CPs

To All Forum Members, We regret that, due to a number of factors, the shop closed for business this past weekend. We do wish to thank all of the people who supported the shop for the last 36 years.

3 Days Only! November 24-26. Items up to 70% OFF.

If we might inject ourselves into your conversation, the statement that TU did nothing but improve aesthetics at Mallard Point isn't really accurate. The work done there was to deter bank erosion and improve foundation stability of that bank. Something that was pretty necessary considering the bank erosion and resultant instability left by the flood of 2013. As for Policeman's, that is private land and we, as a group, should be careful how much gas we throw on that fire lest we lose it completely.

Trout Unlimited Conservation Projects Come and meet members of T.U. Projects Committee, who will outline projects done recently and projects coming up. They have done a bunch of great stuff in the last year, with more projects to be done. Trout Unlimited focus on habitat projects has greatly improved over the last couple of years. This is the perfect opportunity for you to come and see how you can participate. If we use the resource, we should help the resource! All seminars start at 10:00 am and will end between 11:00 and noon. There is no charge and no pre-registration required. Simply drop by the shop and enjoy the seminar.

Only 3 of these left.. Sage Launch 590 (9’, 5 weight, 2 piece) $75.00 Sage Launch 586 (8’6”, 5 weight, 2 piece) $75.00 Redington Pursuit 690-4 (9’,6 weight,4 piece) $100.00

SCHOOL ROD SALE Time for us to update some of our flyfishing school rods at Country Pleasures. Hot deals on school rods with full warranty! * Sage SLT 490 (9’, 4 weight, 2 piece) $200.00 * Sage Fli 490 (9’, 4 weight, 2 piece) $100.00 * Sage Launch 690 (9’, 6 weight, 2 piece) $75.00 * Sage Launch 590 (9’, 5 weight, 2 piece) $75.00 * Orvis Clearwater 865 (8’6”, 5 weight, 2 piece) $75.00 * Sage Fli 586 (8’6”, 5 weight, 2 piece) $100.00 * Sage Launch 586 (8’6”, 5 weight, 2 piece) $75.00 * Redington Pursuit 690-4 (9’,6 weight,4 piece) $100.00 All rods are in immaculate condition. Give us a call at (403)271-1016 or drop by the shop to check them out.

As a matter of policy, we pretty much never respond to any opinion put forward on this forum, but this one cannot be ignored. Toolman, could you let us know when you have seen lower flow volumes at this time of year, as of this morning it was at 58 cms. And although no one can say that water temperatures haven't gotten in and around the low 20 celsius mark in years past, never can I remember a sustained duration of above critical temps. This is one of the factors that led to the ASRD decision on temporary closures. I can't believe that someone who proclaims to spend as much time as you utilizing a specific resource would even consider publicly posting dissent when the fishery is seeing a threat it has never seen before. ASRD gets our full support on this decision, as well as any further steps they deem necessary to protect our fisheries. Shame on you! Mike Gifford Country Pleasures

New Southern Albert a edition should be out in the next couple of weeks. They did a full revision.

This Saturday, May 2, join us for our Customer Appreciation Day. This event also includes the Orvis Demo Day, so you can try a ton of different Orvis rods. *Hourly Door Prizes *Draw for an Orvis Recon fly rod. *Store wide Customer Appreciation Specials. * Extra Special Sale Prices on Selected Items. * BBQ hamburgers, Goodies, and beverages for everyone.

In conjunction with our Customer Appreciation day on May 2, we are having a fly tying contest. There are 4 different divisions, dries, nymphs, streamers, and saltwater. Prizes for every division as well as a grand prize for best fly overall. Flies must be dropped off to shop by noon on May 2, 2015. Give us a call if you have any questions.

Phil is coming back to do one more Saturday Seminar, free to everyone. **Phil Rowley-Bugs for Stillwater** Saturday, March 28 - 10 AM - Country Pleasures Flyfishing Phil will explain all of the insects and food items relevant to stillwaters in this part of the world. Caddis, mayflies, boatmen, you name it. Phil's last seminar was awesome and this one will be great as well! Not a bad idea to come early as seats get filled up quick. All seminars start at 10:00 am and will end between 11:00 and noon. There is no charge and no pre-registration required. Simply drop by the shop and enjoy the seminar.

Flats Fishing Hot Points Mike Gifford presents a general "get started" presentation on flats fishing for the big four species, Tarpon, Snook, Bonefish, and Permit. And a little bit about Trevally and Indo-pacific Permit. - Suggestions on locations around the world for different species (DYI and Lodges). - proper gear and setups for species. - Things you should always remember to bring. - Tips and techniques for catching the different species. All seminars start at 10:00 am and will end between 11:00 and noon. There is no charge and no pre-registration required. Simply drop by the shop and enjoy the seminar.

