jarett39

Never found Gord to be grumpy, I always enjoyed going to the shop and chatting with him. I would ask him what was working on the Bow, when there wasn't any good dry fly hatches happening, even though he would always reply "if they don't eat on the surface, they don't eat" lol. Chatted with him for 20 minutes just last month, and bought a pair of Smith Sunglasses from him... I was hoping to sign up for one of his saltwater destination trips one day. RIP Gord, and may the fish always be rising we're ever you are!

Besides the obvious changes that the flooding brought, I have noticed that the average size fish I have been catching seems smaller then in years past. I have been catching just or near as many fish as I am use to, and they all seem very healthy. I am guessing I have fished the Oldman, Livingstion and tribs 15 times this year, catching lots of fish, but what would smaller on average. On Michel Ceek, a stream I don't remember catching many cutty's below 14" and always a few over 16", I only had 1 fish over 13" and many 8-12", and I caught as many as I ever have. Even on the Bow, I am catching fish 6-8" taking my fly tight to the bank, I don't recall it as often before. I had assumed larger fish were in a better position to survive a flood like the one we just had, but perhaps it's the smaller fish that are able to survive/adapt better? Maybe it's just that the flood put more small fish in to the main river systems? Could just be me also though, and I was just courious if others noticed a similar trend. I have caught some larger fish, and saw a 23-25" rainbow in a pool Sunday, so I know there is still larger size fish left... Just that my average fish seems noticeably smaller.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=183059

That is correct, however... Given the circumstances I really can't see anyone getting charged attempting to rescue stranded fish and releasing them back in the river (depending how its executed). That would create some bad PR if someone was charged... While not as high on the priority list as helping the people effected by the flood, saving the fish is a form of post flood recovery effort, and its well known how important the fishery is to Calgary and Alberta. Unfortunately fish are not something most (people on forums like this excluded) feel an emotional attachment to. If a group of animals, even more so "cute ones" (I.E. bunny rabbits) was stranded on a small island with no resources as a result of the flood, people would want to help them. Trout stranded in some small pockets of water with no chance of survival, isn't something most would even be aware of. You bring up a couple good points RBT, and I would be more then willing to volunteer for either scenario... If fisherman and those that use, and love the river don't who will... Of course I would contact the proper authority's such as SRD before attempting such an effort.

Fish have no doubt evolved to adapt to this, but I still find it amazing they survive looking at the river today... No doubt there will be casualties and it will likely be a slower season once it settles. Just like the forest animals come back from huge forest fires, which help clean out the forest, it will come back, more a question of how long it will take, not if. As mentioned above some fish will be trapped in the low lying areas, with how sprawling this flood is. I remember coming across a small, deep (6-8' deep) puddle jammed with logs on the Crow in 2005, about 50ft from the river... It must of had 20-25 trout trapped in it, a couple of them large ones. I tried in vain for a few hours but I couldn't get them to take anything, nor could I net them, I really wished I could have released a couple of them into the river. I will be sure to look for any pockets of water that could have trapped fish when I am on the river.

Agreed... I fished the Liv on the Monday of the Sept long weekend... The fishing was great but I couldnt help but notice how much garbage was left lying around all the campsites along the river. It's sad to how many people will leave garbage lying around such a beautiful place. These people are going to ruin the privlage of being able to camp anywhere along the trunk road for everyone. I could see a law change that you must camp in a designated campsite getting support someday, although I like to camp where I want along the river I cant say I would disagree.