trailhead

Nice report and cool pics, I don't want to hijack the thread but while on this topic... I was talking to a hiking buddy and he told me he had a discussion with a Banff Park Warden who stated that the fishing for native species that are "endangered" ie bulls and westslope cutts, will be eliminated. So the lakes and streams that have these will be permanently closed to angling. I hope this is just a nasty rumour.

Great report, I have yet to get up there so it's good to see that it is doable as a day trip. Thanks Harry.

I trim by tying all the deer hair then finishing with a couple of half hitches, cut off thread and remove the fly from the vise. Then I trim it to the shape I want. If you need to you can put the fly back into the vise to add other details ie head cement, eyes etc.

Yeah I just heard a couple of mountain bikers were chased by a Grizzly sow with cubs in Banff and a woman mountain biker was killed by a black bear at Panorama. Be careful out there.

That is so cool. Those type of outings stay with you for life. Thanks for sharing.

I will answer your query in the affirmative. I had a 20 inch brown chase a smaller brown I had hooked on a EHC all around the pool. The kicker was I had a beadhead dropper under the dry and the larger fish ended up hooking himself in the mouth on the nymph, the small fish got off and I landed the bigger one. I also thought it was a bull at first, because that big brown was very aggressive and persistent.

They have elementary school kids paint the yellow fish on storm sewer drains wherever they have programs to do this, it's run by Trout Unlimited. I think that they also paint the ones that are thought to have a problem with excessive dumping. I saw a carpet cleaning truck dumping it's dirty sopay water into one once, but the East Indian fellow doing so got super pissed at me and I did not have my camera with me. Ram.

Some shots from the Highwood

I do the old hiking boots and booties with socks, oh and bloom I got myself a pair of long shorts that come down to mid-calf on my legs. I found I was mostly scrapping my quads and knees and these shorts keep all but the toughest bushes at bay. Plus they are made from a lightweight wicking material and they dry out in a matter of minutes, got them at the MEC in Calgary.

Actually this is a question I have been wondering about as well. I have thought about buying some type of CO2 inflation system, as I have a bike pump that works but it is pretty bulky. Anyone have any recommendations?

I have fished a number of those, Dog is good for bows and brookies, tough flyfishing due to trees down to the shore. Dolly Varden creek is good for small cutts if you head upstream. The Palliser and Cross rivers are good but you need to drive and mtn bike to the better spots, and the upper reaches of the Kootenay River can be stellar.

Actually you are in luck the free fishing weekend of the summer is July 7-8. Or maybe your friends are in luck.

If you were missing them on the dry it could have been they were false hitting, sometimes fish will rush to the surface and at the last instant conclude that it isn't a real bug, then splash back down. Or if they did bite let them turn down with the fly in their mouth, that way you aren't yanking it out before they have even grasped the fly.

And also if you work for the City, even if you are not downtown, except for essential services.

I usually laugh, I remember hooking a nice rainbow on the Bow just as I was stripping line off. The fihs was literally at me feet, it surprised me so much all I could do was laugh. When a fish hits your fly and you lose the fish it's all part of the fun.

Yeah I have seen that guy driving it on the trunk road and he always has the top down.

That's what it's all about. Great story and a nice report.

That can be a long time. I called once about a bait fisher on the Bow and even then it took about 2 hours.

In Calgary you can buy one at the Parks Office which is downtown, I don't know the exact address but it is on 8th Ave and 6th Street SW.

I make lots of noise and have all the doodads you mentioned Lynn, maybe that's why so far all I have run into is the steaming piles of bear doo, and no steaming (mad) bear. Let's all be grateful that so far we can laugh about this sh*t.

We will be down at the homestead in the Pass, but I think I'll give fishing a "pass". Though if I find a quiet spot and can get away from the non-fishing family maybe I'll toss a couple of flies. I usually don't fish the long weekends down south.

Yep nothing like hiking into a remote fishing spot and coming on a big pile of steaming grizzly crap. Then running into an outfitter who says, "Oh yeah there's a few grizzlies around, but their all okay. " Whatever that means.

The Pipestone River is good upstream from the town of Lake Louise. I have also found the Bow is alright for smaller brookies, cutts and bows wherever a creek or smaller river enters. The Spray is good too, if you hike up away from the crowds, as is the Cascade. Good luck and let us know how you do.

The Spillamacheen River is good for small cuttbows, and I have heard that Dutch Creek is supposed to be good for bows. I have fihsed the Spill but not Dutch, both are not real close to the Invermere area.

Yeah we rode our bicycles by him on Sunday, he's been there every spring for years now. I think I saw him the first time about 10 years ago or so, he was just a yearling then. And I remember him from the K-100 roadrace a few years later, never even paid us any attention, what I'd call a good bear.