scel

I also find the orange ones tend to be easier to see as in gets darker.

I agree. I find the Sage VXP to cast more like a 7wt. It is my streamers/hella-windy-day rod. It is a little small for pike though.

I have 4 rods: 4wt Orvis Access, 5wt Sage Flight, 6wt Orvis Access, and 6wt Sage VXP. The best advice that I was ever given for fishing the Bow is: be adaptable. If I could only grab 1 rod for a day on the Bow, I would grab my 6wt Orvis Access---light enough to cast dries, enough backbone for stonefly rigs and steamers. You can certainly catch fish using all 3 techniques in a single day. I definitely prefer my 4wt for casting dries, but when you lock into a 20"+ fish on a size 18 BWO, it is nice to have a little extra rod wt.

I have no problems copy/cut-n-paste. What browser and version are you using? Have you tried using a different browser?

I would say that it is a glitch Go to options -> content -> block pop-up windows If it is checked, ensure that the ffc is not in the exceptions list And/Or...download Google Chrome. It is a better browser.

I have not seen this problem with Chrome 22.0, Android 4.0, and Firefox. What browser (and version) are you using? Does the same thing happen with a different browser.

My partner is a mycologist. She thinks that the problem IS the cold water. I definitely saw sapro on the big browns in the August. While the spawn and handling exacerbate the problem, I do not think that it is the cause. Her insight was mould in almost every form thrives in low-light conditions. Certain moulds will favour certain temperature ranges and chemical compositions. Sapro seems to favour hard water conditions with low temperatures. With that in mind, the optimized conditions were probably caused by the cold, dirty water during the super long run-off. Even when the fish is dead, the sapro continues to grow and infect nearby fish. While it is technically illegal, I think that any dead (or close to dead) fish should be removed from the river. What do you think?

I was fishing south of the city. While I was fishing, a huge golden bird appeared out of nowhere and grabbed a duck from the shore and then disappeared. It came back about an hour later where it just harassed the ducks. After about 20 minutes, it seemed to become discouraged and then left, heading south away from the river. But it did not just head away...it climbed to an altitude that I had never seen a bird fly at that altitude. I thought that it was an immature bald eagle, but it was so big and incredibly agile. I see lots of bald eagles on the river. A full adult might have been this big, but not a juvenile. Has anyone else ever seen a golden eagle? Do you think that I saw what I wanted to see?

It is really tough to catch fish on the surface at this time of year. With the water low, and the oncoming cold, the fish are starting to stack-up again. I am finding that the fish are stacking up in 'trouty' waters, particularly deeper runs and riffles. If you are nymphing, using a 2 hook set up with a san juan worm and a smaller (size 16 or smaller) bead-head dropper will produce fish. However, at this time of year, you run the risk of catching whitefish instead of the more esteemed Bow River trout, but my last outing still produced 8 trout in 2 hours. On the more windy days, I tend to stick to small streamers. When swung through the deeper riffles will also produce fish. I find this to be less productive than nymphing, but it is a lot easier to 'get it right' and you spend more time fishing and less time untangling the wind-deflected cast. Head downstream from 22x. I know there are lots of fish to catch, and you leave the spawning brown trout alone.

As a child, I had systemic yeast/fungal infections. My partner did her Masters in mycology. In medical mycology, apparently, once someone is infected, they will always be infected, it just takes the right conditions to bloom. I think that this year was an abnormally stressful year on the fish, 2 months of run-off coupled with heavy fishing might have taken their toll. I think that it might be cyclical, because there is going to be an age category of fish that it seems to affect (10+ years old, for example), the young fry are going to be born into an environment with higher levels of the spores available, more likely to catch the fungus, and then express in 10 years (if that is indeed the age category) when/if the conditions are optimized. I am guessing that the answer will be in the water chemistry. When my partner would make her media on which to grow the fungus, incredibly minute changes of the same compounds would allow one type of fungus to grow, but inhibit another. I certainly am not ascribing to know the answer, but I am certain that it is more complicated than a simple cycle. I think that the answers will lay in answering the questions: Why brown trout? Why older brown trout? Why males? (Rainbows and whitefish seem unaffected, despite being salmonids) Is this a systemic disease or is it acquired purely from the environment? In a laboratory environment, what conditions optimize the growth of sapro, and how does that correlate to this year's environmental conditions?

Sweet. Thanks peeps!

I have searched through the archives, but I am not finding a topic that suits my needs. I want to take a friend fly fishing on a river/creek within 1 hour of Calgary. I know the Bow is a great fishery, but it is a technical river to fish, and it does not have the charm of some of those smaller rivers. This will be the first time that my friend has ever fly fished, so I would like to take him someplace that is fun. My inclination is the Highwood downstream of Longview. Rockies are a great fish to catch for someone just learning, and all indications say that they are many that are eager and willing. The Highwood is also one of the most beautiful places in the province. My problem is that I cannot find any good access points downstream from Longview, other than a bridge on Hwy 2, and Hwy 543 by High River. So much inaccessible river. Can someone suggest another good walk and wade location?

