dryfly

The article originally posted here is a bit silly and a couple of responses are quite out of the ball park. Several have already correctly pointed out that trips give a much reduced risk of hybridization if they "escape." True. But let us not forget that rainbows in our rivers are not native in the first place. Some folks seem to be suggesting that there is a potential issue if hatchery fish from lakes get into a river that was originally stocked with non-native hatchery rainbows. With the exception of some pockets of pure-strain cutts in Alberta (and the Athabascan rainbows), generally speaking our sport trout fishery is artificial. Striving to protect those pockets of cutts and Athabascans is worthwhile, but that's another story. This is about trips and hatcheries. There is a misconception that our hatchery fish are on par with domesticated species of cows and dogs. (Selecting and breeding domestic livestock and crop plants is another story, but has led to a well-fed world with exceptions that are political vs. genetic.) There is no similarity between hatchery trout and (say) domesticated dogs with their hip dysplasia and progressive retinal atrophy, etc. Provided the hatchery biologists are indeed maintaining some level of genetic heterogeneity our hatchery trout are decent stock. It is incorrect to suggest that heterogeneous hatchery-raised fish are inferior to "wild stocks" when their parentage is de facto wild stock and continually assess for heterogeneity. While writing an article on rainbow trout for the 2009 AFG, I interviewed Jon Underwood from the Allison Creek hatchery. Jon also sent me some notes that he had prepared. Here are my notes as taken from the draft of the article. I think the words are the same in the final article. Since we have no native rainbows in Alberta—other than the Athabasca strains—you may wonder about the genetic lineage of our stocked rainbow trout today. The genetic history of rainbows stocked decades ago in Alberta is murky at best. However, according to Jon Underwood, Head of the Allison Creek Brood Trout Station near Coleman, the first strains of rainbows released in Alberta probably consisted of several stocks from the northwest United States and from Beaver Lake in BC. For supply and disease reasons, the province stopped importing eggs from other hatcheries and since 1982 no eggs have been brought into Alberta. Today, the province maintains two separate brood stocks of rainbows consisting of three genetic lines. The Raven Brood Trout Station uses brood stock that originated at the Mt. Lassen Trout Farm in California. The Allison Creek Brood Trout Station uses two strains today. One originated at Beity Hatcheries in Washington and the other is a strain that combined genetics from the Beity line and from Pennask and Beaver lakes in BC. Jon Underwood reports that the genetic diversity is maintained in Alberta’s rainbow hatchery stocks by using a rotational line crossing system. This is a proven system that reduces chances of inbreeding (that reduces genetic variation) and DNA analysis has shown that there is good genetic diversity in Alberta’s stocked rainbows. So at the end of the day let us not forget that our rainbows here are not native. (Not including the population of Athabascans which are probably a glacial artifact.) We've created an artificial fishery that we try to manage with genetically heterogeneous lines of hatchery fish. I suspect that the folks at the hatcheries are doing a pretty good job. They won't get any complaints from me with what they've produced for Bullshead and Police. And it came to pass that the sun finally emerged ... and I am going for a walk with my camera!

Thanks to everyone! Regards Clive

Thanks Terry. You know the Beatles wrote a song for us, eh? The good Lord willin' and the criks don't rise I have purchased my last fishing license. Bet that next March will be warmer and fishing at Police and Bullshead will be hot come April 1 .... and out of sheer stubbornness I will not fish the first week of April 2012 just so I don't have to buy a license...unless of course they change the regs so seniors have to get a license starting next year! Ya think? Clive

Good on you MrB. Well done. THIS will interest you. That cookhouse? Was still there in 2008! :$*%&: If you want, send me an email and I will send you a PDF of a long letter I sent to Morton 2 years ago..also his reply that would gag a maggot. Bah! I also have my letters from 2001 and 2002 as well. Nothing changes. Regards Clive SCHAUPMEYER AT GMAIL DOT COM

Thanks Smitty and everyone. I also sent a letter to the minister in addition to the note to Terry. Good on ya all. Thanks Clive

"If you want to suck up big time, book a lunch for you and your significant other @ the Dove's Nest in Glenmore Landing. I know, I know but after nearly 45 years of marriage to the same woman, you learn that sucking up matters. The restaurant serves Quiche regularly. The women/man ratio is about 25:1. " Funny line Don. Too bad Stevie Wonder was not there. How 'bout Lizzie May and a gaggle of followers eating organic, free-range egg quiche heated in solar-powered ovens.

