billie

How did Don's aspirations to curmudgenry turn into an anchor thread. You guys gotta stay on topic . My kids say I get honourable mention.

Just beginning tying and was wondering if someone could suggest a good hackle to start with and where to buy it? Just a good all-around cape that will be the most useful or versatile. I can't seem to find much detail on line for local stores and was hoping to save some travel time searching. TIA

If you (or anyone else) is still looking, Country Pleasures is selling their in-stock vises for 40% off right now. Cheers

Don’t know if it was my first fish but I was awful young. I was hounding my Mom to take me fishing and she refused to let me have a barbed hook (I seem to remember Dad letting me have one so this probably wasn’t my first fish). Anyway, I got a safety pin for a hook, seriously Mom?!?. I fed a bunch of worms to the fish that day and was getting downright PO’ed that I could not land one, all they did was steal the bait. I distinctly remember finally getting a bite and yanking and running as hard as I could, I dragged that little bugger up onto the beach before he got away. I also remember Mom laughing so hard, and saying that I could have a hook from now on. ….First memory…… We literally lived a rock’s throw from the river. A spring fed freestone about the size of Three Point Creek that took a heavy runoff each spring. We had salmon run up it in the early years but the target was brook trout. Many great memories of filling the creel with 8-16” trout a few trips each year for the freezer, PB&J, kool-aid or tang, gone sunup to sundown. None of my friends fished, and I also started hunting, more or less alone, at 10 with a 22, and then a 410, rabbits and roughies. Everything was hook and worm in those days except for my uncle, who was an avid fly fisherman. I only got to go out with him a couple of times but he plunked a fly rod in my hands already rigged and said “go fishing”. I was pretty young and didn’t retain much and although I caught some fish, I wouldn’t say I was really fly fishing. I remember rare trips to some lakes but flowing water was where the heart was and still is. Fast forward to 1977, and I landed in Calgary. The usual meanderings of a young guy until I started hunting in 1984 with my FIL. Fishing seemed too expensive (travel cost more than gear), the waters and methods mysterious, and no friends that participated. I made a few trips here and there but nothing really clicked. I did have a great trip to Seebee one day with a co-worker for whitefish on maggots and trout on fresh caught hamelgamites (sp) with spinning gear. 2008. I was taken to Langara for salmon fishing through work. WOW, is the only word for that trip. Too rich for my blood on a regular basis but the free trip was unbelievable. I got another trip to QCL the next year, a return to Langara the next, and a final trip to West Coast Resorts. I managed a 29.5lb Spring (dammit!) and a 56lb Halibut in my travels. When I got home after my first salmon trip, I was thinking “fishing” pretty hard. I live 20 minutes from MacKinnon and not fishing the “best trout river in the world” seemed a waste. Remembering my few trips with my uncle, and the Bow’s reputation, I bought a 6 wt and the basics required. The basics have expanded a bit; a 3 wt, 2x 8wts, new waders, boots, vest, boat, outboard, a pile of tackle, spinning gear, ice rods, sled, snow shoes, etc, etc, and I just purchased a tying vice (misspell intended) yesterday. A guy has to have hobbies to retire to, right? Fortunately, I have a very understanding and supportive wife who, regrettably (or not), does not fish or hunt. I am self taught and have pretty much an “old school” attitude, maybe because the majority of my time in the field has been on my own. I love the fly rod and even when I’m not catching anything, I can play with the techniques and be completely entertained. It’s a fascinating tool. I could not break the 20” mark on the Bow for my first 5 years. I had 8 (or 9?) fish that were 19”+ (what’s with this “1/2”-1/2lb” short stuff anyway?) and I lost 2 that would definitely have made it (seen but not landed). Last year I caught a 24” and a 20.5” RBT in the same pool back to back, and a 21” brown in 10” of slack water on another afternoon. Curse abated! She’s a tough ol’ girl, but I’m definitely in love with her. I’ve been in construction since ’79 and am now a consultant. It allows for significant flexibility for time on the river, or in the bush on a horse. If you see a white Seamax inflatable, with two seats on the benches between Mac and Jensen’s, say hello. I confess it surprises (and saddens) me how many times a fellow outdoors person does not return a greeting in the field, but I am undeterred. Always a wave, or a word if we’re close enough. Best wishes on the waters for you, and HNY.

