Bowcane

I seen the 'Hal Bacon' ones on the net, but does anyone know how much capacity the largest one has? Its listed as a 5/6/7. The SA 7wt steelhead taper line seems to be its best fit right now, so it needs to take this and about 100yrds of 20lb, not look like it belongs on the starship enterprise, less than a mortgage payment (or tank of gas!) and I'll be happy! Thanks so far to all who replied.

I use the smallest William Joseph chest pack made (out of production, who'd guess!) forced me to carry just what I need. However I use a fanny/hip pack speying so the line doesn't get tangled and caught on a lot of stuff, in combo with a lanyard for frequently used stuff, thats tucked into the top of my waders so it doesnt swing all about. I use this set up for day long fishing too, you can carry drinks and snacks in the fanny/hip pack and not feel like a 44D cup! The lanyard is great when I go out and know almost certainly what is going to hatch/happen, just a box with tricos, stones,hoppers,streamers etc. I've had a 'D' loop sewn into the strap of the chest pack for a net. I just clip the net to the lanyard when I use it. Far from perfect, but it seems to work.

I'm looking for a reel for a cane spey rod. Right now I'm using the Ross from my 7wt SH rod, it's disc drag, works well, but, really doesn't have the classy looks the rod deserves. Hardy makes a nice 'Classic' reel (cant recall the model name), but its an arm and a leg. Any suggestions for a new reel which looks classic and is affordable. I'm looking for used Marquis' or Princes, but no luck yet. I'm trying to keep it under $300.

Check out the St.Croix line, I use an Ultra Legend for a travel rod and have no complaints. The 6 wieght loads nice with a SA GPX line. Should be able to get one for $300-350.

Where is the Bow river flow station located within Calgary? (not the one at Bearpaw) Does it look the same as the ones back east which look like a dog house on top of an up-right 2-3' dia. corrugated culvert pipe? RB

Yes the line rating system of two handers is one of biggest hurdles for beginners, even more so for seasoned single hand casters who are entrenched in a way of thinking. Pre 2002? rods still use the AFTMA single hand rating(40' rather than 30' I believe) as do some European rods, the continental guys are switching over but the British are still using the old system. Guys will get say new a 7 wieght spey and think that a #7SH line should work (my 7 wieght cane spey works magically with a 7 wieght steelhead taper cause it's old and British), but in reality they end up with some thing in the 11-12SH range. Power rating is some thing else too, is it a 7 or a 12? Castability, same thing. We should have used grain weights right off and avoided confusion, but, we must not forget that for any given line size, the heads will have different grainage whether they are short, mid, or long belly lines. So a rod must have ratings for all three, plus skagit and scandi ratings. Perhaps, hopefully, as spey casting evolves we will develop a 'K.I.S.S.' system to match lines to rods. Trying to cast to the other side of the river right off, and all the time, is kind of missing the point and original reason of spey casting. People just get the wrong idea, to a point, when they see Simon do a single spey and shoot line across the Snake river in Rio's videos. Both in SH and DH, distance sells rods, and lines, and unfortunatly we end up with just more stuff to cast flies with rather than fish with. When was the last time you bought a rod and the dealer showed you how good it cast 20' of line? How about that DT vs WF debate? My $.02. RB

Well, I think I'll go with the SA skagit 'system' in their so called 6 wieght.(I believe its about 425 gr if I recall correctly) Apparently you get the head and some tips with it. As 'Islandguy' said this is a very interesting post, I've often wondered why thier isn't a book or manual about spey casting which tells you how to put it all together, explains everything, etc. "Spey casting and two handed rods for dummies" would be a good title, such as those computer/how to books by the same name. I know even after 7-8 years speying something still trips me up!

Well I've more than once seen a pod of browns working a spinner fall in the middle of a flock (gaggle?) of Canada geese doing the same. You need more than a 4WT to turn a big goose! RB

Well I,ve more than once seen a pod of browns working a spinner fall in the middle of a flock (gaggle?) of Canada geese doing the same. You need more than a 4WT to turn a big goose! RB

Islandguy, what is curious to me is that Skagits are becoming the go to system in Great lakes steelhead rivers. Why I dont know, as I said, they are generally smallish, gentle rivers with back cast room. Except that Niagara! (it is something around 5000+ CMS and goes up and down 10-20' depending on power generation) I always did like the feel and handling of a traditional style line.

