jpinkster

So you're saying I should invest in tulips?

I'm going to commit a major faux pas and talk about politics on a fishing forum. I'm personally appalled by the horrible options we have before us in this election. Want Canadians to get more involved? Offer us something better. On top of that, who calls an 11 week campaign at the beginning of August. I cannot think of a more horrid thing to do to your volunteers. Here's some of my musing on our options: What bothers me about all of the key parties/leaders: The CPC has a horrible environmental track record. Removing protected status of hundreds of lakes and rivers? Good call. Keep in mind water is our most precious resource. This I cannot forgive. The LPC has a leader that continually proves he isn't mature enough to work for government, let alone run it. Stop swimming in your father's wake and prove that you have some ideas to bring to the table. As an Albertan I just can't trust the NDP. Mulcair has had some horrible things to say about Alberta and the oil sands. If Alberta/Sask are the economic drivers of this country, I worry what would happen to the Canadian economy under an NDP government. What I like about the key parties/leaders: Harper is the devil we know. He was handed a pretty tough deck, and the ship hasn't sunk. I am also greatly appreciative of the recent infrastructure funding announcements in Calgary. Call it vote buying, I don't really care. The LPC offer an alternative to the CPC government without taking us all the way into wacky land. Thomas Mulcair has a beard.

Here is the corresponding news release on the story: http://www.pinchercreekecho.com/2015/07/30/feds-announce-2200-for-hidden-creek-project

I really appreciate that, thank you.

All the best to you Foamy. I don't want to take anything away from what you are going through right now, but I'm kind of dealing with the inverse of your situation right now. My father was mis-diagnosed over Christmas with Parkinson's. After an MRI they determined that he actually had a brain tumor. After a major surgery to remove a part of it they determined he had terminal brain cancer and gave him 5-10 years with plenty of surgery-chemo-radiation in his future. I marvel at the incredible progress we have made in neuroscience, and I'm grateful that your son is progressing. Stories like yours remind me to hug the ones you love a little bit tighter because we never know what tomorrow might bring. Positive thoughts headed your way!

I suspect it would be around October. Kevin should be able to provide some more information. Keep your eyes on the Oldman Chapter of TUC, they should have more updates soon.

I don't want to steal any of WinstonConfluentus' thunder here, but I wanted to share this: It's great to see that the advocacy and hard work by a number of people on these boards is resulting in real changes. I look forward to seeing how this entire project shakes out! Oldman River Chapter- Trout Unlimited Canada August 2 at 9:30am · Edited · Hidden Creek was once among the coolest, cleanest streams on the Eastern Slopes of the Canadian Rockies. As such, it was the preferred choice of over 75% of the Bull Trout in the Upper Oldman River for spawning. In spite of this, the forestry office of ESRD allowed clear-cut harvest of the Hidden Creek valley by Spray Lake Sawmills, the last in the Winter of 2012/13. Already compromised by an OHV trail that parallels the creek within its riparian area this logging, followed by 2013's flood, finds Hidden Creek no longer able to support the spawning numbers it once did. The streambed cobble, now cemented together by massive amounts of calcite-based sediment, is simply too hard for redd building. The constant delivery of sediment during melts or rain events coats, and can suffocate, any egg that does find purchase. Young that do survive, and the aquatic invertebrates they feed on, no longer have the micro-habitat which use to exist between the stones and this, too, lowers survival rates and the stream's carrying capacity for life in general. Further bank slumping as a result of hydrologic changes and the proximity of the OHV trail truly finished the job mismanagement started; net result, redd counts are down from a high of approximately 120 prior to the disturbance to 15 last year. The good news is help is now on the way. July 30 2015 I was able to attend the presentation of federal funds through DFO by MP John Barlow to TUC and our partners, AWA, OWC and Cows and Fish to start the recovery of Hidden Creek. Preliminary assessments have been done and work, such as willow planting to stabilize the creek's banks, will begin this fall. TU will be looking for volunteers on this very important project. I've spent time in Hidden Creek in autumn and I can tell you it is a magical place. Above Hidden Creek Falls, and the recent cut-blocks, the damage is not as severe and there may be opportunities to view successful redds. Depending on the timing, we may be able to catch a glimpse of the remaining Bull Trout spawning as well. Great fun!!! Stay tuned for regular updates on this fun, solutions-based project. Drop us a line if you want to be involved. -Kevin Turner Picture of Hidden Creek at its confluence with the Oldman River taken August 10 2013 after a significant rain event. The Oldman saw the same rain yet remained relatively clear.

I'm working on this with my Councillor that I work for at City Hall. See the blog I posted about Bow River 4X4. I'll keep whining about it until my boss is sick of listening to me

Thanks troutlover, that would be amazing!

I'm hoping to pick this book up before some of my adventures in August. Any chance I can pick it up somewhere in Calgary, or will I have to Amazon it?

When we get a response on our Admin Inquiry we'll mention that City vehicles have been spotted out there.

Earlier this week Calgary Councillor Shane Keating submitted an Administration Inquiry about vehicles driving in the Bow River (I wrote it ). His latest blog addresses the issue (again, I wrote it ). http://shanekeating.ca/minimizing-our-mark/ I don't want to see them close down the Graves Bridge launch, but they need to do something. We have talked about motion sensing cameras or other surveillance that may help.

It's the 21st century version of being put in the village stocks. I'll let F&W take care of the social media shaming when they make a bust.

and if I was a neo-con I'd want to legalize shooting fish with guns

He mentioned to me in a tweet after that he feeds his native family with those fish.

Allegedly:

This is happening far too often. For those of you who frequent the Graves Bridge area, make sure you have your camera handy. This cannot continue. http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/off-roaders-continue-to-abuse-bow-river?hootPostID=1dbd0f4199869ac59fd9b10ea5b48af1

Thanks, I really appreciate the feedback. I'll be headed up that way from July 31-Aug 1 and then back again at the end of August. Send me a DM, I'd be thrilled to connect!

Have those measures been at all effective, or does it cause more damage?

Apologies to anyone who had already read this, it somehow got itself removed from the forum. http://pikepinksterab.blogspot.ca/2015/07/a-load-of-bull.html There was something I wanted to add to the content in the blog for discussion: We hear that increased recreational and industrial pressure is causing huge amounts of sediment and silt to enter the rivers. This sediment is hardening and putting a concerete like layer over bull trout spawning grounds. Is there anything that could be done to remove those layers of silt? I'm not talking about having come in with a jack hammer and blast that junk off...but I suspect there could be some remedial actions that could reopen some of these waters to spawning.

What's critical temp for most trout in those smaller streams? I know 55-65 is prime feeding temperatures.

Just bought the 4pc 9' 8wt with Rio Trout LT line. So far so good.

Now the key is keeping people away from it in the fall.

I guess I should have noticed that when I read the article suggesting they had to have it filled up by June 21....unless of course the Province has made a time machine...amazing what the NDP can do.

The Province has instructed TransAlta to bring Ghost Lake back up to 1,188 metres by June 21: http://www.rockyviewweekly.com/article/20150622/RVW0801/306229998/province-instructs-transalta-to-fill-cochrane-s-ghost-lake What is this going to mean downstream? Flow levels are already low, I can't imagine what we will be at if they start filling Ghost. The fish are going to have a stressful summer this year as they get crammed into smaller runs fighting for the same food sources. The pike and bigger browns should have a field day. I'm hoping that by filling up this early in the year they can better regulate the flow throughout the summer, but I'm not going to put any money on that. Guess this puts a bit of the onus on the anglers this summer...get those fish in quickly and give them plenty of time to recover.