cgyguy

Sorry Lad, I must have missed your point. Apologies. Cheers

lad, Everyone has a right to vote and to have an opinion (no matter whether you think it is dense or not), that is why we live in a free country. No need to suggest people are "dense" just because you are of a different opinion. This is a fishing website anyways, there are other platforms for this kind of banter. Whether you agree or not, the NDP were voted in by the majority of the people in Alberta. Not my choice personally, but I had my vote, enough said. Go fishing!

Would be nice to have it back to where it was. Seems like no one is responsible to look after this area, but us fisher people? I like your idea Bcube.

Interested in current snow packs for the mountains? I "see" snow but wondering if we are good considering this winter has been quite mild? Anyone out there have info on this? Cheers

Thanks guys - much appreciated!

Hi folks, Wondering if anyone has or knows of someone that you could recommend for knive sharpening? I have some hand knives, kitchen knives, etc, i need to get sharpened from someone who knows what they are doing? Any recommendations would be much appreciated. thanks,

Super nice pictures! I am new at photography and still learning. I wonder if you could share what settings you typically use for the action or moving shots? I am learning as i go and taking lots of pictures, which is guiding in my overall learning. I would aspire to have the talent you obviously do, any advice you could share would certainly be appreciated! Regards Ralph

You lucked out Big Foamy, nice gifts!

Great video Monger! Awesome colours, nice fish and great weather, what a pefect day!

Merry Christmas everyone! Paul, have a wonderful time in Mehiko, enjoy your trip and see you in the New Year!

Interesting points. As I stated, I do my homework when hiring a guide. And also have never been disappointed. I have heard many stories of grumpy guides, lack of professionalism, etc. I have also heard of many guides (and been a part of) who go out of their way to make your day a special one. Don't get me wrong, I am not crashing on the guides that do their job and go far beyond the customers expectations. However, it must be frustrating not only for the customer using a lousy guide, but also for the guides that do their job and have to hear about these "guides" bringing a negative reflection to the industry. I simply wonder if there shouldn't be any minimal guidelines at the least as to who can guide inclusive of: competency, training, business licence, insurance, first aid, etc. Not really sure how this could be managed but even a voluntary approach to some minimum standards may help with consistency of the service. Cheers to those guides that are awesome!

Merry Christmas everyone (hope it's ok to say this)! Just been doing some reading on guide requirements and licenses needed for BC. Looking to stir the pot a little and to see what everyone's thoughts are for guides having to be licensed in Alberta. First off, I have done quite a few guided trips and have NEVER been disappointed with my choice of guide. I had no idea if they were "certified to guide" or not. But at the same time, I wonder if I have been lucky, or just did my homework as to who to choose for my trip? I am pretty sure I did my homework for the most part! But what if, I was not as informed as a local, and I chose a guide that really wasn't experienced or competent to actually be a guide? I have taken trips to BC to do some steel head fishing and the fun in the trip is also the planning, preparation, excitement of that trip from the time you book. I would have been very disappointed and a little bit po'd if the guide didn't have the experience or competence needed to provide a great trip. After all, I spent a lot of money to do this. I also wonder if all of the guides (say on the Bow for instance), have Emergency training? I am getting a little older like all of us, and if I were to have a health emergency, would that guide know what to do, or even be trained for this? Do all guides carry a minimum first aid kit, with aspirins for potential heart attack, diabetic attack, etc.? I am sure most guide companies DO carry these as a minimum however, who's checking to ensure our local guides are: experienced, competent, knowledgeable of the ecosystems, bugs, first aid, emergencies, have a communication device in case of emergency, etc.. Where is the check and balance? Not sure about the how many guides should be on the river or if there is a quota on this, but I for one, would sure like to feel safe and secure and ready for anything when I hire a guide. I am putting my trust in them to bring me home safe and content. Cheers

Sounds a bit "fishy" to me....good luck!

I was at Wholesale Sports on the weekend and the fly fishing section looked like it was getting ready to shut down? Lots of fly stuff on sale for what they had, very few flies, reels on sale, just gave me the feeling something was perhaps changing? Wondering out loud if having so many stores to choose from for fishing, that maybe they are downsizing? Maybe they are waiting for a new shipment or something, guess I should have asked. Cheers

Good points! This lake used to hold some pretty big trout, but has seen a sharp decline this year. The lake has been stocked and has fished well for the past twenty years at least. These birds seem to know this place well now, and do not appear to be as eager to leave with any sort of encouragement. We believe they are foraging at night, but realty have not proven it. Tough call but I do like the idea of putting the stocking off until the Pelly's have moved on. I really like the drone idea but not sure if this would be looked upon favorably. Hopefully they find a solution before next year! Paul, I will send you the contact as promised. Cheers

No sharks allowed Paul! No pool sharks, no card sharks, and especially no shark sharks!

This is so awesome. Love it! I miss those swells!

A Newfy was paying for his admission to the movies when he advised the teller he had 18 of his friends to pay for also. The teller asked him what the occasion was and he said "no occasion by, just the sign says 18 or over!"

