trailhead

People don't read signs. I saw a fellow a few years ago on the Livingstone and when I said that it was catch and release only he said "where does it say that?" I pointed at the black and yellow sign beside the area where the vehicles were parked.

I don't think there is any conspiracy, there is no point of focus, it's just what's in or out and if it isn't in the news then there isn't an issue.

Yeah I agree with pretty much all said, I think it's been around here for a while. But it isn't until it hits the media that the feces hit the rotating oscillator.

Don't know if I'm wrong or not but I caught a whitefish about 20 years ago or so in the Bow across from Edworthy. It pretty much fit the bill for the description of whirling disease. It was twisted off to one side had a big hump/lump just behind the shoulders and the tail was kind of shrunken. I thought that it was caused by the chemicals coming into the river at that spot because it was by the sewage outlet from the U of C.

Went in there a couple of years ago and didn't fish much, but I did have some luck in Ptarmigan Lake. Managed to convince the wife to let me fish for a hour or so while she read a book and relaxed in the sun. Was lucky that it wasn't very windy as a fellow I encountered said it usually howls in there. I got a few 12 inch brookies on the dry. I used an adams but I don't think that the fish are too picky. Good luck, that's a beautiful area and staying at the lodge is a great experience. Lots of bears in the area so be aware.

The Buck for Wildlife area just off of the Castle highway is a pretty popular area and has some good spots to try. Vic at the Crowsnest Angler can give you more specific instructions. As for flies when I fished the Crow a week ago they were taking small nymphs and the good old parachute adams.

A child basically fishes under his parent or guardians license and as such they are then liable and accountable. Also any fish caught by the child counts towards the total caught by the adult, not separately.

I incidentally hooked a bull trout that was over 30" earlier this year on the Highwood. I had cast my hopper dropper at a rising fish and a 10 to 12 inch rainbow took the dropper. it jumped a couple of times and then went deep and it felt like I was snagged. I gave it a hard tug and the snag moved, a bull trout had completely inhaled the rainbow. I tried to get it close and did manage to get it close to my feet, all I could see of the rainbow was a few inches of the tippet and the dry coming out the bulls mouth. My 4 wt was bent in half, I could not turn the fish and then it decided enough was enough and it made a fast run into the deeper water and the 4X parted. I watched the fish disappear with the dry fly still hanging out of it's mouth. Yeah you need at least 7 weight if you are targeting bigger bulls. I have caught a couple of smaller bulls on dries using the 4 wt, again not targeting them, and for that size the rod was fine, because as mentioned they don't fight particularly hard.

Yep the June monsoon was a month late. Then all of sudden WTF?

The super high coliform levels are a direct result of the Stampede grounds, the horse barns are directly above the river just downstream from 25 Ave and the livestock exhibits on the grounds don't help much either. As for the high water levels they were filling up the reservoir, then the June monsoon happens in July and all this water comes rushing in so they open the floodgates. All this concern over low water levels earlier in the year is kind of a moot point now. How does that expression go? Oh ya, be careful what you wish for, it might come true.

I ran into two guys fly fishing on the Bow below the Crowchild Bridge. It was closed which I pointed out. They thought they were in the section that was open, they were from Northern Alberta and had no idea where the WHD headworks were so I told them where Fish Creek was and I hope they had a good day. Discretion is the better part of valor.

I'm like Chrome, I look at the individual(s) and if they look like they are simply in ignorance of the regs I will give them the heads up. Then depending on the response make a decision to call it in or not. I have got the "Sorry didn't know" and they reel in the line. Also got the "Mind your own #@*+ing business" and made a handy $200.

My kids splashed around in it when they were young and I even went for a dip. It was cold but we were there on a hot weekend.

My two cents is Two Jack in Banff.

I was fishing the Elbow this morning and the water temp was 12 C. Looked up past outings in my diary and it is pretty close to what the normal is for this time of year I checked and in 2012 the temperature was 13 C. However in 2012 I had a much better day with about 10 fish to hand. Mainly browns, a cuttbow and a couple of brookies. Today all I could get to hand was a couple of whitefish, had a two browns on but they spit the hook, and they weren't that big. It seems to me that they 2013 flood is having more of an impact than water temps, I think a lot of fish got displaced and most of the holes that I fished are gone.

The classic example was the family group that was camped down the Castle. They were forcibly moved from the site they had occupied for 6 months. I saw a TV interview with a woman in the group and she was livid that they had to move. They camp trailers had skirting up, there was a shed built and a deck. So there will be some that are going to be pissed.

This is a very interesting subject. Me I believe in sharing, I was raised that way in a big family. Which also taught me that everyone finds their space. I have taken many novice anglers to my secret streams and they were all grateful. But I have found that in the majority of cases they did not return where we went. I have found that people tend to gravitate to where they have experienced success on their own terms. So when someone posts a glowing report, `the river is on fire the stones are coming off in droves and the fish are gorging, if you throw a size 6 sofa pillow they`ll inhale it:. Then the masses descend and for the most part have limited success. Because the poster was there at that time and had a uniquely surreal experience. It is as was mentioned when you find that spot and figure out what will take fish, you get that sense of accomplishment that is hard to beat. I have encountered anglers on various rivers while having a good day and ask how they are doing and sometimes they say, Nothing happening. If they ask how I`m doing I am truthful and if they ask what I`m using I will tell them. This doesn't mean that they will be successful because my parachute adams might not be like theirs, or it might but my technique is different that theirs. I do this because when I was a relatively new angler back in the early eighties I was fishing a west central lake, I wasn t catching anything and there was a older gentleman catching fish after fish. I asked him what he was using and he said a fly. So I asked what kind and he graciously replied. The one on the end of my line. Nice! So I post most of my trips, If it`s a small stream I won`t give the name, if it`s a bigger river I won`t give the location. I think that encouragement is the best way to promote my passion. The more the merrier and I have also noticed that this pastime does have a fair amount of drop out. I know people that were super enthusiastic at one point and now they don`t get out at all. I have fly fished since 1972 and every time I go out I learn something new. That is the true beauty of this wonderful pursuit.

There will be a great uproar from the masses. I hope nothing ugly occurs.

I sure hope we don't get any violent confrontations. I witnessed a very disturbing situation between a female CO and a drunk 20 year old a few years ago and this has a greater emotional impact than an open beer.

yeah there are non-guided resident available, so move to BC!

It's a beautiful hike as you probably know. However the fishing isn't what it used to be, I went up in the eighties with a couple of friends and we couldn't keep the brookies off the hook. I lost count of how many we caught. I heard that the parks no longer stock fish and have left the lakes to self sustain themselves. I went up two years ago and there are still brookies in the lake and they are bigger than in the past, but there are way less of them. Maybe Taylor Lake might be a better option in the park or a lake like Chester in K-country.

Then there was the time I brought my 4 wt rod tip and a 6 wt butt section to the Livingstone. Good thing I followed Red Green's advice and always carry duct tape.

Yes you have to be very careful in those technically illegal parking areas. Now mind you the person in the blue jeep could have been a beer swilling numbskull. There's always lots of empties around there.

Forgot my boots at home, jury rigged my sandals.

Seen lots of fish kills in that lake in the summer months over the years. Apparently the stocking crew took water temps prior to the release and it was all in line.