Pipestoneflyguy

'Kay Birchy, my good man - heres my biggest whitey ! Please excuse the stringers - This is a very remote lake (Fly in and the boat was hauled with a sled in the winter) and very full of fish and, of course completely legal at the time, I believe she came in at 25-1/4 inches. PS she was pretty fat too, can't remember the girth though !

ahhhh $175 My Wardells were only 179 bucks, I'm in the second year and I have em on more than once a week - no probs yet - buy the cheaper ones, pick up a tube of Loon wader repair, blow the rest on banana modifying surgery

I had a few at Wolf chomp their way right up my forceps just as I removed a clouser/streamer - also had one take a lure that was hanging over the side of our boat - cost me a spincast rod and reel (and my father-in-law got whapped in the back of the head as the rod dragged over the side LOL)

I quit smoking this year - it looks like I have a floaty tube under my waders this spring...although I make a great bully pocket

Nice pics SJW Your consistency never fails to impress That timmies pic is all that is Zen

Hilarious Ever seen "Airheads" I think of that whole "lone rangers" conversation everytime I see your nickname !

AMEN ! - RAOTFLMFAO - I almost coffee'd the keyboard again ! I've got a pic of me holding a whitefish that makes Birchy's look like a minnow (no BS), but I have never posted it due to the 6 walleye also on the same stringer (I'm a reformed heathen, shame shame shame, on thee - can I get a hisssss) - at the time everything about that pic was legal and acceptable but regs and philosophy's change, so I didn't want to "seemingly" send the wrong message by posting such a horrible pic by our evolving standards. Birchy don't hack on yourself - what is important here is that 1) You noticed what they were doing, 2) you cared enough to bring it to the attention of others, 3) You are willing to take action to fix the issue. It is prefectly OK for you to contact these guys and suggest how they could do things better - doesn't matter how long you've been fishing - a persons level of experience does not alter right and wrong ! as a matter of fact you'll find the newest anglers are often the most informed on best practices. For many "experienced" anglers their learning began and ended with learning how to catch fish - end of story. If someone (or yourself) educated these fellas a little as a result of your post - every fish they handle properly and don't kill as a result will be thanks to your caring and effort - same goes for every habit their internet viewers learn from them as well - kudos to ya - you have nothing to regret !

Sorry for the off-topic question but does "BobLoblaw" come from "Arrested Development" ? - GOB kills me LOL

Gonna give some a shot this weekend (in Rainbow water - prolly stick with egg sucking leech made with some salmonoid egg coloured dubbing I picked up last year, as opposed to a yarn ball alone) - drove to Johnson yesterday to try this but they closed muskrat bay so no-go for that water. The got stopped by a police roadblock right before gap and grotto area (as my alternate to Johnson) due to a bad accident so the force was not with me yesterday at all LOL Will post a comment if they work !

Don't knock it guys - my theory..... No Brains = No headaches LOL

Beavers (LOL - sorry it had to be said) Rainbows. forsure ! - below 8" I find the cutties will surprise you with their energy and fight though. Never hooked a steelhead, but, I didn't start spey casting just to impress the ladies........

Hey Guys Do what you will, but I will mention that the one big lesson on learned on the FFA site was attacking them (or calling them out) on the internet will probably just cause them to dig in their heels. It seem these guys just might respond to a little diplomacy and/or tact - they are putting themselves out there on the net, I would assume they wouldn't be doing this if they were aware their actions would bring them under harsh critisism within the fishing community. Reality is, for the most part, our previous generations handled fish with about as much respect as a rubber chicken, maybe these guys are doing what they were taught. For a surprising amount of anglers, fish handling skills are viewed as nothing more than "government BS" stuck on the regs to appease the granola crowd. Peer pressure can be a powerful tool if used properly. Anyway just a suggestion, could be a waste of time, but could be worth a shot - don't know... As for the slit open fish - I can't speak to their intent If I am keeping a fish, which I do a couple times a year, I kill it right away, - letting it die slowly allows lactic acid to accumulate in its system taking away from the taste. (and anything we can do to reduce critism from the ever growing Peta crowd is prolly not a bad thing, either, tastiness aside LOL)

Not sure if this has been posted on the new site so here it is again. This is the fish identification test provided on the sustainable resources web site - even the Park Wardens use this as a learning resource. I try to do it a couple times a year just to keep up to speed on those species I never catch - good review even for the pros http://www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fishwildlife/fish...quizcentre.aspx

Thanks - I try not to ramble too much anyway LOL - 30th you bet, thats fly fisher xmas morning in these parts ! 30th sounds great - tradition for me to hit Emerald in the evening but we can discuss - the back beach can be a little crowded so I bring my pontoon - I have a belly boat if you want to use it, or I also have a canoe if Birchy or anyone else wants to come along. If you want to overnight usually some awesome small alpine lake action the following morning (Sun) but a belly boat is pretty well mandatory for the one I am thinking of (We code named Sushi Log) usually an decent morning hatch happening that time of year. we'll chat when we get closer.

