DaveJensen

It's my experience that these types of topics at this time of year tend to go this way. But what would I know? I guess I do have a few data points in a few data sets on the original & related topics that allow me to extrapolate into this discussion. Of course, I suppose that statement also had something to do with the original post...

One scene of the males chasing each other around from last fall to open this vid, otherwise here's some footage we put together from this last week out west. Funny, haven't had a rod in hand on these streams in 7 visits now. Just out for some vid. Oh, and it's much clearer hitting the HD button too. Cheers Dave & Amelia

Try guiding on it. It is a timing thing, and very few people have the time nor patience to wait for the right opportunity and try to force their will and timing on the river, only to be disapointed. There are much, much easier rivers to fish. But, if you have the time to learn it and then take the river as it it comes, fish it when it makes sense to, it's not too hard. Once on the rise they're some of the easiest big browns you'll encounter, honestly. Of course, if you hit a bad rhythm of timing the river, you might not see a rising trout for a week. Once you get to know it and time your fishing, you might see 15 or 20 risers on a float. But there's way too many variables on the river for instant ease of consistent success. Cheers

J - what is the holding depth of the fish in those lakes? Is it consistent? It's one thing to get the flies down deep, it's another altogether when it comes to holding your fly in the fish holding zone - you might be just as likely to fall down, below the fish holding zone. That is a serious consideration. Ask about that before you buy the line as a deep 7 will simply continue to sink on retrieve, except for the more aggressive, fast retrieves. The other consideration is casting the line. It's more shooting and carrying than anything else and you'd best have a really solid rod if you want to use that line. You might look at a type 5 or 6 density compensated line to keep your fly in the right depth zone for your expected retrieve speed/style. If the fish are holding 10 - 30 feet down I'd go D/C 5 or 6. If those fish are 30 - 50 feet down, sure, go D7. I'd hate to see you go with just one line, to be honest. Given what I know about big brookies in Fortress, a lot of different depth zones and fish moods need to be fished in a season, with slower and faster retrieves = a variety of lines and tactics. This could be useful info to you or not, depending on what you've been told. Cheers

Definitely a rainbow. Some locals call them yellow fin rainbows, but not sure if this is accepted or classified by sci standards. When I was 6 yr old I fished a creek on the fam's property with them in it, and everything I looked at (which was a very narrow reference field) said it had to be a golden trout. I wanted it to be, but alas, it wasn't. Just the mighty, tiny, yellow fin rainbow. Cheers

The Chaba will be higher by noon each day this week. The forecast is hot weather and the crossing will be up in to the trees by 2pm on hot days. If I was hiking, I would stay somewhere close to the trailhead, like Sunwapta Resort, and start at 6am. The crossing is tough due to glacial melt 6 miles upstream and the fact that you can't see 6" into it - and you'll freeze your feet off quickly (again - glacier's 6mi upstream!). The fishing this weekend vs Sept long is about the same for those hiking in and camping, essentially. In fairness to us, and just to clarify other posts in the thread, we do rent pontoon boats for hike in campers (of which there have been less than 30 this year). We can't rent power boats to non guests for liability reasons, but are allowed to rent pontoons, which we now do. And we introduced a great all inclusive rate for hikers to stay at our retreat this year, which has been positively received. Please don't leave any garbage - on the ground or in the bear poles. The sites are only priodically maintained and we'd hate to see one person's garbage impact another's experience. The amount of garbage left at the 2 east end sites the past 2 years has been incredible, and most users (85+%) are from Alberta. No accusations to anyone here, we're just asking people to take ownership and pack all garbage out and to tell their friends to as well as, again, the primitive sites are only periodically maintained. It's a wonderful location, stunning scenery, and we simply encourage users to keep it that way for the next people! Cheers!

Hi, I know we all love fishing the Bow and are in a rush to get out fishing and enjoy our time. I finally got to Policeman's for the first time in a while here last weekend. If I had known that the parking lot was going to be as full of garbage as it is, I would have gone to the store and bought a pair of gloves and a box of Glad heavy duty garden bags before hand. Honestly, I was shocked that there is that much garbage there, that the garbage can was over flowing the way it was, that the back area was so full of garbage as well. It's such a nice area and it's a shame it's not getting the attention it deserves. Having said that, I won't be there to do it for a while. Could someone take 2 - 3 hours of your time to clean up that parking lot? Thanks.

