Pipestoneflyguy

Hey Pythagoris Was that the concert with the giant pig - I went to the one in Toronto, what a great show !

Guilty pleasure ? Saw madonna from the 8th row at the Skydome, the one where she grabbed herself and dared the cops to arrest her - I acted disgruntled (GF wanted to go) and aloof for years but in reality it was one of the most impressive spectacles I have ever seen in my life. her singing and dancing was really incredible to see live.

Tough call but for a large venue I gotta go with Sound Garden VS Nine Inch Nails at Molsons Park in Barrie - hot summer night, giant mosh and if you have to ask, yeah Trent Reznor et al kicked Soundgarden's ass something fierce. Best small venue would have to be back in the early 80's went to go see a band in Hamilton called called "Soft White Underbelly" , turned out to be Blue Oyster Cult looking to float some new tunes without a crowd. Was an awesome show with just the right amount of people, and beers with the band afterwards. Started sneaking into bars to see bands when I was 16 so there have been alot of good ones over the years - beside beaches the only thing I miss about Ontariable is the constant presence of great live music (OK,... I miss muskies too)

Bob - you are clearly not married (refering to the fart one LOL)

A fish never yelled "shut-up and eat-me Bitch" at me Bob - your killing me !!! RAOTFLMFAO - and spitting coffee on my keyboard !

Happy B-day Rev - love the sig - you keep us smilin !

Was wondering if I would have to change my sig this morning LOL Glad to see such a interesting conversation generated by Eric's thread. Looking at some other threads it appears we have a bunch of old punk rockers debating ethical and moral guilt on a fly fishing site, how can you not love that ! Last night I proceeded to a fav spot in Yoho and landed three bullies. I also lost a couple brookies off of dry takes. The fish were absolutely beautiful as was the view as the sun set across the confuence of the three rivers. I did lift out a 16"er just to get a quick look at its georgeous "jet fighter" styled and coloured body, the others, I released peacefully under water. As I packed my gear and got on my bike I took a minute to reflect on this thread. The only guilt I felt was that so many people in the world will never get an opportunity to experience the beauty and grace in life and nature that I had been enjoying in blissfull solitude for the previous couple hours. In terms of my impact on the environment I felt more like I had made a symbiotic connection as opposed to a destructive intrusion - I left things as close to undisturded as possible within my abilities as a C&R fly angler. When I lifted the bull out, it didn't fight or struggle we simply looked at each other momentarily and then returned to our respective worlds. Contemplating the colapsing bridges, kids pushing kids under trains, wars and tragedies that we are bombarded with everyday in our lives I would define my flyfishing experience as close to achieving spiritual perfection, that a non religous person such as myself will ever get. If I did feel guilty before this thread, I sure don't now.

Look it at this way, we get two opening days this year..... (poor consolation, I know)

No need to apologize MTB, at least, I take no offence what-so-ever to your thoughts - I think we may be taking different things out of Eric's post, thats all What I see is a simple message that by examining and reasoning our decisions against an ethical or moral perspective we can seek to find the best possible way of doing something which is intrinsically contradictory to an ideal. My last paragraph (prev post) wasn't worded so well, it was meant to be a little tongue in cheek, what I was trying to relay is that I determine my own guilt, not just by my actions, but more-so how I choose to measure them. For example, when I am fishing alone in an isolated spot, I may know that there is not a Conservation Officer, or any other person around for miles, I still pinch my barbs, even though doing so may reduce the number of fish I land, My knowledge of how not doing this affects the mortality rate of the fish I catch is what drives the action, but it is not this fact, or the logic alone, that motivates me to do it, it is how I would feel, if I chose to disregard the knowledge, that ensures I always pinch my barbs. Essentially a little bit of guilt keeps me in line with right and wrong as I have reasoned those things to be. I do believe that the way I handle fish is within best practices, I respect and use regulations, guidelines, and knowledge gained from resources like this site, and as such, I really do feel no guilt about flyfishing because of my ability to reason, but that said, I try to be an open minded person, I will even try to empathize with the feelings of an extremist view such as those of PETA members, I do not subscribe to their opinions but knowing them, and their arguments, helps me understand my own reasoning better. I can be comfortable in the knowledge that I am willing to ask myself questions I may not like the answer to, but in doing so I am better educated and can make sound educated judgements. Guilt is a reflection of our personal beliefs, and it is something we can manipulate to our advantage, both personally and in others, I think Eric is just pointing out how this can be a good thing in fly fishing. I like any thread that forces me to sit and think before responding, even if I am weak at iterating my thoughts

