mtbkr
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Posts posted by mtbkr
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Interesting Topic.
I used to spend time fishing on the West Coast out of a Sea Kayak when I was growing up.
Since then there has been a huge rise in the popularity of Kayak fishing, . I've only fished out of one kayak with a peddle drive so I can't comment on the specific models mentioned above.However, I think I can offer a bit of advice on the whole goal of "hands-free, while still being able to control your boat".
At one time I had a great big framed pontoon which was terrible for floats. It was too hard to kick fast enough to slow down the drift or pull over when fighting a fish. It was super difficult to maneuver and would easily get caught by the wind. It worked better on lakes but was still cumbersome.
Since then I bought a small frameless pontoon and it has been absolutely awesome. I bought the Fish Cat Scout and have now traded up for the Outcast Stealth Pro which offers just a bit more room for my very long legs. A good buddy has an older frameless Scadden which he really likes as well. In all these boats you sit closer to the water which allows you to kick way more efficiently. The oars fold down against the pontoons and remain out of the way. With these boats you can control your drift quite easily with your fins while you fish, or ferry across the river if needed while fighting a fish. The guys that fish from Watermasters or some of the other Scadden products probably find similar advantages.
To me, the peddle-drive kayak might work but I think you'd have to constantly be reaching down for the rudder handle to make steering adjustments. With an ultra-maneuverable frameless pontoon, you can kick pretty fast, spin on a dime and be truly hands-free.
If you want something a little more sleek looking, the OSG Commander looks pretty interesting.
Just my two cents...
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I left my green hip pouch (think it's a Sage) in the middle of the Fish Creek boat launch parking lot this afternoon (Friday, Sept 11 around 5:00pm). Must have set it on the roof or beside the vehicle and drove away.
Contains two fly boxes, tippet, pliers, flotant, strike indicators, split shot, etc...
Hopefully someone on here found it. $100 reward plus a dozen flies of his/her choice to anyone who finds it and is able to return it to me with it's contents.
I will be out of cell and email service until Monday but will certainly be checking then. Leave message or PM please if found.
403-470-three two four five
Thanks!!
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Dry angler, I can't imagine an uglier day than attempting a float on Stauffer creek. A lot of places it is less than 15' wide with many places under 10" of water. You need bigger water. The Bow, Red Deer, Clearwater, N. Saskatchewan come to mind. Don
Yep, all the ones mentioned here. Also, parts of the Crowsnest and parts of the Castle
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Hello All,New to the board. Any comments on a Water Master Grizzly frameless pontoon /raft.Made in Usa / life time warranty. DOWNSIDE - price!
A bunch of my friends have watermasters. The quality is great as is the customer service. General consensus is that the kodiak is better for a taller person (6 feet +) than the grizzly.
I'm in the market for an inflatable. Love the watermasters, except that it's hard to stand up safely on them.
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Thanks so much PGK, I'll stick with what you mentioned.
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Obviously the presence of non-native species (namely brook trout) in many streams is a big issue. There are a lot of guys on here with very respectable yet differing opions about this matter. I admit didn't appreciate just how big an issue this was until I started doing some more research on it.
We all want to see our fisheries protected and improved and as such we should be working together to fight for changes we do agree upon. We can argue all we want on this forum but at the end of the day it's not getting us very far. I don't mean to discredit the brook trout issue but it would be great if we could set this particular arguement aside for now and push for the other changes that could significantly help our fisheries.
Brook trout aside, here are the things I'd like to push for:
1. Increase licencing costs, with revenue to go directly towards better enforcement of regulations, stream reabilitation, research, conservation etc
2. A conservation (C&R) licence at a reduced price
3. Catch and Release regs on Cutts and cutt hybrids in ES1 and ES2 moving water
4. A conservation stamp say ~$20 annually required for fishing foothills and mountain streams. Revenues to go towards more regulations enforcement, and for other necessary conservations efforts where needed
5. More officers enforcing regs
6. Much stiffer penalties for poachers
7. Tighter restrictions on ATVs in and around streams
8. Tighter restrictions on clearcut logging and developement near rivers and creeks. Specifically noting the clearcutting that will go on in the castle area this summer.
9. A few fly fish only streams. BC has them, Montana has them, probably other states do to. Why not a few in Alberta?
I don't know a great deal about effective lobbying, letter writing, and otherwise getting my voice heard and ultimately regulation changes to happen so I really appreciate the suggestions a couple of you have made about how to go about doing this.
