headscan

I tried it for a while and thought it had potential, but being a Mac user it was a pain to fire up a Windows VM to use it.

You're right by Fish Creek Park. Just head down there and you'll find plenty of accessible walk and wade fishing on the Bow.

Damn, I didn't know the undead could fish. Shouldn't he be getting another blood transfusion instead? http://www.westfly.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=4971

That's a pretty good story. I guess the other thing to mention is that Tiger also casts the two-handed rod I saw somewhere that he has around 20 rods and reels, but then again with his money I'd have way more than that. I've also seen it mentioned that some other guys like Harrison Ford and Woody Harrelson fly fish, but I don't know if it was just a one time thing or they're regulars.

Ha, I didn't know about Vinnie Jones. He was great in the Guy Ritchie movies, but I think this is how most soccer fans remember him...

So there are plenty of well-known people who fly fish, but not everyone knows they do. A few I know off the top of my head... Eric Clapton Tom Selleck (you know this if you've ever been into West Winds) Henry Winkler Tiger Woods Winston Churchill Herbert Hoover Also, Obama went fly fishing for the first time a couple weeks ago, though I wouldn't call him a fly fisherman. Any more that anyone knows of?

If April opened this up to guys I wonder how fast the week would sell out...

From the title of the thread I thought he was having a laser rangefinder implanted in his eye for this reason...

You don't need a rotary vise to make a dubbing loop. You will need a hook or similar tool to spin it, but then you just wrap it as you would any material. The first pic here shows the tool you need: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/t...ips/part144.php

Tite Line Dubbing Spin for direct dubbing. For a loop I just use a stick of dubbing wax.

What Brad said sums it up. Keep in mind that you may run into others who don't follow any etiquette, so just keep a level head about it if you do. This is from the regs and covers a few other things: Alberta Angling Ethic In accordance with the Fish and Wildlife Policy, the Alberta government promotes the following angling ethics. The ethical angler has respect for wild creatures, knowledge of his or her natural surroundings, a sense of fair play and consideration for the rights and expectations of others. Fishing, as promoted by the Alberta government, should foster an ethical relationship of the highest order between anglers, their quarry, fellow anglers, and the natural environment. Ethical conduct is expected of anglers in Alberta. Maintain the sport of recreational fishing. Emphasize the fishing experience. Use sporting methods, gear (lures, line type and amount of technology) appropriate to the type of fishing and the size of fish desired. Provide proper care and handling of caught or released fish. Fish are to be released with the greatest possible care and minimal amount of handling. Fish that are kept should be killed quickly once they are out of the water and in such a manner that their edible or trophy value is preserved. Conduct sportfishing activities that result in the least disturbance to the surrounding environment. Refrain from littering on land and in water. Take refuse to a proper disposal site. Respect the need and expectations of your fellow anglers. Treat other sport anglers with common courtesy: (a) leave room for others to fish, ( disturb the fish as little as possible, © leave the fishing site in the same condition as it was found, (d) don't remain in one fishing spot too long, (e) be cooperative and understanding, (f) obey the limits and keep only as many fish as you require to enjoy the sport. Consider other land users. Carry out fishing activities in a manner that minimizes conflict with other land users and anglers. Respect the rights of landowners. Request permission for access across private property. The landowner has the right to grant or refuse access. Follow angling regulations. Know and abide by all fishing regulations and encourage others to do the same. Anglers have a duty to address illegal activities in a safe manner. Angler’s actions could range from alerting others to closed waters or wrong size or species being kept to reporting all observed violations of angling regulations to the Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. It is important to collect pertinent information (such as vehicle licence numbers, violator descriptions, etc.) that will assist enforcement actions.

Is that an 11' 3/4 or 11'3" 4? Sorry for the hijack...

Yeah, this got me wondering if these threads are even worthwhile. You end up getting recommendations for almost every rod out there, or at least the ones that people on this board own. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for someone else, and describing the feel and action of a rod is too esoteric to convey in a post. Much more effective to stop by a few shops, tell them what you're looking for (length, weight, price) and try them out with a line on them.

I thought the fish farms and lice connection had already been fairly well established years ago. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...61002/20061002/ http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...almon-lice.html http://www.cfb.ie/fisheries_research/sea_lice/seatrout.htm http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2002/08/15170/9405 The consensus seems to be that while other things contribute to the depletion of the stocks (commercial fishing, pollution, etc.) that sea lice directly attributable to fish farms have been shown to cause the greatest impact. Like anything else, I'm sure the corporate spin doctors can deny and place blame elsewhere. People will believe what they want no matter what the science says.