Sorry I missed you Lornce, I dropped in today. Got to meet Pokerfish and say hello. Fairly quiet but I expect Saturday will be pretty busy.

FWIW, same here, I'm a lurker and a leach, to use the references here. I don't post much but I definitely absorb and try to use the info offered. If someone posts "Go down road X, take trail X until you see a pool in the creek with an overhanging popular, drop a clouser behind the big rock at the far side to catch a 36" bull" I would have ZERO interest (too crowded, J/K). That is not why I'm here. I have no interest in infringing on other's spots but by the same token, I also understand that I will be fishing in the company of others wherever I go. I am a newbie like Don and no matter where I go, experienced fishermen will have been there before me. I also may be in someone's honey hole. I am taking up fishing because I did not have the luxury of time and resources to do it earlier. I grew up fishing as a kid and now live close to one of the best river fisheries in the world (the Bow) and as I look at my latter years (I moved to AB in '77), I feel its time to re-kindle my love of fishing and take advantage of what's offered. When in Rome.... I understand the skepticism of some, and also acknowledge that there will be people that abuse the information offered on a public forum. I'm here to collect insight then venture out and try to duplicate what should work. My success to date is marginal at best but I'm pretty proud of my 19 AND A HALF INCH brown last year; my goal was a 20", DAMNIT!!. Point is that there are a myriad of sutle variations of presentation that DO make a difference. I'm trying to learn that and enjoying the journey on it's merits:). I can't afford to spend years and dollars travelling and learning what many of you collected over your lifetimes. I appreciate what is available on the 'net, try to repect the information in the spirit it is offered, and hope to meet some of you in the field one day. I assure you, I will say hello. My home turf is Mac to Jansen's in a white Seamax with swivel seats, say hello if you're so inclined:). Cheers and thanks (seriously).

Shamus had to leave town for work. He pops into the local pub on Thursday and orders 3 beer, and takes turns having a drink from each one until they are gone and orders 3 more. Repeating the process, he orders 3 more. When the bartender brings the third round, he asks him "It's none of my business pal, but why wouldn't you order one at a time so they don't get warm?" Shamus replies "I 'ad to leave 'ome and every Tursday me brudders and I would git togetter fer a beer. This makes me miss 'im less". This goes on every Thursday. One Thursday, Shamus comes in and orders 2 beer. He drinks from each as usual and orders 2 more. The bartender delivers the second round "I don't mean to pry, but I hope everything is OK with your family?" "Ahh" Shamus replies "ther foine, I just quit drinkin!". And as a side note, 5/4 of people don't understand fractions:). I enjoyed the posts so thought I'd drop one back Cheers

That makes me feel a bit better , thanks for the feedback folks. I actually prefer to not bother spawners but that would be neat to see. I found 2 spring creeks but they were quite small and tumbled down a vertical face of 4-6 feet. Trout are acrobatic but that seemed like a stretch so I didn't investigate. The water was perfectly clear and you would think I should have seen some fish, I've spotted them before in other waters. Is it possible there were so few that none could or were seen? No trout, whites or any others. The James looks perfect for a small river otherwise. Would brown trout not spawn in it as well? Wouldn't there be some smaller fish still around?

I don't post much on forums but hope someone can offer some insight. I do not have much experience fishing Alberta but learning. I spent the weekend at the James, about 20 miles west of hwy 22, on private land behind a locked gate. Point is that it would appear that the river section should not be fished out by traffic. The river is low, mid shin deep and 30' wide. Pools are up to about 4' deep, clear and cool. I fished about a one mile stretch and gave a very diligent effort. Hoppers were everywhere and I expected they would be a good choice. Nothing. I even caught a live one and watched it float away untouched. I tried a streamer, BH prince nymphs, boatmen and a few others. I didn't get my shadow on the water and tried to be as sneaky as possible. I appraoched each hole and riffle with a very short cast and worked into the pool in small stages so my fly line wouldn't spook anything. At dusk, I didn't see a single rise on a large flat stretch. The only fish I saw was a single 1/2 minnow and I spent some time looking closely. People I was camping with said that fishing last May was really good and another fisherman was catching on most casts. Was this a time of year thing? So, are there reasons why this was so unproductive or should I just take up golf ? Do the fish migrate in the fall to wintering holes? Is it possible there are no fish in this river section? I would expect browns to travel up for spawning at this time of year but didn't see any redds at the tails of pools. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.