Wow. If I see someone catch a fish, I always ask what they were using. And I always will.

Agreed. Hydros is a much nicer line---more supple and casts better.. However, I find the Orvis line high maintenance; it has to be cleaned regularly to maintain performance.

I have never had any success with droppers, mostly because I have not spend much time trying. It does seem, however, like a good combination of dry fishing and nymphing. So, what size of dropper should be used? 14? 16? I assume that the size of the dropper will be linked to the size of the dry. What size of tippet should be used to connect the dropper to the dry. My instinct is 4x or smaller. Smaller line will sink faster and will produce less drag during a float. What length of tippet should be used? I have been using about 45 cm of tippet. Ideally, I figure that the length between the dry and the dropper should be configured for the depth of the water. Unlike an indicator that can be moved, the dropper is fixed, so it is important to make a good guess with the length of the attaching line. AND THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION... Is it even worthwhile using a dropper?

I caught one this winter. I know that every animal has its place. There is something creepy, but beautiful about the burbot: cool tail, huge mouth, neat teeth, awesome camo. I guess that the sucker has nice...lips. <shudder> Poor sucker. I see that people have caught pike. How often does that happen?

So, first of all, I thought that I had snagged the bottom. But then the bottom started swimming. It was a burbot. Seriously, the last fish that I thought that I would catch. Thankfully, my partner had the wherewithal to grab a phone picture. In the scramble to get it to shore to remove the hook, it got away. The line snapped just above the hook. It guess the fish was heavier than 7 lbs. I could not even fit half the fish into my 16" net. The last (and only) burbot that I caught was 30 years ago. Has anyone ever caught a burbot nymphing?

<----- Biophotonics nerd I did my grad studies in biophotonics This site is really cool. http://ca.oakley.com/innovation/optical-su...rity/lens-tints It gives you a good idea of what the lenses do. The reason why people like the bronze colours is because they produce a contrast, allowing a greater transmission of greenish wavelengths through the lens. Our eyes are sensitive to these wavelengths. This is why they work better in flat light. There will be a point in brightness (at both the high and low intensities) where the contrast will no longer be significantly noticeable. If was going to spend the day cycling or in the middle of a lake, I would grab my greys. I find them more comfortable to wear for long periods of time because they block the light in a neutral way. But for fishing, the persimmons/bronze render more visual acuity. I rely on my hat to generate the additional shade to keep the sunglasses comfortable for an entire afternoon/evening. Check out the Oakley site though. it is really cool. They take the bright picture and apply the lens transmission profile to the spectrum output on the picture. EDIT: you can slide the bar between the picture on the Oakley site.

I have 2 pairs: a grey and a persimmon (or bronze) Overall, I prefer the persimmon, but the grey are nicer on really bright days. If could only take one pair with me, I would take the persimmon.

Personally, I have found that the best distance to cast depends on the speed of the water and the weight of your rig. It is important that your nymphs get to the bottom. A longer cast means a longer possible drift; however, a longer cast also means a higher probability of getting a bad drift. So: Fast current + light weight : you will want the longest drift possible (but you really have to be on top of mending your line) Slow current + heavy weight: you can get away with really short casts (as long as you are not getting a thunderous splash when your hooks hit the water)

Fly fishing is kind of like handwriting. Everyone seems to find their signature that works for them. My method is a standard 9' leader. I tie on 30cm of tippet. I place the splitshot above the leader-tippet knot so it does not slide around. I then tie a SJW or a stonefly to the tippet. I tie second fly directly to the eye of the second fly with 30-35cm of tippet. I find that I have less tangles than if I tie the second fly to the shank of the top hook. The second fly is tied on using a smaller diameter line. i.e if the first hook is 3x, the bottom hook will be tied on with 4x. In the event of a bottom hook snag, if the line snaps, you will only risk losing 1 hook instead of both. Here is the thing that works for me: <Indicator>-------------------------<split>-------<SJW>-------<dropper> I make the distance between the indicator and split shot approximately the water depth in slow and medium currents. In fast currents, I will place make the distance 1.1-1.2 times the depth. I really do not like putting a split shot between the sjw and dropper---too many bumps and dangles. If I am using a heavy SJW or something like a size 6 Kaufmann's stone, I will forgo the split shot altogether and set the indicator to go to 1.1-1.3 depth from the the SJW.