I understand from what some have said that we have to do more than just write letters to MPs. I've also heard that contacting regional biologists with our concerns and asking them the best way to further push for changes is a good idea. This certainly seems logical to me, Mel Knight was kind enough to forward my letters I wrote regarding the Castle headwaters to the biologist in that area.
How about contacting Jim Stelfox? I understand he sits at the roundtables
How about writing letters to the AFGA, or to the specific members who sit at the roundtables?
What does it take to be able to join a roundtable?
Cheers
Mat
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I think we need a more emphasized route than a dozen guys copy pasting a letter. Build a recommended plan, use the message boards and like to collect signatures poll results a big list of support. People may support it but they'll be too passive to write letters or do much on their own. More later on the BB can't type!
Good Point PGK. I think this is a good idea in addition to sending letters.
I want to start working on this as soon as I'm done Uni final exams.
As far as a recommeded plan goes, here are some of the things I would like to see:
An increase in licencing costs say ~$40/year, with the additional revenue going towards badly needed regulation enforcement, fish stocking in areas where required and additional conservation means...
A conservation licence (catch and release only, except for maybe brook trout) at a reduced price. The idea of allowing liberal limits on brook trout is a sensitive issue. So maybe allow everyone to take brook trout but only if they first pass some kind of fish identification test so they aren't bonking bulls by mistake?
Catch and release of Cutthroats and Cutthroat-Rainbow hybrids in all moving water in ES1 and ES2.
It sounds bad but I'm not particularily well-versed in the current laws regarding logging and developement in close proximity to flowing waters. From the sounds of the proposed logging in the Castle drainage this summer, it certainly sounds like this needs to be addressed...
Tighter restrictions on off-highway vehicles. Though I'm not opposed to having a few areas like Mclean creek and Waiparous where guys can drive though creeks and mudholes and whatnot-- I know it's not environmentally friendly, but they do need somewhere to roar around and having a few designated areas I think helps keeps them happy and away from other sensitive areas.
A conservation stamp at say ~$20/season for moving water in ES1 and ES2. The revenue from which should go towards conservation and enforcement. Along with this stamp, I think there should be a short fishing ethics test which includes proper fish handling techniques
According to your stance about non-natives, if you're gonna put a large limit on brookies, you're gonna have to do the same for rainbows and browns. Are you good with destroying all rainbow and brown fisheries in order to get rid of brookies? All I am saying is that the stance against ALL NON-NATIVE fish is a slippery slope. Be careful what you wish for.On a side note, the war on brookies is eerily similar to fishermen's attitudes towards the bull trout in the 70's and 80's don't you think? Scary what negative attitudes can do for a species and fisheries. Just food for thought.
I agree. And if there is to be a liberal retention or no retention limit on brook trout, I think anglers must first pass a fish identification test otherwise there will be some collateral damage on the bulls.
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Thank you very much for the letter outline Harps,
As of Today there is one more letter edited and sent on my behalf.
I also will be forwarding this latest letter To Rob Renner and Ed Stelmach.
Mr. Rob Renner Minister of Environment
Legislature Office
#425 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB
Canada T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 427-2391
Fax: (780) 422-6259
Mr. Ed Stelmach Premier
Office of the Premier
Room 307, Legislature Building
10800 - 97th Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5K 2B7
Phone: (780) 427 2251
Fax: (780) 427 1349
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Thanks for the replies everyone!
Instead of just the one-off I posted, I'll take a stab at helping.If you want this done you need angler support. You need to get organized and have meetings and show up at round tables and pound on doors and fill email inboxes. The vast majority of the angling pressure in the province isin favour of harvesting fish. One or two guys sending letters to one or two ministry folks will not get it done.
Problem 1: The fishery is immensely undervalued. Alberta has some of the best (if not the best) native cutthroat fishing in the world. Do you know what other world class fisheries are worth? There's no need to sell your fisheries short because they aren't steelhead or salmon or big name guiding destinations. There should be special license fees for every native cutthroat stream in the province. Example: Increase the base fishing license fee to $50/year, create a cutthroat rivers license for $20/yr. Use the ACA or TU to set up specific cutthroat management funds for that money to go to. If people don't want to pay that much, screw em! If they don't support fish management for the good of the fish, you don't want them out fishing to begin with!
Problem 2: Brook & rainbow trout. Opening up harvest on those species helps but like someone said, you'll bycatch a few BLTR along the way. Anglers who can properly identify their catch are the exception not the rule. Options: Find funding to host an angler education course. Make it mandatory and a complement to a special waters license. If you want to buy a cutthroat license, you have to take this test. Create a non native species management incentive....you get $5 for every brook trout head you turn in, and you pay $20 for every bull trout you misidentify.
