FraserN

World class video. You guys did an outstanding job.

I have seen several up here in the Northwest. With the white under the chin, it is definitley a mink. Long ago, when you could keep big trout up here, a few of the spin fishermen used to lose their fish to mink. They would stringer the fish, and contintinue fishing. A few hours later, they would come to get the fish, and it would be gone.

I use about a 20 lb. dacron piece of backing looped through the eye of the stinger hook. I find this better than regular hooks on the trout that are very picky in the early spring on the bow, and sometimes just "tap" the fly, or nip at the tail of my streamer.

I am on this forum, and I used to fish for the Bull trout in late August on some of our Southern Alberta rivers. I no longer do this anymore, and have not for several years. Maybe a closure during the spawning season for the Bulls would be a beneficial thing, but as was pointed out, where does it end?

Yes, as fish4trout says, a "bullet proof vest". Don't ask me how I know. Lets just say I will not be fishing the Weaselhead section of the Elbow river anytime soon.

Definitely a wandering garter snake. I see a few each year in the NW stretch of the Bow, but I have never seen one preying on a fish before.

I noticed that about the fly tiers at the show on Friday. Expensive price on the flies. But I got a fantastic deal on some grizzly hackle I have been looking for a long time to purchase. Pricing the capes I saw at the show, were out of sight. $90.00 for ones that I felt were over-priced back when they cost $40.00!

I use the improved clinch knot for leader-hook. Double surgeons knot for leader-leader or leader-tippet. Nail knot for flyline-backing and for leader -flyline.

WOW! All I can say is, envy is my sin right now......Someday?

I really like the Brown caught with the intruder. I think I will try that idea this year.

Merry x-mas to all.

I completely agree with bcube. Close the Bow from bearspaw to 22x for the winter. The fish need a long break from all the pressure. I dont fish the bow in the winter, but with the decent, recent weather, I have been tempted. Also, I have fished near many brown trout spawning redds in fish creek park, unintentionally in late october. The redds are everywhere at that time. Hence the need for the closure.

NIce photos. Some interesting stuff.

In Glenmore Reservoir, if the pike are in a dull mood, they will follow the fly and just "nip" at the tail, or turn and swim away. I had to put stinger hooks on y spinner baits to catch them, but I never did it when I fly fished for them. Of course, when they are more aggressively feeding, they will swallow a 3 inch streamer fly down their throat!

This worries me. I have fished that reservoir for many years, and still fish it at least twice per year. Now they are going to close this access.

signed. Never fished the Castle, but I hope to some day soon.

I am a big fan of wooly buggers, and have tied them in all kinds of sizes and colors. Those are some fine flies there.

In the NW stretch of the Bow river, within the city of Calgary, the fishing for trout improved substantially since regulations were imposed to protect them during the spawning time. The stretch is currently closed in April and May, as well as October and November. The number of white fish has dropped dramatically in the past decade, because the limit is still 5 over 30cm. If the harvest of whitefish was curtailed, their numbers would rebound. I don't see why similar regulations to protect spawning brown trout on the Red deer river and tributaries wouldn't be beneficial, also.

Several half-hitches, folled by some head cement.

I think I read a report about this last year. The hike is patently insane just looking at it. It gives me anxiety and was difficult to just read about it. I would never do a hike like that. The worst I ever did was three isle lake, but it was nothing like this.

Very nice shots of one of my favorite trout. Makes me want to go out and fish for them again.....soon.

I have caught a lot of small browns in this stream, and a few good sized ones, as well. The reason for the the difficulty is that the Elbow below the dam is a very technical stream. It requires very long, light leaders (I usually go with 6X) and a stealthy approach. These are small stream Browns in relatively shallow water, and as such, they are super-spooky. But I find that using small nymphs and dries in the summer, and some larger streamers in the fall can get results. Also remember that the river requires a lot of patience to fish, as the trout can be very difficult some days.

It is definitley the water conditions. I am losing flies, too. Bumping stones along the bottom, you are bound to lose some on the rocks and logs. I don't like the fact that it takes me about 1/2 an hour to tie a realistic looking stone fly, and about 5 seconds to lose it. Try taking a long stick with a fork at the end, and slide it down the line to where the fly is snagged on the obstruction. It did not work for me the other day, but it often does.

That fish is huge! Too bad it wasn't the Brown. You'll land a brown soon: the river is full of them.

I think the newer reels I am using are better, but I chose Hardy. My marquis #7 lasted over 20 years on the bow, and landed so many nice trout, performing very well while doing so. Those are irreplaceable memories that are hard to beat. Thats why I chose Hardy.