the pull cord hangs out a bit and could potentially catch on something and set the cartridge off (although this never happened all season to any of us three guides). Very light also, once used to wearing it you don't even notice it is there. I like the piece of mind of having this protection when on the water a lot, but I don't want something invasive as in the past I have never used any sort of PFD while fishing. I would be wary of self inflators with immersion disks, way too many scenarios that could lead to undesired inflation in a water sport like fishing. I am envisioning this product being similar to the immersion sensor on a backpack electrofisher, where the sensor is at waist level, if you go beyond you waist the cartridge will discharge...I know when electrofishing, although an important safety, this often limits sampling access, is a fairly distracting consideration. I like the manual best at this point as I like simplicity, see to many failures in automated devices, I don't trust sensors. I think the only real issue with the manual waist belt is with having the presence of mind/ability to pull the cord and pull the inflated bladder over the head while floating down the river. Maybe not so difficult in most low velocity situations, but in a rapid, or coming at a log jam or something it may get interesting. For me, convenience, simplicity and noninvasive is important, if it was a pain in the ass I wouldn't use it. Even if it does become a kick board, it is better than nothing - I can't be bothered to wear a vest.

Photo number 2 is incredible, huge fan of flyin fish shots! Looks like a great trip.

Thanks for the update, moving to closed containment is such an important step in protecting wild salmon.

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Harps, I agree with your statement that a higher value must be placed on Alberta's fisheries. I also agree that income data associated with a guides association may help to put a hard value on the fishery when combined with other monetary inputs, but what if it doesn't change a thing and suddenly we have wasted many F&W $ to develop a system that doesn't result in protection of anything and really just loses habitat value due to those dollars having been diverted funding away from other important projects that may have actually been having a positive impact. I think it would only be feasible and an acceptable level of risk if funding were completely self contained and fully contingent on guide license dollars. I just don't know if there are enough active guides in Alberta to generate sufficient $ for initial startup and research into the program.

So we will all know who the established guides are, they will have numbers on their boats. Still doesn't address: a)recreational anglers being accused of illegal guiding (how would you ever police this?) this already happens daily in BC. b)recreational fishing by guides on days off - Harps in the system you mention there are days where a guide may have a mandatory non-float day but would be free to walk and wade- what if they are fishing with friends and floating, they will likely be harassed and accused of illegal guiding. c)just because there is a mandatory log book doesn't mean that illegal guides will use it - See gun registry. Where I do see merit is in the case of the southern foothills streams...as annoying as I feel this proposal would be for the Bow River, anything that decreases exploitation of these southern drainage's would be welcome in my mind. I would just like to see this pushed for the right reasons and to me it looks like local guides looking for exclusivity. Calgary is the primary source population of guides, many of the ideas are going to intentionally or not, be Bowcentric. I am worried this would be a losing proposition for the average angler and a waste of F&W's precious few dollars.

I think another perspective for me on this whole guide association/regulated guiding...obviously there are administrative costs involved. With the paltry state of fish and wildlife funding these days, first off i don't think in the current configuration that the regulation would be an option due to a lack of funds for administration. One could argue that licensing fees for guides would pay for administrative fees I suppose...in my mind with the current state of the environment in Alberta, including some of the issues described in this forum (the foothills come to mind) I would much rather see any fisheries dollars (as there seems to be so little) go towards things like habitat protection, enhancement, research, enforcement or our fisheries as this is still sorely lacking. Once we have taken care of important items like this then maybe we could consider using leftover dollars to regulate guides on nonnative tailwater fisheries such as the Bow? Just another argument for Nay that seems to be lacking from the discussion.

Completely disagree with you Don. Just because someone has a drift boat doesn't mean they are a guiding. We all have the right to purchase a drift boat and float the Bow when we see fit without being accused of illegal guiding. It is ludicrous to think that if you have a boat you are a guide. Not even a logical argument!? It is absolutely nothing like your analogy above- unless it was a cold winters day and there was a shooting range next door. Do you seriously think that I would be one of the only anglers on the Bow that has a drift boat but isn't guiding? I know many personally, so to me that is laughable! Another perspective would be guides on days off. If there were ever a rod day system set up, how would you police guides fishing with friends in their drift boat on days off? Unless there is a physical exchange of money, goods, services, etc, for the day of fishing is it really guiding and on a river in an urban metropolis how would you ever enforce or prove this? Just sounds like a can of worms that could really complicate a great thing. I don't see this as a winning (or desirable) proposition for the average Bow River angler, would be negative for most of us, the only winners would be established local guides. The Bow River fishery is a public resource for ALL of us to enjoy not just guides looking for exclusivity.

