fisher26

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...

Right... Lol, well I was pretty much convinced before I asked.

Ok, ok I'm going to bite the bullet and pay a $100 dollars for a fishing line! I'm sure I'll like it... Does anyone know if wholesales sells it, I would go to a little shop but wholesales will be convenient tomorrow.

Last year I got a new sage launch combo w/ reel, line etc. The thing is the line on the combo is kind of crappy so I want to get a new one for it. I'm waffling between sharkskin or a GPX, I want this line to last a long time and I have heard great things about the sharkskin. Seems like quite a few people resist change regarding the new sharkskin. Maybe its revolutionary, maybe it's a fad. For those who own or have cast sharkskin line should I buy one, or buy a GPX? I’ve delayed buying for a while, since I want to hear more about sharkskin. So for those who have cast it is it really worth $100? Thanks for the feedback.

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You match the hatch with those? lol. I seem to remember asking for hatch flies, when it comes to fishing with a glob of foam and hackle I'm set. Thanks for all the suggestions

Remember to take lots of pics and create a report after you come back. I haven’t been fishing for months (you know how that is!) so I'm living through your pics a reports. I love the crow, simply can't wait until I can get out...

Get a mac.. You know you want one.

I want to bring to attention the proposed high-speed super highway that is planning to run through the crowsnest pass. The highway would cost a few hundred million to build and would run through some of the small towns. Not only would this highway be ridiculously expensive, but it would have massive impacts on wildlife in the pass as road kill would become a greater problem. From the fishing point of view it would put added stress on the crow during construction, and certainly be another scar on the landscapes natural beauty. Please voice your concern to the government on this matter.

Barry M's book has all the info.

Sasquatch is BS. Humans are virtually all over the planet and recording everything too, there is no way a massive ape could be living in the forests of NA. Hell we have a time trying to keep grizzlies away from towns and food from campers, what do you think a ape would do? There is not crap, hair, teeth or bones from them, all the pictures are different and are extremely blurry. Sorry I'm a bit skeptical, but there are 6 billion people armed with vehicles and airplanes. The amount of true wilderness left is minuet. The idea a sasquatch could exist in SW Alberta is laughable, there are hunters, fishermen and rednecks that cover every square inch of that land every year. The remaining wilderness areas have been logged or have cut lines through them. Not to mention we have about 7 months of winter in Alberta, how could these things capture enough food to sustain themselves, if they did we would find many bones of dear and other prey? There’s this thing with science (can’t really call sasquatch “evidence” science, but you get my point) that you basically can prove anything. Trust me anything, especially if you have a biased outlook on it. (GW anyone?)

Holy sh*t thats a lot of fish! The sad thing is this goes on everywhere, but good thing the Ontario police caught him. Personally I find the whole situation ironic, man from Ontario, poaches in Alberta, leaves Alberta, drives through two provinces and then is caught in his home province. That says something for our provincial enforcement, doesn't it?

And another oil executive buys a luxury home in the crowsnest pass.