Problem 3: Cutthroat CAN handle a minimal harvest without experiencing population decline. The people who want to keep the kill fishery know that. You will have to fight them.
Problem 4: Guiding. When you make something important you risk making it exclusive. License guides and set fixed rod days per river. If you don't do that you'll end up like the east kootenays.
All of it comes back to funding. You won't get anywhere without money. You can make all the regulations you want but at the end of the day they aren't worth the paper they're written on if there isn't a fund set up to carry them off the ground. Increase your license fees. Want to fish Stauffer for browns? OK, but it's gonna cost you $20 a year and half that money is going straight into cutthroat management.
Stop undervaluing the fisheries!
PGK, I absolutely agree with everything you just said.
It all comes down to the fact that like you said, the fishery is immensely undervalued. I fully agree with all the changes you just outlined.
At the end of the day most of us spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year on fishing. I definitely support an increase in licensing fees and an introduction of classified waters licences if it means that the extra revenues can be used for increased enforcement, stream rehabilitation, stocking of hatchery fish in lakes and ponds to keep the catch and keep anglers happy and away from the streams, etc.
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The main threat to cutthroat is hybridization with rainbows. Any protection revieved through the recovery plan will not extend to the cutts most people angle for. Unless you are fishing extreme headwaters for tiny cutts, your mostly catching hybrids. That is why the Minister is under the impression that angling is not a significant factor.
If you are pushing for stronger regs on our fishing streams, make sure you are specific. Don't let some politician give you a vague answer that doen't really relate to your problems with the current situation.
It will be interesting to see what the recovery plan will be. I bet it is focused mainly on Forestry/O&G leaving bigger buffers to watercourses and possibly heavier access restrictions in headwater areas. I'd like to see it restrict ATV use in those areas, as well. I'd be dissapointed to see angling moratoriums on these streams, as the people interested in that sort of fishing are not the problem, but stewards of our headwaters.
Conor I agree with you completely. Corresponding with Mel Knight leads me to believe the government is concerned with exactly what you just mentioned. What I would like to impress upon them the value of "World Class Fishing" which means protecting Cutts, Rainbows, Browns, and Cutt-Bow hybrids in their respective waters. As I'm sure most everyone here has experienced, there are tons of areas where you catch fish that have varying amounts of Cutthroat and Rainbow in them. I'd hate to see the government focus exclusively on only the small populations of "pure" Westslope Cutts and fail to see the importance of the "Cuttbows" that so many of us love to fish for. I'm editing a letter to Mr. Knight right now, I'm certainly going to talk about this.
All native trout anywhere will always be at risk if all wild/native trout are treated and revered as equalsI think you make a good point Taco. I think brook trout are the biggest issue. Perhaps C&R on all cutts and cutt-bow hybrids and large retention limit on brookies would be a good solution. You just have to hope everyone can tell the difference between a brookie and a bull I guess.
In any case I certainly don't agree with the typical "2 over 30cm or over 35cm". This targets the big fish which are the spawners and the ones you want to pass their genes along. I just think it's a real shame when you hear about some guy killing a 20 inch cutt.
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OH! OH! Can I try?
How about:
"elitist, tweed-wearin', scotch-drinkin', cane-castin', brook trout-hatin', catch n' release, quality fisheries lovin', anti-bait and ice fishin', crowd-despisin', gobal warming debatin', single barbless fly freaks?"
What da ya think Giovanne? Do I win a prize?
Smitty
Boom!
That's hitting the nail right on the head
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Thank you all for the replies and the support
You might be shooting yourself in the foot they might close a lot of streams to NO FISHING but so be it if it saves the population. It's an easy cost effective solution. I think that eventualy Alberta streams are going to have to follow suit with a lot of popular american world class streams and adopt stocking programs to keep populations up. Im not in favor with these methods i prefer regulation and enforcement but that is not the alberta way. Love your cutties now because they are going to be stockies in the near future. I will write a letter this weekend to support your effort this might be one of thoes rare occasions that Alberta gets it right if there are enough voices coming forth.Thank you for the support Troutlover! To quote Mel Knight in a letter he sent me:
"The department is not aware of any locations where angling is adversely affecting native westslope cutthroat trout. Many of the existing pure westslope cutthroat trout populations are already under a catch-and-release regulation. In areas where we are monitoring angling and harvest, we are finding low hooking mortality and no negaive impacts to populations."
Mel Knight, Minister of Sustainable Resource Developement
I find this response by Mr. Knight a bit bizarre and frustrating, but from what I gather, department staff don't seem to think angling is one of the major contributing factors that threaten cutties.
