toolman

Trout eat fresh water snails, but they are usually a small portion of their diet in most cases. We found them bieng eaten by the trout on the Bow river as well.

Don, Gordon is likely in transit flying over to Calgary from Glasgow, but he does have a spot open for Saturday's school. He is arriving late Thursday pm and staying with me for the weekend. I will let him know that you are in. See you on Sunday.

I think I hooked the same fish a couple of weeks ago Rick. He swam across the river and then turned downstream to hide behind some submerged rocks and wrapped my line, which was 150' out and took another 10 min. to get unstuck. I'll pm the location to you so you will know if it is the same location. Even with my Spey rod, there was no slowing him down.

Dam those are nice brookies. Looks like a Mickey Finn to the top lip, in the first photo.

Good perspectives folks. Here's another from Guy Turck's web site. http://www.turcktarantula.com/articles/to_net_or_not.htm ps. Thanks MrBotangles for the link to Guy's site.

Well this seems to be the position of those who use nets routinely. That there is no difference or nets are better. Many anglers will try and land trout without a net, but it often does not work out for them and they abandon the method. They have not learned the skills, techniques that are required, so choose to believe that nets are better. The folks who don't use nets, have learned the skills and techniques to do so and understand what I am saying. Usually they have learned this method when fishing for large Steelhead, Atlantics, Sea Trout, Pacific Salmon etc., where the use of a giant net is both impractical and unneccessary. Here are a few problems that are often encountered when using nets and the stress they cause to the fish. Nets remove protective mucous/slime from the fish, which protects the fish from bacteria, parasites, fungi and also acts as a thermal insulater to help regulate body temperatures and prevent thermal shocking, especailly important when water temps are at extremes, high in the summer and cold in the winter. Nets/confinement, causes higher stress levels which leads to more chemical toxicity in the fish, leading to longer recovery times. Fish panic when you pick them up with a net, especailly if you lift them out of the water. Nets bieng used are often too small and fold/bend the fish unaturally, which causes further stress, panic, injuries. Hooks frequently become imbedded in the mesh of nets, often delaying release. Fish often slam themselves (especailly their Tails) on net frames, causing injuries and increased stress, which leads to more chemical toxicity. Gill plates, fins, teeth, often become entangled in the mesh, delaying the release and increasing the amount of handling stress. It seems that some anglers are just interested in the photo opt and they justify the use of their net to do so, when the use of a net is not always neccessary or in the best interest of the trout. Personally I don't really care if someone uses a net or not and whatever you are comfortable with is ok by me, but to say that not using one is more harmfull to the fish, is just plain BS. To disagree with each others views is perfectly acceptable and I for one, welcome all open discussions, as usually there is something to be learned. But to take cheap shots and make public character attacks, trying to discredit those who disagree with you, is not acceptable.

Looking forward to giving it a try on the water Gordon. Is it a 7wt., 4pc.?

Well at least there is an opinion on the topic this time, but sadly, ending in another naive attack directed at me. Once again, I say BS.

That's it eh Brent. Can't support your position so you make personal attacks instead. Seems to be a few of you guys on this site.

Once again, I say BS.

Sounds fun. Gorgeous colors on the Browns lately. Headlamps available at Fish Tales Fly Shop for under $15.

Great advice folks...

Thanks for the info. I think I will try the Deer Creek 13' 7/8, as one is available for a test run at Fish Tales Fly Shop here in Calgary.

I am interested in trying a few models, the MKS 136 7/8, Highlander 136 7/9, TFO DC 13' 7/8 and 136 8/9 (low cost), to name a few. I will use it to fish medium size rivers for trout here on the Bow river in Calgary and for Steelhead in BC with occassional trips to chase Atlantics next season. I am leaning toward the TFO Deer Creek rod due to the affordability, versus the amount of use I may get out of it. I mostly fish for trout with my 12'6" ers, but plan on expanding the rod collection to include the 13'6" as well as a 15' 10wt. for the big water, at some point in the near future. However, the MKS 136 7/8 may be the perfect all round rod for the majority of my fishing for trout/steelhead/salmon and it is getting a strong consideration.

I say bs. Allowing the trout to remain in the water without bieng confined/lifted with a net, is way less stessfull on the fish. Recovery and release is also much faster and easier.

Yes there is Marc, don't use the net and bring the fish in without it. A net that is too small for the trout is more likely to end up with you losing it anyway, so your chances are better without it. Personally, I stopped using a net for walk and wade fishing and rarely loose any at my feet.

I used to have difficulty with break offs on my 6 weight two hander with big trout snapping off 12 lb. tippets. Then I decided to use a longer leader (12'-16') to allow more stretch in the system and now I can use 4x routinely on the Bow. I have landed many 24"-26" Trout on long 4x tapered leader/tippets(Frogs Hair) without a single break off and I pull pretty hard on them. I'm not suggesting that you would use 4x for huge Bulls on these streams, but I would think you could use 12lb. Maxima and pull pretty hard on them without break offs. Of course there are limits to everything and you can only pull so hard before the rod/leader system becomes fully loaded and then something is going to snap. Hopefully not the rod above the cork. My buddies fish for Atlantics using 8lb. on 9/10 wt. rods, but they are following the trout downstream when they need to, so it's a different environment than those tight quartered rocky streams where there is no slack water for a long ways and difficult shorelines make it impossible to chase. To prevent break offs at the knot, I use a palomar knot, or if you want a good loop knot, to allow better fly movement when using larger, stiffer tippets or in slower water, try the open clinched loop knot. http://www.alaskaflyfishingonline.com/tips...clinchknot.html

Ah, so you have a multi tip line. Then a short piece of Maxima, as Mykiss descibes is all that is needed. I also am a big fan of FrogsHair tippet. I'll pm my contact info.

Now that's funny.

That must bend the MKS rod deep through the cork, with a 1,000+ gr. load on it. I would love to cast the MKS 1367/8 as I have heard it is a pretty sweet stick. A 13'6" will be the next rod I buy. Maybe in the next week or two.

SilverDoctor, the Dodger bead eye worked well for me for a few trout, untill I lost it under a rock. Mykiss, are the 24' big boy tips that you are using, a full sink type?

I would recommend Airflow, 14' Polyleaders, 24lb. core, in an intermediate sink type, to extra super fast sink type, for fishing at different water depths. A short piece of tippet, 2' - 4' is added to the pre looped end as required. I use regular Mono and Fluro tapered leaders in 10'-15" lengths for dry flys. I also use 10' Polyleaders with 12lb. core, intermeditate to extra super fast sink rate, for swinging small flys sub surface. Learning what leader type and size to use for different fly sizes/weights and fishing conditions is important and I would start with these leaders. Hawgstoppah and I should be up in Terrace/Smithers area, around Sept. 28th-30th, fishing for 4-5 days. We'll try and hook up. I'm assuming that your Windcutter is a standard line and not the multi-tip line.

That's a "FACT"... As for the relationship of pressure having an impact on fishing, I believe it does have an influence, but I'm not exactly sure how. I know many people that sometimes get terrible headaches when the pressure rises quickly and dramatically, so it does affect animals in some way. Maybe the Trout get a headache too and if you add in Weedy1's, loss of vision theory thrown in, it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt, that if the fishing is slow, you can just blame if on the atmospheric pressure.

What rod and line system are you casting the 24' tips on? That sure is big weight to roll out.

Incredible story and photo's Hiketofish. Many thanks for sharing your adventure with us.