Tough for me to comment on as the river I guide sees few recreational/DIY anglers due to difficult access, location... the few questionable situations that arise over a season are called in and investigated, but much different situation than we see here on the Bow. Luckily I am sheltered from much of the politics involved in a busier river such as prime time bulkley/kispiox/copper/kalum... I think we all must know by now that it isn't really being handled over there right now - See proposed Skeena AMP or any of the polarizing discussions regarding the AMP if you'd like to know how it is being handled in BC currently. Edit: I am not trying to provoke anything or turn this into an AMP discussion, etc, I just don't want to see the Bow turn into another combat river and am worried that a licensing system may be a step in that direction.

I guide in BC, but haven't here in Alberta, although I live in Okotoks and fish the Bow frequently when I am home. My concern with regulated guiding on the Bow is in regards to the definition of guiding on a river that is primarily a drift boat fishery and the ramifications of this. Owning a driftboat, any time I am behind the oars, like it or not, I will be accused of guiding. This happens in BC with the current system all the time when guides fish on a system with friends other than those that they have rod days for. Suddenly we have no right to enjoy a recreational day of fishing because of the perception of illegal guiding(unless angling only with fellow guides). It would be very difficult to distinguish between someone who is just taking their turn at the oars, and keeping their eyes out for risers, etc, and someone who is "illegally guiding." How could you possibly differentiate this? This will breed a certain amount of contempt on the river without a doubt. Even someone who doesn't guide for a living and has a drift boat, wants to take some buds out for a day(or many days) on the river risks being called out. Other than bank fishermen, the drift becomes a gift to the guides. This would be nearly unenforceable with the traffic that frequents the Bow. There is and can never be anything illegal about floating the river everyday with your own boat and friends, but if you do this would become the perception to guides and anglers alike. Could really polarize the angling community here in Calgary. As an Albertan, I don't think anyone has the right to tell me that I can't fish the river with my friends, or how often I can fish the river without being labeled a rogue guide or whatever when what I am doing is recreating, not guiding. When I am home the last thing I want to do is work on my days off, so there is no real risk of illegal guiding from me, it is all pleasure. On the other side of the coin, there will be huge issues with people claiming to be recreating, when in reality there is money being exchanged. How could you ever expect to police this in a city over a million without also bringing on all the negative vibes? Could you imagine the enforcement issues on the Skeena system if over a million lived in Smithers or Terrace?

Edit...haven't been around the internet for quite a while, made a thoughtful comment then noticed this has been beaten in a past thread...

Kevin was a great time on the Babine this fall, his jams kicked up the campfire party! Still have a couple of those tunes playing in my head...He did a great job on this clip!

Slick does the trick for me John. As Max said, stretch before first use or two, then you are off. I fished slick on both my main rigs this season and had no problems. It takes a little getting used to pinching it to the cork and this was my primary concern early on, but after a few days you get used to it, no issues. I have never had any problem wit setting the hook with this set up as others have mentioned as a possible con of the system, just business as usual with a little more shootability, less stick. I would say the only real con for me has been that the lifespan is fairly short, but then it is cheap and replaceable.

The Castle and tribs would be my choice, it has been fishing well this month.

The other side of the arguement is that some would ask why we are playing with food. I don't agree with the sentiment, but I've heard it many times. I also think that if it is sustainable, I have no issue with harvest of non-native, abundant populations. In many cases they are hybrids living in what was once westslope habitat, occupying a niche in between the colder headwaters of the cutty and the warmer foothills sections that the rainbows exploit. Angler harvest of a fish is in my opinion the wrong focus as they pale in comparison to the habitat degredation that is ongoing currently. If you really want to help, rally against the clear cut logging that is slated to occur throughout the Castle drainage this summer. That will have much more influence on fish numbers than bonking one. Think warming of water, siltation of spawning habitat, decrease in functional cover/LWD, decreased cahnnel complexity...

I think the Tibor 9-10 would do fine as a crossover between the two rods you've mentioned. Ideally, you would want to try the reel on the rod to check the balance, but I am sure this set up would fish just fine.

