BBBrownie

No one? Thompson fish need your help, bait is shown to affect mortality. Steelhead numbers have been in decline for some years now in the Thompson, last thing they need is an increased mortality brought on by bait. No, a bait ban isn't the solution to rebound the celebrated and legendary run of large, strong fish running the Thompson every fall, but we must limit mortality in any way we can. I don't believe banning fishing entirely is the answer as this leads to problems icluding increased poaching due to less eyes on the river, responsible anglers are also ardent conservationists, the town of Spences Bridge's economy relies on steelhead season anglers, the list goes on. I believe changes in water quality and quantitiy (in important tributaries) have lead to major changes for the fish community. The least we can do is ban bait. Gear fishers can still hit the river, just perhaps on a more level playing field. This would bring the fishery in line with other classified steelhead rivers throughout BC. Whether or not you fish steelhead, or fish the Thompson, a bait ban is the right thing to do to help protect an amazing race of steelhead and only takes a minute to sign on. It is the least we can do.

I don't trust any of 'em, really don't like the idea of checking my gear. Going through IAH (Houston) on the way back from a trip to Mexico, I was carrying my rod in a tube looking for food when a security woman turned to me and kept yelling "sir?", when I came out of my bubble and realized she was yelling at me, I looked at her, she asked what is in the tube sir? I replyed that it was a rod, then she proceded to tell me how badly I had scared her as she figured it must be a firearm. Weird. The funny thing was that she didn't actually check it, she just took my word for it. Not sure how I would have gotten a firearm past security but whatever...I don;t like to check gear as bags often are "lost", I would lose my mind if one of my rods or reels disappeared. A friend had some very pricey tequilla (yes, there is fancy tequilla) coming back from mexico one time, got home, open bag, a quarter of the bottle of tequilla had mysteriously disappeared during the time the bag was checked.

Haha. Andrea! Andrea and the Lac La Biche crew have done some great predator dynamics work with cormorants walleye and perch.

Check with Southbow, I seem to recall seeing the mortensen dvd on their shelf...

Survey completed. Everyone better fill this survey out, voices need to be heard. Not sure how I feel about this though, really just lip service. Without enforcement, what good are laws and regualtions? A two years and running provincial hiring freeze sure isn't going to give this thing any legs. I think it has potential to break up some of the larger gatherings, but there is no one on the ground to respond and monitor in most situations I have observed. We need enforcement in order for any of this to amount to anything more than a pound of beans in the "real world".

Looks like Oncorhynchus mykiss giardineri, the Redband rainbow trout. Columbia and Fraser River drainages...Characterized by often exagerated parr marks, a distinctive red lateral band and tints of yellow or orange on the ventral region, interestingly enough, can also exhibit a yellow or orange throat slash like a cutthroat. (from Robert Behnke's "Trout and Salmon of North America", great book by the way, highly recommend to anyone intersted in biology and evolution of native trout and salmon). Very close relative of the Athabasca Rainbow, some think that the Athabow originated from an early overland connection between the upper fraser and athabasca watersheds...

Good job Brandon!, beauty brown. That 24" mark is tough to be, few over that, but they exist!

Although I can't say anything particular in regards to population numbers in Alberta as a whole, they sure seem to have declined markedly in the Pembina drainage, they used to be in most tribs of the pembina in large numbers, creeks like Rat Creek near Cynthia, Nelson Creek, upper Pembina, goes on and on, but Grayling are a bit of an indicator of water quality and habitat quality in that they are quite sensitive to changes in water chemistry and are negatively correlated with silt substrates and suspended silt. The upper Pembina, as well as many of the athabasca tribs (from swan hills to fort McMurray) have been affected by relentless industrial development over the years...Sure ain't what they used to be...And to whoever asked if they were native, yes, they are up there and also in the Belly down south (disjunct population), but not in Iron or Bear. Edit- Yes, they can be easy to catch in a river, i've never fished em in a pond but in rivers they are generally willing. They seem to be attracted to red, so red humpies and things like that are quite effective, as well as small nymphs. I've seen a lot of pictures from the 70's and 80's with long stringers of grayling, may have fished em too low, species population dymnamic shift towards a different dominant in the systems? Pembina was absolutely infested with rockies last couple times I fished it.

Doesn't necessarily have to be on bottom...Bow River Bugger only has lead wraps around the shank, so while sinking a foot or two, it doesn't generally hit anywhere near bottom, yet catches fish with the best of em! Bow River bugger dead drifts and swings well. Give it a slight upstream cast, let it drfit for a few seconds, give it a big mend and let it swing around untill it is hanging below you. Let it hang for a few seconds, perhaps a few twitches, slow strip a few feet, then take a few steps down and repeat. Browns respond well to the swing for me, bows often to the dead drift. You can also try 'dropping' a nymph from the shank of the bugger, this can work quite well...

