alan2

The key words of the National Parks Act are "preserve unimpaired for future generations" so, yes the Parks are partly for you (Nick0danger) as long as what you do doesn't impair them. It would seem from your post that preserving them unimpaired is not high on your list, however. The "Them" also refers to wildlife. It is not a case of the individual deciding what and whom the Parks are for. It was legislated decades ago when the National Park system was created.

Yep, but it's pretty hard to get away from those trucks anywhere in BC. Or at least anywhere you might like to fish.

In May 2007 I was jumped walking Bow pathway in NW near Edworthy park, 2 guys jumped me and stole my wallet, and ran. I chased them, yelling, as there were onlookers just across the street. Anyway, they panicked and ditched my wallet, 3 witnesses saw them, I picked them out of a photo lineup. The trial finally went ahead just LAST MONTH, and one assh*le didn't even show. They flew 2 witnesses all the way from Ontario, who haven't testified yet, so you see how the damn justice system drags on forever. If they catch those guys it could be years before they actually go to court. Vigilante justice would be way quicker. Good luck to you Jay, don't let those bastards ruin your frame of mind.

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2010/2010-02-10-01.html Gordon Campbell has just announced that there won't be any oil/gas/mining exploration or development in the Flathead River valley. There was a coal mine proposed near the headwaters, but not any more. Should be good for the fish in the long run, and the Americans in Montana are very happy too. This means when you fish there, you won't be jostling with ore trucks etc along the road either.

Many years ago the fish in Bow Lake were studied and found to have high levels of mercury. Not what you'd first think, eh? That's because the snow accumulates on the Bow Glacier above, and carries minute amounts of mercury, it gets compressed and becomes glacial ice, then it melts over time, runs off and Bow Lk --- right below--- is the first place it settles out. Conceivably, as man adds more mercury to the environment, it will continue to accumulate and if anything, get more abundant in both those fish and the lake. I doubt there are very many fish in that lake anyway. Too cold, too sterile for much insect life.

Looks like someone visited Floe Lake and also went up Mt Temple tourist route! Beautiful pics.

I don't believe its necessary to spend your money on costlier 1X 2X 3X spools of tippet for nymphing, just buy a big spool of 8 lb test mono for a fraction of the price and it will do the same basic thing for much less money. A flyshop owner in Calgary suggested this to me when I was just starting out.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone! Maybe we'll go on a pub crawl and check'em all out. Haha. Then crawl home to the NW!

In a couple of weeks a cousin is coming to town to drift the Bow with me, and I'm wondering about a good pub somewhere towards the south end not too far from the flyshops the drift trips meet at, for after the trip. Not too far off the beaten track. I'm in NW and don't know any good ones out there. Ideas? Nuttin fancy now, mind you. Good beer and burgers type thing. Thanks.

2 or so yrs ago I found a $700 digital camera on the Livingston, posted it on the bulletin board and the owner contacted me and I gave it back. I'm sure he had good intentions and said he'd get me a reward but not a thing ever became of it. So much for being honest, I probably should have just kept it---I needed one. It was good reminder about promising things but not delivering. Last week I found a net on a SE BC river--too bad I have 3 already. Found a good spincast rod in the Bow once.

Yesterday at Bankshead at 8 pm the water in Bow was 19.5C = 66.2 F

Tell as many fisherman as you can where it is then enjoy having the area all to yourself.

I'm guessing that you were probably not in the far south part of Ab but N or NW of Calgary? The reason I say that is that saturday a.m. a small trib of the Oldman I fished was 6C which is a long way from 20C. I think the water is cooler down there than somewhere like LRDR. I was told that 21C water temp was the time to stop fishing...

I've been told that apparently it is no longer illegal to park facing the wrong way on streets in Calgary anymore. Not in residential areas and it may apply to all roads now, though I'm not certain. So if you want to park reversed in front of your house you can. Our neighbour does all the time now.

Bloody hell! So he's the one! Can't say I recognize that one,---they all look the same to me at that age. The kid that is, not the pig Well okay, pigs look the same too.