Just as all flyfishers are not all poachers, not all off-roaders are looking to chew up the environment, off roading, for example allows the disabled to explore and enjoy the wilderness when otherwise they couldn't - Looking at the 4x4 discussion boards its clear many support this type of heavy handed regulation being in place. They are a recreational group that is losing its options rapidly due to the typical irresposible and uncaring bad apples that exist in all activities. As a jeep owner I support this legislation and in fact think it is long overdue and I hope they do follow through with some signifigant penalties for violators.

Ditto on Ohara Been up once this summer - lotza little natives in the creek and lake and I agree on the value of hiking to some of the area lakes - fishing aside, this is one of the most beautiful places in the world. enjoy the trip...

The question could be applied to so many aspects of our lives, We continue to build and develop, we harvest and extract, it is the common practise of our species to use nature, not live harmoniously with it, we dominate and determine the future directly, indirectly and inadvertantly of all things around us, historically, without regard for impact beyond our own limited existence. The concept and growing awareness of environmental and social conscience are philosphies that are evolving in acceptence and understanding, our society as a whole is developing a collective guilt complex over our own existence in the world, it starts early in our development, from the moment your mom first said "finish everything on your plate because there are children in Africa who have nothing to eat" we began to feel guilty for our lives as they are. The point is that, almost everything we do, within the confines of supposedly evolved ideologies could be defined as shamefull by the highest ecological standard, be it developing a strip mine, or buying a coffee in a styrofoam cup. Whether our life's reckoning is reconcilliated in front of our god, or our level of accountability is limited to ourselves, we are heavily burdened with the concept of a price to be paid. How ironic is it, as a society, we are begining to grasp philosophies that governed aboriginals in their thousands of years of succesfull facilitation of a truly sustainable coexistence with their environment, only took us about 200 years to F-up that one eh ! Here we are, espousing our evolved concepts to the world as if we created them, in reality our guilt is manifesting itself into a vain effort to go back in time and find redemption through (forced, for the non-subscribing segment) attrition. Al Gore and David Suzuki are masters of capitalizing on this spectrum of emotion and feeling that spans society just like capitalists played on the unilateral desire to live the "american dream" to justify their causes as well. As stewards of the watersheds we love we are both champions and enemies of that which we love so dearly. For myself flyfishing is also a way to connect with nature, but also a way to escape myself and who, or what, I really am in the world in which I live. The curse of many climbers/fly fishers/trekkers/surfers etc etc is defining our own underlying motovation. Are we on a quest to find something missing ? or are we refugees temporarily escaping a world that secretly disgusts us ? is this something we love unqualified and without need for understanding, or are we just passing time in a pleasant surrounding. I would imagine the answer is different for everyone on the surface, but more and more alike the deeper we dig. On Occasion, I am truly envious of those who are able to enjoy life completely oblivious to the world around them. as such, yes I feel guilty for flyfishing, but I also feel guilty about almost everything I do if I look closely enough. Great post RabbiEE

Stompin Tom to Suicidal Tendancies and everything in between - I love old punk, especially Canadian stuff like Dayglo A..., Forgotton Rebels, furnace face, Black Donnelys, Deja Vodoo. In general, I am a wholehearted supporter of almost all Canadian music. Love the Hip, 54-40, Northern Pikes, Colin James, Jim Cuddy, Neil Young etc etc (Man, remember when Colin used to wear his boots outside his pants). My CD collection really is all over the board but lately I have been enjoying older blues/jazz on my way to and fro fishing, kinda suits the activity I guess. With Ipods and Satelite I think todays generation is very lucky - To be able to hold a whole studio worth of vinyl in the palm of your hand is not something I would have ever imagined possible when I was a kid. Music is so accessable now no matter what genre, that is so cool... PS Griz - love the Cowboy Junkies too, combine their CD with a soft lit apartment and a nice dinner and you have my single days, "foolproof recipe for closing a deal", if you know what I mean LOL

