BurningChrome

Problem is that because of the flood mitigation they're going to use a lot of that snow pack to refill the reservoirs. Unless we get rain it's going to be like last year if not worse.

Yup, exactly this. I know there's a lot of love for the H2, BVK, and NRX but when I've cast these rods I didn't like them at all for my style of cast. Not saying that these are bad rods, they just don't work for me. Another thing to always keep in mind with these shootouts is the line being used to test them with. This test is with a bonefish line so the ratings might not translate if you plan on using your 8wt with an Outbound Short for steelhead. I think they do their 5wt test with a GPX so those results will go out the window if you mainly use something like a double taper presentation line for size 16 and smaller dries.

Talked to Ghost Watershed Alliance today and they're planning to do a spring cleanup - likely after May long weekend. Once I get the details from them I'll post here in case anyone is interested in helping out.

Tire your dog out before you take them fishing. I bring a ball in my fishing pack and play some fetch with my dog before I make a single cast. I also take lots of breaks to give him attention and play a bit more fetch. Start with shorter trips then gradually work up to full days. I started with walk and wade only, then introduced him to boats, though he still doesn't like drift boats because there isn't a flat bottom to lie down on. He does great in a flat deck jet and on the back of my Watermaster. IMG_20150731_084455 by Marc Fossi, on Flickr

Fly fishing is kind of a niche market. Cabela's and Bass Pro probably only have a fly fishing section to either draw people in who'll then buy a new rifle instead, or when you go in to buy some hunting gear you'll remember you also need dubbing and even though it's more expensive it's still cheaper than the cost of gas to make a second stop. Almost every fly shop I can think of is a single location that's locally owned and operated and they all do fly fishing way better than any big box chain. Support your local fly shop

Yeah, I'm well aware of the work on Bearspaw - they actually went as low as 24 cms at one point. The 100+ cms we're seeing right now is way above normal for this time of year though. Guess maybe they're dropping the Ghost earlier than May...

Not sure what's going on with the Bow but right now flows are over 100 cms in Calgary. I wonder if TransAlta was holding back upstream for the Bearspaw work and is now letting all that water go. Don't think there was that much rain upstream yesterday...

With the early melt and warm weather last year there were lots of guys in 4x4s driving around the gates before May 1st. Saw lots of pics of it happening on Instagram. Wouldn't surprise me one bit if it's happening again this year. Usually snow and ice are enough to keep people away from there because those trails can be deadly if you slide down a hill. From what I saw at the BTFR meetings there won't be any 4x4 trails converted to quad only. The only closure I remember seeing was the trail that led up to the back side of Elbow Falls but that one was already closed last summer. Flood damage combined with too many people driving past the "No motorized vehicles beyond this point" sign onto the banks of the Elbow or sometimes right into it.

These people are just straight up d-bags. Probably the same type who drop their garbage on the ground even though there's a trash can 5 feet away. A few of the off road groups usually put together clean-ups for McLean and the Ghost after May long weekend. If anyone is interested in helping instead of just venting their outrage on the internet let me know.

Scott makes some nice rods but I didn't need them to tell me that. I look at these shootouts out of curiosity but never use them to buy a rod without casting it first.

It's part of the Backcountry Trails Flood Rehabilitation program. They were concentrating on McLean last year and Waiparous this year. Hopefully you were in there on a quad because McLean is closed to 4x4s until May 1st. http://aep.alberta.ca/water/programs-and-services/2013-flood-recovery-programs/backcountry-trail-flood-rehabilitation-program/default.aspx

As long as you really like Mossy Oak and Realtree camo

Yup, sign is there right before the Burnsmead parking lot. I have seen that gate closed and locked before too.

Technically, yes. Don't think a lot of people get caught though.

Is that based on experience or just opinion? When we did the bank rehab out at Silvester Creek in McLean we also put a bunch of woody debris on the decommissioned trails leading to the creek to block access. When we went back a year later nobody had driven through the area. The most damage done was that the ground heaved when it froze over the winter and pushed out some of the willows we planted. We also did some additional work because these things are often ongoing projects.

Yeah I'd be careful floating those days.

Even if digital is ok I'm still printing it and carrying that with me. Had my cell phone die on me way too many times out fishing.

Having seen you wade I concur

I don't know if there's a hard and fast rule about it, but if it were me I'd leave the rod in my vehicle until I had negotiated a trade with someone. People who paid for a table might not like it if they think you're trying to sell a rod while ducking the table fee.

Last time I was at the Gear Shop they had some in stock but there are a few different sizes. If you know any firefighters they have some supply place (need to show ID I think) that carries them. Can't remember the name of the place though. Northridge 4x4 up in Ponoka has them too. I've ordered stuff from them before and the service was good, shipping was fast.

I had a thought about the Boa laces. When I bought my boots the 11s were a bit snug and wouldn't fit if I wore heavier socks in the winter. I think a size 11.5 would've fit perfectly but since they only come in full sizes I had to go up to size 12. I wonder if those of us who have problems tightening the Boa laces all had to go up a size or have boots that fit a little big. My G3s are also a size 12 but because of the way you can tighten down a regular lace I don't have any problems with them.

I agree that we need to increase license fees for non-residents, but that's a whole different can of worms. To make it less contentious we should add guide licensing fees, classified waters, and rod days as well

I sort of agree with you, but without quality lakes to fish won't that possibly put more pressure on native species? Do we want guys who fish stocked lakes with the intention of bonking fish to end up in the mountain streams?

Can replace a set of regular laces in a minute or two. In a pinch you can even use mono if a shoelace breaks, but even better is to buy a pair of kevlar laces from Mark's and they'll last as long as the boot does. How long does it take to replace Boa laces streamside and what kind of tools do you need to do it? Any small screws involved that can be dropped and lost in the rocks? I bought a pair of G4s with the Boa laces when they first came out and experienced the same as others said - couldn't get them tight enough around my toes without cutting off circulation to my feet. After a month I bought a pair of G3 Guide boots and junked the G4s. Expensive lesson but I will never ever buy Boa lace boots again or recommend them to anyone.