Meeks

I had an underground wasp population causing much grief. Tried the water hose, only result was more stinging. Got some wasp killer foam, which shoots about 6' with the nozzle tube. If you can get that close, spray the foam over the cracks they are using. Then wait a few minutes, the foam will thicken a bit and act as a barrier. Then put the nozzle tube through the foam into the crack and spray for awhile. This worked for my wasps.

Not sure it's the answer. If I really want to fish somewhere specific, $20 isn't going to deter me, nor many others I know. Remember when gas was $1.40 a litre. Everybody griped, but still headed out every weekend. Same thing here. In the last two years I've noticed waaaay more people at spots I never used to see them before. Naturally I fumed a bit at first, but now just head out with a back-up plan or two. Typically I'd choose solitude over big trout. So now I just make a loose plan, and hopefully I get my spot. If not, go bushwacking or just drive another 20 minutes. There's miles of creeks and rivers that won't have a soul on them. And the fishing is often surprising. At worst I'm picking 4" Brookies off my flies. Still better than eating burgers in the camper and stewing about the crowds.

I'm not proud of it, but I'm still in the 'Leader Link' phase (for many years now). Easy to use, and never had one break. Changing the leader takes seconds. I recommend them for beginners, and simple folks like me who just don't learn knots well.....

In mid-July I pulled an entire dome tent, abandoned and flattened, from a gravel bar in the middle of Shunda Creek. Probably a 6-man tent. Took 3 trips and nearly filled up the back of the truck. It's one thing to have a chip bag blow out of your vest, but man....

Smitty, While I haven't stopped there this summer, I have spent a fair bit of time on Cripple last summer and previous. My best days have been on +25c afternoons. Seemed there was a little Cutt behind every rock. However, one morning (around 10:00am) I stopped there on the way farther north. It was going to be a hot day, already 18-20c. After 2 hours I left skunked. Not a rise or flash, nothing. Perplexed, I stopped there 2 weeks later around late afternoon, and did very well. I believe water temperature was the main factor then, seems to be a late-afternoon kind of creek. I've found this on other Cutthroat streams. But maybe not to the extent I seen there. Many stretches are fairly well treed, so maybe it takes longer to warm. Although I have seen alot of vehicles parked there during my travels this summer. Surely nobody has been filling their cooler with 7" Cutts.

I have the old-style belly boat (w/ inner tube), and wanted to pack it into a lake deflated. However I can't seem to find a portable hand-powered air pump that will fit the inner tube's valve stem, which is the same as a car tire valve stem. I imagine something must exist, other than a bicycle pump, that would work. I cannot seem to find one in Edmonton though. Typically I use the DC air pump and inflate it at the truck, but I don't want to pack the inflated tube through the bush. Any tips or suggestions would be much appreciated!