Clearly the guide and fisherman in the boat were in the wrong, for having a boat that close and casting where it was obvious not to. The guide and fisherman each have responsibility there. Your hostile reaction perpetrated hours later on a forum, well, now, that's yours to own. Is anyone right coming out of the incident now that you've typed this? The psychological take on why each of you acted as you did in the moment or later because of it is interesting. Just wanted to reply to the above statement with some perspective. Amelia & I own a couple relatively successful companies. The last thing we do is post photos of every single fisher that comes through. Why? Simple - we respect our guests' privacy and seldom show them publicly. Guiding isn't all about who's pumping more fish, bigger fish, who's busier, etc. More to it for us, however - there are very few artistic photos taken with a guest holding a fish- and few opportunities that are fair to the fish. The guest is generally too excited to hold a fish properly to get a quality, somewhat artistic photo. Sure, grip and grins are nice shots every once in a while, but isn't there more to it than that? I know a lot of guides won't agree with the assessment of there being 'more to it than that', favoring the pomp of marketing vs what the moment means to the guest and further what the photo means to sales. In the end, would I rather have simpler photos of our fishing on our site that are done somewhat artistically, or filled with a bunch of grip and grins in which case a fish might not have fared so well? Just hoping to add differing perspective. Cheers

If I may interject (somewhat strongly and passionately as I've cursed my way through a few boats). We've run a variety of inflatables on various rivers. These are just our observations... The Star rafts - sure look good and sure can hold a lot of weight and that rowing frame looks nice. We had 2 rafts with the same frame that were almost identical to that. The frame - if I could have thrown it away you could have had it. Wide, heavy, thick, with an unnatural stroke. The rafts are heavy because the floor is heavy. Sure, you can have a beefcake of a boat that you can take through any water, but my goodness, I had to take time off from rowing after a couple months. And that's back 3 years when I benched 400#. The heavier the boat, the more material, the more the drag, the less you'll hold to fish, and the more you'll curse. Since getting rid of those boats I've had no need to pump iron. The NRS is ok, a good boat, and lighter, but still... the self bailing is nice but the extra material in the self bailing floor adds weight and drag. It could be better. I'd still take one though. Pontoon boats are good but the rowing system on almost everything I've seen lacks beefcake to really dig - row - and hold, unless you spend bigger $ to get a 2 man something - and you might as well buy a kit drift boat for $2500 (seriously a good option as they're smaller, lighter, drift nicely and can be used on lakes). Now, the one inflatable that really stands out is a bucket boat. Our 12'6" Odyssey has been flown in, dragged in, bounced off and abused for 12 years now. It has just a regular floor. The frame was a simple rowing frame of aluminum with Carlise oars. If the boat truly is just you and/or your wife, I'd recommend tracking one down. It's the most maneuverable boat, light, holds beautifully, etc. If I could pick one boat to row 1 person down any river, anywhere, save class 5 rapids, and know I'll do so safely, this is the boat. A friend bought one with a frame at Mad River Sports (I think) down in Montana a few years back and while the Odyssey raft co has bounced in ownership through the years, it remains a good boat. The one I held on to is 12 yrs old and I bet has at least another 5 years left on it, and it has not been treated nicely - to say the least. We pd $1500 for the boat +$550 for the frame and oars. All that and I haven't tried some of those newer, narrower rafts used on the Elk. Maybe those might work for you? Again, just a few thoughts of various folks - and me - that have rowed our/other boats. Cheers

General Alberta river trout - first 24" is 4lb. Each inch thereafter = 1lb. 9 lbs = 29" for the Bow. Works well for many waters, actually. Hope that helps. Cheers

What type of nymphing? Is this the Bow or smaller waters? What type of streamer fishing, the Bow or small streams and what time of the year? Sorry to ask, but the dynamics of the two tactics can vary tremendously based on what you are doing. For example, if you are doing streamer fishing, picking out fish from pocket water or anything less than waist deep all the time, a floating line will work if you weight your flies. Nervy trout sure don't want to be knocked on the head with heavy lines following through. But, longer, heavier st lines may be applicable if you are asking about streamer fishing perpetually deeper water or fishing early in the year. I didn't pick up from your post what you will be focussing on nor where (though the Bow is the defacto assumption), so it is difficult for a directed answer. But this is about your fishing, nobody else's, so why not give yourself the best end product purchase.

