DonAndersen

This may well be the last time TUC has disappointed me. Tbe list of previous lack of effort on TUC's part is extensive. The list includes: 1) encouraging the ACA to remove support for exclusion fencing on the Dogpound, South and North Raven which in many cases returned the streams to the agricultural abuse. 2) sitting on their hands knowing full right well WD was just over the border and them jump into life when most of the streams in southern Alberta are found effected. 3) for the idiocy of the "Fish Rescue" on the Bow w/o any effort to fix the situation. 4) for the complete lack of effort while Asian Carp take over waters all over Alberta 5) for ignoring my continued requests for a statement on the use/abuse of fresh water in Alberta 6) for thier lack of support in finding the cause of the population decline of trout to 1970 levels in Stauffer Creek 7) fit many years I have attended Provincial Roundtable meetings along with representatives from one end of the province to another but only twice have I seen TUC in attendance, It is one thing to be useless., but It quite another to allow the Govt to yet again kick the can down the road for another 5 years. Regards, Don

I get a real kick outta the statement "I HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF TBE CONSERVATION CONCERNS AND SPECIE RECOVERY EFFORTS IN ES1" Which means, those that done agree with them are ........ Gotta wonder if those that created this survey have an "understanding" Don

Folks, Thank you to all those that answered my query for what rod they would like for the 2019 raffle. There were those that wanted a 6>7' two weight rod and others who would like a 7/9" 5 wt. rod. Well,- - - - - - - I pondered your responses for some time and finally concluded that the two weight rod was a specialized piece of equipment and would appeal to few. The 7'9" 5 wt. is a great suggestion however there is one of them heading into the 2018 raffle so I considered it best not to "crowd" the field. During my pondering it occurred to me that most of the tickets would be purchased in the Edmonton area as that is where the raffle is held. Realizing that a longer and heavier line weight would be more useful for the fishing encountered in this area, I am going to build a 8'0" 6 wt. rod. The taper for the 8'0" 6 weight rod will not be found on any taper archive. This taper I use for my personal rod used on the Crowsnest or Oldman Rivers when the flies are larger - stones and green drakes or the wind is up but not blowing strong enough to cause a beer break. Also, the rod performs well during the swimmer hatches. The rod is being split out today. PS: there are or will be those in Calgary wondering why the rod is offered to Edmonton and not in Calgary. With the "ME TOO" attitude that exists in Alberta, the question needs answered. Originally, the rod donation was part of the Central Alberta Chapters auctions. After the market was saturated, the rod appeared in the Calgary Dinner Auction for a number of years. For the past 5 or so years, the rod has made it's way to Edmonton. regards, Don

Chose your hook style depending on fish weight. C49's I find are good for fish to 3 lbs. after that you need a heavier iron hook. i use C068 for chironomids.dpwn to #18 w/o a problem. R50's too #16 after that Partridge Capt. Hamilton >26's regards, .Don

What really scares me - even when the govt is faced with evidence of law breaking, they sit on their ass. i guess they wouldn't want to offend the law breakers. Unless and until Angler's realize they are the only ones paying, the destruction will continue. Don

Guys/gals, For a perhaps 25 years I've constructed a bamboo fly rod as a fund raiser for Trout Limited. For the past years the rod has been donated to the Edmonton Trout Unlimited Chapter. The funds are part of the Lloyd Shea project that is presently working on Arctic Grayling. The rod for the 2018 fund raiser is already completed and delivered. It is a 7'9" 5 wt. rod featuring gold coloured fittings. Raffle tickets for the rod will be available soon. So, here is your opportunity to design a rod you would like to win. Some things to consider: Length between 6>8' Line weight between 2>6 Handle shape Thread wraps Hook keeper style Some of the things that are "locked in" already include. Oven tempering temp & time, glues, varnish, ferrules and bamboo selection. I'm going to split the bamboo out for the Rod soon. Regards, Don

Gee, I just ordered near $300 worth of hooks. Only been using them for 60 years. Work well. Catch fish upwards of 8 lbs. on them. You want a lousy hook - give a Tiemco 100 a shot. Don

Folks, Added to the web site was another survey dealing with the Ram system itself. It is below the one IDed earlier. The questions are quite slimy - read it carefully. https://talkaep.alberta.ca/north-central-native-trout-recovery regards, Don