Wow. Even though there is some truth to what you are saying, that is horrible advice for someone looking to learn the basics. Examine an analogy: CARPENTER: I am a carpenter that has been building cabinets for the last 3 years. I would like to start building tables. Does anyone have any tips? What tools should I use? PRO-CARPENTER-BCUBE: Stop building cabinets. Build only tables. In the last year, this is what I have learned... I have read 3 books on fishing the Bow River. They all the say the exact same thing---to be successful on the bow river, you have to be adaptable. If you want to catch fish on a dry fly, unless you find rising fish, catching anything on a dry fly is like playing the lottery. In summer and fall, in a 5 hour evening of fishing, if you are quiet and deliberate, there is usually 1 hour of good dry fly fishing. Yesterday, though, was an entire day of good dry fly fishing, but there were rising fish everywhere. Regardless, the best way to learn the nuances of dry fly fishing is to have fish that are willing to feed on the surface. So, Uglystick, you might find it more productive to stalk the banks than float when dry fly fishing. You will generally find the fish rising in calmer areas that would be unproductive if you were nymphing. The SJW, prince nymph and stonefly will catch you fish year round. In order to catch fish on a dry, you need to pay attention to the bugs that are hatching and landing on the water. Once you find the rising fish, you have to choose the right fly. Occasionally, you will find a fish that is simply feeding on the surface. Most of the time, though, the rising fish will be eating a specific bug. Throughout the summer, caddis is a good guess, but Pale Morning Duns and Stoneflies can produce some amazing seasonal fishing. Once you know where the fish are feeding on the surface, pick a hook and try to get the fly to pass over the fish. You want to avoid the floating fly line passing directly over the fish. Start your casts short and start working your way towards the last spot you saw the fish rise. If you do not get any interest in the hook, but the fish is still rising, you have probably chosen the wrong hook. I would first try downsizing the hook (i.e. a size 14 to a 16). If that does not work, I would switch to a different pattern. Last night, for example, it took me 4 tries to get the right fly, but once I had it, I was into an hour of great dry fly fishing. If the fish is no longer rising, you have probably spooked it. Take 10 minutes to see if it rises again. If it does not rise, it you can keep fishing the spot, but I would move on to hunt for other risers. Technically, your dry fly success will come from getting the drag-free float (the exception being caddis, which skitter on the surface, so a little drag is not always detrimental). The pros seem to be able to mend their line quickly and accurately. I try to quickly mend my line, but personally using a longer leader (i.e. 12') helped mitigate some of my inexperience. As well, I found that matching my tippet to my fly size assisted in a getting a proper float. I personally prefer to use 3x on the bow when nymphing, but found that 4x and 5x tippet are more appropriate for most dry patterns (except stimulators and hoppers, which are fine with 3x). As well, be careful when you pull the fly off the water. If you pull it off too quickly, you will make this thunderous suction noise that will probably scare any other fish nearby. I personally find that dry fly fishing takes more patience and attention. Technically, I think that dry fly fishing is easier than nymphing. But you can make mistakes with nymphing and still catch fish. There is less margin for error with dry fly fishing. As well, for the first 4 or 5 times, expect to be surrounded by rising fish, have tried every reasonable fly you have, and still not catch anything. It is OK though. If you are an adaptable Bow River angler, you have spent your first 4 hours on the river nymphing, and probably caught something. When I go to a new section of river, I usually walk downstream with with an ant, humpy or crystal adams. If I find a rising fish, I will try a couple of casts. On the way back upstream, I will be more deliberate about my fishing. If it was mostly calm, slow water, I will stalk the banks for rising fish. If it was filled with runs and riffles, I will put on the nymphing rig. Good luck.

Sweet. Thank you.

My girlfriend is a botanist. She will be working in Northern Saskatchewan for the first 2 weeks of June. Because there are no work outposts, she has to stay at a fishing lodge---Camp Grayling. I know. Rough life, right? She has some experience fly fishing. She knows the knots and the lingo, but she does not really know the flies and hatches. I would like to send her up with a good assortment of flies, but I have never fished for grayling. There are probably some good go-to flies. I would assume that prince nymph and hare's ear are fairly universal, but some additional insight would be appreciated. Many Thanks.

Here is the missing piece of the puzzle to me... I have had wide gamut of jobs. The jobs that I have hated the most have made me the most money. When I look back, they were awful jobs. But it made me realise the same thing: making money is pretty easy. Being happy about the money that you are making is hard. I worked my way up to a six-digit salary. It has taken 10 years, but I am almost back to the economic position, doing what I love. I have no regrets sticking to my guns. It made me realize that the most precious commodity in our lives is time. Once time is spent, it is irrevocably gone. Wasting time being unhappy really bothers me. There seems to be 2 paths of advice: - Take the money, but keep it in perspective. Be mindful of your costs and get out when you can. - Do what makes you feel happy. Since you are young...here is my advice. You are facing the choice: a job that makes you money, or a CAREER that makes you happy. - Go to school and become educated about what you love. I visit probably 60 different tech and IT companies every year. I have never encountered a GOOD company that did not a) encourage staff to learn more about their work field. pay people more money who are educated c) accommodate the future plans of their employees. Money is the most tangible and simplest way to see the value of your work and life. If were to invest time into something, I would want to invest into something that makes my time more valuable in the future.