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Other than making Racehorse murky in the late afternoon a month ago, never really had a big problem with them directly. I actually really want a quad because I think they're kick-ass and I know I would only use it in a legal manner.

The Bow has quite a few pike, there mostly the slow deep inlets or side channels but I've seen them in moderate to fast water along steep banks as well. Only caught 1 pike in the Bow though, a 17" pike in the NW last year.

I'm strongly considering buying those scierra CC3 waist high waders, I just plain don't need chest waders when fishing the Bow 95% of the time. Max told me they are really great waders and they seemed durable. I wet wade mountain streams in summer, and the NW Bow sometimes on hot days after May. On the lower Bow I always wear waders.

What kind of grease do you guys use for you reels? Anybody use anything other than actual reel grease? Thanks.

weird man, i'm surprised a bright fish like that would last long in the bow...I know they don't really live in rivers, but are you sure it's not a golden shiner? Pretty common baitfish and looks pretty close to the fish in the picture.

Unbelievable pics man! I can't believe the crispness of the photos.

wow beedhead, those bulls are pretty sweet, nice pics thanks for sharing

Diefenbaker is pretty cool for sure, but the Qu'appelle Valley Provincial Park is popular as well and there is great walleye fishing there in the "Fishing Lakes", only fished Echo Lake though. the Qu'appelle river flows just a a half-hours drive north of Regina, but never fished it. If you are interested in using fly gear on a river your best bet might be goldeye in either the Qu'appelle River or South Sakatchewan. Flyfishing for Pike in the shallows of some of the prairie lakes would be good. Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park on Lake Diefenbaker is a popular spot. Buffalo Pound has fishing I think, since its just a dam on the Qu;'Appelle. Don't fish Waskana Creek in Regina, but thats obvious once you see it. There are numerous opportunities to fish private trout ponds in Southern Saskatchewan, jst ask around at the local tackle shop. Have fun, Regina is not a bad little city.

These stats surprise me alot, I've never seen a copy. It kind of annoys me that so many people get warnings, whats up with that? These stats won't help more people get involved by calling in rule-breakers. In 261 cases, 93 people were given a warning because they were using bait illegally? You always hear how that fish and wildlife are underfunded, maybe they need to start enforcing the penalties strictly. I understand that in some cases the infractions are not serious and maybe I'm a bit naive, but this looks bad. I've never been given a warning in a driving infraction, though I'm sure they happen, but if I don't have a licence on me when fishing I have a 70% chance of coming off with a warning? There must be something its not showing, like maybe they had a WIN card and only got a warning. It looks like about 35% of people who are using bait illegally are getting off with a warning as well. I can count on one hand how many times I've been asked to show a licence. I could have been poaching for years by now and, unless someone had reported me, I could have gotten away with alot. If that isn't bad enough, maybe I only come off with a warning the next time I get caught. Maybe it isn't worth their time to prosecute?

Very cool pics man!

Nice fish man, I gotta try that pond one of these days.

In terms of lakes, check out Police Outpost, heard it' fishing alright, don't know after this rain though

you weren't fishing at Edworthy were you? It's closed until June 1 on that stretch, just a heads up in case you didn't know

Wish my May looked like that, those ar some wicked pics and nice fish as well, good job!

This legislation reminds me of the attitude many people I speak to have about catch-and-release fishing. It often goes like this: "Oh you fish, so do you keep your fish and eat them?" "Not really, sometimes if I'm camping in the backcountry" "Isn't that kinda cruel? How would you like a hook in your mouth?"

Hey guys, just have a couple questions related to nymphing I've been meaning to ask. Is it wise to use a Duncan knot instead of a improved clinch knot when tying wetflies or nymphs in order to give them a more natural swimming motion? Is there a better knot to use for these setups? Also, do you find it matters how far your split shot is from the nymphs? Just thought it might affect the presentation of the nymphs in terms of its appearance to the trout or its drift. Any other suggestions are also welcome, I'm just trying to compare methods and get a better idea of presentation. Thanks a ton.

Yeah, I agree with Hawgstoppah, I tend to spend alot more time focusing on the less obvious holding water like small pocket water, short runs, boulders etc. on cuttie streams and undercut banks, bends etc on brwon trout streams. Obviously this is impacted by the time of year and water levels as well. Just make sure you'r not moving too fast on to the next nice deep pool.