Below are copied some comments made by myself and Carl Hunt - retired biologist for the Hinton-Edson area. I would like so see those comments added to the web site. Carl says in response to the Survey on the N. Sask. " Alberta Fish Mgmt is still dinking around blaming angling pressure (even C/R) for decline of all native salmonids. None of the preamble to the questionnaire explains the impacts of extensive 5 year closures on the few streams/rivers left open. The five year closures are just another delay (and an old idea that didn't work in the 1960s or 1970s) to avoid the habitat issues caused by industry and greatly complicate angling regulations that few anglers can understand or follow. E/S should simply be C/R - NO Bait, with current seasons. Fish staff should take serious action to stop the cumulative impacts of sediment from road/stream crossings on fish bearing and all tribs. Hanging culverts were condemned by scientific fish studies in 1980s and are still permitted, with poor engineering standards and allowed to exist. WHERE IS THE HABITAT RECOVERY 'ACTION' PLAN to protect floodplain, stop sediment sources, control forest harvest to reduce frequency & severity of flood events and a 'road plan' to limit road stream crossings, remove hanging culverts and reclaim temporary roads that continue to be destroyed by OHV. WHERE IS THE COMPULSORY ANGLER EDUCATION PROGRAM? - So anglers understand the need for regulations and the cumulative impacts of industry, logging, petroleum, coal, gravel, agriculture & OHVs. Fish managers are going in circles to ignore dealing with habitat issues caused by other resource users and blame angling pressure (lower today than 1980s) or 'invasive' brook trout (mostly introduced in the 1950s) or struggling to protect genetic purity of remnant threatened species. The proposed angling regulations are a distraction from habitat protection. Carl Hunt Don says " Carl, Your message summarizes exactly what I've thought for years. The only ones paying are anglers. With your permission, can your message below be copied to other web sites/forums? A senior Govt Official and I were talking about the culvert situation and I related conversations I had with Cruikshank who was the Director of Fisheries and Fisheries and Oceans Prairie Regional Director about the 700 of 900 illegal culvert installations in the Swan Hills IDed by a ACA grant recipient near 20 years ago at an ACA conference. When I asked both, who were at the same conference, what they were going to do with the evidence, neither of them would do anything. It is 50 years past time when the situation needs fixed. My uncle installed those for Home Oil about 55 years ago. Nobody knew what effect they were having. I recall him telling me that every ditch and swamp was full of grayling. regards, Don Carl says " Hi Don, My comments were sent to AWA Fish & forest forum when the first survey came out, so are public and please use. I don't spend much time with word-smithing these days but hope I can get the message across. Sometimes, I'm a bit more vulgar so appreciate you asking before spreading my manure. I think David Parks did a MSc thesis about 10 or 15 years ago and found 7 to 10 thou culverts in NE grayling streams and estimated 50 or 75% would block fish passage. (see ARGR status report it has lots of examples reported as far back as 1973 but nothing changes - fish just disappear). I think the 5 year closures will be like walleye and followed up with more closures, unless anglers get stirred up and realize they are not the problem. Any feedback you hear about my comments (including blow back) would be appreciated. Carl

Roof top tents are used in many countries where creepy crawly things like to visit. In Alberta, not so many. Don

Allison may have lost power. May not be directly fire damaged. Fire still outta control according to CTV Calgary this AM. Don

Guys, when buying blanks or rods, please do your research. If you are unclear of what is offered, give me a shout and I may be able to shed light on your question(s). Don

Bait and switch. The logic is "you have to allow harvest" In the event that the biologist haven't noticed,, the population of Alberta is ever growing. The pressures on our resources are extreme. There is little to no room for more killing. Don

Tool,man, guides are supposed to know. The kids at Walmart - nope. Out of country Angler's are mostly guided and arrive from where WD and other ugly invasives live. We should have made Angler's arriving from countries where diseases originated clean their gear. But it is too late now. WD is not leaving and wil effect our fishery profoundly. My last trip to Montana many years ago is when we found out the WD was in the Missouri. Washed down out boats and equipment with bleach in the Craig campground and I never went back. WD nearly killed sport fishing in the Yellowstone area. Fly shops dropped from 13 to 2. They didn't know about WD - we did and did nothing. Don

Toolman, Most Angler's visiting wouldn't have a clue as to the regulations and concerns of the local fishery. To expect them to educate themselves when they apparently hire knowledgable Angler's to guide them is a complete cop out. The attitude of the fly shop owner in Colaman reflects what my friend experienced. When I asked him several years ago if he was going to caution Angler's booking him from outta Alberta about using rubber rather than felt soles his response was " I can't ask my clients to use rubber soles". My response " keep the suckers outta my country". I left his business never to return although I see the same guy spreading his crap up my way. Don

In spite of making thier living from our resources, a friend fishing here and there in SE BC and SW AB was guided a number of times and was never asked by any of the guides to clean his gear before entering a new watershed. Par for the course or just bad guides? Don

Or dipshits who argue against Fire Smart programs. http://www.aema.alberta.ca/documents/FireSmart-AEMA-Presentation.pdf Don

Burning Chrome, I, represent Trout Unlimited, along with representarives from the ACA and Alberta F&G administer the lands jointly purchased in the headwaters of the North Raven River (Stauffer Creek). So far we have had agreement on most things. Any disagreement didn't effect the elocgolical intergity of the land/stream. Don.

Here is a map to the Fire location. https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/159128/Wildfire/Wildfire/Ranger_Barry/RWF068_Overview_20170908.pdf?t=1504913546244 Don

This kinda reminds me of a similar situation in Africa where the large game animals were disappearing at a fast rate. There was four causes1) human expansion into animal habitat, 2) illegal poaching, 3) land use generally, 4) hunting by licensed non-resident hunters. Rather than doing something about items #1>#3, they limited the license hunters thereby removing a large source of revenue causing further reduction in enforcement staff leading to extreme poaching. Nothing like chopping your nose off to spite your face. Don

The poster, Don Bester bordered lands administrated by the ACA. They didn't along. And his is full of bull crap. Don

Folks, Cell coverage is sparse down rthat way. Need coverage. Anybody set up roaming through Telus? I do know there is coverage from US side. Regards, Don

So what about Wedge Pond and upper K. lake? Don

Folks, After the jerks paved the highway I swore I never would go back however after near 50 years tempers cool. So, am curious about the area. Anything up there that is worth attention factoring in 70 year old knee joints requiring replacement. The upper lake or wedge pond worth my time? Regards, Don