Ahhh OK that explains alot ! I've got that Hanson specs written down at home I'll take a look but it seems clear I should try the compensator with the floater and clear tips - thanks TM - I'll pm you next time I'll be in town, thanks for the offer - ditto if your up this way

Name is Rob - still very much a beginner. Most of the time I am casting without a fly wishing to take my time learning the techniques before complicating things too much by worrying about landing fish Using a custom 11'6" 5/6 wt spey rod built by Brad Hanson in Oregon. I have a Rio windcutter multi-tip line - so far have been focusing on using the dry and clear intermedite tips. plan on picking up a 7/8 wt for pike, salmon, steelies and eventually a skagit line for the 5/6 just for fun Best (of very few) hook-ups so far was a skating a EHC across a quick moving lake outlet and getting slammed by a sweet rainbow, was pretty exciting because I didn't really think it would work and then "Woohoo, fish-on". Waiting for the moving water to clear up and then I'll be working bullies in the Upper Bow, Kootenay and Kicking Horse rivers. Thanks to the admins for putting this section up ! Thanks to Gordon for dropping in - hope to be in your next class again !

Hey TM - The left hand cast is finally starting to come together (finally fishing both banks effectively, which is nice.) I am finding I have to shorten up quite a bit with clousers or streamers on my 5/6 wt to get em over (although I still haven't fully figured out how and when to use the compensator line segment properly yet) for smaller stuff like nymphs and wets, well the set up is nothing short of awesome. I will be picking up a 7/8 wt, or heavier for pike fishing without a doubt. As for the dry-fly stuff, I am able to leave the float tube at home on a few lakes where the tube was mandatory with my 9' - of course now the limiting factor is my sight, not my cast LOL - I am liking the 11'6" length for overhead casting, doesn't feel so much like am trying to swing a telephone pole as it did with the longer rods. You may as well sign me up for Gordon's class again - I felt a little unprepared last time and now I've got some basics down I could really use the expert advice. LF - FYI, as you look at the options, if you go with a Rio line, the 7/8 comes with two more tips than the 5/6 in the multitip wincutter.

Maybe I'm spoiled cause I rarely see other fishers but when I do I like to be social and friendly and most of the time it is totally worth-while - last weekend I went out to Emerald one night and as I came in (on my toon) I saw an older fella fishing off the bridge so I though I'd go say hello and offer a suggestion or two if he wasn't getting any takes - as it turns out the guy is a total fly god and in our discussion he listed off over 20 countries all over the world he has fly fished in, he even offered some of these incredible looking split wing bugs which are all the rage in New Zeland right now. We also chatted for quite a while about his recent experiences fly fishing in China. I felt pretty sheepish after thinking I would be giving him some advice based soley on the fact he looked like Higgins off Magnum PI - LOL (ps the whole time he continually landed fish after fish without ever looking away from me even while setting hooks) - just goes to show you never really know who your fishing next to, especially if your unwilling to cast the first smile. I find that folks that crowd you, or are a-holes for whatever reason, are not worth arguing with - I prefer to move away (but within sight) so they can stand there and watch you land fish after fish. Even better if there is a newbie around that you can get help out - that really rubs it in without having to be confrontational.

Hey LF - did you hear about those idiots in a canoe two weeks ago, rode over Bow falls and by the grace of god, actually walked away uninjured, must of been a hell of a ride LOL - I would have bought tickets to see that one !!!! One of the Canmore guides asked me what I thought about drifting the bow through Redstreak - I had to laugh, a good way to turn your clack-a-craft into a million tooth-picks - anyway a number of guides do guided walk and wades within the Park. There is a small rainbow creek off of Johnson Lk which is within walking distance but I'm not sure if it will still be open in Sept or not, also ,.. supposededly hiking to the river at the canal outlet (below the power station on the TCH east of Banff) is a pretty nice section of river and it gets considerably less pressure than anywhere right in town. May be a bit to far to walk but the spot is close enough that a cab wouldn't be all that expensive. As LF says post again closer as I plan to hit this spot when the clarity improves and could give you an acurate report closer to his trip date. All that said I would suggest your bud would be getting the best possible experience if he saved up a few extra hundred bucks for a float on the bow outside the Park, most guides would be more than willing to pick up, and drop off your friend in Banff at no charge.