I'm trying to get them to understand what a world class fishery means to us and that C&R regs are highly effective in maintaining such fisheries.
I could be wrong but from all that I've heard from Mr. Knight I don't think we have to worry about them closing any streams to fishing, I think our bigger worry is that the government doesn't really understand that more streams should be protected under C&R; which is what we need to be lobbying for.
Like Troutlover said, this could be something the Alberta government gets right if they hear enough of our voices
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Over the winter I've been writing letters to the Alberta government advocating regulation changes pertaining to our mountain streams. Specifically, in my first letter I suggested that all the headwaters of the Castle River System be designated Catch and Release to help maintain and encourage a world class fishery.
I received a response from Mel Knight, Minister of Sustainable resources. He indicated to me that there is now joint colaboration between the Federal government and Alberta provincial government on developing an Alberta recovery plan and a national recovery strategy for the West Slope Cutthroat Trout. He went on to say that the recovery plan is expected to be completed this fall and one of the things it will address is angling and angling regulations.
Now is the time to write letters and to start lobbying the government for more catch and release protection on our mountain streams. We've got world class fly fishing across the foothills but we have a lot of streams that could become even better fisheries if they were designated catch and release.
I hope there is some strong support out there for more C&R!
Cheers
Mat
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Hey all,
Wondering if anyone has worked at any fishing lodges in the Queen Charlotte region of B.C.
I've currently applied to work on the deck crew at a few lodges... Has anyone experienced this type of work? I am wondering what a typical day would include... so far my knowledge is that I will be cleaning and fueling boats, arranging and setting up gear, cleaning and packing fish, general upkeep around the lodge, and.....?
If I don't hear back from the lodges, then it's back to the good ol' tree planting for me.
Any input is appreciated
Flyon,
I've worked as a dockhand at a lodge in the charlottes. This year I'm guiding for a lodge there.
Exactly what you'll do will depend on what lodge you work for but most likely you will be doing everything you mentioned and then some. Expect 12 hour work days on average. Some days will be easier and you'll get off earlier, others might be 14 hours or more. It's a lot of hard work for sure.
I've only worked for one company which I am very happy with. I've heard that there are some that definitely aren't as good to work for.
Send me a PM if you want some more details
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A fly fisherman's worst nightmare is when he dies his wife sells his gear for what he told her it's worth.
Nice!
I like longer rods for all the reasons mentioned, but mostly for the line control; mending etc especially when nymphing.
The Loop Opti Peak 11' #3 looks like it would be unreal for czech nymphing
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you're worried now; just wait till they're all clearcut...
and trying to get the castle system all C&R is like trying to take a baked ham away from Oprah...it just ain't gonna happen in our lifetime...i gave up after numerous BS replies from this joke of a government... :$*%&:
The AB government has the right to not do an EIA through Section 92(A), however, the Federal Government could be compelled to do so through a lawsuit under Section 91(10) and 91(12). I don't know a thing about Law, so i would assume that someone would have to bring this forward to the Federal level before any notice would be taken.It's been done before regarding Forestry, (Friends of the West Country vs Canada, 1999).
So really you just need an NGO to step up and take it somewhere, such as TU. Does Friends of the Oldman River still exist?
This is all so discouraging. It seems that the government and majority of the population take our precious resources for granted.
I'm gonna continue to write letters and get my fishing buddies to write as well despite the BS replies.
Has anything like a petition been formed against this logging proposal?
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I definitely agree that logging certainly has the potential to harm river ecosystems for the reasons mentioned above. I'm not well-versed on this particular proposal but what I don't understand is why the regs still permits people to keep cuthroat trout in Alberta. The West Castle, South Castle, and I believe Carbondale Rivers all have a catch limit of 2 trout. Why not strict Catch and Release?
I just recently wrote a letter to our Ministers and the Premier arguing for Catch and Release for the whole Castle System.
In any case I'm worried about these upper Tributaries to the Castle.
Looking to get a pontoon boat
in General Chat - Fishing Related
Posted
Having owned both framed and frameless boats I agree wholeheartedly with what sldrose just said. Further to his comments above I can tell you that I find frameless boats much, much easier to kick and control with fins. Sitting lower in the water puts more of your legs in the water and lets you kick and control with fins much more efficiently. Now that I've gone frameless I would not go back.
I gave up floating the bow out of a framed pontoon as I found it way too hard to effectively control while trying to fish. I find the smaller, more maneuverable frameless boat makes controlling the drift much more manageable.