We are pleased to have Phil Rowley presenting this coming Saturday Morning Seminar on February 28. **Stillwater Primer with Phil Rowley** Special seminar event! Phil shows everything you need to know to be successful fishing stillwaters. Patterns, techniques, you name it. Better get here early for this one if you want a chair. All seminars start at 10:00 am and will end between 11:00 and noon. There is no charge and no pre-registration required. Simply drop by the shop and enjoy the seminar.

Starts Saturday at 9 AM!

Country Pleasures is pleased to announce the initial line-up for Saturday Seminars for 2015. We believe this is the best lineup ever. Each Saturday at 10:00 a.m. we host a free seminar on a fly fishing topic. We hope you can come and participate. Seminars are scheduled as follows: January 17 - Bow River Guide Patterns Jeff Thomson and Kevin Peterson will show their favorite patterns for the Bow. Comprehensive seminar outlining how, when, and where to fish these patterns. January 24 - **Stillwater Secrets with Brent Schlenker** Improve your presentation skills on Lakes. New tips and techniques for Stillwaters as well as the equipment set up for locating large fish. He will also tie a few new patterns that will hook you up to some great fish. Interactive seminar for beginners to advanced anglers. January 31 - Streamer Fishing We have a ton of people come into the shop and say they don’t really get streamer fishing and don’t do well at it. This seminar, presented by Mike Gifford, will show you how to do it properly. Techniques, gear, and flies for wade or drift fishing. February 7 - Missouri River Primer The Missouri River offers some great fishing within a fairly reasonable distance as an alternative to our fisheries. Blair Yerxa spends a lot of time on the “Mo”. Blair will outline seasons, flies, gear, times to go, everything you need to know to fish the Mo. February 14 - Family Day Weekend- No Seminar February 21 - Spey Explained Terry Antoniuk and Kelly Robertson cover everything Spey. Keeping it simple, they explain rods, reels, lines, and tips. Ideal seminar for those wanting to give it a try as well as those who just need someone to make sense of it all. February 28 - **Stillwater Primer with Phil Rowley** Special seminar event! Phil shows everything you need to know to be successful fishing stillwaters. Patterns, techniques, you name it. Better get here early for this one. March 7 - Getting To The Roots Of Roosters Adam Rich has spent as much time chasing Roosterfish as anyone we know. Come and check out his effective and absolutely beautifully tied flies for these fish. March 14 - Flats Fishing Hot Points Mike Gifford will go through his favorite flies for Bonefish, Tarpon, Snook, and Permit. He will also explain proper gear and leader setups for all of these species and outline some better strategies for catching the main four flats species. March 21 - The World Of The Nymph Kevin Peterson shows us everything there is to know about nymphing in this part of the world. March 28 - **Phil Rowley-Bugs for Stillwater** Phil will explain all of the insects and food items relevant to stillwaters in this part of the world. Caddis, mayflies, boatmen, you name it. Should be a great seminar! April 4 - Easter Weekend - No Seminar April 11 - TBA April 18 - TBA April 25 - TBA You can also check out Seminar topics at our web site – www.countrypleasures.com – by following the links to Seminars. All seminars start at 10:00 am and will end between 11:00 and noon. There is no charge and no pre-registration required. Simply drop by the shop and enjoy the seminar. Although we will make every attempt to present the seminars as outlined above, topics are subject to change without notice. If you have a topic you would wish covered in a seminar, please advise the staff.

Clearance items available at Country Pleasures. While supplies last. * Simms Headwaters Stockingfoot Waders 30% OFF * Orvis Access Fly Rods....Now $325-$360, Reg $470-$505. Limited number available. * One left only. Orvis Mirage Big Game V Now $409.50, Reg $ 585.00 * Simms Rivershed Wading Boots Now$ 135.00, Reg $224.95 * Simms Womens Headwaters Wading Boots Now $102.00, Reg $169.95 * One only - Sage Z-Axis 9143-4 Spey Rod (Field Test Rod/Like new/Full Warranty) $300

