southfisher

Taco's statement says a lot. If anglers are warning other anglers that the Streamwatch officer is out "so you better be careful" than the program is a success. You are never going to stop all the poachers but if those that feel "I can get away with it", stop or slow down their activities due to the impression that they may be caught. Well what more can you ask for. I'll be enjoying my free flight tickets compliments of West Jet and the Streamwatch Raffle. Keep up the good work guys.

Do you really think a few fly fishermen representing a few more fly fishermen in form of Trout Unlimited would really had an effect on the logging proposal. It will go ahead regardless of what any special interest group or individual wants. This is the Alberta Conservative Gov't after all. As far as the question regarding why there is still a limit on cutthroat trout? It has been proven that the cutthroats may be listed as "endangered" due to hybridization with rainbows and not over fishing. Besides all but a few isolated tribs. are no longer pure strain. You may want to be careful what you wish for. For if the argument was made to that fishing is responsible for the decline, the rivers would have to be closed to angling as even catch and release has mortality related to it.

What came out of this meeting? Updates from anyone who attended...

Shouldn't you guys mark 30 cm so you know what size is legal to keep for the pan...

Thanks for the pointers. I've heard good things about the klinkhammer from another guy. I'll have to sit at the vice one of these nights and make a couple. Some nights on the Crow its a can't miss, the next trip I toss the white towel in and go home. On those nights I usually find the fish feeding subsurface and haven't quite figured out how to capitalize on that behaviour.

I was out on the Crowsnest the other day and came away a little frustrated (not unusual). Their was a huge hatch of Mayflies ( small green ones , Green Drakes ?? and a small brown, one PMD perhaps?). At any rate I couldn't match the hatch. I caught some fish but most casts were refusals to an active pod. The big fish were sucking something out of the film with only dorsal fins showing. I am assuming that they were grabbing one of the mayflies as they emerged. Now my question what are some good patterns / sizes to use in such situations and any tips on how best to fish it? Are there problems with detecting strikes with a fly that is in the water skim and really not visible to the eye? I noticed that the big fish rarely grab anything that requires more than a nose out of the water, so I have to figure this out to consistently catch the larger trout. Any help would be much appreciated.

There are two students out of the Nordegg office this year. I would suggest calling the Nordegg Fish and Wildlife Office if you want more information.

It is federal jurisdiction but the City can impose bylaws that are more restrictive but not less. So the Feds say it just has to be in the boat and the City says it has to be on the person therefore if you have it on you are still complying with Federal law.

Yup the weatherman was right again... Anyone go fishing in the whiteout on the Crow on Sunday?

I don't think that would be the same bear. That's a longways for a mom to travel with two little ones. There ain't a real shortage of black bears in that part of the world.

Firefrog every Fish and Wildlife Officer I have ever met is armed with a handgun, pepper spray etc and have as much hand to hand combat training as the police. Most aren't afraid to give a ticket. I would suspect that there are other reasons for the warnings and not because they are afraid of a guy using a worm. Looking at how few tickets are related to fish deaths ( as pointed out by Don) I suspect most are unknowing poachers that may deserve an education more than a ticket. Of course some need a lot more than a warning as well. A lot of guys I know that "poach" was because they miss read the regs or were told by a friend what the law was. Ignorance is not excuse though.

I thought some of you might be interested in the stats put out by Alberta Fish and Wildlife regarding fishing enforcement last year. Check the link. http://www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fishwildlife/fish...ummary_2007.pdf

I know that these guys aren't fish poachers or maybe they are ? but this story shows the importance of using the Report A Poacher hotline. Alberta poachers fined $10,000 each after leaving 2 injured moose to die 1 day ago CAROLINE, Alta. — Wildlife officials in Alberta used sophisticated detective work to nab a pair of hunters who shot two moose and left them to die. Darcy Whiteside of Alberta Sustainable Resource Development says the men were shooting gophers with .22-calibre rifles near Caroline last month when they spotted the moose. Whiteside says they shot the moose multiple times, and both animals were still standing when they drove away. A landowner was later able to provide information about the two men, and brass casings from the rifles were matched to the two individuals. Matthew Nicholson and Cody Dipchuk, both of Caroline, pleaded guilty on April 18 to hunting during closed season, using a prohibited calibre of rifle to hunt moose, and wastage. Both were fined $10,000 each, and they cannot hunt for five years. Whiteside said it was a disturbing case for investigators because it was clear the moose had suffered. Whiteside said one of the moose was pregnant with twin calves. "Our fish and wildlife officers join the force because they love animals - they love the work they do. This is the last type of thing that they want to stumble on. It's why they take investigations on these things so seriously," Whiteside said. Whiteside said investigators learned of the incident through the Report-A-Poacher tipline. "Hunters are one of the best users of the Report-A-Poacher line. Some of Alberta's hunters are some of the best stewards in the province," Whiteside said. "These two individuals give hunters a bad name."