I got the impression that the OP was looking for recommendations as a starting point for rods to try in the limited time he had before leaving. Anyone is free to post a recommendation or let him know about a rod they have for sale in the trading post. Are you implying that he doesn't have the free will to make his own determination in the end and will only choose based upon how many posts there are in the thread for a specific brand? Anyhow, Jack makes an excellent point. Since you don't have a lot of time before you leave to really cast a few different rods, why not see if one of the local shops or site sponsors will let you take a demo rod on an extended test drive for your trip?

See if Southbow still has any of those Loop AEG Trout Bum rods left - they're 9' 5wt. It's a $400+ rod for $250. Worth casting.

That would be Maxwell, who I believe offers both floats and walk and wade. Jim's Listening to the Bow is also walk and wade.

It's not just the location, but the right flies and presentation are a pretty big factor too. If you're new to the Bow booking a day with Maxwell or someone would be a huge help to you. He'll show you a few spots as well as some good rigs and flies and where/how to present them properly. Jim McLennan's Listening to the Bow would be another good option.

There are still fish to be had in the NW stretch, there just aren't as many as in the south and they don't get really big because there isn't as much aquatic vegetation compared to below Bonnybrook. You can still find risers and swinging streamers works too. At the very least if you only have an hour or two you can get on the water and practice your cast. I live in Citadel but only fish the NW stretch a few times a year.

Anyone try one yet? http://www.rioproducts.com/product.php?recKey=139

Do you already have a Gold 6wt or are you buying one for it? I'd try it with a 5wt Gold as well. I'm using a 4wt Gold on my 4wt Loop Opti Stream, which I feel is a faster rod than the AEG and it casts beautifully for dry flies. Honestly I'm not crazy about using the Gold for nymphing or single hand spey casting though. Try a Loop Opti Stream line for those purposes.

Brad, I think you may be stereotyping big box stores based on the higher standard of service that you give people. I've been to lots of big box stores and good service is the exception, not the rule. To the 17 year old kid who's only working there because the hours are flexible and it's on the bus route you're just another of the faceless masses. It's just the nature of a store that has hundreds of people walk through the door every day. I was once ignored while standing at the fly fishing counter in a local big box sporting goods store while the staff was just shooting the *hit. When I walk into Fish Tales, West Winds, and Country Pleasures (or phone Whistler) the staff either know me by name or at the very least recognize me and always say hi the minute I walk in the door. Staff at the smaller shops also tend to be more knowledgeable and passionate about the industry they're in, while the kid at the big box store is usually just there for a paycheque. And even the younger guys in the local shops are great to deal with. If you want to look at it from the computer side of things, I only deal with Westworld, Memory Express, or the Apple Store. Getting repairs and warranty work done in those places is straightforward and easy. Also, if I have a complex question the staff is almost always able to give me an answer. At Future Shop, Best Buy, etc. if I ask a question like that I get a blank stare or a complete bullshit answer just so they can get rid of me. Good luck getting a Mac serviced at one of those places too, even though they sell them. And don't get me started on the extended warranty they all push on you. I've worked in a big box computer store and have seen the service, err, I mean lack thereof on a daily basis. I've also heard the sales guys and in-store techs talking in the break room and know what they think of "customer service". If you know exactly what you want and saving a few bucks is important, then go to the big box store. If you need help with your purchase and want the extra mile they tend to go for you, then go to the smaller shop. A few lost sales at a big box store don't impact the bottom line much, but at a smaller shop it affects whether or not they can bring in the new XYZ rod next month.

I feel like the shops I deal with are "on my side" and any shop where I don't feel that way simply doesn't get my business any more. The shops that do well and have been around a while realize that they can all carry the same or similar products so where they get the return business is by offering exceptional customer service.

Wait - constant motion, constant movement, or constant tension? I'm constantly moving to keep my rod in constant motion while casting in order to keep constant tension on the line. Now this whole thing has me tense. Fortunately the fish don't seem to care what we call it...

I think the fish will feel the disturbance on/in the water. I always make sure that my hoppers hit the water hard to imitate one being blown off the bank and into the water. Twitching hoppers doesn't hurt either. Doing this with a mayfly on the other hand would probably not work at all. Like Max, I prefer to fish streamers after dark. You don't have to try to guess where your fly is and the takes are unambiguous.