Vagabond

WTF is the matter with people these days?How can a school/school board//principal possibly justify rejecting such a program?Liability?Somebody might fall in the river?Hook their ear or ass with a fly?Parental consent not good enough that schools have to distance themselves from the least little bit of risk?Its fishing,not hunting fer chrissakes....and don't get me wrong,I'm a lifelong avid hunter tagging along with the ol'man since I was 5,but I can understand the uninitiated's urban paranoia over guns,even though I strongly disagree with them and dismiss them as gun grabbing Liberal citiot retards....jest sayn'....it's fly rods,not guns,what's the problem??

I "discovered" BRBs at least 10 years and 3000 miles before I ever actually wet my feet in the Bow,and thought "Wow!! ..a combination muddler/bugger,my top 2 go-to eastern Brookie flies ...winner winner!! I would think it goes without saying that any compilation of YYC flies MUST feature the BRB front and center.Anything less would be akin to omitting the Bomber or Green Machine from the Miramichi Deadly Dozen.

Cool...might be worth experimenting with developing a U-merger pattern?

I can't imagine them NOT allowing you to pay the difference?? ....but that said,why the Scandi?You will be seriously overgunned with that cannon assuming the majority of your fishing is east of the Rockies with the occasional trip over the hills? I'm not gonna try to tell you how to spend your $$,and have no idea how often you are able to get out to the coast,but for "one rod/do it all rod" for an Albertan,I'm guessing you'd get a lot more use and enjoyment out of a lighter stick,ie; something like a NRX U in 7/8 or even the 6/7 if your steelheading is limited to one or two trips/year?Even the 6/7 is a bit overkill for the Bow imho,but that NRX Scandi 9/10 will backcast a 2lb rainbow 60feet,lol.

Yes there is otters,introduced via a conspiracy between Suncor and Petro-Can whoplanted them in the irrigation canal to eradicate the fish,so that eventually they can parralel the canal with a dilbit pipeline without considerations for protecting fish habitat.

Well Don,as a former trapper of 20 years give or take,I can assure you that otters do in fact have a relatively huge home range,in my experience up to a 3 week circuit of inter-connected lakes and streams that they will travel before returning to the hot sign that one might set on today.Otter "toilets" and slides are almost gauranteed sets that they visit every trip,but it's a waiting game,again,as much as 3 weeks some times from setting on a hot steaming pile until they return next. So that said,the otters that you see today on Stauffer could very well be the exact same otters that you see next week on Prairie,and the next week on Cow,and next week on Clearwater or NSR or wherever? They are roamers,wanderers,nomads,vagabonds if you will....like me. See what I did there with lyrics.

Jest sayn'....I have a hard time believing that otters are the plague of east slope Alberta trout streams when otters live on virtually EVERY other watershed in North America.That said,I'll admit I have "heard" of otters cleaning out small,private stocked trout ponds,and have personally witnessed or at least suspected otters as the culprit in cleaning out beaver ponds during winter that teemed with eastern Brookies just the previous spring/summer,but a few isolated cases of otters slaughtering trapped trout hardly makes them evil,they are simply efficient and opportunistic predators that once in awhile stumble onto an easy food source. And speaking of food,it's not as if otters dine on an exclusive diet of trout...hardly!!They most often eat a lot more slower and easier to catch fish as well,suckers,whitefish,eels,crayfish,freshwater clams to name a few that exist in trout streams,plus warm water species in lakes,not to mention they will kill and eat frogs,muskrats,beaver kits,and other small mammals as well.(probably snakes,turtles,salamanders too?) Anyhow,point being,it's not like an otter NEEDS 200lbs of trout/year to survive,they can do just fine without trout.

I have rowed a few boats with the oars pinned in some fashion or another,gotta agree,can't say I like it at all.Weak oars seems to be the common complaint with both boats?I "thought about" ordering the Expedition pkg with oar upgrade,but I already have fins from my old tubing days,I have miles of bungee and cargo netting,and figger I can build a better,stronger oar myself for less $$.

Well fair enough then. FWIW,I've been on both Bulkley and Copper as well,albeit only wading,not rowing,but I can't imagine the Bulkley being all that challenging for a strong rower,ie;me,being as many times I have rowed a soggy old 18' flat bottom planked skiff that must weigh near a ton(?) against 7-8kts of Fundy tide,pretty sure I can row a 40lb boat upstream on Bulkley.Maybe those that you seen struggle simply just can't row for ****??

No,neither one yet,have you? I "had planned" to have my WM by now.....I put a deposit on it at expo,planning to pay balance and take delivery around first of April.When I called Rich 2weeks ago to do just that,he had just shipped the last Kodiak in stock,and is currently awaiting a shipment of materials,so now I'm looking at mid-May delivery?Kinda disappointing,as I had planned to float/scout the new post-flood Bow in April-May while it's still low and clear,but at the same time,my fault/snooze ya lose. Oh well,I'll likely get many years of trouble-free service out of it,lotsa time to float the Bow and other rivers.Better than being beached in a leaky Scadden that takes months to rectify. Performance?Really??Is floating downstream like a duck now some kind of a race or competition that I'm unaware of?It is what it is,they are just basic,budget,blow-up boats after all,but if you want to turn it into a Hyde rocker vs. ClackaCraft yada yada yada....?? Performance over parts?Do you buy waders that only last 1/2 the season,or buy quality that lasts several seasons?Daily commute in a high maintenance Ferrari or a Honda Accord?

