monger

I just use a few feet of 12 or 15lb Maxima. I've found adding a little oval arc on the back cast helps (instead of straight back). Helps swing the weight of the streamer out to the side a bit. Helpful if casting big, heavy flies.

Always be willing to experiment with stripping. Starting slow is a good place to start...but don't get stuck there. Hungry/aggressive fish will chase things down at speed (some bugs can move very quickly). Additionally you can try quick strips with pauses of various duration.

Try fishing at about 10ft. I would try a leech on top and a chironomid (or some other small nymph) under it. If you see fish taking emergers at the surface move your flies up. You can also try fishing without an indicator at the surface with dries, emergers and small nymphs.

Great post FHD. Couldn't agree more. Hockey is a great game, it shouldn't be about looking for opportunities to hurt someone else or to "win anyway you can". It seems so many positives available from the game are being lost to a culture that wants to exalt self. If you have to win by cheating or by "taking out" the other teams stars, how much real value is there in the victory? The lack of respect you speak of is spreading across the land like a plague. Hitting is part of the game, its too bad the "intent to injure" part is growing so common.

Handling clarification....just hooking and fighting the fish causes stress(cortisone levels elevate), even without actually touching the fish. When the fish start getting hooked enough times there will be repercussions. It appears most of the infected fish are observed in high-density angler areas. To me, that looks like there is a link. There are definitely more anglers these days, and more anglers who are successful. There will certainly be a number of factors working together to get the problem to mortality. Warmer water temperatures/lower flow certainly are a factor as disease agents can reproduce much quicker at higher temps. Fungus has always been apparent post-spawn in the browns. Now it appears there is more mortality happening. In my experience I have found that fungal infection is often a secondary infection to bacteria. It will be interesting to see how the fish respond over time with our growing population. Rainbows spawning in the cold spring water far away from us hook chuckers are spared a bunch of these factors.

I'm with Brent...way more fish handling going on....more stress to the fish....immunocompromised....disease gets a foothold

This time of year the caddis are starting to swim up in good numbers and fish get pretty keyed into those events. I think it's pretty hard to simulate the action of the pupae. Nice to see the fishing eating and not playing with you....never frustrating.....Lots of times you will see the that the fish are coming up at speed, not slowly sipping.

So much whitefish love....thanks for sharing Steve

Great story Dustin. That's a serious fish!

I believe Cap-it uses Leer. I found a great deal on Kijiji.....$800 instead of $2200 for next to new. Lots of competition and you have to be patient Range rider makes a cap in BC

Great point...is Willow Park yellow your favorite

Agreed...trying to will a fish to bite your "incorrect" offering can cause one to speak a different language. Making it tougher can make you grow.

I thought this might be what you were getting at Don. I agree with you. That is why I try not to fish in the kinds of areas you are describing or do something out of the ordinary. Luckily no one else uses wine corks like me so the fish don't get it yet.

I'm confused...indicators are a foam ball/yarn whatever that is about 4-20+ feet from your fly. Why would I want my indicator to be a natural color? The indicator has nothing to do with the fish biting my fly. My indicators are telling me when the fish has the fly, therefore I want my indicator to be both as big and as brightly colored as I can get away with. What am I missing Don

I just stand my ground when I fight a fish, don't need to go to shore. Put the boots to the fish, palm the reel (Bow fish are rarely over 3lb, most under). Reel them in, get their head up out of the water and waterski them to your leg/hand in your personal eddy. Grab the fish or hook and twist the hook out. Usually takes less than 2 minutes (no exhaustion issues). No slime loss/abrasion lost to net, standing in 12"+ of water (no drop worries). None of my buddies use nets. I guess we are just in a hurry to catch the next one. The only time we use nets are for fishing tiny dries with fine tippets or fish over 5lb (not really an issue in the Bow). With the growing number of anglers on the Bow there is going to be more handling/skin issues on the fish. It will be interesting to see if the fish end up with lots of sores like on the Madison.

Do you really need a net? It seems like a pain in the butt to me to lug one around unless you are in a boat.

Friday...Goooood Friday! Fishing was more like Great Friday He is Risen! Thank you Father

Two drift boats were headed that way this afternoon. I wonder what the plan is at the end of the float

This is Canada....hockey laces always work. Just cut to length and melt the new ends...done!

Cheaters!

I use bright pink ones as they seem to stand out well. When fishing on dark, cloudy days, chartreuse glows.

I replaced 2 sets of guides on a old rod....before sharkskin came around. Not expensive guides, but they did wear out

You Chaparral guys obviously own the big browns in this river. Perhaps one day I could tag along with you guys as your team photographer. You can blindfold me so I don't learn where secret spot #3799 is. How long can we stretch this stupid thread out for.....

I've heard of 4 other Helios' blowing up. Light.....but fragile

Zombie's are X-fish that only troutlover and I have been able to land thus far. If you work at it you can join the club. Troutlover's was a fine burbot and mine only a boring rainbow.