bigalcal

Ooooooh...there's a thought!!

I am going to start saving for a new set up for next year. I fish exclusively on SW Alberta mountain streams. I currently use a 5wt/9' G Loomis Streamdance with a Ross Evolution reel but I would like to get a lighter set up for those rare non windy days. Any suggestions for length, weight, make, model of rod and a matching reel would be appreciated. Thanks all for your input.

He was probably 26'-28"...the second was a monster!!

Here's what happened.... Video #1... My friend was downstream from me and caught a fish. I went downstream to take pictures and as I walked down a bull trout chased and swallowed the fish. By the time I got there the fish was totally engulfed by the fish. The bulltrout/cutty was then played as you would any fish. The bull trout then spat out the fish and the cutty was released relatively unscathed. Video #2 and #3 Video #3 is a continuation of #2. My friend and I were fishing two dry flies.It is a technique that I like to use late in the year. I find it easier to see the small BWO emerger when it trails a more visible fly. My friend foul hooked a cutty and as he was reeling it in a bulltrout again came after it. I assume that in his pursuit he saw what he thought was food and took the trailing fly. My friend then had two fish on his two fly set up. This is a rare once in a lifetime occurrence and he fought the two fish as he would with any fish. The cutty was foul hooked in the pectoral fin and was frantic and the bull was hooked in the mouth. The plan was to get both in and released. Eventually the bull trout got off and took off and the cutty was caught and released. We had no intentions of taunting the bull trout. We were just fishing a pool where earlier we have had good success. We were surprised to see the bullies there and were not trying to catch them. We went back the next day and they had moved on. We would never do what some posters accuse us of...I just wanted to share it on the forum It's just nature and I was able to video it...it was a bizarre occurrence.

The cutty was foul hooked on the pectoral fin by the lead fly and as the bull came to investigate he spotted the trailing fly and took it, Both flies were dry flies.

That's what he did!! Neither of us would ever drag a "cutty" around as bait. We know better...when a bull is chasing a hooked cutty we try to get him in quickly and released safely. I don't appreciate our integrity as fly fishermen being questioned,

That wasn't the intention at all...the intention was to land the fish and release them as quickly as we could on a lightweight rod and tippet. We are both respectful fly fishermen and I don't appreciate your judging. You weren't there. I was in the water trying to net them but they would run. We were as surprised as anyone that the bulls were there. We weren't focusing on them and we fish that spot a lot and this was the first time I have seen bulls. The cutty in both videos was caught and being reeled in when the bull came from no where. If this happened to you what would the "Holier than thou" fisherman do so I will know for the next time.

I caught a 17" cutty upstream from where this vid was taken and that bigger one was all over it. He must have heard/felt the commotion 20m downstream and came to investigate. We went back the next day and caught fish but no bullies in sight.

Definitely..a bit of everything arose during this once in a lifetime event...what can you do? All the fish involved went home with a story too!!!

He is growing out the beard just for that reason...so to answer your question....Yes, he is!!

....good thread.....I'll never get those 10 seconds back.

I fish "West of #22" a lot and still have good success without using a nymph rig. I consider "Hopper/ Dropper" an acceptable ploy but I still have good success with only dries. This season may be an exception as the surface bugs are minimal...very few hatches, very few rising fish....sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do if ya wanna catch fish. Still....nothing better than watching a cutty take a dry!! Call me a "Purist"!!!

Bow River may be all ya got. The lakes close to Banff ie. Two Jack, Johnson's, Vermillion, I believe are closed.

Wow!!!!

I decided to not go down to the OMR area too. Something about 110 kph wind gusts turned me off!!

I'm heading down to the OMR area tomorrow....again. Forecast is windy. Fishing changes every week . One week it's ants, beetles....next week it's BWO's and midges. I guess that's the fun/challenge of our favourite pastime. Good luck.

I picked up a couple of soft hackle BWO flies the other day and I have never fished them before, With the lack of rising fish recently on the mountain streams and BWO's in the air I thought these may be another option. What is the best way to fish them? Thanks....

Will there be bleachers there?

Just returned from Racehorse, Oldman etc. Windy as F**k but some eager fish. Really small flies seemed to fool the dumb ones!!

I lose more golf balls than flies....until that changes I will stick to fishing....I am also too young to golf!!

Socks for sure...with a wicking sock liner. Bare feet is gross!!

If I owned my own fly shop, I would install a pickup tailgate to the wall for customers to sit on while trying on shoes, waders etc.!! I think it would be cool.