Nice hull design on Scaddens,that's where it ends.Inferior material,seam welds,valves,puncture resistance,UV resistance,seat design,oars,accessories,customer service,and built offshore,as opposed to the duty free,Made in the USA Watermater,which trumps Scadden in every single one of these considerations. The internet is full of horror story reviews on Scadden faults and failures,and the terrible customer service(ie;total lack of correspondence/weeks just to make contact etc.) I've yet to find a single bad word written about WM,and 2 weeks ago when I called WM to make arrangements for delivery,Rich himself answered the phone,and we shot the shite for a good 10-15 min about the spring fishing,river conditions,the FF Expo,steelhead,fly rods,and other equally important stuff,....oh yea,and almost forgot why I called,delivery and a couple add-on accessories.

Is the Eastern Slopes of Alberta the only place in North America that otters are NOT native too? I didn't realise until reading this thread that otters are not native to the the area,I just assumed that they inhabited every corner of this continent,which raises the question,how is it that other regions,provinces,states have amazing trout fisheries that coexist with otters?(hoping the sarcasm is not lost in text?)

Personally,I've gotten away from the small stream/short rod mentality. For many years,I used a 7' 4wt.,and it did indeed serve me well fishing a lot of small,brush choked streams.Then I bought a new 9' 5wt,and like any new toy,it became my go to rod of choice,fishing those same streams. I came to realise that the only slight advantage that a 7' rod has over a 9' is that it is slightly easier to weave and maneuver through the thick and nasty trees when I was bushwackn between holes and runs.Wading down even the tiniest of streams where the alder canopy is akin to crouching in a cave....no significant difference really? Imho,the advantages of a longer rod outweigh any slight advantage offered by a short rod.The reach of the longer rod I've found is helpful in typical small stream situations where you might only have the leader and a wee bit of flyline out beyond the tip,ie;highsticking,Czech nymphing,bow and arrow casts,or just simply reaching out from the stream bank to swim a streamer.Side arm casts when required,again,more reach to make a backcast centered upstream.Roll casting,the staple cast of small streams,again,advantage long rod.Then on slightly bigger waters,or wading armpit deep down beaver choked Brookie streams,mending line,tubing on lakes with smaller 3-4wt appropriate fish....the longer rod clearly excels for distance and height above the water surface. I guess I've just found the shorter rod is more limiting than advantageous,again,the only slight edge that I've found is for bushwackn?

Thoughts?? Hmmmm....well I'm hardly any qualified expert,but I have done a ton of reading and research into inflatables this winter,both before and after buying a WaterMaster. I would say first of all the price seems reasonable,or at least competetive/comparable to other similair boats in this niche,ie;2man framed inflatables,and the frame itself looks to come standard with more user friendly features that cost extra with other mfrs. -just looking at the photos,you can see the lap weld construction,which is imho superior to the butt weld construction of a similarily priced Scadden.That said,in the specs,it states "chemically bonded" which I'm guessing is a fancy way to say "glued",so it makes me wonder if it is in fact thermal welded at all?? -.9mm nylon PVC??WTF is that?The standard for nylon backed PVC/PUC is generally stated in Denier(thread count per/inch,or;400,800,1200,1600 Denier etc.) 400D is your basic low end,inexpensive inflatables,something you might buy at Can Tire or Walmart to help drown the kids. 800D or thereabouts(?) is what most "decent" recreational inflatables use,Scadden for one,can't comment on others?Watermaster uses 1100D PUC,and the seams are double reinforced thermal lap welds,meaning the material is lap welded,plus reinforced ("taped")with another interior strip,as opposed to Scaddens which are butt welded and taped seams. Professional/commercial grade inflatables,whitewater rafts,expedition class rafts etc.,are generally 1600D or better......so again,WTF is .9mm nylon PVC,I have no idea?Actually,0.9mm thickness is not a mystery,but more importantly,what is the Denier?At this price point,I would expect 1000D+ material?? I think this Flycraft looks "OK"? If it were me,I'd want a few construction/material questions answered before I pulled the trigger.First impression though,is it looks a wee bit cramped with two people,or maybe the narrow beam makes it seem a bit "canoe-like"? Personally,at that price point,for a 2man inflatable,I'd be looking at a framed Aire Cataraft or similar for stability,quality construction and materials,and true whitewater capability,or for the same price,the WaterMaster Rock Creek 2man raft,which is floorless,allowing you to control your drift with fins and fish at the same time.

Return air fare to Terrace!

