regdunlop

I would highly recommend taking the rod building course through fish tales. I took it a few years back and have built quite a few rods for myself and others since then. Total build time will be ~12-16 hours depending on how complex you want to get (i.e. spinning your own handles, assembly of reel seats, creative thread wraps etc.). I've built rods for as cheap as $100 all in. But you're probably going to be in the $200 range as long as you don't go too crazy with your first one. Once you get the hang of it you will find that it's quite easy to build your own rod, and a great way to spend the cold winter evenings. The forum that Don mentioned is a good one, and there are a couple of great books as well. This is one of the best IMO: http://www.amazon.ca/Fly-Rod-Building-Made-Easy/dp/0881505110 Happy building!

Ha! Me neither. Last time I saw my backing was at the fly shop.

I used to go to Troutfitters all the time when it was in the NW. I would love to see a shop up here again.

Yep. Big ugly whitey down in Fish Creek on a beed head hare's ear. First fish I caught on a rod i built was a whitey too. I guess that's why my buddies call me the "Whitey Slayer". Still a great feeling though.

Agreed, but it still hurts when you lose a fly that took 45 minutes to tie! I don't think tying your own saves money, but having the ability to tie exactly what you want is worth it IMO. Catching fish on your own creations (or imitations of other patterns) is one of the great rewards of fly fishing that you just can't put a price tag on.

Done

Built it myself. It's quite easy once you get the hang of it. I took the course from Wayne down at FishTales a few years back. The rod is fairly light, I think its a blend of IM6, IM7, and IM8 graphite. Here's a link to the blank on the Batson website: http://www.batsonenterprises.com/rx7-switch-blanks Also check out www.rodbuildingforum.com and do a search for rainshadow switch to see some finished rods and some good reviews on the blank.

If you can find someone to build a rod for you check out the rainshadow switch rods. I built one up on a 6wt blank, got the whole kit (blank, cork, guides, reel seet etc) online for under $175. Paired with a 6wt airflo 40+ line for nymphing and a short skagit head for streamers it's a killer bow river set up IMO.

Check out what you can do with photoshop and the internet! These babies will keep my beer cold in the summer, keep my hand warm in the winter, and for those times when you are drinking a classy beer at home (pilsner) you don't need to use a coaster.

Yes, it's a point and shoot. No flip out screen. I just guess what angle I need to hold the camera at and hope for the best. The fish did revive fine, it just decided to cooperate and chill out for a while as the camera was rolling.

I use an Olympus Tough 6000. Wish it had HD video but at the rate that I go through cameras I should lose or break this one soon and have to buy a new one!

A video from last weekend's excursion. That water in the high country is gin right now! Fast Forward to the second half of the vid if you get bored.

Do you guys know of any sources where I can find the mortensen dvd's in calgary or order in Canada?

Ditto. Looks like they have a small one meant for use with kickboats. http://www.k-pump.com/index.php?page=shop....t&Itemid=38 Anyone know where you can buy them in Calgary?

You should have just noodled for the catfish! If you brought your hands then you brought your fishing gear! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biL-QcviQGk...e=youtube_gdata

I think 420 fishes with Grass all the time!!!

Why stop at 4 pieces? I've got a 6pc Dan Craft for backpacking that casts just as well as, if not better than, all the 3 and 4 piece rods I've casted. A 6pc 9 footer really breaks down small and makes bushwacking that much easier. Just my 2 cents.

Thanks Dick!

Nice pics guys! Here's one from two summers ago.

I've heard that the scent from cigarette / tobacco smoke does indeed have a negative effect. I would think this would be more the case in stillwater where the fish has longer to inspect the fly. Not sure how to deodorize tying materials though.

I agree, I've done the Bryant creek side a couple of times and it can be a bit boring. But if you are going early in the hiking season this side does tend to have less snow. If you want to catch small cutts on every cast for an hour or two take the walk to Elizabeth lake while you are up there.

Yeah, it's a ton of fun. They seem to have a bit of a cult following. Check out www.delica.ca, go on the forums and take a look at some of the camper conversions people have done. Some of them are incredible! Toyota does make a couple of different models. The Hiace is one I think. They are all great vehicles, but as someone pointed out they can be a bit tough to fix if something goes wrong. Sourcing parts can take a while, and finding someone to work on the deisel engines is a bit tough in Calgary. Still worth it though if you ask me.

Here's my rig. Imported from Japan spring of '08. Great mileage, 4x4 is awesome when needed. Love this thing!!

What's the link to his photo site? The videos are great I bet the photos are incredible.

I've got a couple pairs of Simms (one pair for use with waders, one a bit smaller for wet wading). They are both excellent. The felts did wear out last year on one pair but I had new ones put on at a shop in Kensington (Alpine Shoe Service) and they are good as new. I can't say enough about the quality of the work they did at the shop, they even built the sole back up where I had worn it down after going through the felt. I digress...get the simms, you won't be dissapointed.