toolman

Tough day in the trenches again Taco? Come on... details...we need details...gps co-ordinates would work too. ps. Pictures?

Thanks to everyone who showed up for this weeks Friday Night Spey Party...As usual, it was a lot of fun casting a bunch of new rod/line set ups and talking Spey for a few hours. Specail thanks to FrenchCreek for bringing his collection of CND Spey rods for everyone to try. Sweet sticks Peter... In attendance this evening...(L-R) FrenchCreek.. Bhurt.. Wetduck.. Headscan.. Cheeler.. Max.. SilverDoctor.. Headscan launching the bomb, as Bhurt looks on and checks out the rod/line combo... SilverDoctor playing with a Loop Opti 8124 and Vision Ace 8/9 Scandi Head...a perfect match. Till next time...Keep both hands on the rod.

With proper instruction, it's not that difficult to learn a few standard spey casts and go fishing. But, like anything else, it takes a lot of instruction and years of practise to master all 3 casting styles... PNW Skagit Casting , Scandinavian Underhand Casting and Scotish Ghillie Style using Long belly lines. I think I'll line up a 15' 10wt. with a long belly line for tommorow night as well. I have a new Vision Spey Ace 75' head, that Gordon brought over from Scotland for me, that I've yet to try. ps. Good luck at Whitetail, Dave.

That's great Max...should be a good turn out. I'll bring my Loop Opti 8124 (my favorite lately) and a couple of others.

We'll be hitting the Bow this Friday evening once again, to play with the Spey toys and work on the casting skillz. Everyone is welcome to join us. We'll be on river left (east side), across from the Fish Creek Boat Launch, starting around 6:00pm. These informal Spey gatherings are a lot of fun and I hope to see the usual crowd, as well some of the new Spey casters too. Greg

So I'm rigged up...waders on...I've got two of my Loop Spey rods strung up and leaning along the side of my suv... I just need to close the back hatch...slam...Oh Crap... ... The first section of my 7116 Blueline is pinched in the top corner of the hatch door....:$*%&: ... I get it out and it seems ok ...It casts ok for the 10 minutes I use it... Next evening... third cast.... SNAP!... The 12" broken tip section of my favorite dry rod...slides down the line... and into the water...

Really nice water....Thanks!

Excellent report Clive. The SW Alberta Streamwatch program is certainly being run by the best. Exceptional dedication and commitment from all involved. What a huge success this project has been. Congratulations to everyone.

Great stories Don. I'm sure that old Brown was'nt going to be fooled after that inspection. She probably recognized you from a previous encounter....

Here's my take on it... Hook size divided by 4 = correct tippet size. Yes, there are many situations where this can vary a size up or down, depending on the fishing technique/presentation/conditions, but this is the general guideline that I use. Examples... #20 hook / 4 = 5x tippet #16 hook / 4 = 4x tippet #12 hook / 4 = 3x tippet # 8 hook / 4 = 2x tippet # 4 hook / 4 = 1x tippet It is important that the tippet size matches the fly size, as a tippet that is too heavy can overpower the fly and make it more difficult to maintain a drag free, natural drift. Using a tippet that is too light will not cast as well, as the mass of the fly will over power the tippet. Don't worry about your tippets visibility and focus on your flys presentation, as the trout certainly will. When water conditions are very clear and flows are slower, trout have a longer period of time to inspect your flys swim. If it looks good, the trout will take it, even if there is a 14' super fast sink tip, only a foot away from a #18 Waterboatman pattern. So, it's all about your presentation and not so much about tippet visibility, in my opinion. When using multiple fly rigs, it becomes even more important to maintain balance in the line/leader/tippet system, especailly if casting longer distances, on windy days etc. The tippet/fly size is best arranged in a descending order from largest fly, too the smallest fly as the point fly. (Again, there are exceptions for some methods) I often use very light, fine diameter Flurocarbon leader/tippets on my trout Spey rods, even as small as 5x. A reel with a high performance drag system for fast, smooth start ups will help, as well as knowing how far you can go before your tippet or knot breaks. It's a delicate game of give and take when you play with fine tippets, small flys and Bow river trout. Also, I would pay close attention to your knots. The finer the tippets become, the more important the knots become. Lastly, I always use the highest quality tippet material...because the next trout, could be the trout of your lifetime. Hope this is helpfull...good luck!

Hey Scott, bring your trout spey and we'll hook up on the 26th if your interested. Drop me a pm and we can plan the details.

Excellent post Rob... Sorry to hear of your loss. Greg

Hi John, good luck and I hope you have a successfull clinic. I don't mean to hijack your thread, but I hope you don't mind a bit of discussion on the subject. I use these methods here in S. Alberta on a regular basis and they are indeed very effective nymphing techniques. As for negative impacts on the fishery, would you care to elaborate a bit DutchDryfly?

Looks like you guys had a lot of fun... Good Spey water... ...

And that's why you should NEVER use a net...

Real nice photo's guys. Thanks for the post.

Thanks to everyone for showing up for the Friday night Spey party. It was a lot of fun. In attendance this evening (L-R)... Jdangler, Hammertime08, Bhurt, Wetduck, Headscan...I'm behind the camera. WETDUCK launches one into the sunset... A big welcome to the newest members of our Calgary Spey Clan, JDANGLER and HAMMERTIME08. Till next time...

Awesome...There are at least 5 casters who will try and make it out this evening. I've got 6 of my Loop Spey rods loaded up and I'm heading out....

Fishing on the Bow during prime season is like driving on Deerfoot trail at rush hour on a Friday. Some folks have manners, some don't. Some are ignorant to the etiquette rules, others just don't care about anyone else but themselves. Having more rules and regs on the Bow is not the answer. We have much bigger problems on the Bow river, IMO, that can have devasting long term consequences. #1 on my list... POACHERS! Lets get rid of those bass-turds.... R.A.P. The hotline #'s on the back of your license... Please make the call! Thanks... ps. Sorry for the hijack...carry on. :derby racer:

I'll be hitting the Bow this evening (Friday) to play with the Spey toys and work on the casting skillz. Everyone is welcome to join me for a few hours. I'll be on river left (east side), across from the Fish Creek Boat Launch. I should be there around 6:00pm, maybe earlier.

The Ridge running lines have been working fine and I have used them for the past couple of years. Lately, I have been experimenting with a rod length of 30lb. Ridge running line as a holding line, followed by 30lb Stren Stamina High Vis. Gold, which is a saltwater mono, for my shooting line. The Stren Stamina is quite stiff, lays out nicely on the water and shoots very well. You might also consider these lines for your Beulah 7116 Spey, an Airflo 7/8 Scandi Head cut to 32' @ 385 grains or a Vision Ace 6/7, 354 grains @ 10m for a lighter feel or a 7/8 cut back too 385 grains.

.... Happy Birthday Chris...Many thanks for all of your generous contributions to our flyfishing community.

Both...

It sells for $389.

Happy birthday Al and many more.