Some clues as to the probable high BS factor in the article. 1) "computer modeling program" ... they can be made to prove whatever you want. 2) "global warming" .. which explains total destruction of the universe ... well, or not. See here. The whole article falls under the same scientific category as "if my aunt had balls she's be my uncle." Everything we do has risks. If we stopped imposing risks we'd stop living.

"Remember that a teleconverter will half your maximum aperture, so your f4 lens becomes an f8." This is very important point and holds true for a 2X converter. You can also get a 1.4X converter making a 200mm into a 280 mm and you only lose one f stop (I think it is one). "And not all telephotos will work with the teleconverter." VERY important. Need to check before buying. Good points JayVee. BTW ..bcude knows the spot!

Okay ... where? It was a goofy fish. Right out in the open ... right where the trail reached the pool ... in a lazy backwater that was basically smooth. Crazy...two of us stood and watched it for a few minutes. It ate EVERYTHING including a small twig which it ejected afterward. It ate caddisflies and mayflies. It was anything but selective. Was a hoot to watch.

EDIT: I missed JV's post. He knows Canon glass better then me. A 70-300 is a good range. (Or what JV said...250 mm is not too bad..but limiting for birds.) One issue with "rising trout" photos is that the light is often not so good...some of the best rising you will see will be in late day and faster lenses are better but the price tags get a little silly. I do not know from Canon lenses but you can probably buy two grades of 70-300 lenses that are f4.5/5.6.. one will be $300 (Canon EF 75-300mm F4-5.6 III USM) and the other will be $800 (Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM) because it has better glass. Canon makes an f2.8 70-200 that is about $2500. This is much faster but only 200 mm but you can also get a teleconverter for it. You can spend as much money as you want. You would not be unhappy with the Canon EF 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS USM. The more you pay the better the glass. Good glass lasts for many years. I still use lenses that are 20 years old. You want at least 300 mm unless you also get a tele converter with a 200mm. As for tripods. STURDY legs. Take your camera into the shop and try some heads for ease of use. A good solid tripod with a good head will be expensive. It also will last you 30 years. My Manfrotto is 21 years old now..it is showing some wear .. but so am I. This rising series was taken with a 70-300 at 280 mm. I was far from the truck and had no polarizer with me. It was in full sun. The cutty was strange..seemed to have no fear and yet was at a hard-fished hole.

SJW ... I have that nearly down pat. fishpro...nice photos. Thanks.

Maybe a big flaming cross will befall Birchy...just like to John Goodman in OBWFAT.

R.U.N.N.O.F.T. ? I'll bite. Had a couple of phrases but this is a family show, so thought better of it. Run uphill NOW! No other fishing trips.

Hey thanks guys! And thanks to all who have voted. Much appreciated. But a lot of FFC members probably have not sent in a note. Naturally we have no way of knowing who and how many have voted here and elsewhere. However, the ''word on the street" is that faxes are flying in opposing the QF regs ... just rumors, but enough that we have to place some credibility in them. (I live in a small town ... the vote notice is getting "air time" at a couple of local shops. The word is "send a fax." Word gets around in small towns.) With so much support for quality fisheries in the AOF poll we need to make sure those interested in catching some nice trout make sure they let their feelings be known. Bullshead has been impressive. Police fish growth has been slower. But it will come around. The combo of BH and Police is going to make a great camping trip for folks from Calgary and Edmonton. Thanks to everyone who has voiced their opinion. Regards Clive

