DonAndersen

ricinus, We can have it any way we want it. We just have to understand that an increase of predation will result in a decrease of trout. Or another 3 River Dam destroys up 25 miles of the best trout water in Alberta. More logging/gas/coal/cows means fewer trout. And each of us have out own bench mark of when enough is enough. And after the Three River Damn - I had enough. Don

Harps, Just have to agree with your limited number of impacts on the trout. So I guess that we add Otters to: Irrigators/Dam builders/ oil company dewaterers, OHVs [ quads/bike/etc.], cattle grazers, pipeliners, logging, various dicky birds, Pelicans, Cormorants, pike and the other fish gobbling beasts and birds + the other assorted butt heads that we chose to do little about. " The real question is where do you spend your trout resources - on the above or ????? You can't have it both ways. Either you want trout or destroyers of trout. Farley Mowat was a fiction writer. There is no balance in nature - it is dynamic. All predators increase till they run outta grub and die - except man of course - he just keeps birthing & killing till nature looks after him as well. Don

Today toured some of the Clearwater River. On the second spot, a beast was swimming upstream. Crawled up on a log - stretched out and fell asleep. Just another unlicensed angler with it's belly full of browns. Otters seem to be extending their range. They are a "furbearer" in N. Alberta and are quite common in Montana. I've seen them in Yellowstone Park and in N. Alberta but never in the Rocky area will last year. Friends have told me of seeing them on the S. Raven, Prairie Creek, Mitchell Lake & I've seen them on Ironside Pond all within the past short while. A trapper told me that they were all over the place & taking fish everywhere. I'd never seen one so pooh -poohed the idea. After the past 2 years, his comment seems right on. Can't imagine the wreckage several of them would have on the over-wintering pools on the N. Ram. Frankly, I was shocked at this animal's behaviour. To go asleep in the presence of humans is just not normal for any animal in the wild that I've ever seen. He/she was not afraid of either of us who watched from 1/2 way across the river leading me to suspect that it could be a "young of the year" who had been chased off by Mom so that she could look after another hatch or maybe otter's " I don't give a crap" attitude or more seriously, non-furious rabies which acts much the same. A fish rose within 10' of the otter while it was awake and other than turn it's head, there was no hustling for supper. With Trans Alta's abuse of the N. Sask. River with the resulting flood ice, I'd expect that the otter came down either the Clearwater or Prairie Creek. As some family groups of otters have been seen on Pr. Cr., my money is that was the source of this otter. I have seen more otters - three - between last year and this than I've seen in the past 50+ years of wandering in Alberta's foothills/mountains. Whether or not as fishermen we are now facing another impact on the numbers of trout in our streams in not clear - but as Otters are fish gobblers - I'd suspect that there are now fewer browns in the Clearwater. Maybe it's time SRD changed the Trapping regs to reflect the new Otter reality.

SanJuanWorm & birchy, You guys been fishing cuts for far too long. You're getting easy and I was using a 0X tippet. cheeler, And that is the article I was looking for - I had the research reference but not the article. My thanx, Don

Folks, I know that somewhere there was a very good posting about trout survival depending on time out of the water. I've looked high and low. Does anyone know where it is. Thanx, Don

And I'm going to ponder how long it will take C-train riders to get home when the wind turbines stop spinning. Or how come anything that is listed "GREEN" cost twice as much, takes 4 times the product to do 1/2 of the job. Just gotta make sense to someone. Don

Golfman09, I'm with the others on the Lady McConnel EXCEPT that the deer hair overback doesn't wear well. It shreds fast. Substitute a darker grey or elk brown over- back of craft foam. A liberal coating of fly floatant will keep it up for a long while. As far as chironomids - been fishing them for the past 10 days in BC. They were hatching like crazy. Landed fish up to 8 lbs. on black ones suspended 28' down under a yarn indicator. The bugs pumped out were coal black with a few of olive c/w black rib. catch ya' Don

craneguy, I've made saddles that hold lots of things out of a 5 gal plastic pail. Cut out the strip with a jig saw, sand edges, pop rivet "things" to the plastic saddle. Web straps c/w Fastex buckles [http://www.fastex.com.au/classic_buckles.htm] hold it where you want. The bottom of the plastic strip can be lined with the same stuff that lines cupboards to keep plates from sliding. catch ya' Don

Lynn, You actually got a video. Now the real question is - do you threaten Hubby with it? And Please - please, never ever think of me as either young or hip. Hell, I still think rap music is where you put the microphone in your mouth and rap yourself along side the head with a hammer. Least that's what I'd like to do those that cooked up the crap. Don

God Lynn, Please never do that again. Had to Wiki the Pr. Albert. The image will stay with me forever. Where is Darwin when you need him? Don

Hi ya' all, Inquired about the various steel things sticking out of young folks. One told me that the steel things help with cell phone reception. Is it true? Don

