murray

I know los of guys have already said it, but I started with the beginners couse at Country Pleasures. It helped in several different ways. First of all, there are lots of ways to do most of the tying procedeurs. The instructor showed us a couple of ways that seemed to simplify it for me. You dont have to fumble around and get frustrated trying new tecniques when there is an easier method. There are also a few other online resources that may be helpfull. Try www.troutflies.com. If you go to the tutorials section, they have lots of different patterns complete with step by step accompanied with pictures. I think there is a video of the whip finish as well. I'll tell you Hack, there is nothing quite like catching your first fish on a fly that you tied yourself. Murray

What a great game, did anyone else get the goosebumps when they played the national anthem? They played with a lot of heart and soul in this one. mURRAY

Gary, that is a great comment. The only thing that prevents you from learning new things is your attitude. You're never too old to learn. We have some really good fly fishers on this board with a ton of experience, some of them close to 30 years younger than me. The amount of time they spend on the water in one year will equal 3 or 4 years of fishing for me. One other thing I relearned this year, the fish can be very close to the shore. Do not ignore the water 1 or 2 feet from the banks. I've known this for a long time but simply forgot. I float the Bow frequently on my pontoon and constantly try to fish the current seams 30 ft. from shore. I do have limited success doing this but this past year, I tried to get as close as possible to the shore. the results were several fish over 20 inches that were hanging in that shallow water a foot off the banks. Happy New Year everyone Murray

I've been every year it has been here. I wont miss it. Where else can you get a personal demo on tying flies from the likes of Jack Dennis, Bob Clouser and Jim Teeny. If you want a hands on instruction and coaching sit in on some of the 2 hour clinics. There are three that I intend to take in this time around. The casting pool is a great place to try your hand at virtually any rod being sold, this is a pretty broad statement and may be exagerated a little but there sure are a lot of choices. I have gotten a couple of deals every year, from complete rod, reel and line outfits to tying equipment. I mark this one on my calender every year. Oh, and you'll probably meet up with a bunch of people from the board as well. Murray

Lynn, we have been on the Bell system for quite a long time. I just checked my recieve signal on the reciever and it shows 90 percent. I work with antennaes all the time at work and as far as I know, the most logical reasons for a weak recieve signal can be attributed to any one of the following, miss aligned antennae, obstructions between the antennae and the sattelite, trees, other houses and the sort. possibly snow covering the antennae surface, if the antennae is mounted under the roof line say on a wall for instance, it may not have a clear view of the sky faulty signal pickup thingy on the antennae (in the old days they were called LNB) or other faulty equipment. Heavy cloud cover can restrict the recieve signal as well My question for you is have you ever had a good strong recive signal and then it deteriorated? If so, that might point to a miss aligned antennae. Send me a message and maybe I can take a stab at realigning the antennae for you. I live in the south part of town, close to Fishtales. Murray

ey trout, I went looking for another site and found this one. Take a look http://www.theflybench.com/nymph/fly0323.htm Murray

I finally had an opportunity to stop in at the Fishin Hole to pick up my door prize for the Bow Clean up. I introduced myself to Bill Robertson (manager) and told him why I was there. Bill immediately went into the back of the store and got the Shimano rod and reel and tackle bag he had set aside. It is an excellant rod and reel from an excellant store. Bill, if you do read this site at all, I thank you for your generosity. You have a great store and I will be checking with you in January about that switch rod. Murray

Sorry about that, I tried the link yesterday before I sent the message and it worked. I just tried again this morning and it doesn't work. What can I say? It was basically what you were doing except that the pattern called for an underbody wrap of chartreuse thread. The overbody layer of pearlescent tinsel aloud the chartreuse colour to show through. Give it a try. Murray

Try this link. www.rockymtnfly.com/fly_tying/Lightning_Bug.aspx Murray

Yea, bottle caps were all over the place. Rick and I pulled out a TV that will need some serious work to get it running, the picture tube was broken. I also found a couple of full beer cans. I have to say, the sponsors really came through with some serious items. I fully intend to support them as they have supported us. Murray

What an excellant turnout. I tried counting a couple of times, some where around 27 showed up. That number could well be out though as I suspect a lot of the good people that helped do the cleanup didn't make it to the Bar B Que. Anyhow it was real nice to meet people and put a face to the names I see on here every day. Matt, take a bow. You did a great job putting this all together. I was sure surprised by the donations from all of the sponsors. It just goes to show what a great community this is. My personal thanks to the Fishin Hole for donating the Shimano rod, reel and tackle bag that I was lucky enough to win. Lets do it again next year. Murray

Rick, I'd be happy to give a hand. Maybe it still works eh? See you tomorrow. Murray

Matt. No sweat, the Bar B Que will be there as well as an extra propane tank. What time do we meet at Fish creek? I'll see you at Policeman's Flats tomorrow. Murray

I can bring a Bar B Que and 3 5 gallon water jugs. I'll pick up an extra propane tank also. Ive got room for three other guys in my truck if anyone wants a ride. I live in the south end of town. I'll check back on this thread for messages re: rides and such. Murray

