BurningChrome

Are you talking about skating dries like a stonefly or dead drift dries like a caddis or mayfly? For skating, a skagit with a floating tip will do the job, but a scandi will be a lot more subtle. A switch rod isn't really a good tool for dead drifting dry flies that require a delicate presentation...

Take a look at canyoneering shoes. They're made to be amphibious and usually have sticky soles. I haven't used them myself but looked into them when I was looking for a new wet wading sandal. One word of warning is that some of them are pretty fugly looking.

In the interest of full disclosure, Kurtis at Fish Tales showed me that trick

Piece of closed-cell foam on the bottom of the reel seat and you're golden.

To me this sounds like all the reason in the world not to buy from him no matter how good his boats are. If you have trouble getting the boat that you've paid for in the first place then what happens later if you need any kind of replacement parts under warranty?

I keep a "backcountry bag" in my truck all the time. In the summer it has a rain jacket, shell pants, medium microfibre towel, light gloves, light tuque, nanopuff jacket, and a pair of socks. In the winter I replace the tuque, socks, and gloves with warmer ones. It's useful for fishing, hiking, and camping.

Oh, I guess you aren't hard core

When the water's cold, wool base layers are your best friend. Wool will still keep you warm even when it's wet unlike cotton or synthetic base layers.

For nymphs, zebras and snow cones in red and black work well.

I agree if you're using Slick Shooter. I've found that using the Connect Core running line or a Switch Chucker isn't bad to strip at all, though you're not going to get the same distance. I've been pretty happy using Connect Core on the Bow, but my steelhead rig still has Slick Shooter on it. Not to mention having to learn a new casting style. Spey casting isn't really something you master in a day or two.

Post up on the fishing get togethers and see if someone more experienced will fish with you and give you some pointers. I used to fish a lot with this guy named Max and he had lots of tips and tricks for the Bow.

Are you looking at a switch to spey cast it or overhead cast? I've had a few switch rods ranging from mediocre to great (Method 6119 is my current favourite) and I'd never use any of them overhead unless I was surf casting. I also have a 9' 8wt rod with a 5wt Rio Scandi Short on it. Works great for single hand spey casts so that could be another option to throw in the mix.

This. You can be in the perfect stretch of water, but unless you're putting your fly where the fish are most likely to be you won't catch many. Head to a fly shop and see if they have a copy of Prospecting for Trout by Tom Rosenbauer.

I actually randomly found those along the Bow while walking my dog one day and had to take a pic of them. That's Edworthy park in the background on the left.

How about this one? Might look familiar...

Thought I'd drop some of these here. I mostly do landscapes and fish alone, so no fish pics. This is a view of the Elbow in Kananaskis. Pretty amazing how much damage that one little river caused. And a couple of fishing-related pics.

Do you mean the Switch Chucker or the Skagit Max Short? I have both for a Method 6119 and what it comes down to is there are fewer grain weights to choose from on the Switch Chucker. I've got the 420gr Chucker but I prefer the 400gr Max Short on the rod. It's not that there's anything wrong with the Chucker, it's just that it's a little heavier and longer than what I prefer on that rod.

Do you have to take a trail in 4wd to get there? I know I've seen Tiana and RickR mention it on Facebook but that's the extent of my knowledge. If it's just off gravel roads I think an AT tire would be overkill for you. Is it more traction or a better ride you're looking for on the 40 or something? Another option would be to buy 15" wheels and put a 225/65/15 tire on. They're roughly the same size and might open up your options, though having to buy wheels would make it a little more expensive. What kind of roads are you driving to the fishing spots? If it's just off the 40 you should be ok with most tires. I wouldn't go with bigger tires unless you're ready to cut, heat gun, and hammer stuff in your wheel wells. You'd probably also have to do a body mount chop to avoid rubbing at full lock if you go up to something like a 285/70/17. Unless you do a suspension lift you'll probably also rub your fender liners when you hit bumps at higher speeds. If you guys want some better traction and a smoother ride on gravel roads like the 40, just let some air out of your tires. Don't go below 25 psi and don't drive above 70 km/h if you do this though. You'll also want to buy a reliable compressor to get back up to your stock psi before you hit blacktop again though.