jpinkster

I can see how someone could mix the two up: Franklin's Gull Arctic Tern I've always been a bit of a bird nut and I'm always amazed at the incredible variety of birds you see on the river and how they change throughout the year. I don't remember seeing so many cormorants in the past, but I have seen dozens near Inglewood. On Saturday we pulled the boat into the bank right next to a great big heron, absolutely gorgeous. We saw a few of the armadas of pelicans fly in during our float on Saturday. Flocks of 10-15 birds circling high above the river. It still blows my minds that those things can even take off.

I am the Wreck-It Ralph of fly rods. In the last season alone I have broken three rods due to how strong (stupid) I am. I'll give a brief recap of my warranty experiences thus far: Sage - The folks at Sage are great. The product is exceptional and the customer service is great. The only downside is the turnaround time for getting your rod back. I sent off a rod in September last year and didn't see it back until after December. I sent a rod again to them in February of this year and didn't get it back until late April. Both times they apologized for the delays and waved the repair fee both times. Again, the warranty and customer service is great, you just need to be prepared to wait a little. TFO - I snapped my 8' 4 weight yesterday. A gust of wind came up while I was loading it into my car and cracked it right in half. I brought the rod over to the TFO warehouse just off Blackfoot and I walked out of there 5 minutes later with a new tip section. It costed my $30, but I had a fully functional rod again within 24 hours. Now I know the obvious solution for me is to use my tubes more and be a bit more gentle with my gear. Until a time comes that I become less stupid, I will continue to pay a little bit more for gear that offers a lifetime warranty. I prefer Sage from a product standpoint, but the convenience and customer service by TFO certainly has perks. I haven't tried any of the other big companies, but I'm sure there are some other great warranty programs out there.

Can someone please find this guy and slap him across the face with a paddle? What an idiot... http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/officials-ask-for-respect-safety-around-rivers

We hit Police to Mac last weekend. Fishing was terrible. A few random splashes, but the fish weren't looking up. The launch at Police is better with the high water, and Mac is as it has always been. I won't be floating again until post runoff.

I think this video was on at the Fly Fishing Film Festival earlier this year.

Of course! Those lily pads put up one hell of a fight!

Sage has been really good to me. Last year I snapped the butt section of my rod in half trying to wrestle a lily pad. I sent it off for repairs and they had a few logistical areas with the shipping, so they paid for my shipping and didn't charge me for the warranty. I got the rod back and the first time I set it up the tip snapped off. I sent it off to Sage again and they told me not to worry about paying for anything. I'm happy to spend a bit more on my rod if it means I'll get continued warranty service like this.

I think this basically sums up my thoughts on the discussion. Comparing black bear attacks and grizzly attacks is kind of apples to oranges. On a very scientific "attacks per capita" scale, I'd wager that grizzlies come out on top.

For anyone that might be interested: I was on a podcast last weekend to discuss the aftermath of the election. Posting it here since I know you all have nothing better to do with a half hour of your lives.... http://www.spreaker.com/user/kevole/what-happened-to-the-pc

Dole. Bob Dole.

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/black-bear-expert-says-fatal-attacks-are-very-rare With what happened earlier this week, my blog seems more timely. Just a reminder that these are very dangerous animals.

A family friend contracted Lyme disease from a tick a number of years ago. The symptoms took a few years to develop, but once they did her life has turned into an absolute nightmare. Those little suckers are no joke.

After a month away, I decided to awaken from hibernation and post my latest blog. It's bear season! http://pikepinksterab.blogspot.ca/2015/05/the-bear-necessities.html

I wouldn't consider that a hijack at all, always interesting to hear takes from a variety of angles.

I really appreciate your candidness gents. If more people in this province focused on doing what's right instead of focusing on the bottom line I think we would all be better for it.

We talked to a number of teachers throughout the campaign and they were so fed up with the PCs. My big fear is that the NDP gives teachers a raise without any other improvements to service. We need to hire more teachers and we need to reduce class sizes. Giving teachers a raise is fine, but we need to prioritize some of those other needs as well.

I'll also second this. The most simple rig I can think of.

One thing is true in Alberta: The Oil and Gas industry has allowed a lot of really unintelligent people to get rich. We are approaching a crisis in Alberta. What incentive is there for a 19 year old to go to post secondary when they go up to the rigs and make $90K a year driving a dump truck?

Here are my key thoughts after the Orange Crush swept over Alberta: - I worked really hard with a candidate that nearly lost to an NDP candidate that never set foot in the riding, wasn't an NDP member 4 months ago, and didn't know what communities made up her riding after the writ was dropped. If that doesn't send a message about the level of disdain for the PCs, I'm not sure what does. I'll note that I was working with one of the more popular PC MLAs that truly deserved to be re-elected. - there is a historical precedent in this province that a fallen dynasties never recover. Will the PCs rally, or are the doomed to go the way of the UFA and SoCreds? - I am floored by some of the PC MLAs that lost tonight. Candidates like Teresa Woo-Paw, Diana McQueen and Tomas Lukaszuk were as strong of MLAs as you could find in this province. Again, if those folks can't get re-elected, the problem is bigger than their candidacy. - I am very disappointed in Jim Prentice. He announced his resignation before all polls had fully reported while some of his candidates were still in the midst of their own battles. We all knew Prentice would never stick around as an opposition leader, but I'm still disappointed none the less. - The world is not going to end tomorrow. We have four years to see what happens, if Albertans don't like it, we get to make a new decision. - Think a single vote doesn't matter? Ask the residents of Calgary-Glenmore. Linda Johnson (PC) and Anam Kazim (NDP) tied at 7,015 - 7,015. EVERY VOTE MATTERS. Angles should be looking at this as an opportunity. The new ministers and MLAs are likely people that have given the fisheries file very little credence. I can see a scenario where this NDP government bolsters F&W with some additional funding and revamps the ERSD portfolio. Get those letters ready, I know I am.

I can speak to this as someone inside the political machine. The line between the Party and the government has been blurred. Many high ranking folks within AB Gov are card carrying PC members and often serve on a number of Party boards. The role of the bureaucracy is to serve the government of the day...could be a big wake up call for quite a few AB gov people in the weeks to come.

Applies in Alberta as well:

I do have a shocking update on my email.... Kyle called me today..............................it was a robo call.

I spoke with the Prentice when he was posturing for the leadership last year. I mentioned we had a shared addiction and that I looked forward to seeing what he could do on the fisheries file if he became Premier. I doubt he has uttered the word "fisheries" once since he became Premier.

I want to disagree with this point because of the tone, but I really can't. Alberta needs to visit removing corporate political donations. The PCs are bankrolled by large corporate donations instead of money from regular Albertans. The Feds got rid of corporate donations and those parties still find a way to raise funds.

I have been assisting Rick Fraser with his re-election bid in Calgary SE. Rick has been one of those MLAs you can really be proud of despite his party tag. He fought hard for more schools in the new communities, and he took on a really difficult position with the flood recovery in High River. Despite Rick's popularity and the work he has done we hear a very similar message out on the doors, "I like you Rick, I just hate your Party so much and I can't vote for you". I suspect many of these people simply won't vote, but if enough of them flocked to a single alternative....yesh there would be some incumbents in real trouble across the province.