SD - It's funny how one stream bed is vastly different from the other too. I know in NZ, we use rubber soles... and even with studs, some rivers are like having a couple greased pigs strapped to a pair left feet below you. And while felt works quite well, once compacted after a certain # of uses, it can get extremely slippery too. Even in the peak of summer there's no perfect answer that covers all. But for a few weeks to tail out the ice season, hikers and studs work well, esp up against felt that can accumulate 1 - 4" of snow on felt soles, which is a nightmare to walk on afterwards. Cheers

Is there still enough ice out there to warrant the screws? If we're talking 40m of snow/ice to get across, maybe just pick your way through. If it's perpetual stuff, you might do well with the screws, so long as they go into the thickest, meatiest part of the sole (or your feet will feel them). A couple of things we've noted from the studded rubber wading boots we've owned - don't put screws/studs under the balls of your feet - they'll be in agony quickly; the longer studs should go on the edge of the boot, shorter studs on the inside. Again though, make sure you really need the grip on ice. The reason I suggested hiking boots is that they have a thicker rubber sole to put the screws into so the screws don't kill your feet. Compression will happen and worn wading boots might not work so well for you. Again, my suggestion was for hikers for a short term to get you through the iciest period. Cheers

I'd stick with the mid flex Helios/Hydros in a 9 footer if you go Orvis. While still a touch faster than the mod action rods out there, they have a good feel. We use mid arb reels. Can't go wrong with those lines of rods. We have a few Helios rods that have replaced the Scott G-Series rods for us.

@ Jones - as a point of clarification, there most certainly are old growth forests in Alberta. Our ecosystems are different, meaning different succession, different species of vegetation, etc. Lodgepole pine that blanket our foothill forests generally mature in the 60 to 90 year range and there are still many stands that have 150 to 200+ yr old pine. By definition, that's old growth and any ecologist will support that notion due to the fl/fauna that exist in such forests. The other issues - the increased access to the remnants of our wilderness by o/g and logging, as well as surface runoff dumping 2 to 20 times the annual sediment load into our rivers and streams. Note I wouldn't disagree with anything else you typed. Cheers

For the few weeks of really icey stuff, go to Wal-Mart and buy yourself a $40 pair of cheap hiking boots to fit over your waders' bootie. Stop in their hardware dept and buy a pkg of screws and plug them into the soles of the boots. It works very well. Cheers

Don't worry about the reel size. If it fits the slot on the seat, it fits. If you ever want to see line shoot, try an 8 wt, density compensated type 6 sinking line on a 6 wt rod. Backing on second false cast. Cheers

From what I see of the section, the majority of the keen folks here know as much as there is a need to know (most likely much more), and are quite good fly fishers. The section might be better served as "asking for special input or perspective", as most who are posting in this section know something (or a lot of somethings), but they are looking for add-on information, perspective, or other thoughts on how to do something or a discovery of why something has or is happening. Just a thought. Cheers

http://boulder-ridge-kennel.piczo.com/?g=8663543&cr=6 Boulder Ridge is where we got Jaz. She would have been an amazing hunting dog had we been birders. We've had a ton of people tell us her talents were wasted on us, just being ff types. Also, look up Dave Brown Outfitters and send him an email to see where he's had good reports from. I know he uses Britneys, but he's had labs from what I understand, and might give a good heads up. Cheers

NM 1. Yes 2. Some will say no. Some would want it. I spoke to Dave Christensen about that exact topic for 10 min after the mtg. The gist of it is that if enough people are in support of it for a water, it would go through. If you want it bad enough, someone out there would likely get it through somewhere if they put lots of effort into it. It would spark an elitist debate but there are merits to our current system and looking at that. There are merits to keeping it the same too. But, it could become reality if pushed with enough support. 3. Essentially we're at a place of trying to maintain and perhaps expand the program with the fish we have in the hatchery system and one or two more lakes per region. Further, from the RDR RT last year, there is a mandate for expansion with a couple of water bodies identified, but the impetus has to come from people within the area leading the charge - otherwise it won't happen because gov isn't going to impose it. Direction came from the survey of anglers wanting a higher % of waters designated. Adding new fish types (tigers) is not on the radar. 4. Not likely. Exotics stocking like that (most - all hatchery trout stuff is exotic) is now really restricted. Also after the mtg, I talked to SH about that - I asked about taking CNR RBT into a certain spring creek or certain tailwater and it would take a lot of string pulling now. A lot has changed in the past 15 years. Cheers