Keith, Mudkid gave you good advice BUT, the fish in all those creeks have seen every type of fly that can be tied on a <22 hook c/w with spider web leaders and the like. The BUT part - - They haven't seen anything else. When you join the herd, you compete for the grass. So as a fellow angler, who was landing fish after fish says - "they've never seen a black Humpy #12 c/w a flourescent orange body". He was landing fish regularly. One trip, I'd tied some #12 olive leech patterns - after the fifth break-off, the 3X went on. Then the fish came to hand. So join the herd, fish <22 flies and 7X. Works. If you wanta land fish, head in the opposite direction on both flies and leaders. A #12 PT and a Humpy. catch ya' Don

420FLYFISHIN, I like trout poached in a mixture of white wine, water and lemon juice. Catch @ least three 16>18" bull trout, rip their guts out promptly including the gills and blood vein along the backbone, place into a "desert" bag and into a willow creel. When arriving @ camp: 1] Prior to cooking fish slice up 2 yellow onion rings and 2 sticks of celery into 1/2" chunks. Prepare about 4 cups of long grained rice till fluffy. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of corn starch into 1/4 cup of cold water ans set aside. 2] Place bull trout into a 18" fry pan with about 1/4" of boiling fluid - cover with tin foil 3] Flip the fish after 5>6 minutes and add celery & onions & cook for about another 4 minutes 4] remove fish and butterfly fillet onto a rice bed 5] thicken the water/lemon/wine mixture with the cornstarch 6] pour over fish Enjoy after dialing the clock back 25 years. Damn miss the good old days. Bull Trout = GOOD GRITS. catch ya' Don

Guys/Gals, I watched this thread with interest. I generally carry about 8 boxes and couldn't figure out how in the devil some of you get away with 2 or 3. Then the light came on. How many boxes of SJW's and Buggers do you need!!!! Me, well I pack my vest to fish from the 49th for the next 400 miles north spring>fall. You never know what you might need. catch ya' Don

Folks, CDN bashing on Fox isn't anything new. Ann Coulter is a master of it. She, of course, rarely speaks the truth. Don

Bowcane/Conor, Looks like it should be a 6 wt. or a strong 5. Compared the numbers against a 8'0" 6 wt. that I've built many of and it compares somewhat closely. I use the 8' rod for Crowsnest fishing in the spring. But like I said, your mileage may vary. Don

Guys/Gals, Learned something new today. Tried mixing up some very fine synthetic yarns that already had flashabou in it. The coffee grinder turned the whole thing into an ugly rope. Heard years ago about folks using wool carding brushes for mixing small amounts of dubbing. Well, haven't got them so I tried Lee Valley's World's Kindest Fingernail Brush on the same mixture. Worked like a hot damn. Store in Calgary and sorry 'bout this but it's a CDN company. You need two of them. I removed the dubbing caught between the bristles with a mustache comb. Buy a dozen brushes - your wife will always find uses for them. See: http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.aspx?...amp;cat=2,42551 The brushes are just the ticket for removing crap off mushrooms as well. regards, Don

Bowcane, Wished I could help. Have only seen one Payne and that was years ago. I'd suspect that the rod may cast both a 5 or 6. Do you have the taper numbers? I could look @ them and hazard a guess & a guess it would be. One thing I've learned about rods - there is no accounting for how another person might cast. I've built rods that I use a 5 on, others go to a 4 - some a 6 - even had one fellow who contended that he liked a 7 on it. In a nut shell, the rod is rated for how I like it - your mileage may vary. regards, Don

Guys, Whoops - I didn't change the date although I did get an email. Thanks for the catch. Corrected email copied below: Dear Round Table Participants. It seems I have confused some of you with the accidental first email confirming the meeting was April 12th. It should have stated April 18th, 2009 at the Greenwood Inn and Suites, Edmonton. No need to reply if you have confirmed your attendance already. Thank you and Sorry for the inconvenience. And the meetings have been held in Red Deer. Only one guy from TU showed up and he's a paid employee. And guys, I'll see if we can add to the agenda and change of venue for the guys down south. Won't be done this spring - maybe fall? Don

The Spring Provincial Fisheries Roundtable is coming up. How about you folks send someone from Calgary? Get someone from your clubs/organizations to show up. It would be a shame not to see Calgary not represented again. Don Copied from my invite: Hello Round Table Participants, This notice is to confirm that the next Fisheries Management Round Table Meeting will be April 18, 2009 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, at the Greenwood Inn and Suites, 4485 Gateway Blvd, Edmonton. Lunch and Refreshments will be provided. It is important that we know the number of attendees in advance to ensure the room is prepared and that the right amount of food is ordered Please RSVP by March 12th. Please forward your response to Debra Drummond (Debra.Drummond@gov.ab.ca) or (Tanya.Rushcall@gov.ab.ca) or call either of these ladies at 780-427-7743 (for long distance, dial the Rite number at 310-000 780-427-7743. Information will continue to be posted on the the Round Table Website for your convenience at: http://www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fishwildlife/fish...roundtable.aspx Thank you Debra Drummond Administrative Support Fisheries and Wildlife Management Phone (780) 427-7743 Fax: (780) 422-9559

