NormanMcLean

Here's a late entry. Lake of the Falls. July 2008.

R.I.P. to the 2 poor souls pulled out of Gull Lake on Friday morning. http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradv..._Gull_Lake.html

I am thinking about moving to Moncton, New Brunswick from Alberta for my job. (I know, I'm going the wrong way) Anyone here from NB? Other than the Miramichi, I don't know much about the fishing propects other than a lot of streams that hold atlantic salmon, brook trout & the odd striped bass. What is the access like? Are the stream bottoms considered private or crown land? I am already fearing leaving my beloved cuts, bows & browns behind and heading into a world of char. Any information would be appreciated. NM

I am using this platform to officially describe my 3 dry fly method. "The Trifecta" Used during a heavy hatch or during prospecting, use a big (#6-12) bushy attractor as your point fly (stimulator, H&L variant, wulff, etc), the 2nd fly will be a medium sized (#12-16) terrestial of some kind (flying ant, beetle, mcginty, etc), the 3rd fly will be a smaller (#16-22) hatch matching fly (bwo, caddis, trico, etc). There should be enough distance between each fly, too eliminate drag. I usually use about 3-4 feet between each with floatant applied to the lines. Remember to use an open casting loop to prevent tangles. You will be amazed at the variation of presentations you can get with this set-up. I have had many fish get attracted to the point fly only to see the terrestrial floating behind it, and slam it instead. A drag free drift is not required if you are using a big stonefly, a medium hopper, & a small caddis. All 3 of these can be skated on the surface to imitate the natural. Some may scoff at this technique with ideas of tangles, drag, sloppy presentations and spooked fish, but I am just trying to think outside the "fly" box. This method is not for the inexperienced angler/caster. But where would we be without trying something new? I am still experimenting with variations of this method and any feedback would be appreciated. Norman

I'm fishing with 3 dry flies tomorrow. It's the next big thing. Get on board with the revolution.

I was in a remote section of the Ram Canyon last week and saw sets of quad tracks and garbage on an instream island. The mind boggles.

That is great news. Thanks Gopher.

Thoughts and prayers for Jim & Lynda McLennan as he recovers from a mild heart attack in a Calgary hospital.

I've bought 2 pairs of $30 Atmosphere polarized sun glasses and have been disappointed. One is too light, the other too dark. My cheap $15 Rapala pair does a better job. Anyone know where I can get some BlueBlockers?

Don, I have seen the early black stones this year in late Feb/early March.

I got the Olympus Stylus for Christmas, and I love it.

Sounds like another long-sticker to invade the Bow. I wonder how much of an influence from BC steelheaders and Atlantic salmon fishers have had on the 'recent' Bow spey trend?

http://www.flyfishalberta.com

I fished a Winston Biit Boron Rod last summer and it is fantastic. I am having a custom 8ft 3wt Biit built for this year. Matched with a ULA Waterworks Purist Reel, about a $1000 combo. Boron is the future.

I took Mr.Canuck. Trevor Linden. He plays with heart and is a class act on and off the ice. And he gives so much back to the Vancouver community. That's more than I can say about most guys on this list. Go Canucks Go!

fishpro, Have you used this heli company before? And if so where did you fly in to?

We were camped down near the lower lake. Proteced from the wind. I think the lower lake is much more productive. I walked around the lower lake to the waterfall and looked over the most frightening edge I have ever seen. Beautiful view of the Cline River valley. Also walked around the upper lake and found the commemorative 'Michelle' plaque. And talked to some backbackers who had hiked in the backway. Treachorous hike. I wish Alberta could stock some rivers with Goldens. Beautiful trout they are.

The Tay was far too dirty in April last year when I tried it. But the "Clear"water is your best bet for bulls in April. The big pools are separeted by a large distance, so be prepared to do some hiking. If in a boat, be very careful as the Clearwater is a dangerous river.

We fished from shore for the Goldens, right at the mouths of the tiny creeks flowing into it and the goldens were gorging themselves on the nutrients and our dries. I think no boats are allowed on Michelle, but that might not apply to belly boats. Too much weight anyway. The 4 of us were there Friday thru Monday, with 2 days of solid fishing. Only 1 day of rain. A herd of bighorns came through our camp on Saturday. We had snow near our tents in August, so yes I would plan for late summer.

Tie1on24, You read my freaking mind. I was planning a heli-trip up there this summer as well, and was wondering which lake is better fishing. Landslide has cuts, and Lake of Falls has cuts and bulls as you probably know. I took the heli-trip to Michelle in 2004 for goldens and I have great memories of that trip. My party should have 4 people going. Landslide is a 15km hike and Lake of Falls is 20km up hill. I've heard 3 days is a good hike to LOF. When were you thinking of going?

If anyone see's a 6'-8 guy with a camo hat on. That's me. See you at the show.

And Heath Ledger is the new Joker in the upcoming Batman film. That will be weird to watch. He was a good actor. I thought "The Four Feathers" was great.

Love the lightweight Lamson/Waterworks reels. I am looking to buy a Waterworks Purist reel. The $300 price tag is worth it for a ULA reel that weighs 2.7 oz. Aerospace aluminum. I used one last summer and the after a long days casting, my arm wasn't tired at all. Some of those Pflueger/Islander reels look nice, but are just too heavy for my liking. And the Hardy Marksman at 2.5 oz. is the lightest on the market.

Recently I have been thinking about different nymphing techniques and keep coming back to same question. To bead or not to bead? Or rather when to use a bead head nymph and when to use a single split shot with a standard nymph instead? If just the one bead is enough to get it down, is there any benefit in using one or the other? I have heard the beadless nymph will have more life to it as it lighter in the water, but is that it? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I've heard many fisherman say that a messy tackle box is lucky, and to clean it would be a jinx. Personally I enjoy organizing my fly box this time of year and re-evaluating everything. Maybe this just reflects the difference between tackle and fly anglers. Any thoughts?