Islandguy, you are correct with the fly size issue, for me a 3" fly is large from where I'm from. We (I) would typical handle those situations with a larger rod, plus the river conditions are very different. We would use 4-6" tubes in the Niagara gorge below the whirlpool. I may try customizing a XLT as you suggested into a head about 32-36' long. I would think a 7 would be a good starting point. They are widely available back east (and cheap, $20) as they were pushed on beginners by unknowing retailers, guess they wanted to be stars right off. BigBadBrent, for the purpose of this discussion mostly the Bow within or near city limits. However below three rivers and more northern locales are possibilities. I like the scandi idea, never thought of that. I don't have much experience with the 'T' stuff, as it really wasn't the eastern thing. Weighted flies, split shot(nasty), poly leaders or shortish lengths of courtland lead core sink tip (1-4'). Long leaders worked 90% of the time as rivers have relatively placid flows there. Think Red Deer. The Scott rod matches the average fish size so its nearly perfect for that, but finding a line system which works on that rod to reach them, depth and current wise is the problem. I have tried my WC5/6 on the rod, however, the combination of weighted fly, long leader and/or tip, I believe is causing an issue with excessive anchor 'stick' which then causes a whole host of problems. Oddly, shooting line isn't (rockets off across the river), just casting with a fixed length (it just kind of flops out there without much energy). I must add that this is very much a streamer issue for mid river fish, mostly in the 'over-wintering' spots, nymphs, wets, summer streamers and skating dries all go according to text book. Maybe I'm just too picky (I'm catching fish) with what my forward cast looks like, or perhaps its technique.

I have a Scott LS2 1206 which I'm looking for a skagit system. Rio recommends a 350gr head, but I've heard of guy's using up to 450gr on this rod (Speypages), which I think would be a bit heavy and clunky especially when using some of the fast sink tips. Opinions? Anyone have this rod and tried it? The rod handles various lines quite well. It likes a mid spey the best, however, the larger weighted flies use here are difficult to cast, especially I find with water borne anchor casts. Should I still use a leader about 1 1/2X to 2X rod length? Rio also has something new called a 'skagit flyline' which appears to be a head and running line all in one. Has anyone tried this? Being relatively new to the Calgary area which local shop has a good spey selection? Most seem to treat it as a curiosity and have only a limited knowledge of it. Thanks RB

Like most long time fly fishers I've had a lot of waders, some good, some bad, some ugly. My Simms G3 wouldn't have leaked less if I had pushed the lawn mower over them 2 or 3 times, and they were only 3 month old. The Simms dealer/reatailer said I wore them out! (Not any of the local guys) Grudgingly he gave me a credit (not full value) and I got the Guidewieghts, which after 3 years have been acceptable with only a few small leaks as of lately. So far these have been my best pair in 30+ years of flyfishing. I really think it was the stupid @#$% &^%$ guy I got them (the G3's) from and not Simms. However I will seriously look into the Patagonia's and William Joseph one's next. The Simms are the most comfortable waders I have had.

Fisher26, I couldn't agree more with your comments, we don't want that spectacle from out east here! And because it is allowed to continue doesn't make it right. No one province (or individual) has the monopoly on stupidity, complatency or righteousness. However I find it odd that this topic has 47 posts (mine included, just as much to blame) and 1114 views. The post about the pond at Policemans has 5 posts and 262 views. (I've wrote my letter to the appropriate authorities) Which has the potential for more serious impacts? Are we focusing our efforts in the right area? One of the running jokes (unfortunately its more truth than fiction) about the brook trout streams in Southern Ontario goes something like this; (something to be learned for all of us) "A flyfisher stops and asks a farmer spreading liquid manure on his stream side field and asks where the good brook trout stream is. He is told to go down the road to the new housing development and turn right, proceed to the bottled water plant taking thousands of litres a day from the aquifer and turn left. Go past the below the water table gravel pit and the bulldozers working at the asphalt plant and you will cross the stream. But I wouldn't bother says the farmer," the damn bait fisherman from Toronto have cleaned it out!"

As someone who is a 'new' Albertan and to this board, I believe is a total non-issue. If you want to see 'ethics', take a trip to Ontario and watch the gory spectacle when the rainbows, browns and salmon run out of the Great lakes. It makes a Roman Circus look like Girl Guides baking cookies! You have in no particular order, people spearing, clubbing, netting, snagging, seen a guy with a shot gun once, netting, plus the roe baggers and a few guys actually fly-fishing. Seen a guy slash open a male browns belly and start cursing that it had no roe in it! Also that aint crowded people, try sticking about 250+ guys in the 500m of the Highwood that's open, its a daily occurrence there. Two points on all this, one, if you dont like it, dont fish there(or at all; just repeating whats been said). And, most guys here have no idea how good they have it here either. Alberta is heaven, Ontario is hell. I for one have no problem with it (fishing for the bows), not breaking the law, C&R the fish, play them quickly, no 1/2hr photo shoot, etc, etc. Maybe I have come off a bit hard here and do apologize, but I just cant believe this stuff. Most of my fishing buddies in Ontario havn't been out since late November (brutal snow falls, low and high water, very late spring)and when they do get out will dance with joy if they catch one 12"(likely stocked) trout. ( I heard one guy down at FC bit*hing that he ONLY caught two trout over 20" yet this year!) I think the nearness to such phenomenal fishing resources has made us very contempt of what we have. Perhaps the average Alberta fly fisher should spend a year or two in Southern Ontario so they can appreciate what they have here. I know this got somewhat off topic but it did push the wrong button on the wrong day, and again I apologize if it is taken offence to any-one. It was not my intention.