RusteHookz, The scuba fins I use were bought about 30 years ago. There wasn't any Outcast around. The ones made today for tubers and pontoon boats are just cheaper variations on the same theme. If you buy any fin, make sure that your boots fit if you use boots. I use stocking foot waders in XL so that I can get 5 pr. of socks in there. I fish from early> late in the year. Boots are COLD. Don

RusteHookz, Nearly everyone I know uses fins in pontoon boats. Only think of one guy who didn't - he finally gave up and bought a pair. catch ya' Don

Folk, With Calgary's increased gang problem and the shooting of firearms indiscriminately here and there, there seems to be a great business opportunity in Calgary. TRAINING THE GANGSTERS TO SHOOT STRAIGHT!! Just think - one shot kills - no more having the shot the guy each day and still have him walking around. And the best part, no more will the public be ducking and running or worse yet caught in the crossfire. Nope - I don't condone murder - but it's happening anyway. And is it really murder? I kinda look @ it as swatting bugs or picking dandelions - a dead gangster is community betterment. Seems like a good business to me. And you might just avoid the tax man - probably all in cash. catch ya' Don

Some more on Bill 11: Don Bill 11, Fisheries (Alberta) Amendment Act, 2009 What is the purpose of the amendments? The Act currently limits the courts’ ability to impose penalties other than fines and short licence suspensions. The public expects tougher penalties for violations that damage a fishery, and that offenders are held responsible for returning a fishery they have damaged back to a healthy state. The amendments will: · provide stronger protection for our fish resources and more effective deterrents against lawbreaking; and · ensure that Albertans continue to benefit from the effort and investments made in our fisheries resources by government, fisheries groups, industry and the public. What are the proposed amendments? The proposed amendments will give the provincial courts a wider variety of sentencing options (creative sentencing) to penalize those who contravene the Act. Creative sentencing options will include: · assessing a fishery’s restoration costs to convicted persons; · issuing orders to stop new offences; · suspending or cancelling licences; · assessing additional monetary payments to support fisheries management and habitat enhancement programs; and · ordering fisheries restoration actions. Is creative sentencing used to enforce any other acts? Yes. For many years, the courts have been successfully using creative sentencing under the Wildlife Act and the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act to deal with serious offenders. For example, through creative sentencing, offenders have been ordered to report their subsequent hunting activities or make payments to the Minister’s programs for wildlife conservation. The amendments to the Fisheries (Alberta) Act will follow existing creative sentencing models. What would be an example of creative sentencing under the Act? Ongoing court proceedings involve numerous serious Fisheries (Alberta) Act violations resulting from a successful undercover operation in the Lac La Biche and Athabasca areas. There have been 10 accused persons convicted as a result of this investigation, who have been fined a total of $140,000. If creative sentencing were available, a portion of that amount could be assessed in the form of an order for payment to support fisheries management programs. In addition, orders could be issued to the convicted persons requiring that they report future fishing activities. What is the rationale behind assessing a fishery’s restoration costs to convicted persons? Fines from convictions, which are directed to the General Revenue Fund, are not adequate to cover the cost of restoring lost fisheries, and all of the cost is currently being borne by the government and fishery stakeholder groups. Estimates to restore trout fisheries affected by the illegal stocking of perch have ranged from $100,000 to $500,000 depending on the size and complexity of the water body. Creative sentencing would introduce an option to order an offender to pay the full cost to re-create the stocked fishery as it was prior to the illegal fish introduction. February 18, 2009

This came my way late yesterday. Don News Release February 11, 2009 Bill 11 will provide more sentencing options to better protect Alberta's fisheries Edmonton... Albertans will continue to see excellent fishing opportunities thanks to legislative amendments introduced in the Alberta Legislature that add several new sentencing options to deter actions that damage the province’s fisheries. Bill 11, the Fisheries (Alberta) Amendment Act, 2009, was introduced by Whitecourt-Ste. Anne MLA George VanderBurg. “The proposed legislative amendments respond to public expectations for tougher penalties for fisheries violations,” said Sustainable Resource Development Minister Ted Morton. “The amendments will better equip the courts to protect our fish resources by including penalties that hold offenders responsible for returning a damaged fishery back to a healthy state.” Bill 11 will give the provincial courts a wider variety of sentencing options (creative sentencing) to penalize those who contravene the Act. The Act currently limits the courts’ ability to impose penalties other than fines and short licence suspensions. The new sentencing options include: * assessing a fishery’s restoration costs to convicted persons; * issuing orders to stop new offences; * suspending or cancelling licences; * assessing additional monetary payments to support fisheries management and habitat enhancement programs; and * ordering fisheries restoration actions. “With theses changes, Albertans will continue to benefit from the effort and investments made in our fisheries resources by government, fisheries groups, industry and the public,” said George VanderBurg, MLA, Whitecourt-Ste. Anne. -30- Media inquiries may be directed to: Dave Ealey Communications Alberta Sustainable Resource Development 780-427-8636