Just a note, I have room for three passengers if anyone is stuck for a ride to Policeman's Flats on the 19th. If anyone needs a lift just send me a PM. Murray

Just a thought, but I think I'll wear my FFC hat for the Bow River cleanup. The times I have been out on the river this year, I haven't seen very many people wearing their gear. What are you saving it for? At least this way, the general public will see us as a concerned group of area Anglers looking after our river. What do you think? Murray

Headscan, I have no idea what kind of line he's using.He bought the rod,reel and line from Courtney the first year he was out for the Fly Fishing Expo at the Max Bell a couple of years ago. He had a bit of a problem in that the reel would not hold very much backing, only about 75 yards or so. He upgraded to a bigger reel and now has lots of capacity. If you find another line that works well, let me know. As it is now, the switch rod is one of the best things for him. It lets him cast to rising trout like the rest of us. Murray

A good friend of mine has the same switch rod as headscan. For him it is absolutely, the only way to go. Let me explain, he is paralyzed from the waist down and has braces on his lower body that allow him to walk. This of course means that he supports his 200 pounds on crutches. Over the course of the last 60 plus years, his shoulders have taken a beating and he cannot do a conventional overhead cast. Withoutr the switch rod (or spey rod style) his fishing would have to be trolling or similar. The switch rod allows him to park someplace beside a stream or sit in a boat and cast to rising trout like the rest of us. I'm thinking of picking up a switch rod so we can both fish out of the same boat. Murray

Excellant idea Greg. I remember looking forward to and reading some of the ones in the past. I really like the idea and hope someone takes up the challenge. I'm sure the stories will be enjoyed by all. Murray

It's been a while since I floated from Glenmore to 22X but if memmory serves me correctly, it was somewhere around 4 or 5 hours in a pontoon. Do drift boats travel at approx. the same speed? Another 2 1/2 to 3 hours will get you to Policeman's Flats. I wouldn't mind taking the pontoon out for the same float on Friday if you wanted to meet up. We could drop a vehicle off at the far end. Send me a note if you're interested. Murray

I know you said an hour and a half drive , but one spot you may want to consider is Payne Lake. It's about 2 and 1/2 hour drive but it is right on the lake. It has lots of rainbows in it that are quite eager to play. You are also in close proximity to several streams, most less that 1/2 hour drive. (St. Mary's, Wateron and I think the Belly is close as well. They charge 18 bucks a night to camp and they are still open. I think you have to bring your own firewwood though. Murray

Hey Mike, welcome to the board. If you're looking to pick up a rod here, most guys use a 6 weight, floating, weight forward line. There are several shops in town that can get you into an outfit that will fit your budget. There are also a few guys selling used gear here on the board. As far as flys go, there are a bunch of guys that write on the board that can answer this better that I but, I would tie up some of the standard nymphs used everywhere. Hares ear, Prince nymphs, Pheasant tails, San Juan worms, Caddis pupae,Evil Weevil. Sizes 16,14,12. Colours of black,olive,tan,chartreuse. Streamers work too. Try wooley buggers, Bow River Buggers, Sculpin patterns, Clouser minnows,try sizes of 10,8,6 in black,white,oliveand maroon or wine red colours. Murray

I believe there are pros and cons for each decision. Personally, I like the idea of the pontoon boat. You have already mentioned a couple of the pros, let me add a few more. First off, your day on the water is not tied to wether or not your partner can make it. If you decide to go for a float, simply load up your boat and go. I have been disappointed far too many times in the past waiting for someone else that says yes and then doesn't show up. Now, I just say I'm going and you can join me if you like. Next thing is the cost. A pontoon is very affordable and it fits in my car. No trailer to tow. Third, pretty much any small lake is good to go with a pontoon, even if you have to pack it in on a trail. It may be difficult to pack it up to a 1/4 mile or so but not impossible. As far as drifting faster than a drift boat, that is probably true but you can control it with the oars There are a couple of negatives as well. For instance, if you catch a bigger fish, the fish heads north as you are going south. It can be exciting as a lot of things are happening all at once. IE: guide the boat to shore,reel in the extra line,dont drop your rod or oars and dont lose the fish. any how, these are just my thoughts. Murray

Birchy, I have the William Joseph model. When I first got it, I played around with it around the house. I can tell you the temperature of the kitchen floor, walls and windows. I could even measure my own temperature by pointing it at my arm, but I have never taken it to the river. If you wanted to take it out for a spin I would be happy to lend it to you. Send me a message if you want to borrow it for a bit. Murray

Earlier this year I picked up an inflatable life vest from Russel's Sports. It is comfortable to wear and does not hinder movement in any way. I think my cost was somewhere around $150 or so. I believe Kyle is right in that you really only need to have a life jacket in the boat with you but my thoughts are why not wear it. I imagine if you tipped over, there are a lot of other things you would be reaching for and quite possibly never be able to grab your loose life jacket as it floated away from you. I will never go floating anywhere without mine on. Keep your eyes open for sales. I think that new Bass Pro Sports at Balzac should be opening soon. Murray