fisher26

Being on a noisy, smelly quad certainly isn't my dream. I guess if I liked destroying the environment and making loud obnoxious noises it might be. The moral of the story is different strokes for different folks, but if you think its rude for people not wanting to advertise a their favorite remote fishing spot publicly to ATV'ers - you can :$*%&: Because the last thing this bloody province needs is another redneck hell bent on as much environmental destruction possible.

Ok tako, I mean taeke, o wait is it taco?

There is an extreme danger of comparing places then deciding something is "a total non-issue". With people flooding here everyday our fishing resources will be under pressure (they are all ready), and we will see a decline in the quality of fishing throughout Alberta. If we stay particular, and on top of things maybe angling opportunities will improve... But from my point of view Alberta can go way further to enhance fishing, and ecological conservation. The reality is there is always someone worse off than you are. Compare our fishing to Ontario then say "o well let this behavior slide, because back home we do that" will only cause extreme pressure on our resources. Sure Africa doesn't have many fishing opportunities so were lucky even to fish here, lets not worry about this new dam, or excessive harvesting etc. In terms of the Highwood-bow-spawning thing I don't really have a huge issue with it, but it is essential we still have these conversations for risk of becoming ignorant and lose the quality fisheries we have become use to.

There are spots in the canyon that will kill, unless you are an experienced kayaker.

Ha, it'll flood with in a few years of being built. The once and a hundred year floods we've got every five years will strike again and blow it all out. I suppose it'll be bad for the river, but there's a lot of stuff in the bow that isn't exactly good for it.

Just thought of this: Don't the eggs stay for a couple of months before hatching? If so then wouldn't trampling them be a thing you have to worry about for a couple months? For brown trout since they spawn in the fall, all late fall winter and spring couldn't fishermen actually be trampling redds?

Good post. It's so important not to accidentally trample redds.

Snow pack’s misleading, its all about how it is hot, and how much rain there will be. Assuming the weather is similar to last year the crow will be below average (but not dangerously low), the castle below average, and the Oldman about normal or a bit below. It's so hard to tell but the best thing for the fish is a cool spring followed by a nice summer with mild (not cool) temps.

Hey what about CBC? What sort of Canadian are you anyway?

I started this post to reduce the amount of garbage in and around our streams. I believe a fairly significant portion of garbage does in fact come from fly fishermen, which is absolutely outrageous. There are a few people on this forum who do litter, which is idiotic simply because they enjoy fly-fishing which requires a healthy ecosystem in the first place. The fact that you associate me with the few who do litter is ridiculous, why would I have started this post then? I for one care about out ecosystems, even if you don't.

Bump

Looks like the crow in August... Except there is snow by that river.

Fishing a pure stream like the crow and seeing trash is just terrible.

Nice!

Ugg... It's an uphill battle but the first step is to stop the few lunatic fishermen who litter. After that hopefully people gain initiative, connect the dots between their enjoyment of the sport and a clean environment, then maybe even pick up the odd piece of garbage. You see it’s a process The crow is just starting to get bad (bad for me is seeing more than three pieces of garbage, never use to see anything – period). Not like the bow, but leader packages and candy rappers are becoming more common. Please don't let these streams go down a slippery slope...

Thanks

The snow this morning wouldn't indicate it but as you all know it is officially spring. The annual spring fishing trips are being planned and executed to some lovely trout streams around Alberta. Just a reminder to please (I'm begging you ) keep our rivers clean. This summer and spring there will be more pressure than ever on our beautiful trout streams and lakes, but with that comes the occasional disrespectful fisherman, and as you know garbage around our streams has been building up. Just a quick note: I use to be a typical guy who clipped his tippet and allowed the scraps to fall to the ground. With more and more fishermen I have noticed this become a significant problem (especially for those who like to leave there tangled leaders lying around). This is even more important for those who use floro carbon because it cannot degrade. The floro carbon left on the ground now will exist 1000 years from now, so please use respect. This is a big maybe, and it would take a lot of commitment but we could have a collective garbage bag that we can weigh after the year is out (either that, or post pictures for the amount of garbage picked up in a trip, month etc.). This would raise awareness about the problem and hopefully pass the message on to the thousands of people who read this board and are not members. (For those of you who think someone will pick up after you, grow up. Shame on you, your fishing Karma will suffer!) I have seen this littering problem escalate dramatically on rivers like the crow that use to be pure and pristine. I often get frustrated picking up other peoples garbage but it is never ending and no matter how hard I try it just gets worse. I honestly love our trout streams and I can't stand to watch them deteriorate in front of my eyes. This leads me towards frustration towards fishermen (and flyfishermen are just a guilty) and how much things have changed. It really comes down to the culture now a days in Alberta.(Rant over) Thanks for your co-operation on this matter !

I'm going against the general opinion, but I was down there last year on the may long and visibility was zero. Might be great (depending on rain, snow etc.) but historically it's crappy around that time. I recommend you fish big ass nymphs if you do try fishing if the water is mud, but you literally have to hit the fish on the nose at the time of year. I'll try and post a photo of the river last year on the may long. Keep in mind it variable, but it's "normal" to be that high and mud.

Great website wetduck! I'm going to do that right now, get it done with. Quick question when it says "make a loop in the thicker line" it means the fly line of course? After all it is thicker. (When I do catch a bow river hog I don't want to lose it, and my $100 dollar line!)

I have never really spooled my own backing or anything and I don't know the knots. Should I go back to the store and get them to do it for me? It just rubs a tiny bit so I'll probably leave it... I don't want to wear down the line though.

I was wondering about cleaning... Does the SA website recommend dish soap etc? I'm sort of reluctant to put anything on it because apparently it has little bubbles of air (or whatever they are) and I don't want to mess with how it works. Your right the "green" is really, really green!

Yet another newcomer, welcome. The Bow in the inner city fishes very well, you will have a blast.

Get use to people crowding rivers. Hell by the time I retire there will be about a million more people living in Alberta. Don't like someone crowding "your" spot? Move to a different province.

So I ended up getting a new sharkskin line in green for my five weight. I would like to give a review so others like me can make the decision whether to get a sharkskin or a normal line. Well a hundred dollars is a lot of money, but a new GPX costs about $70 so keep in mind its only thirty dollars more. Coming from a guy who doesn't spend much on gear (is that possible in fly fishing?) Sharkskin certainly seems worth it. The line casts line a dream and handles beautifully. My old line sits halfway in the water but sharkskin practically hovers above the water. Mending is made quite east, so is roll casting. Overall I thought it takes far less effort to cast the line compared to my old one. A big problem for a lot of people is the noise. Well the best connection I can draw between likeable sounds is the drag on your reel clicking when you've hooked a large trout – now that’s certainly a nice noise; the sound of an effortless cast bombing over your head in a tight loop is a good sound too. An interesting point about the sound is it gives the fisherman anther dimension to analyze their cast. Much like when learning to cast many people look at their back cast to see how they are doing. Well the sound of the fly line can give you an approximate range of what your line is doing without looking. One problem I encountered is the fact sharkskin takes more room up on one's reel, my old line fit perfectly on my reel, but the sharkskin almost doesn't fit (the last few feet of line rubs against the reel rim, is this a problem?). If you are buying a new reel leave some space. I'm sure this could be solved by simply reducing the amount of backing... My fly rod cost a little over $200.00 so the line is about half the price of my rod. From reading and personal experience line can be a very crucial part of your fishing. Load a Z- axis with a $15 line from Canadian tire and it'll cast like crap. My point is when your line wears out spend the extra thirty bucks and enjoy it/ For the rest, only time will tell…

Wee fishy thing...