I was just thinking the other day about the time i was quite young and new to flyfishing. While walking my dog up in Beddington Heights, i noticed a drift boat sitting in a yard. Being new to fly fishing, i decided to go up and knock on the house where the boat was. a lady answered and said "Tony" was out back in his shop. I went out back behind the house and their was a taxidermy business. That's when i met Tony Cassar (a local guide at the time, and taxidermist). I asked Tony what it would cost to take me down for some lessons on fly fishing. He said all i had to do was bring my gear and help pay for some gas. I agreed immediately and he invited me out for an afternoon float between Glenmore and Policemans. I was so nervous when he picked me up not wanting to be a cog in the wheel so to speak. I will always remember him rigging up my rod and putting a huge wet fly on it (cant remember what it was). His partner along with us (Bob i think his name was), asked Tony about the fly he tying on for me, and Tony stated "If you want to catch big F(_))n fish, you have to use big F*()n flies!" Tony took me on a trip that i will never forget. He told me the float was only a few miles so i thought i would be home early. We ended up fishing from about 3 oclock to 11:30 that night. I lost every fish i had on my line, i watched Tony catch at least a couple dozen between him and Bob. Tony gave me a trip of a lifetime with no charge to me. He was more interested in teaching me how to fish, than make any money of a local noob. This happended many years ago, and I will always think of Tony for giving me a great start to this awesome sport, and giving me a gift of his knowledge, his time, and most of all his patience. Here is my shout out to someone that gave back to the sport of flyfishng. thank you Tony!

Well I am hoping this thread gets lots of inputs like the jokes to share thread! There are many opportunities to give a "shout out" or "thanks" to those that contribute to our fisheries and waterways. Many of these folk do so unselfishly, quietly, and never for themselves. They are giving, hard working and committed individuals that not a lot of people even know the efforts of these folks. People like this could include: guides who give back to the river, or go out of their way to make someone's day even greater, Fish & Wildlife Officers that do more than we know, all those who have helped someone new enter the world of fly fishing, those who are always trying to enhance our fisheries, and our lands. Those that are part of study groups so that we all can learn about our impact on our rivers, etc. I hope you get the idea? In this thread, I would like to give a Shout Out to JPinkster for his recent involvement with the Oldman River Poachers. You really raised the awareness of poaching in general, you also raised public knowledge of our fisheries, and did so in a way that was respected, and professional! Here's a toast to you Jordan! Nice work! C'mon folks, let's give these folks the recognition that they never ask for, but so deserve to be mentioned! Cheers

A man who allegedly operated as a Vancouver Island angling guide without a licence is facing a trio of charges. B.C. Conservation officers announced this week charges were been approved against Courtney Ogilvie of Qualicum Beach under Section 49 of the Wildlife Act, regulating fishing guides. The section requires that all fishing guides in B.C. hold an angling guide licence or an assistant guide licence. “We got a tip,” said Nanaimo conservation officer Stuart Bates. “We allege it was going on quite a while.” Under section 49, all angling guides are required to hold a licence which must be renewed annually. “The purpose of this is to aid in monitoring angling,” Bates said. “They’re required to report the number of angling days and their catches. “Angling guides can be restricted to a certain number of days per year.” Bates confirmed one of the offenses is alleged to have occurred in the Nahmint River in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District. Ogilvie’s first appearance in Port Alberni court is slated for Oct. 14. The violation carries a maximum fine of $100,000 and one year in jail on a first offence. On a second conviction, the maximum increases to $200,000 and two years, or both. Ogilvie’s name shows up on a government guiding list as operator of Ogilvie Outfitting on Vancouver Island for the period 2008-’09, although the list doesn’t specify whether outfitters are certified as licensed. Before hiring guides, Bates advises outfitter companies to make sure they are licenced. He said this investigation was launched after a tip forwarded nearly two years ago. “We’re trying to encourage people who hire (fishing) guides to ask for their licence,” said Bates, advising people to “be leery of paying in cash.” He confirmed a person who unknowingly hires an unlicensed guide would not face charges.

Hi Rickr I am assuming you are heading up to the Kootenay's? Will be up there myself in the next couple weeks but doing the lake thing (Whitetail, Whiteswan). I am particularly interested in how you find the streams and access roads since the floods in the past couple years. Not sure how many roads that were washed out, are back on line, or if there is new access roads that replace the washed out ones. Please share what you can, not looking for any secret spots just a general feedback on your trip. I just hear that the mill in Canal Flats is shutting down for good, so you might see quite a few hunters and fishermen up there! Nothing like the sound of elk bugling in the morning! Love camping! All the best, tight lines, and enjoy your trip!

Never heard of a CO being called Green Jeans! I like it!

Really, really well done Clive! I have never been to Police Outpost and have often wondered what it looks like, and where it is. You did a very nice job of showing off this beautiful place. Wish I had your talent for making videos, but I sure enjoyed watching this. Excellent! Love the drone! Cheers

:whistle:One night late in the moonlight, I saw a UFO flying over me while I was fishing the Bow. I had a nice rainbow on the line when the UFO landed on the ground and then a little green man came out and took the fish off my line, carried to the flying object, then turned around and winked at me before shooting up into the night sky. I didn't mind that he took the fish but I reported it to the RAP line as the fish was too big to keep. Hoping I will get a reward!