Smitty

Ditto for the Edmonton area; Freeman, Berland, Embarrass have 1 to 2+ std deviations off the quartiles for low flows. They had the same issues as everywhere else; low snowpack and only some modest recent rain. Plus many of those foothill muskeg watersheds have no cold glacial sources. None. Those grayling and Athabasca rainbows should be left alone. There is no relief up north. I'll be heading back through southern Alberta coming from fishing with Rickr in BC this weekend. I'll be sure to keep updated with the flows and closures. I have one good relationship with a landowner down there on one of the major rivers I was planning to fish in AB, but I just may have to find alternate plans. I was in Waterton last weekend, couldn't believe how low it was, ditto for the Castle. We all saw this coming with the above average spring fishing due to low flows. No one should be surprised by this (at least not on this board). Guess we'll fish for carp, pike, walleye, lake whitefish, goldeye. Whatever. Or just paint the fence. Won't be long before cool fall weather comes and provides relief.

Except somewhere I read in one of those handy dandy tipsheet brochures issued by some organization about crossing the stream at 90 degrees. So there is literature - regardless of the actual,specific legal wording in the actual legislation - printed and available to the public implying that stream crossings are legal. But I also remember the same brochure also stated that driving up and down was illegal. Anyways, while completely admitting legal wording ignorance here, my impression was that stream crossings are legal on a get in and out as short a distance and as quickly as possible type of basis. Smitty

BurningChrome: I have an alternate point of view, but undoubtedly could be interpreted as elitist. No one needed to get on the ball with this forum, because, frankly, many here were already well aware of the issue and are responsible about their angling choices. I posted the advisory in a couple of places a couple of days ago, I really felt no need to do so here. FFC was one of the first forums that ever exposed me to this issue almost 10 years ago when I joined. A lot of the guys here are pretty much on top of the ball. But, I s'pose, it just never hurts to post anyways, so your point is well taken. Smitty

I'm sure some of you by now have seen this: https://www.facebook.com/AlbertaFishandWildlifeEnforcement/photos/a.1580892292169500.1073741828.1579802275611835/1619099108348818/?type=1&fref=nf I seriously want to show up at their trial and petition the judge for maximum fines and permanent revocation of their licenses.

Some of these choices baffle me, it terms of water quality of the lake and/or stocking them in lakes with a 5 limit. But I don't know as much as the bios.

Loved it!

Well heck! I was only trying to win one of them. I actually thought for sure I'd get outbid...on both! Smitty

$350 on #1 $175 on #2

Are we crossing wire here? By following the regs, the kids under 16 ARE allowed their own limit. They just don't need to purchase the license. In the scenario of a father and 2 kids going fishing at Chain Lakes, they are collectively allowed 15 fish. Smitty

Thanks BiggyJ, if enough of us are vocal about how we really feel, who knows? Maybe we can instruct the hard working folks at the local representative level to advocate for those fixes. I know the ATA did make teacher workload a major issue the last round, but I wish they would do more. -Mike

Jpinkster: Well, I'm about to "out" myself. Here's something that makes me a pariah in the staffroom at some schools and labels me with a scarlett letter with other teachers. But, deep breath, here it goes; I don't need a raise. I earn -choose your descriptive here- a decent to excellent middle class wage. The collective bargaining agreements are online, for public perusal. Just google "ATA collective bargaining agreements". Anyone can see that after 11 years, a full time teacher in the province pretty much makes 100K. Now add outstanding benefits. A well-funded pension. Of course, it's a tough job. Of course, due to workload, the majority of us have earned a raise. Yes, the same % of incompetent teachers exist as the do in other jobs and professions. The %'s are pretty much identical. They don't deserve a raise, and some of that minority, a tiny %, deserve firing. That soapbox is for another day. But here's what I'd offer to Ms. Notley: Freeze my salary. But please, for the love of God and all things holy Ms. Notley, please start fixing the system. 1. Please spend the money on the resources and supports we need. We need dedicated art, music, and phys-ed teachers. 2. We need the funding that comes with special needs kids and inclusive classrooms to be spent on more classroom aides. 3. We need the education department to stop treating our children as if they were guinea pigs to be experimented on with gonzo curriculum policies. 4. We need class sizes to be smaller so I can spend more than 78.934 seconds of individual attention on kids. 5. We need more than 90 minutes - per week!!!!! of prep time out of more than a 1000 minutes of instructional time. Some teachers don't even get 90 minutes...did I say this is per week? This is the biggest issue, by far. Teacher workload. Between technology demands, IPP (special needs kids), and differentiated instruction (modifying the lesson plan to suit 2-5 'types' of learners), this is THE issue. Teachers should have at least 60 minutes of prep time every day to deliver robust, well designed lessons. And that ain't happening. Should Rachel and the Notley Crue decide it really wants to truly and actually address those issues, and not give them the once over, passing glance disrespect like the previous government, then I say... ...you can freeze my salary for 5 years. But, the above just makes me a nutcase unfortunately. Though, I must say, more and more teachers are realizing that we can't have every. single. thing. I wish I lived in a utopia of "I want dollars for my raise and I want dollars for every fix for every single classroom issue". But I live in the real world. I am a public servant. I serve the public. I have to live in the reality of finite dollars, - dollars paid to the education system via taxes by everyone, including laid off oil workers who don't have the job security that I do - finite dollars that entails a choice. I understand that the department of education (and healthcare too) cannot exist as a giant black hole whose funding gravity siphons off huge percentages of the provincial budget. So I choose the latter; please Ms. Notley, fix our classrooms. I'd argue that the kids are the most valuable resource in this province. Think I should send that to the journal? I'd be a marked man. Oh well, life a moderate teacher who also owns a business. LOL Smitty

