FraserN

If it is like my old marquis #7 reel, you have yourself an excellent reel. Mine was finally just retired this year, after over 20 years of superb service. They are simple, well constructed reels which last a long time if you take good care of them.

It really is amazing, considering all the pressure the Bow gets in the city, a 10 or 15 minute walk from an access point is almost always all it takes to get a good run to myself.

I personally don't fish that spot, anymore, because I pursue the Browns in the city during the spring. When I did try the mouth of the highwood in April, years ago, I did not do very well. It just was like any other slow day, anywhere else on the river. Biologists have determined that catch and release of these large rainbows has very low mortality, so I see no problem fishing for them here.

Those are some amazing trout. It looks more and more like Montana has some of the worlds best fly fishing rivers for trout.

Any fly will catch fish if you fish it long enough. That said, I would stick to trying to catch a small pike with that unusual creation of yours.

The upper Elbow river near Bragg Creek has decent numbers of brookies. And it is close to cochrane.

Yea, those browns in the bow are tough fish. My first one this season was pretty beat-up looking after a long winter. He swam away fine, though. Real survivors.

Between 3 and 5 half-hitches, and then apply nail polish or head cement. I have tied hundreds of flies this way. Works fine.

I use a pair of sweatpants, even under my neoprenes. It keeps me warm, but they arent any good at wicking away moisture. When you take off the waders in cold weather, the wet pants get cold fast. Not the best system, but I have done it so long, its hard to change.

I use a small file, or a small piece of sandstone for small hooks. I am very mrticulous about sharpening my hooks often when I am on the river. It makes a big difference in my hook-up percentage.

I agree with PGK. In Alberta, we seriously under value the stream trout resources we have. We have the best trout river in Canada, and it costs next to nothing to fish it on any given day, unless you are guided. Our cutthroat trout fisheries have improved so much since Catch and release was implemented, that a trophy fee for non-residents is not unreasonable. Last summer, I met people from Ontario and California the one day I fished the Oldman river. Obviously, good cutthroat streams attract fly anglers from far and wide. Why not take advantage of this?

I definetly would use a flyshop in the NW. I was disappointed when Bow river troutfitters closed up shop. It was a reasonable distance for me to access with my bike, so I went there fairly often.

If you want to see a river bottom covered with didymo from one bank to the other, come and fish in bowness or edworthy park. It is devastating, and as little as a decade ago, this stuff wasnt here.

I have been wanting to do this too. Going to try some deer hair streamers this season.

Good story. Highly appropriate, considering the weather.

Isn't that the truth, ham. The only consolation is that with the strict closures for spawning, the fishing has improved in the NW. But I do used to remember having some fine days fishing up here years ago in April, May, and October. Months no longer available to us.

Given the weather right now, that video is torture. The river up here in the NW is frozen solid, almost from bank to bank. Probably won't be fishing till mid-March at the earliest.

I think it is a reasonable idea. Especially for rivers like the upper sheep, which I have fished alot, and which could use a nutrient boost. But in the case of the Elbow river, here is where things get interesting. I have fished the Elbow river from the nutrient poor stretch near Elbow falls, to the weaselhead stretch, and many times in the nutrient rich stretch flowing below Glenmore dam. It is a relatively small, somewhat shallow stream throughout its length, by our standards. What I have found is that the majority of trout (90% or so) I catch are under 10 inches. This is true of all stretches of the river. One might reasonably assume that with all the insect hatches that occur on the river in Calgary, with all those extra nutrients, that the trout would on average be significantly larger. Not so. The Brown trout in this stretch are every bit the little fish I see as the Rainbows at Weaselhead, or the Brookies and Cutts up by canyon creek. Places with far less nutrient loads. It seems that the shallow, smallish Elbow River contains mostly 6 to 9 inch trout all along its length. Maybe, small river=small trout. I don't really know? Just athought.

For up here in the Northwest, I use primarily antron dubbing. Other good choices are peacock herl or olive hares ear.

Bonefish Bulkley steelhead New ZEALAND

That first picture really is the best. Color me envious.

I use both partridge and pheasant tails from birds I harvest in the fall. I usually get about one of each bird, so it saves cost on buying it.

Caught in waterton reservoir, I believe. The South country can sure produce large trout. Must be the long growth season.

The fly shown in the picture Xplorer posted here is the Whitefish killer. I agree with him about winter fishing up here being a waste of time, but I need to test my new reel for my sinking line, so I will try one trip in Bowmont park sometime in the next month or so.

Even simpler. A stimulator without wings, tail, nor a thorax. Think of a standard wooly worm fly pattern, with orange yarn, instead of chenille for the body. A pretty simple fly, that even works on trout up here, in spite of being called the whitefish killer.