I sympathize with you rickr, my balance is getting much worse as I age, although I didn't do too badly out skiing the K-country backcountry powder on saturday. The flat light throws me off too, but not to the point of nausea. However this nausea is a fairly common condition with a fix, these days. Maybe you have it. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn41...2/ai_n16370835/ Crystals dislodge in the inner ear and cause the condition. For my balance probs I do exercises on a balance board I made, which helps a bit. There are also specific exercises that sports physiotherapists can show you to retrain the ankle proprioceptors. The exercisies involve closing eyes, stand with one foot slightly forward, slowly rotate head left and right 6-10 times. Focus on maintaining balance when your head is held still after those movements. Repeat at least 6 times. I even have trouble wading if I can't see the bottom. What a nuisance. And I suspect if I stand up in a drift boat and cast I might tumble out, too. Anyway, hope this info helps.

Thanks Paul. I checked out that site---I use to wear one of the sacroiliac back belts they show, and it helped. Maybe the elbow brace will help me as effectively too.

Thanks for the replies guys.

So I'm going to be getting cataract surgery soon and an implant lens in each eye (separate visits). I'm only 54 and the Doc says the type I have usually occur in heavy drinkers, heavy smokers and diabetics. And I'm none of those things. Did I waste part of my life or something? Anyone else had it done? What's your experience? Complications? Can you still see to tie flies? Alan

Interesting info. I can say that from what I have personally seen over the years that glaciers in the Canadian and American Rockies and the Selkirks are definitely shrinking. I can even name the specific ones and have photos to compare. I spent many years mountaineering, travelling over glaciers and saw it and continue to see it first hand. It would be great if those glaciers could at least hold their own---they are the main water sources here. It would be nice to know where on the planet any glaciers are actually growing. Mostly, from articles on I read about mountains, it seems that on every continent they are shrinking.

Tried accupuncture for lower back but it didn't help. This time the elbow mostly quit hurting after 3 days this time, but I know if I had kept fishing it would be hurting still, and probably worse than ever.

If I could win my ultimate fly rod... I think I can safely say I did already win my ultimate fly rod. (or darn close!) 5 years ago after just 1 summer of flyfishing, I went to the Calgary Flyfish expo, and lucky me, I was the grand prize winner of a 6wt Orvis T3, at the time selling for $1100 Cdn. So in 8 months I went from a $70 rod from Ribtors, to a $300 Redington I bought in Sept, to an $1100 Orvis I won in January. I never win things, and when Mike at Troutfitters told me on the following monday that I might have won the grand prize, it seemed unlikely, but when I called Chris Bird, yeah, it was me. I used to use it a lot and really loved it, then after losing and finding it again near Castle Falls, I decided I'm too stupid to fish with an expensive rod (forgot it in the parking lot there). I use the Redington 6wt or the Sage 4wt mostly now. alan

I used to lay by the stream and put my arm in the water last summer which helped the sore elbow until the water got too warm in August...and I also found the side casting was less painful too. I didn't think topically applied Ibruprofen (gel) could or would even work. Hmmm, maybe I'll check around and maybe I will just not fish for a couple more months and rest it. Boring. Alan

Thanks for the replies everyone. When it was really bothering last summer, I went to a physiotherapist in Market Mall prof bldg, who basically said it's a type of tennis elbow. I had 4 treatments over 4 wks, (massage, tens) and he suggested I try an elbow brace, and/or a wrist brace. I can't say that the treatments made any difference but since they were administered by ladies 25 yrs younger than me, it was stimulating for a short time. The wrist brace sort of helped a bit, elbow brace, no. I also do these wrist flex& hold stretches they suggested and I actually thought it was gone now since it's had 2 months of rest but apparently not. Dang. If it wasn't for the fact that I only seem to have half the control of my left arm that I'd like, then I'd switch over sometimes. Share the workload.

Well, after about 4 hours of fishing each the last 4 days, my casting elbow is a bit sore. :$*%&: I had this last summer too, but hoped it would be all gone by now. I found that as a right handed caster, if I fished moving water from the awkward side of the stream (you know what I mean) and had to do some backhand type of casts it aggravated it more, so I only fished from the easier side of the Bow ( the west side) these few days, but it still bothers a bit. Anyone else have this happen from casting? It seems like part of the cause might be too much wrist flexing whan casting. Last summer I adapted a bit by using more shoulder, body movement and way less elbow/wrist flex entirely. Comments? Suggestions? (Yes I know---take casting lessons!) Thanks guys. alan