deeboo

+1 for the song choice so i threw in a vote for ya

i went to fish the wigwam in fernie this summer, i drove for 5 hours from red deer to get there and spent close to 2 hours trying to get access. i have been trying (with terrible luck) for the last few years to catch a bull trout over 20 inches i have caught a few bulls but mostly tiny ones, i figured with a river that has 10lb bulls i was bound to sucker a nice one into taking my newly tied streamers. i get down to the river and hammer like 30 nice healthy cuts in one pool before i decide its time to get to some bulls, i cast for the next 4 hours and didn't see a single one. i move about 3km upstream till i get to another hole with tons of cutts rising so i switch back to a dry and first cast i hook a nice 18inch cutt, it starts dashing through a relatively small but deeeep pool. and then out of nowhere CAAAAAAABLAAAAAMO a monster bull, and i mean a freaking giant, with a head like a football and a tail like a badminton racket grabs the cutt by the side and proceeds to shake the crap out of it. it chased the cutt for like what seemed like 20 minutes (probably more like 3 or 4) with its last attack happening almost at my feet. to be honest i was scared sh^%less of this thing but i couldnt believe what i had just saw...so i let the cutt go and tied on a double bunny throw out a cast and start stripping it in and then i see this massive shadow move in...get about 3 feet to the fly..then 2 feet..then one...then about 4 inches. my heart is thumping like crazy and i am bracing myself for the hellfire this fish is going to unleash and then....it turns and goes back into the deep. i cast about another half an hour then tie on a clouser, then a wooly bugger, then a dace pattern, then i switched to every other nymph, dry and anything with a hook and fished for 2 more hours catching nothing but cutts and not seeing this thing again, i have never fished so hard in my life for one fish. it started to get dark so i clip my fly and reel in my line and put everything away and walk back to the car heart still racing in the pouring rain. i hop into my car and light a cigar and drive the 6 hours home thinking about what i could have done differently, if maybe i twitched my streamers more, or if i had tied clousers that looked more cuthroaty i would have got the big kahuna. i still think about it when i am out and i just wish i had got a hook into it.

i was at the wigwam about 2 weeks ago and it was quite the experience. i think the main problem i found about the classified waters system was that it causes some animosity from both parties. i went to a fly shop to pick up my license and i detected a hint of annoyance from the operator when he found out where i was from. even though we exchanged formal pleasantries it seemed like he didn't like the fact i was there and not using a guide service. even the locals i ran into made claims like " its not a very good fishery anymore" or "there aint to many fish in that river" when i tried to find access to the river i was told "its about ten km hike from any of the roads so its probably unlikely you will get there" which i knew was a complete lie. so needless to say i was a little agitated and spent a good 2 hours trying to find access until i finally talked to some great people in elko who gave me great directions and even went as far as to let me follow them to the road which would get me there. i had a good time caught tons of nice fish and it was a great experience. as for the twenty bucks, was it worth it? well, kinda....its not alot of money and once i got past the hassle i had a good time. i wouldn't go every day but i can see myself making the trip again someday in the future. the fishing was good, the scenery spectacular but i wouldn't say the fishing was better or the scenery nicer then the streams and rivers we have here. i didn't catch any small fish, the smallest was around 15 inches and i managed to land around 40 healthy fish, so it looks like the regulations they have set up have caused a great fishery so i don't think the classified waters is a completely horrible thing. paying for fishing seems sacrilegious but i guess if its not something you do often its not to bad. i probably can spend 20 bucks easy on drinks, books, video games etc. without feeling buyers remorse so paying to fish really aint that big a deal

lol thanks for the info, its still not a go yet but i am still contemplating it. i bought a banger for the trip but i cant find flares for the life of me (damn red deer shops closing on sunday so they can go fishing!!!) but yeah i will let you guys know how she goes if i do make it out there. regardless i am going fishing and i am going to catch a bull bigger then twelve inches for the freakin life of me....its been far to long for me not to catch a nice sized bull, its almost like i'm living in a constant state of defeat.

first and foremost hello, i'm a first time poster but a long time reader. so i figured whats a better way to break the ice then to come to you guys with my little conundrum. folks i am sitting in bed at 4 in the morning with my weary hands tired from tying flies all day for a trip down to the wigwam. however since this is my first time going and i am going by myself i am at a loss for how to access the river. so in a last ditch effort i am asking for any directions on accessing the river. i hear its beautiful country and i have been wanting to hit it since i first started fishing but i am willing to give another place a shot if the outlook doesn't look good. tight lines, deeboo

thanks san juan for the river name and distance. apparently there is no info regarding it as a fishery at all so it looks like it might be one of those get there and find out kind of rivers.......although its a hell of a long walk to feed my curiosity.

what river do you have to cross? how long is the hike to the river? what kind of fish are in it and is it worth fishing? soooooooooooo many questions and so little time!