X3

This^^^IMO,a 6wt IS a heavy rod,more then enough for any trout that swims in AB,and plenty of oomph to buck the wind and huck weighted streamers and sink tips 50-60' and more.I routinely do all of the above with a 5wt,although admittedly I much prefer to add sink tips over casting heavily weighted streamers,which are simply a PITA to cast no matter what size rod you use.Moderately weighted conehead and dumbell flies though are no problem with the 5,add a sink tip as well and you're golden/dredging bottom.For a dedicated streamer and nymphing rod,I would say a 6wt is probably ideal for most casters.I rarely ever indi-nymph,so for a typical day on the Bow I can get away with the 5 as more of a general purpose/do it all rod,from light dries to streamers on tips,but for evening outings that I plan to only fish dries,I have 3 and 4wts. I guess I just consider fishing trout with a 7 or 8wt similar to hunting rabbits with a 30-06 or.338Win Mag.....overkill.

Oooo ooo I know I know!! The Compleat Angler!! I've seen it on 17th century YouTube...but they called it books back then.

Haha,good stuff. But on a serious note,less then 1% risk is still better then the assessed risk of Northern Gateway springing a leak,which is virtually 100% that it will in fact rupture at some point.Not a matter of "if",the only question is "when?"

X2 votes for both the Clouser and the PTSH!!That Clouser you have posted is my personal fave color,with black over white a close second.Swing it,strip it,or cast a Clouser upstream and bounce it back down on retreive through deep runs,tight to deep cut banks etc....hang ta F on and dig your heels in!! LOL....seriously tho,CM is a very versatile pattern that just simply hooks fish,salt and fresh both.

BOYCOTT FARMED SALMON!!! The ability for citizens of Canada to do anything about industrial salmon operations taking over the wild fishing grounds is rapidly drawing to a close. http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/alexandra_morton As always I am open to sound ideas on how to resolve this. Alexandra Morton alexandramorton.ca http://salmonconfidential.ca This^^ is a MUST WATCH documentary,full of shock and unthinkable government cover-ups related to the salmon farming industry!Both the Federal and BC provincial governments are ignoring the science,ignoring their own federal inquiry reccomendations ie;the Cohen Commission,rewriting protectionary laws to accommodate the industry,which for all intents and purposes is dominated by a handful of huge Norwegian corporations,and risking the very survival of wild salmon stocks.

Yes,it's a big secret fishing hole full of gullable rainbows and monster browns that you will hook into every other cast,if I told you I'd have to kill you. East from Deerfoot on Dunbow Rd. 2.5-3km(?) to Bow River Bottom Rd,left down the hill,look for dozens of trucks and boat trailers at secret boat launch.

I prefer Scandi personally,but I would guess Skagit might be the more popular style around here? Regarding flies,good question,being as the types of flies you intend to use should influence your decision on Scandi vs. Skagit. Skagit lines and casting was developed to make hucking heavy flies and heavy sink tips easier then was possible with the available lines of the time,and the Skagit lines/casting style do that very well. Scandi lines and casting is closer to the original Spey casting of the UK,traditionally casting lighter flies and tips for more surface oriented Atlantic salmon.Scandi lines have a finer,longer front taper,that can still cast versi/poly leaders and lighter tips to sink your fly sufficiently for most scenarios,but they don't have the heavy front taper of a Skagit line required to turn over the heavyweight flies and "sink like a rock" tips often used for PNW steel and salmon. So with that in mind,if you plan to/want to mainly chuck heavy streamers,dumbells,coneheads,fishskulls,etc with your 5wt,then Skagit is better suited to that.That said,a Scandi head will still chuck a decent size conehead on a poly leader and get you as deep as you need to get for most conditions on the Bow,it's just not as easy perhaps,but more of a graceful style of casting imho. Personally speaking,I think I favor Scandi being as one of my main motivators for getting into 2H casting was wanting to bomb long casts and swing relatively light wet flies and surface skaters at Atlantics and summer Steelhead,and the Scandi does that well,typically with more finesse/less disturbance to the water then does ripping sustained anchor Skagit casts.Absolutely though,you can still fish a floating tip on a Skagit head when you don't need to get deep....it just aint as pretty,and was designed more with dredging heavy flies and tips in mind. Both lines/systems can crossover and do both tasks "reasonably well" ,but in a nutshell,for Scandi think finer tapered head,lighter tips and poly leaders,skating dries and swinging wets from the surface to moderately deep. Skagit means heavy front taper for turning over heavy tips and heavy flies,generally swinging from moderate depths to bottom dredging. Congrats on the new rod.Coincidentally,I'm just about to pull the trigger on another Beulah myself,I just can't decide between the 5 or 6wt Spey?I'm finding myself more interested in just moving up to mid-long belly full length lines for salmon/steel and getting away from the compact short heads altogether?For the new 5 or 6wt Beulah,I'm considering maybe the Speydicator as possibly a kind of do-it-all line that should chuck moderately heavy tips,indi rigs as it's intended,and swing small wets and streamers on long mono or poly leaders?Might even do some custom chopping of it,and make some specialized tips for each task?

Sorry to bore you with the details of how the BC governments backdoor legislation,coupled with Harper's gutting of the Fisheries Act threatens the entire Skeena watershed.My mistake,I thought avid flyfishers might be concerned if not outraged.

Cool,nice gear.