CMA NOTES 1) Mods .. .starting a new thread on purpose. We need some action. 2) I am yelling at you. Get over it.☺ 3) I may edit this post later. I gotta go out now. I am still gonna yell though.☺ See here for adc's first post. He posted this. It's time to vote, folks........Hope you have all had a chance to fish Police under the new regs. Progress is a bit slow but it's coming......There are still some of the old guard who want it back the way it was........If you believe we need MORE ANGLER CHOICE and MORE QUALITY FISHERIES in the Province it is imperative that you make your voice heard. Outlined below is the review process. Please be sure to vote and also let any of your fishing associates who may not use this Board know as well....... Al...... Police Outpost Lake. Review of Quality Fishing Regulation. Public/Stakeholder Input requested. Proposal #1 Keep the current regulations (1 Trout Limit over 50 cm; Bait Ban; Closed November 1 to March 31) Proposal #2 Go back to the previous regulations (5 Trout Limit; No Size Restrictions; No Bait Ban; Open Year Round) You can send your opinion to: Terry Clayton Senior Fisheries Biologist ASRD Fish and Wildlife Division Terry.Clayton@gov.ab.ca NOW HERE IS WHY I AM STARTING A NEW THREAD. KEEPING CURRENT POLICE LAKE REGS IS NOT A SLAM DUNK GUYS AND GALS. 1) There are over 2,000 anglers here and my guess (just a guess) that 90 percent of you have not told Terry Clayton how you feel. Get off you asses an vote however you want. JUST VOTE. 2) Over at Alberta Outdoorsman the VAST majority of anglers support the conceot of quality fisheries--something that may surprise you. We ALL like to catch a few large trout, no matter if we spin fish or fly fish. See poll results from AOF below. Do not sweat about the poll choice..the general outcome is that only 6% of anglers want the "five fish per day" regs and 95 percent lean toward developing quality trout fisheries. 3) THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT POLICE LAKE!! This is about sending a message in support of quality fisheries. If the regs revert back at Police you can bet SRD will be cautious about developing more QF lakes anywhere. SO VOTE HOWEVER YOU WANT. BUT PROBABLY THERE ARE ABOUT 2,000 OF YOU OUT THERE THAT HAVE NOT VOTED. I can't tell you how to vote, but if you support the concept of Quality Fisheries then email Terry and tell him you support Proposal #1. End of yelling! Get on it NOW. Thanks and kind regards. Clive Here are the Alberta Outdoorsman poll results. So have 94 percent of FFC members voted to support the continuance of quality fisheries?!

We cannot have warm weather too fast and for too long. Easy does it.

Since this is a Timmies crowd ...

Yeah JV .. jksnijders is correct. See here...shows two rings...the rotating top ring (with the filter) and the lower stationary ring that is threaded to the lens. Holding the lens in one hand, grip ONLY the lower threaded ring with finger tips trying to avoid the top ring that rotates. Happens to me frequently...worse with the expensive thin filters. Good luck Clive

Hey Gary! Speaking of snow and oldies, THIS song is all about "a whiter shade of pale" ... and it is better than ALL of the songs ever written since most everyone on FFC was born! Which excludes you, me, TerryH a few others and probably even Taco. For you old farts who were carefree and immortal like me in 1967, this song by Procol Harum will make you misty. And the younguns will go back to their rap "music" which is only exceeded in musical ugliness by anything by Bobby Goldsboro and Celine Dion. Old farts unite! :derby racer:

Bette Midler sez 'I haven't left my house in days. I watch the news channels incessantly. All the news stories are about the election; all the commercials are Viagra and Cialis. Election, erection, election, erection! Either way we're screwed!'

BobLoblaw HA HA HA! Need the sheep in case the wimmin are "two baggers."

Runoff is why we have lakes ... and we will probably need the lakes this year in the SW.

The Oldman drainage will be under stress this spring and summer. As noted, a fast melt will not be a good thing. Click here. Select a station (green button) and then select "figure" in the pop up window for the snow pack chart. The five main slow packs that supply the SW rivers are approx. 45% above average. BTW ... the snow equivalent (using the accepted 10:1, snow:water ratio) at Flattop (that supplies the Waterton) is 43 feet of snow. 43 feet is quite a lot. Akamina Pass has a mere 19 feet of snow. They normally get a lot of snow up there. Now here is a piece of government wizardry. Here is the official statement for the Oldman drainage on March 16, 2011. Mountain runoff forecasts (natural volumes for March to September 2011) Milk River basin * Below average Oldman River basin * Slightly below average to average for the St. Mary, Belly River and Waterton River at Waterton Park * Above average for Oldman River at Brocket and average for Oldman River at Lethbridge "Slightly below average to average for the St. Mary, Belly River and Waterton River at Waterton Park" This falls into the general category of: WTF? Probably a good idea to ignore the official line and git yer sheep and wimmin on high ground.

We actually NEED a COOL & DRY spring in the SW as the man said....... Funny we have not heard too many "Woe is us ... the crik is dry" this year.

Hey Tex! 1) You said, How soon do I make the long drive to the Hat to see how big the trips got this year? ... But I'll be there again in April this year! Right. Take an auger and report back. 2) Better hurry! That's a ton o' stuff to jam between the last spring/summer snow (June) and the first summer/fall snow (July or August). Heck, Rick!! ... the days started getting shorter in 13 weeks! Regards Clive PS: Nice story Rick. Thanks. We ALL have these thoughts about spring and summer and getting out more. I gotta get out more.