On that note TM my rio line came with a "delicate dry presenting tip" Will pick up one of these for sure too - hope that price survives the border crossing

I did find the 67(8) wt Rio multitip in a dusty back corner that Brad Hanson, the rod builder reccomended (my rod is 11'6" 67 wt) - and TM, I did end up with the Flueger 12wt reel for about $160 - the line was $150 and I went with 250 yds of 30 lbs gelspun backing (funny when you consider the rod cost me less than $200 eh) - still tons of room for disattentive reel-in if need be. Got out on the bow for a few hours and sent a few nice casts - the water was a bit to fast and I ended up skating lot so I am heading to Wapta one night to try a little more manageable water. So far I am loving it - still can't determine if I should use the weight compensator sub tip or not - will have to mess around a bit I guess (I think it would be better to figure it out myself instead of asking the builder) What backing to line knots are you guys using - salesman told me the albright would slip with a big fish - so as a temp I have an albright but I loon UV knotted it for extra strength - I plan to change it to an albright on a bimini twist - just wondering what you guys are doing for this one ? Also leader-wise I cut the toothy critter portion off one of my Pike leaders and added 3' of 2x tippet (10lbs) - it seemed to lift and roll a clouser no problem at all this weekend - just curious what you guys are running for a leader recipe ?

Mcleod - anytime just PM well in advance PS - hey Birchy - Emerald Lake Opening night - you'll hear the occaisonal zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz z zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz z zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz z zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. . ..that means a brookie is on the line LOL Last couple years have had great surface hatch on opening evening....biggest hook-ups usually feature the mottled dorsal you seek...

Interesting discussion for sure - I could go on for hours with practical pros and cons but for now its nice to see folks thinking through the angles anyway. I sent an email to the LLYK Chief Park Warden two years ago posing a difficult question - (considering the Parks mandate which is to preserve the "naturally" occuring environment) - At which point does something un-naturally introduced to the park environment become a park asset as a result of its historical and/or cultural value ? For example - it is illegal to remove artifacts (early CP stirling silver plates, forks etc etc) from the old buried dumpsite behind the Banff Springs hotel because those items existence is interpreted as being of cultural and historical value, irregardless of the fact there is nothing natural about how they were introduced to the Park. Can the same argument be posed regarding Brookies - what quantifyers would be applied to measure the fishes historical and cultural value to the Park ? At which point does it's cultural and historical signifigance outweigh the fact it was un-naturally introduced in terms of it's value assesment ? (is it a measure of potential impact on naturally existing elements that defines it's status ?) Why is a car driven by a Park Warden in the 30's that was left abandoned considered trash and subject to removal from the Park, meanwhile the cabin it is parked beside is protected from tampering or removal under threat of criminal prosecution, despite also being introduced (built) in the 30's Anyway it is questions like these that befuddle the "powers that be" which is likely why the keep two fish rule for brookies and other non-native is such a "middle of the road" wishy-washy position for the Park to take. The solution must be proceeded by the resolution of the cultural vs natural question which is very hard to define in an organization which has a mandate which is somewhat self contradictory. The mandate - "To protect the natural environment vs., for the enjoyment of Canadians" is in itself an enigma. makes for good fireside chat though. When you consider one of the Park's recent inititives, which is a system-wide eradication using poisoning to recreate a truly natural area for purposes like examining the effect of global warming and studying that water system in its truly natural state, lends itself to a more proactive approach, the debate continues, but with real consequences in the balance. Still haven't figured where I sit on this one, luckily I am nothing more than an interested observer, so the burden of these decisions rest with experts not us (luckily the Park is big into public forums and collecting imput so if I did have a formed opinion I know it would at minimum be heard by the powers that be)

PS first night ever in Calgary some scuzball punks stole my car with all my climbing ( I was guiding at the time so that is over 5k worth of gear alone) and skiing gear along with pretty well everything I owned as I was moving to Lake Louise from Ontariable at the time - insurance left me basically high and dry because I didn't document my $3000 turbo, stereo , all the gear, etc etc - pretty crappy welcome to Calgary eh !