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Nymphing would certainly not be my first choice at night...

As I prefer to fish almost strictly dry fly this time of year, I got myself into my first double taper last month and must say I am really enjoying it. Still great with a light nymph rig or with a lighter streamer, a dream with any sort of dry. The mending capabilities are astounding after having fished WF forever. I won't be fishing it winter/spring season, and I generally swing the spey if I am out strictly swingin bugger, but for my current applications, the Rio Trout LT DT really kicks ass on my 6 weight. Used to be a cortland 444 peach guy, still am, but this Rio is the first trout line that has really contended with the 444 for me...

Why not stock em in Sundance, private lake, raise the funds and you'll have tigers...

Although I have had good success with black/olive pick yer pockets, the ole' unweighted Bow River Bugger is hands down the most productive streamer I swing. That bushy deer hair head makes all the difference in the movement and disturbance of water.

decent cutts, but small water, can't sustain a lot of pressure. A bit of a walk in unless you are fishing the mouth at the canyon. Was good a couple years ago after being closed for a long while, but been hit relatively hard since...

6lb maxima is tough stuff, but I always go 8 swinging on the bow. I don't think I have had a break off on 8lb maxima, but had a few on 6. I find large streamers to be selective for large fish, that combined with turbid water points to a heavier tippet. I wouldn't ever go over 8lb though, if you snag something you may have trouble breaking heavier tippet, depending on strength of your fly line/backing/knots. Easy to break lighter rods with too heavy tippet. I certianly wouldn't go 10-12lb maxima, big time overkill, have landed steelhead and chinook over 20lbs on 12 lb maxima in big water.

I will second that, good call uber! Although I love Edmonton (spent 10 years there), the fishing and hiking in CAlgary was the kicker for me!

All bears are different. Procedure for dealing with bear encounters is highly situational, there isn't a right or wrong way, it really just depends. Leave a wide birth, DO NOT show aggression toward bear (it may see this as a challenge), no fast or sudden movements, carry bear spray. Guns aren't effective in the amount of time you will likely have to use them in a real life encounter. Most charges are bluffs, guns lead to dead animals in what would have most times been a bluff. Make noise when you are fishing or walking in the bush, dogs are not good unless specifically trained and proven, they will bring bears to you. I have had many encounters, yet to have on go too badly, bound to happen eventually , just hope its only a bluff!

I think this is an old thread that should be resurected. I am going to make an effort to do a weekend evidence collecting trip just to have some documentation of some of what is happening down there. It will add some back up to letters and heresay. It would sure be nice to gain momentum toward closing at least some of the major culprits in the road/trail system, perhaps ban random camping along a few roads, etc. I am not in to banning all fishing, just mitigating some of the impacts. Would be nice to try and get funding for some enhancement and mitigation projects out that way. West Castle is one that I really enjoy that has been abused for years and really could use some lovin.

Whoa. I am working out of town near Oyen having rain day number two, so haven't seen the rivers in a few days, but was just looking at discharge for the Sheep and Highwood on Alberta Environments website. Have they ever risen! The Sheep has went from 20 m3/s to 90 m3/s in 3 days, the highwood from 66m3/s to 206m3/s in the same period! Whoa. I suppose I am not missing much for fishing anyhow...

just read an article written by Scott Howell, apparently they included some footage of swinging and twitching steelhead poppers on the video. I am not sure if anyone has seen the clip of one of his guides fishing this style for steelhead on the N.Umpqua on his website, but it sure is a sweet clip, not sure whether the steelhead smashing the popper or the guys casting abilities are more impressive!

cant wait! Looks like a good one, that chrome really gets my heart beating, september is coming! If there is some scenario specific technique in this one it should be good to pick up where part one left off...sure nice to see that this volume includes steel!

May I recommend Frenchmans Creek? The fish are the biggest around and always bitting.

my favorite time to strip streamers such as buggers is bangin the banks from a drift boat and giving it a few good strips. Any big fish sitting along the bank that gets wind of it will hammer it!

You don't find swinging productive for trout? I find it can be selective for large trout. I think swinging vs stripping is water dependant. If I am in very slloowww flows then I may add a strip, when the water is at a moderate pace, around a fast walking speed, a swing is deadly. Also, the swing can work well in runs with abundant structure, perhaps in the form of boulders, streamy currents, etc where there may be multiple big fish holding behind structure and watching then ambushing prey. Besides all that, there is certain peace to the step and swing rhythm that can be especially satisfying when it is broken by an explosion on the end of your line.