Two pages that essentially cover the current threats: http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/didymo http://whirlingdisease.montana.edu/about/anglers.htm Also, here's the Orvis position on the rubber vs felt issue: The Orvis stand on felt vs. rubber soles 1.No rubber soles yet developed are as good as felt on slippery rocks. 1.In order to be as effective as felt on slippery rocks, rubber soles must be studded. Our new cross-shaped tungsten-carbide studs provide much better traction and more secure surface area than traditional studs. 1.For anglers that are not strong waders, a properly constructed wading staff is always recommended. 1.In sand, mud, clay, gravel, snow, and ice, rubber soles are superior to felt. 1.Rubber soles should not give the angler a false sense of security regarding invasive species. All wading shoes and waders should be cleaned, inspected, and dried prior to using them in a different watershed. Rubber soles are not a panacea; they are merely easier to clean than felt. Fabric, laces, and gravel guards can still harbor invasive species and their spores. 1.Mud and debris should be rinsed and brushed from wading shoes prior to leaving the river. After returning from a trip, wading shoes and waders should be washed in hot water (greater than 104 degrees F), inspected for any debris (remove with a hard bristle brush), and dried until they are completely dry. Felt can take up to 3 days to dry; most rubber-soled wading shoes are completely dry in 24 hours. 1.At this point there is no known chemical treatment for wading shoes that will kill all spores. For instance, didymo can be killed with a 5% salt solution but whirling disease spores cannot be killed with any chemical treatment that won’t destroy the wading shoes. Again, to avoid a false sense of security, and because we don’t even know about all the aquatic invasives that might be present, we don’t recommend any chemical treatment. Besides, the introduction of cleaning solutions or bleach into an ecosystem can be more damaging than what you set out to cure. 1.Felt soles still have their place for anglers who always fish the same watershed. Cheers.

The issue isn't felt, rubber, teflon, etc soles of footwear. Again, as all things to do with fisheries management, it comes down to human management. The issue is angler awareness, education, and action as to whether we care enough about our resource to ensure our impact is checked. You can go barefoot wading in any river you want, but if you don't wash your feet and scrub between your toes, didymo/wd/etc is going to come along for the ride. Again, our fish and our rivers would do very well without us. Happy almost spring.

"Thanks guys. What about bowriverblog's succes though?" If you look at his success rates, they aren't all that over the top. In his "doctor ordered" post, he only caught 4 trout in the day fishing. To analyze his success, he worked a spoon through those rocks in the middle of the river. What if he had drift nymphs into that location (by casting the bobber and flies upstream of the holding water 10 feet) instead of throwing metal on top of their heads? Ask any fly fisher out there that has fished the Bow, if you move a trout or two from mid winter holding water, there are likely 10 to 50 trout in there (depending on size of holding water). He caught two right away and then nothing. If he'd have drift fished it without landing gear on the fish's heads, he could likely have caught a couple - few more out of there. Again, spoons and streamers are quite similar, the fish charge but if they don't take, good luck on successive casts (in winter, typically - different in summer). That's why I'd ignore the rapalla crowd and learn to drift nymphs. Sure, the fish will be on to flashy stuff 1/3 of the time or if you constantly move to new water, but if you want the most likely results from the most concentrated water, drift/nymph. Google it. Lots of stuff applicable from w coast stuff.

Honestly, if you can learn drift fishing tactics with the nymps of the Bow R, a spin fisher should be able to outfish ff types 2:1. If I was a spin fisher, I would attend all the seminars at the local fly shops that deal with nymphing, read all the posts here about nymphing, and do google searches. Then, I'd google all about drift fishing with slip bobbers and pencil leads, adjust the sizes to the Bow, and then learn about reading water and the seasonal migrations of trout. If you were to do this and really zoned in on it all, I guarantee that you'd outfish pretty much any fly fisher 1/2 the year anyway. I've run into a few drift types that can work a run with 40 to 80m dead drifts, something that ff simply can't do. If I had to catch trout to survive, I know exactly what method I'd use. I hope that helps. Happy searching for answers.

I'm sure someone out there will complete the film, there's so much more to the story. If you meant us, no. Got another few topics is mind, mind you. Certainly have the footage after this trip. Imagine 9 trout 5 to 9lbs lined up in 70m of water and landing all but one that simply smashed and missed the dry... but even at that there's a story to tell why those fish were there.