Secret switch - I use one on my jeep cause its always open Just find the power wire to your fuel pump - wire it to a toggle switch you mount under your seat, voila, your thief will kill the batt before he ever gets it running. (great for leaving your truck unattended in remote areas) Also I have a wire scrambler plug-in chip- it is a small plastic plug in chip which scrambles the ignition wiring when removed (fits on a key chain) even an expert mechanic would take hours to hot wire it - basically towing is the only option for theives. Perfect ideas if you don't have insurance especially (get some help cause you will want a fuse in there somewhere)

I have the outcast 9' as well - handles great in rough water but you can get wet if waves get big enough - I got caught fairly good distance out on Minnewanka when a storm blew in and the wind picked up and the waves were so big (3 ft) I was rocking my prop out of the water every wave (and I had the shaft set deep) which is bad for the motor, so got stuck having to row in and got soaked to my chest (only time I ever got a little scared). I have also run some white water Lottsa 2's and a few class 3's - in class 2 you will get wet above the waist and in class 3 I get wet enough that I bought a wetsuit (or swim shorts) to use instead of waders. The motor has never made me too happy - it takes constant attention to stay in a straight line especially if its a center mount, trolling is a pain, especially when you get a fish on - if you go with a motor look for an offset mount, reaching right behind your back is a pain - I built my own rotating tiller extension myself to ease that problem. that said, the outcast felt unsinkable in class three rapids - sometimes I run a river without a rod just for the fun of it. it can be a real hoot in white water (and the WTF? looks on the whitewater raft guides faces as you fly by them are priceless) - buy comfy flippers - they are essential to controlling your direction when fishing with current or wind although I have gotton by when I forgot them once or twice by just rotating my lower right leg either clockwise or counterclockwise to orient the boat it works pretty good.... surprisingly, when I am on still water without wind I will often not bother with the fins and just use the rotating leg method. The boat stuffs right into the back of my Dakota nicely, I leave the tailgate open as I have a 6' box but the topper glass still closes fine. I wont hand bomb it more than a couple hundred meters - you'll want a belly for hiking areas. (ps will fit on topper roof if you have your camping gear too, I just roofed mine to cold lake and back) I bought the crappy tire inflation station - comes with high vol/low pres and a Highpre/low vol battery pumps - takes me about 3 minutes per side to go from emtpy to full and the pump is small enough to carry with on the water. (has a truck plug in if the batts die) My first anchor (a pyramid) didn't work with a poop so I am still looking for one that works well I haven't used my motor in 2 years so maybe carefully evaluate whether you will need it of not before rushing out and buying with the boat ahh what else - oh yeah, get a long handled net and make sure you get some kind of stripping apron - shooting line sucks when its wrapped around your feet LOL I absolutely love mine and I find I use it weekly at least (ps I never bother letting the air out anymore - I built a block and tackle set up so I can hang it in my car-port)

Hey Birchy had a paypal mix up with my spey rod so for the last month I have been practising the things I leaned with my one-handers, the techniques are remarkably usefull - been using the snake-roll cast a bunch, and reverse one hand spey as well. I would reccomend Gordon's class even if you don't plan on buying a spey rod (ha ha ha, but you'll be hooked if you do...) Actually coming into town this aft for a spey line (my guys can't get rio) so I've decided on the airflow multi-tip spey line instead. plan to wet her on the way home.

Mud lake has fish Birchy - For a number of years a local guy was suspected of cleaning it out along with many other small area lakes (freezer stockin' poacher scum) - he has been gone for two years now so numbers should better this year than they have for quite a while - The on-going local debate is whether Herbert is devoid or not - some believe it is, and some believe that those guys are just not good anglers LOL. I haven't bothered fishing it in over ten years but a few of us yokels have decided to put the issue to rest this summer. (there was an alkaline rumour going around so I read the ph from a few spots and found nothing unusual) Its right next to the road so its kind of left to the the chuck and splash crowd. Birchy, if your gonna pick up a parks license let me know with a pm when your coming, you seem like a fun guy and there is definetly some options other than mud nearby (depending on when you come, sometimes a few xtra clicks are all that stands between a good day and a stellar day). You'll find many other small deep alpine lakes in the area that have cutty pops but the biggies never seem to break the 6 - 8 inch range, its because they are supporting Brookie pops that never really come up to the surface. They can be caught if your good at searching depths. Wardens hate the Brookies (invaisive non-native) and they encourage killing your limit so I occasionlly keep em for a dinner, always a treat after a long day out.

Hi All I think it would be a great idea to create a forum dedicated to the spey technique. I am brand new to it (Gordons Spey Class was my first exposure) and it would be nice to have a place where those with experience can share their knowledge with us newbies, obviously we would be creating a locally relevent reference for others looking at exploring the technique as well. The spey technique is quietly growing in popularity in this region, as folks experiment with the technique I am seeing its development customize itself to the unique features and characteristics of our watersheds. Other forums exist on other sites but I find they are geared to either steelhead or salmon angling - FFC is the perfect place to have a forum geared towards adapting those techniques to downstream brown and alpine lake variations - think of all those sweet little lakes in our guidebooks that say "not reccomended for flyfishing due to tree/brush choked shorelines" well with this technique you only need 3 ft behind you to cast remarkable distances away. I suspect as the versatility of the technique is explored the popularity of spey will grow. I have a whole list of previously unreachable bully holes that I expect to be hitting with my new set-up and having a forum to discuss successes and failures would be another great feature to this site ! Anyone who may think this is a good idea please post here in support and maybe we can convince Dave to set us up Thx

Harry Geez that user name is just a little to visual LOL