ironfly

I moved to Edmonton when I was twenty. I had spent my teen years living in and around Yellowknife, and had enjoyed some great fishing up there. If anything the fishing was too good, because my skill set had never evolved beyond trolling spinners and spoons, and ice fishing. When I started fishing in Alberta I went for what was convenient, which means stocked potholes. Using my methods, I couldn't buy a fish, but almost every time I went out I'd see a fly fisher, and it seemed like they were always catching fish. So I figured, "When in Rome..." I bought a cheapie beginner combo and gave it a shot, but of course casting from shore didn't work, so I bought a belly boat. I picked up a few books and a casting DVD, learned about presentation, matching the hatch, got rid of my tailing loops. Still no fish to hand. It was getting late in the season by then, and I stopped into a tackle shop for advice. The manager says,"this is boatman time, here, try this peacock boatman." I head to the lake, get a line wet and start trying to fish it the way the manager explained; cast it out, count to five, stacatto strip in. Next time count to ten, then fifteen. No luck. I pulled up anchor to head to a new spot, but saw no reason to reel up. Just as I was about to drop anchor again, fish on. No ifs, ands, or buts. I almost lost my rod when the fish hit. The moment I felt the fish on the line, there was no going back to gear; the sensitivity was like night and day. After a great tussle I had a nice rainbow of about four pounds. I laughed at the irony all the way home. I still do. I took up fly fishing because trolling didn't work, and caught my first fish on a fly by trolling.

X2

Just to throw another option into the mix, consider a bivy bag. MEC Bivy Bags Put your sleeping bag and foamy inside, roll it up and put it in a dry bag with compression straps. Setting up your shelter will take about ten seconds, any where, anytime. Packing up might take a minute. Warm and dry, and a conversation piece to boot.

Uberfly, apply a little iso (or is it iodine? anyone?) to the outside seam, then fill the inside with water. Not too much water, don't want to stress the seams. If it's channelling it's way in, it should also find it's way out, and the water will change the colour of the iso/iodine (it's been so long I can't remember which one).

Since you already have some Hares Ear Plus, I'd use that for the imitations, and Ice dub for the attractors. Antron's great for dries, but looks a little plain on nymphs for me. But a little bit of white antron yarn can go a long way towards simulating air bubbles.

How are you at spinning hair? The Bow River Bugger has been very successful for me in coloured water with a sink-tip.

I make mine with 2 lb. Trilene XL which I buy at The Fishin' Hole, in the ice fishing section. I second ricinus' caution about yanking them out of a snag.

I don't get to fish the bow as much as I'd like. I was there in May with a couple guides who could back me up on this; one of our party was a rookie flyfisher, and all he could hook was browns over 20". Plenty of fish were caught by all present, but no-one else got a single 20" fish, and here's this guy who can barely cast pulling in 2-footers. I'm pretty sure he caught less than 10 fish, but not 1 was less than 20". Good thing we like him. Now if this guy had made a post reporting his day, would you believe him?

They don't call it "Foul Bay" for nothing.

Broken record is right. I've got as much cynicism in me as the next guy, and I just don't think an increase in enforcement is going to happen. I've written my share of letters, but all you incurable optimists are welcome to keep hounding your MLA's. Maybe your grandchildren will see the difference it made. So to me, saying that enforcement, and nothing else, will fix the problem is almost as bad as just giving up. Anyone who's seen the difference in Alberta's watersheds over the last thirty years knows that we don't have that kind of time. To carry on the fishing/poaching analogy, when they put C&R or even a closure on a river, the fish stocks generally recover. Sure, some people continue to poach it, but the regulation changes have the desired effect. I think that quadding restrictions, specific to problem areas, would do the same. Most people end up obeying laws, even when they disagree with them. How many people think the Boaters Card is a good idea? Most still got it anyway.

I love fishing in lousy weather. Almost everyone else stays home, and I still catch fish.

Sorry, I could've phrased that more politely, but I'm passionate about the issue, and I'm having a bad day.

OK jasonvilly, you're either a quadder, or you love playing devils advocate. Or maybe you just didn't think before you wrote. According to you, if poachers are responsible for the collapse of fish stocks in a given river, you should still be allowed to fish there, because it wasn't your fault. Lots of places restrict quad use to designated trails. Why should Alberta be last in every stage of enlightenment? Do you remember when seatbelt laws came in?

Down-eyes provide better hooking and holding, straight-eyes are good on tiny hooks because they widen the gape.

Judging by the tail I'd say it's a laker, but the head makes me think bully. Maybe a hybrid?

I've never found a tadpole in a pike's belly, but I've found that fly in their mouth many times.

Like Highlander and SilverDoctor said, the line is a magnet for dirt. I bet you all those lab tests that prove reduced line-guide wear were done in nice clean labs. If it's rough on your fingers, it's rough on your guides. Also, I'm no Steve Rajeff, but I noticed no significant casting improvement. Luckily I didn't lose a c-note on it; mine was a sample, so it got filed in the circular cabinet. Usually, if I got a sample to test and I didn't like it, I'd offer it to someone. But it sure felt good to put a piece of trash like that where it belonged!

As a guy who fished with the TFO-SS 9' 6wt as my main rod for few years, and after trying a half-dozen lines on it, I highly recommend the Rio Grande. I think it'll do exactly what you want for that rod. It did for me, and it sounds like your goals are the same as mine were.

I'm sure the Deep 7 will work fine. It's my full-sink choice too. Anything Type 6 will do the job too, it just comes down to preference. I lived in Yellowknife for a decade, so I have to ask, where are you going for Lakers, the East Arm? Back in my day Bill Gates couldn't buy a Laker in the North Arm, and my local friends tell me nothing's changed. Some of the best Pike fishing in the world though.

Back in my retail days we supplied a prominent fisheries technology firm. Their technicians put gear through the wringer, and they all discuss gear amonst themselves and with the retail staff. After many different people had used and abused pretty much every wading boot available, their devotion to Korkers borders on company policy. Individual experiences can vary, but group profiles paint a pretty clear picture, IMO.

Tadpoles are easy enough to imitate, black muddler head, sparse black marabou tail. Even produces a swimming motion. I have it on good authority that tadpoles are not a trout food source, as they are basically unavailable, and supposedly taste bad. That fly still works though.

The second from the top is fantastic! Is that latex?

Forget the lotto ticket; I'd say you used up your current allocation of luck in a much better way.

Have you contacted Korkers? In my experience they have unsurpassed customer service.

When in bear country, walk softly and carry a big stick. I hear that works really well.