I've been hitting one of my fav lakes all last week, once I get 10 to 20 fish I like to experiment a little, for example if I was successful with a traditional EHC, I'll try a collar hackled EHC instead and see how the fish react to it, I'll also try different sizes to see their impact on effectiveness. If time and light permits I'll also try similar flies such as goddards or experimental flies (like split hairwing EHC's) to just see what happens - I view times like that as an opportunity to learn a little in somewhat of a controlled environment (you can answer questions like "does a fine gold ribbing actually improve the attractiveness of an EHC or is its only role is to keep the body hackle from breaking ?, does EHC body colour actually have any real impact, what works better, a skinny body or a fat one... etc etc) - The lake I am talking about is O2 rich and cold so the fish are strong and healthy (I am getting tons of huge jumps from the rainbows) and over the last two weeks I haven't spotted a single dead fish, I would honestly be surprised if there was any mortally injured fish based on my observations but maybe I'm not looking for the right signs ???? Hog that is some interesting math, real food for thought,.. and it makes sense. I agree that landing and handling are by far the most impacting factors. I like your idea of a code of conduct on the board - seems to be tidbits of conduct stuff in regs, magazines, books etc etc but something specific to this area would be usefull, especially to guys like me that rarely fish near others, as I explore and move into more of these popular areas I find just asking what is appropriate offends some people - not sure on some other stuff too. like how close is too close when I am on my pontoon and and guys are fishing from shore, given we are all targetting the same drop off areas.

After posting that warning about bears and cougars - At about 7pm that evening I was headed out the old pit 69 road to McNair Pond, despite yelling my "yo-bears" and having bells on my bag I must have surprised a grizzly hidden away between the river and the road. He charged me head-on stopping about 5 feet short of me, then immediatly hooked a left and booked er into the woods. She actually sprayed my face with bits of gravel as she ran away and her stink stayed in my nose even after I got home. There was no reaction on my part what-so-ever - I simply froze where I stood, in utter shock ! its a whole different ball of wax when one of em is running at you. The fear didn't really set in till I headed home, the area is a bit of terrain trap so there was no friggin way I was going to the pond fishing and coming back through that spot again after that one, not that fishing with quivering arms would have been pretty anyway LOL. It occured to me that the missus wouldn't report me missing until midnight, and that griz could have mowed me down like a I wasn't even there if she wanted, the whole thing added up to me not paying enough attention to my own advice Knowing the risk I did choose to leave the dog at home, which in hindsight, was a very smart thing to do, but I failed to take a partner with me. For the next few weeks at least it looks like all those local noobs who have been asking to go out get their chance LOL. Anyway gotta get back on the horse so I am headed out to McNair again tonight, but approaching from the north this time

Just a heads up to anyone headed into the mountains - Buffalo berries are out early this year so watch for bears at the lower el's. Even found a black bear at the end of my driveway as I left for work this morning. There was a couple close calls with bears this past weekend, couple illegal campers in Yoho were lucky to be out of their tent while a bear ripped their junk to shreds (left food in the tent durrr...) - also in Kootenay, a couple folks were stalked by a cougar - check with the info centre if your plans include fishing in the area of KNP, the Kindersley-Sinclair loop has been closed as a result. The river is like chocolate milk and even the lakes are pretty chalky so a friend and I ended up gorging ourselves with wild strawberries instead of fishing this weekend anyway - I can see why the bears love this time of year...One of those if you can't beat em, join em things

Congrats ! - cute little guy you got there !

Weedy WTF Over !!!! The lake is Ross lake off the old 1A - holds plenty of Brookies McLeod and I went there for opening day - I got blanked, he got one. we were a bit early me thinks, one of the wardens skated on it at freeze-up this winter and reported seeing Brookies he estimated at close to 24" although the local crowd rarely lands anything bigger that 12 -18 inches - word is it only fishes well after sunset

Has "watching and listening" signed up here ? The net is a component of our law enforcement activities within federal parks without a doubt.

PS anyone besides Mcleod recognize the Lake ?