With Fall on our doorstep, fly fishing manufacturers are all introducing their Fall lineups. Consequently, we have limited numbers of a few items on special in preparation for new arrivals. * Orvis Access Fly Rods now starting at $375, regular $470. * Orvis Access Outfits starting at $480, regular $555. * Simms Women’s Headwaters Waders $240, regular $399.95 * Simms Blackfoot Waders $160, regular $229.95. * Simms Windstopper Foldover Mitts and Flex Gloves 50% OFF * Howler Brothers Quepos Quilted Jackets $127.50, regular $170. * Patagonia Women’s Icelandic Better Sweaters Jackets 50% OFF. * Howler Brothers L/S Direction and Captain Shirts 50% OFF * Howler Brothers L/S Silver King Shirts Specials apply to in-stock items only. All items available at Country Pleasures Flyfishing or http://www.countrypleasures.com/store/

Country Pleasures Flyfishing is currently requiring two positions for immediate hire. One full-time and one part-time employee are required. Full time employee is required for approximately 40 hours per week and part time employee can expect 40 hours per week summer and an average of 10 to 20 hours per week winter. Applicants should have the following qualifications/experience (training programs are provided for successful candidates): - Minimum five years fly fishing experience. - Above average knowledge base on fly fishing terminal tackle. - Good working knowledge of computer, specifically Outlook and Excel. - Exceptional interpersonal skills. - Good organizational skills. Interested applicants can submit resumes to info@countrypleasures.com Attn: Mike Gifford

Hope you can join us for a burger, customer appreciation specials, and lots of demo rods to try!

Hey everyone, this is Caitlin Gifford from CP. I wanted to send you all an update on our shops status in flood relief and fundraising. We are really pleased to announce that we reached our goal of raising $10,000 for flood relief and river restoration funds. Thank you to everyone that helped us get there! All remaining clothing has been packaged up and we are working to get the items to the people of High River who need them. After speaking with multiple organizations over the last couple weeks we are handing over a cheque for $5000 to the Mormon Helping Hands and another cheque for $5000 to Alberta Conservation Association. We choose ACA as they have been tasked by Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resources with repairing many of our badly damaged boat launches. Hopefully, we will see this money make a difference in the near future. The choice of the Mormon Helping Hands is a bit more personal. Some of you may know that the Gifford family is from High River, we have lived there for over twenty years. It is where I grew up and where I call home. The flooding on June 20, 2013 caused significant damage to thousands of homes, including my grandparents. The staged re-entry process allowed us access to their home nearly ten days after the flooding hit; eight days after the waters had receded therefore we knew we were walking into a very messy situation. Never in my life could I have imaged what awaited us that day, and the days and weeks following. The amount of work that needed to be done was overwhelming. In this neighborhood in the north-west part of town, we weren't only dealing with flooded basements and ruined belongings, we were dealing with homes that had ten feet of water in them and as the water drained it left feet of mud in their basements. It took teams of ten men eight to ten hours to clear a basement out of belongings, furniture and the collapsed drywall. Only then could a vacuum truck start pumping out the mud and slurry. One house took over 18 hours of vacuum time to simply remove all the mud. During the early stages, most volunteers were turned away except those that could drive in with home owners (I escorted dozens of people in through the road blocks just so they could help). The only exception were the Mormon Helping Hands, somehow they were able to gain access to help when others hit road blocks. They all wore bright yellow t-shirts (that were yellow for a very short time before becoming mud soaked) and they reminded us of a bee swarms. Dozens of them showed up on a block and just started helping house after house, bringing with them words of encouragement and extreme kindness I had never seen before. On this street alone, we would still be working today if it wasn’t for the Mormon Helping Hands. They are still in High River, working incredibly hard to save strangers homes and what little they have left of their lives. They deserve a huge thank-you, one that words will never be able to express. This money will go towards tools, cleaning supplies and many other goods that this organization needs to help repair people’s homes. The Gifford family (including our amazing staff and customers) grew massively in the last few weeks when we saw dozens of people stand up and help us through this very difficult time. We have only started on the long road of rebuilding; it will be years before things even resemble normality. This fundraiser was one way we wanted to say thank-you and do a small part in helping get our world back to normal. Thank-you to everyone, everywhere that worked so hard during this time of crisis in Calgary, High River and elsewhere. Thank-you to Rob Owens of Onward Up and Patagonia for the generous donations that allowed us to reach this incredible fundraising goal. Thank-you to everyone that has helped us get where are today, we look forward to a day that even slightly resembles the world we lived in a month ago. All the best Caity

As it stands right now, you have helped us raise $8000 for High River Flood Relief and Bow River Restoration! Thank you so much! Having said that, Rob for OnwardUp just dropped off another whack of stuff donated from Patagonia. Got a bunch more of the good stuff. Womens Supercell Jackets, Better Sweaters, and Merino. Mens Nano Puffs, Hooded Monk Sweaters, etc. ALL AT 50-80% OFF. Help us reach $10K for flood relief.