I say you only need a 3wt and 5wt. I fish mostly rivers and creeks and I only really use a 9f 5wt and 7f 1/2 3wt. The 5wt is for dries and nympthing the Bow and other larger rivers and 3wt for dry-fly fishing the smaller rivers and creeks. I have a 6wt for streamers on the Bow but I don't really use it that often because I don't really like fishing streamers. If you want to fish streamers or in high winds, maybe a 3wt and 6wt would be a better option. I like the feel of a 5wt more than a 6wt.

Please if anyody found a wood-framed net on the Crowsnest within a few km downstream of Burmis could you let me know. It holds alot of sentimental value. The screw came loose and I had alot of stuff in my back vest pocket so I didn't notice right away. Thanks guys.

Funny stories guys, my buddy foul-hooked a 5-pound, eye-less pike out of Swift Current Creek when we were young. I had a female mallard try and eat my elkhair caddis two years ago. It was while I was daydreaming so I didn't realize it until I felt the tug and heard the thing go beserk. It was sad, couldn't even see the fly barely so I had to ct the line at the mouth. Her friends were all quacking at me and *hit when I was reeling her in. Hilarious but sad in the same way.

thanks for all the input guys.

Could anyody please recommend a motel in the Blairmore-Bellevue area? Is the Best Canadian or Highwood Motel a better choice? Thanks.

I understand why the moderators want to keep the name out of it. I respect the fact that they know pretty much all the guides and don't want to cause trouble with/for them. In the context of legal action, that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Ever hear of TripAdvisor? Their policy is to allow only reviews that bring up legitimate concerns with management, such as overbooking, quality of service etc. However, I've also read reports by people who accuse staff of stealing their possessions and other serious, criminal matters. This is done without certainty as to the innocence of the people running the hotel, for obvious reasons, however TripAdvisor is always free to delete the posts at their discretion. My opinion is that we should respect the moderators decision, its better than them having to actually start deleting posts and constantly policing the site. I've seen people bash fishing gear and other products on this site, so its likely that they are mainly concerned with avoiding non-legal horseshit rather than worrying about libel suits.

So many whities up there its ridiculous. That little pond just down stream from the dam does have a big pike more in it. I managed to get one to chase my streamer. Up there is the only place on the Bow I've ever been checked by a CO, apparently theres alot of poaching that goes on up there. lots of fishing pressure at the dam, not very many decent trout. Know of someone who caught a laker below the dam.

I used to catch lots of small fish and very few large fish at one time too, I bet most fisherman have at one time or another. I still don't catch as large or as many trout as I'd like and probably never will. If you are anything like I was, you're probably catching small trout because they are easier to catch, are more likely to take a dry fly, and are more numerous ( at least in the NW). It's harder to trick a large trout than a small trout. I've found this especially true when it comes to nymphing. I've caught many small trout on bad drifts, but to trick a larger trout you need to get the nymph down deep and mend your line so your flyline and indicator aren't dragging your fly faster than the current of the stream. You want a natural, "dead-drift" within inches of the bottom, if not bouncing off it. Don't hesitate to move around too, after you've thoroughly dredged the bottom of water that LOOKS like it would hold a fish. I've caught many small trout in less than prime lies, but larger trout an dominate a prime lie and protect its territroy from smaller trout. The best lies I've found are where there is a convergence of fast and slow water, a dropoff, and slow choppy stretch, a nice riffle, where a feeding trout can have the benefit of faster water bringing in food, but where they can also expend less energy. In terms of flies, I usually fish a double nymph rig with whatever I think best imitates the current hatches. Check the hatch chart for the Bow, I think its on this site. Good all around nymphs are hare's ears, gold-ribbed hare's ear, pheasant tails, evil weevils, prince nymphs, copper johns, caddis pupas, various caddis larva nymphs etc. The bottom fly is usually either a stonefly earlier in the season, and more recently a san juan worm. Add split and adjust indicator. You should have be hitting bottom but not constantly snagging, it takes getting used to. Oh yeah, fish bigass streamers close to the bottom on a sink tip line. The biggest of trout are usually caught on streamers, but I'm sure someone on this board will prove me wrong.