TroutPanther

That would be great! Watching this with fingers crossed.

Lots of good suggestions here - I will offer one more. Do you ever try tight-line nymphing/ nymphing without an indicator? Sometimes a bugger/nymph combo or just straight nymphs dead drifted works wonders in the winter when you maintain that slight contact with the fly so you can feel the take instead of just watching an indicator which might not be responding. Keep the casts shorter too. my experience is that it can sometimes help as well if there is a bit of splitshot or a tungsten bead fly as your dropper to maintain feel and keep the line taught. All that said, might just be a dreaded bow slump and you are doing everything right! It happens.

Awesome idea - way nicer than my old Plano! Not sure it would fly in my condo though...

Personally, I don't mind launching into the back eddy at the "new" policemans... Get the boat in, move boat out of the way, chance to get organized, park the car etc. without impeding launching. I try not to launch there at busy times. If they could remove the big-ass rock where the back-eddy meets the river it would make take-outs a bit easier and ease the tension at higher flows (hey bigfry? ) but the old take-out had its downsides as well. Went for a couple swims getting out of the boat at the deep bank tie-off... Would like to see some drift-boat capable launches in the nw -whd section built or made available to more than just the fire department and a select group: spread the boat traffic out a little more and open up more water. With all the money that gets spent on statues, public art, bike paths, etc would be nice to see the river get some love. And not more of the pedestrian bridge kind.

Love mousin! Sweet vids! Certainly haven't been too successful at it for numbers of fish, but when it works, it is awesome... I really like this guy's two-tone mouse, but even just using a single tone of natural belly hair it looks good - I have found clipping off the main hook and using a stinger instead on the tail seems to work when a fish tries to pull a mouse under instead of a full-on strike:

Thanks Nick, I dig the streamers too - I fish one that looks a lot like your top fly, the grey and white, and it is deadly.

A few for the NZ backcountry:

Gold fever was my personal favourite, but there were a few really cool ones... I definitely left last night inspired to fish my usual spots less and do more exploring next summer - feeling like there is still a ton of water left on my Alberta bucket list, let alone BC, Montana, etc. Oh and I want a raft now!

Don - I've got 30 (or 31, depending if I can sleep the night before) sleeps as well... I'm heading down on the 14th to the North Island. Planning on heading down to the Hawkes Bay / Te Urewera area in a campervan for most of the trip (2 weeks). Shoot me a message if you are going to be down that way and want to do some spotting and stalking

X2. Sounds a lot like BC.

I wouldn't mind single hook in Cutthroat and bull habitat, because in my own biased view I think it is sacrilegious to fish for cuties with anything but a dry, and a single streamer rig is probably all I would ever use if I was targeting Bulls. I do enough nymphing in the bow. As the bow is less forgiving I would hate to see single hook only as it would screw up my bobber rig for days when deep is pretty much the only way... And it would mean no more hopper dropper or tandem streamers - two of my favourite ways to fish. This would piss off a lot of people - guides and non guides. Bow fully C&R - yep. Fall bow closure for the Browns: I'm agnostic - I can certainly get the benefits of less redd stomping. At the same time, I'm not sure this has ever caused much of an issue in the past as my understanding is the Transalta silt issue, the flood, and sapro might have been bigger factors. I'd rather they hold off until they have better info. If the brown population is recovering from those events, maybe this isn't a necessary step. Has anyone actually seen the year over year data for the sport fish counts in the bow? I can't find them on Google, not since 2008 anyways. If anyone has a link that would be cool. Hard to make an informed opinion with no information.

Looks like a good season - nice hogs!

Obfuscate for the win indeed! I canvassed a couple of our environment people at work yesterday as to what this means - they are happy to chat SARA with anyone who will listen: my newfound lamens understanding of SARA is that after a species is listed as threatened, a recovery strategy is required under section 37-46, as well as an action plan under section 47-55, and a critical habitat order under S 58(as well as a whole bunch of other stuff). I think this means all the pieces are supposed to be complementary. I did a quick Google search, but couldn't find the "action plan" piece. Hopefully the order gives a bit more teeth in protecting the headwaters from burning new ohv trails and clear cutting right next to critical streams (i.e. Hidden creek!)

It looks like the SARA federal recovery strategy largely adopts the provincial strategy put in place. Page 22 of the federal strategy notes that catch and release angling is permitted: http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/plans/rs_truite_fardee_wstslp_cutthroat_trout_0314_e.pdf The strategy (pdf 92) also indicates thatbsportfishing regs should be evaluated. It is worth a skim through, but doesn't go into great detail regarding specifics.

Thanks for the input guys, I will check out the vapours. They look like they fit the bill. Looks like you can get aluminum cleats for them as well - maybe have the best of both worlds.

Sidebar question, and sorry to hijack the thread, but does anyone have a recommendation for a good wading boot that also doubles as a good hiking boot? My Patagonia foot tractor predecessors are way too heavy, clunky, & blister producing for serious boot miles. Ideally, I would like a boot that is good on the trail with wading socks, so I don't have to pack wading boots in addition to the hiking boots strapped to my feet. For hiking & wet wading, I used my hiking boots along with keens last year, but want something for double duty that I can use with waders.

I am game - probably going to get out this weekend - Fish are too big to stay home!

I agree with bcube - that boat is a beauty!

I don't even like having new rowers on my oars in rough stretches of water when I am in the boat, and would never let them borrow my boat without experience. Especially if said new rower is enjoying a few beers. Could get ugly.

Nice shots. You made it to bullocks! That place is awesome - the service, well, not so much...

X2Great work Jordan for drumming up support and media around this issue. But it stings to hear these guys got their gear back, to poach another day. Sustenance is a poor excuse when we have put & take fisheries, some not far from Lethbridge, take your limit from them - I hope at least they were educated about these opportunities.

These are on sale now for 399 from 499 on their website, FYI.

It was a didymo fest last night with that flow bump - had to clean the snot off my fly almost every cast.

I never got a call regarding convictions, but I did cash in on my reward - $300! Not sure where the proceeds are going yet. Maybe 2 nights motel and 2 shuttles in Fernie/Craig/some other long weekend locale?... Makes the sting of busting that douche go away a bit, for sure.

Let's hope the people managing this project can actually keep on budget! I highly doubt it. No offense to anyone involved. 890 million? I am taking the over. Like 2-3x budget, over. Especially if oil prices pick up and many of our best tradesmen head back to the Mac...