NormanMcLean

Maybe you've had trouble with fly reels because you're loading them with 200' of mono!

I just picked up a 3XL SportCheif fishing raincoat/vest in Red Deer. The vest can be worn separate or on the outside of the coat. It's got all the pockets I need and more. I'm very happy with it. I was also thinking of getting the LL Bean chest pack for hot summer wading.

Don, Have you checked out the Hardy Marksman reel yet? Unbelievably light.

Sorry Don, this poll is a no-boo zone. I would love to see a bamboo poll though. I voted Winston but have Sage rods as well. They clearly are a very good rod, with a range of models and reasonably priced. I have declared Sage the hands down winner for this poll.

Sorry again for not including Orvis. Or Sage reels either. I just picked 10. This poll looks closer to call than the rod poll however.

Yes, I realized after I created the poll that I forgot Orvis. I should have dumped Martin.

Which is your favorite reel maker? I voted Waterworks.

Which is your favorite rod maker? This could be a personal favorite or your opinion of who makes the best rods. Feel free to add another maker not listed. I voted Winston.

Please delete this repeat post admin.

Anyone have any thoughts on the Olympus Stylus underwater camera? I just got one for Christmas and can't wait to use it this year.

I just unwrapped an Olympus Stylus underwater camera! Yahoo! Can't wait!

I started collecting fish decoys last year, and I love them. I mostly look for the older trout/pike/sturgeon decoys (including Lawrence Bethel), but I do have some newer realistic ones as well. I've been trying to get all of the Alberta species represented. They are normally cheaper than the larger duck decoys. It is a nice diversion in the off season. I will post some pics of them soon. Welcome to the club!

I just got the LL Bean fly fishing catalog, and I was impressed by the products they offer. I have some LL Bean clothes and have always been impressed with their quality. I was wondering if anyone has ever ordered any fishing gear from them. They sell there own line of rods and reels along and top end Sage rods and some nice Ross/Lamson reels. And some really nice vests/chest packs. Oh, and a $3000 bamboo rod limited to a run of 25. Any thoughts?

Check this out. http://cgi.ebay.ca/Fly-fishing-Canada-Albe...1QQcmdZViewItem

I also bought a signed hard cover copy of Blue Ribbon Bow last year. Great read. Mine is the original version, not the updated revised edition.

I just picked up a hard to find title. "Due North of Montana" by Chris Dawson. It's a book written for American flyrodders as a guide to Alberta waters. It's pretty redudant to the Albertan, but does have good information on locations and hatches on some of my favorite waters. A pleasure to read.

Did you hook the brookie on a dark Stonefly nymph pattern? I didn't fish Prairie as much as I would of liked this year. It still seems like the number of browns is down. Looking forward to Spring 2008!

Many leaders come with loop to loop connections for attachment to the fly line. They are stronger than a nail not and easier to attach. The can lead to more tangles if your loops are too stiff. Some fly lines are being made with this loop attached, but you can also buy a loop attachment. Good luck!

If you purchase a membership in Trout Unlimited, you get a 1 year subscription to Canadian FlyFisher magazine. It's well worth giving to a good cause.

Where in Jasper are you headed? I was thinking of making a return trip this year.

In regards to permits, only professional palaeontologists are issued permits by the Alberta government for excavation. It basically works like this, if you are in a Provincial Park such as Dinosaur PP or Dry Island PP, you cannot keep any fossils you find. If you are outside the parks, you can keep a fossil if found on the surface and not still in its original matrix. This law is to discourage commercial fossil sellers like they have in Montana, Wyoming and Dakota. Personally I believe this rule is a bit severe and discourages amateur fossil collectors from finding new specimens. My collection is full of fossils I have dislodged from the ground, but I don't do any excavating and have given the Tyrell Museum the location of a skeleton of a duck-billed dinosaur I found a few years ago. They can do the grunt work. And just like fishing on private land you do need landowners permission. Most folks I have met have no problem with you staggering around their badlands. Cheers.

SanJuan, I am a member of the Alberta Paleontological Society and have a vast collection of dinosaur bones and fossils. It appears to be a dinosaur bone, but is tough to identify as it is quite weathered. If you have any more pictures please post them or send them to me if you wish. Thanks for the post, I don't get out to the badlands as much as I used to, since I spend most of my time fishing out west now.

I have a Lamson and think it's a very good light-weight reel. Does anyone have any thoughts on Islander or Loop reels?

Found this on Phil Rowley's website. SNAILS Some anglers swear by snails, while others swear at them. From my research, a snail pattern is one of the least reached for in many stillwater fly boxes. When most anglers discover trout feeding upon snails, they typically roll their eyes and prepare for a tough day's fishing. Other anglers such as Gary Borger use snail patterns all the time with good success. Gary Borger stated in his book Presentations, " Going to fish a lake without snails is like going bowling without a ball". Admittedly I have not had the same degree of success as Gary Borger, but being somewhat pattern paranoid, I always have a couple of snail patterns stashed in my box. Snails vary in importance from one lake to another. I know of some lakes where snails are an important food source for the fly-fisher to be aware of and imitate yet trout in other lakes don't seem to be aware of snails at all. However, with several hundred species, snails are present in just about every lake and lakes rich in calcium harbor particularly large populations. Calcium is an important requirement for shell development as it is for Gammarus scuds. Depending upon the species, the snail's shell can be either spiral or conical in design. Although snails come in a variety of sizes, trout dine only on the tinier species that are the size 10 and smaller. It's a simple matter of digestion, as trout cannot pass the shells of the larger snails. Snail colors vary from species to species and from lake to lake. Common colors include brown, black, mottled tan, dirty yellow and olive. Snails are tough, hardy creatures that prefer to reside in the shallow reaches of many lakes but are also capable of surviving in deeper water. Snails spend the majority of their life skulking along the bottom structure and debris foraging for algae and other minute food sources. Chara weeds are a favorite haunt and home to dense populations. At certain times snails find themselves free and clear of the bottom. Preferring the shallows, snails often fall victim to the sweeping action of heavy winds and rough water and as they drift about, trout feed on them at their leisure. At other times of the year, snails migrate in large numbers upwards to the surface. Here they use their muscular foot to cling to and slide along the underside of the surface film. This often happens during hot summers spells, fueling speculation that the snails might be at the surface trying to increase their oxygen intake.

Mudflap, what did you use for a snail fly?