Not even close to true in my experience. I rarely use tips for streamers on the Bow aside from winter, where I use tips maybe 60% of the time. One of my most productive techniques on the Bow river is swinging Bow River Buggers or Muddler minnows in choppy, 3-5 foot deep mid paced water first thing in the morning, or in the evening. Often when drifting the Bow, if there isn't a pile of dry action coming on, especially in the morning, casting a dry line with a large streamer on 4-6 feet of 8 lb tippet hard at the banks, what we call "bangin the banks" so the streamer actually hits a rock on the edge, or very near, let it sink for 1-2 seconds and then give it 3 or 4 good strips, repeat, can produce amazing results, vicious takes, always big fish. Also, the streamer doesn't always have to be on the bottom, even in winter. There is a good overwinter hole that I have fished a number of times where the current is fairly slow to the inside, but the fish seem to lay out along the edge of the thalweg where the current is significant. I have fished it many times with a dry line and a slightly weighted large streamer, and I have fished it with a tip on (today actually). I generally do better in this particular hole in winter on a dry line, with an unmended swing. The fish that I take from this run are predominantly large browns, and they are definately moving up to the fly, as it is swinging fast and occasionally one takes right off the cast. I suppose what I am saying is that if you are presenting a swing and dependant on the type of water you are fishing (I personally don't generally fish streamers in fast currents), a 5-6 foot leader can do just fine. That is just the observations me and my crew find.

Nice! My buddy is staying in that area for a couple months and fished off the Marietta's a few times last month, had an absolute blast! That is an interesting looking Pompano!

Interesting...Sure a pile of bonefish specific guide operations based out of Oahu for an island with no bonefish opportunities? Looks to me like there are flats as well, albeit slighlty non-conventional.

Single hand rods can be nice for swinging dries for steel, and although it is definately possible to fish single hand for steel in the Skeena area (I did my first couple of years), I would 100% go with another spey rod, or possibly a switch. On a big river like the Bulkley or Skeena a single hand rod just doesn't cover as much water as I would like it to. On many of the smaller rivers you have no backcast room so would be relegated to single hand spey casts, etc. I found the biggest factor for me was that a week or two of throwing heavy tips and big weighted flies was just inefficient, hard on the shoulder, so I switched over to two hands ALMOST exclusively. I really enjoy fishing something in the 12-13 foot range and 7 -8 weight, dependent on what rivers you are fishing. There are a few rivers where a 7 is undergunned - Babine, Kispiox, Skeena mainstem...For Bulkley system a 7 or 8 weight 12-14 foot rod is suitable.

Frankly, the bs the Castle has gone through makes me sick. Such a special place that has become an unfortunate sacrifice to Alberta multi usage. Special as in beautiful, unique and ecologically important. Anyone ever read any of Andy Russells stories of the Castle wilderness from back before it was originally logged? I thought we just listed the Grizzly bear as Threatened? There is an abundance of prime grizzly habitat in the Castle (aside from the onslaught of four wheel invaders these days). The hiking is special in this area - there are a few golden trout lakes that are absolutely gorgous. If you cross the west castle and head up the trail there are many multi day hikes you can complete where you may not see a soul for days - get up on the divide and head south, or north, you can hike into the middle kooteney pass into one of BC's most threatened and beautiful drainages - the Flathead. The views from atop the Divide in the Castle area are outstanding. The direction is completely wrong. This region should be protected, not logged. I agree wholeheartedly with a previous poster that stated that the pine beatle is an exuse to log indiscriminantly. Forestry industry is hurtin in Alberta, pine beatle is a convenient stimulus. I don't know honestly if it will make a difference, but if everyone writes letters, signs petitions, at least the voice is there and do I ever hope that the government turns a new leaf and listens. I also believe that in the Castles case at this point (although it may well be too late) "loving it to death" is necessary. I would encourage all catch and release anglers/hikers/mountain bikers/sight seers/...to spend as much time as possible in the Castle to show that we care for the Castle and use the castle in a relatively non-consumptive way. Not sure whether Albertan's have enough give a rip these days, but the Castle could sure use it.

NICE! That will make a sweet stick, Bob does some incredible work. Now you just need to get yourself an old pre-war dingley or hardy to balance it out...Jealous!