Just another perspective, from a jr/Sr high school teacher; we don't need every 19 year old to go to post-secondary. What we need more is for more curriculum beyond Calm 20 to teach the financial literacy skills to the 19 year olds so they aren't quite so stupid with their money. I don't really view the province has having a post-secondary enrolment issue in terms of numbers. Best to concentrate on keeping it affordable for those that want to go. Also, may I say or acknowledge that as a teacher, my job is quite related to the oil patch; whose kids do you think I'm teaching? Increased funding for education comes from increased #'s of kids, which come s from in-migration, and that comes from a healthy, robust economy. I voted for Notley because I am fed up of 44+ years of instability (as in yo-yo) funding for education and gonzo curriculum policies being tested like our kids were guinea pigs. Don't even get me started on the lack of funding for inclusive classrooms. Anyways, all that to say that yeah, I went "left" in this election, but I'm watching Rachel, I'm watching. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that she and the Notley Crue are actually (?) the most centrist, 'right wing' version of the NDP in the country. Time will tell. Smitty

I posted a review on another board; I like the Scientific Anglers beginner combo outfit (The Fishing Hole had them on sale recently for $100) and the Orvis Encounter combo is very nicely balanced and can be bought for less than $200. Smitty

Happy Birthday Murray!

Clive's Birthday? Happy Birthday Dryfly! Mike2

Bigdirty: I actually concur with your comment. Loved seeing Jim again on TV, and clearly the philosophy of show is less "how-to" and more of the "why" (to quote Jim). But, imho, I did find the slo-mo and especially the music a bit over the top dramatic. After all, I'm watching a fishing show, not Platoon or Wagnerian opera. Overall, I liked it, I do love the theme of exploration, I'm looking forward to the next show.

If pike is the main quarry, go here: http://www.nwtfishing.com/ I've heard nothing but good things. Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. Mike

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edmonton/Western+Canada+could+lose+cent+glaciers+century+study/10949122/story.html

Man has been screwing around with ecosystems a lot longer than 100 years. No such thing ever in the history of nature as "worked perfectly". Nature is in constant flux. And that, by the way, goes for the entirety if humankind, not just Europeans. Your comment about consequences is bang on. It just needs to be applied broadly. I for one don't believe in either/or false choices. We can continue good work to preserve native fisheries like the historically native cutt-bull-whitefish watersheds while at the same time expanding choices and opportunities in other appropriate habitats like relatively closed lake systems with sterile fish. It is not contradictory at all to bonk brookies in a stream and then spend an evening fishing for tigers at a lake. Indeed, they might be even somewhat complimentary. Increasing stillwater fisheries quality through regs and different species might shift (slightly) angling pressure from more fragile systems like many flowing waters to stillwater, which generally can withstand more angling pressure (assume proper regs and enforcement) due to better productivity. What's the over/under line for someone complaining about how crowded the Oldman gap is before Aug 1st?

Lots of fly anglers do. It's a good tool for locating structure, lake features, and of course, fish.

Happy Birthday Murray!

My God if it wasn't a teacher and the timing being just after getting back from spring break I'd be all over this. I'm almost tempted to ask my principal anyways...lol. -Mike

Couple of comments; 1. In regards to non-native exotic species not being welcome, I would hope those anti-tiger guys don't like brookies or browns either. Cause what's the difference? Both are exotic; just because browns have been here about 100 years doesn't make them less exotic. 2. From what I understand, tigers are one of the few (only?!) species of trout that will predate on perch. Could be a chance here to help mitigate the problem of perch infested trout lakes. 3. I thought SRD could enact in-season changes?! I thought they had the ability to close eastern slope streams if water levels got too low and temps too high. Isn't that true? Or is it they just post non-enforceable bulletins encouraging anglers to "not fish"? Because obviously if they could do in-season reg changes, they have plenty of time to post signs on lakes mandating catch and release only on tigers. You guys are right; why should an arbitrary publication date dictate what regs should be implemented during a given angling season? Smitty

Given the subject / topic, not such a bad thing to double post really.

Any updates? I'm so sorry to hear of the theft Dutchie. I hope the boat is found and returned to you in the same condition. I'll try to keep an eye out as best I can online. Smitty