headscan

Yeah, having both a scandi and skagit isn't a bad idea at all. I use the scandi line for dries and lighter stuff and the skagit for streamers and heavy stuff. You can toss heavier stuff with a scandi, but I find that if there's a strong wind the skagit has enough weight and momentum in the head that it'll still turn a big fly over.

I thought the purpose of a cheater was to bring the length of the skagit head up to the 3-3.5x rod length rule?

I've been casting one of the Rio Skagit fly lines that I picked up from Whistler for a few weeks and find it works well. It just means you don't have to get a running line in addition to the shooting head. If you don't have a need to switch heads with a single running line then I think it's a great option. The running line may not shoot quite as well as something like slick shooter, but you don't get the line memory and coiling issues in the cold like you do with the mono running lines. The head of the line is yellow and the load point is black, so it's pretty user friendly. Both Fish Tales and Bow River Troutfitters carry Rio spey lines and can probably order a line for you if they don't have it in stock. Otherwise Brian from Whistler Fly Fishing is great to deal with if you don't mind ordering from BC. He can probably help you out with a grain weight recommendation for your rod as well.

Yeah, I ignore that guy's posts too. Oh, wait...

Another thing to keep in mind is that you can ignore a user's posts. Just view the user's profile and under Options select Ignore User. You shouldn't see any of their posts any more, though if someone else quotes one of their posts in a reply you'll see that. So if you get tired of someone's constant marketing in every one of their posts, just ignore them. Problem solved.

I think you just hit on a big problem when someone goes out to buy a new outfit. You can test the rod at the store, but unless you have the line picked out already and spooled you can only test the rod with the try line the store has spooled. So if you test the rod with the store's line and buy it because you like the way it casts, but buy a line with a different taper than the one you tested it may not cast the same. I'm not currently aware of any store that has a variety of test lines spooled. Sorry for the hijack.

Yup, I agree with you fully. Same goes for the guys who have pics of the ~16" fish they caught but "didn't get the camera out in time" for the 26" monster brown. That's why I don't pay much attention to the fishing reports any more unless it's someone I know doesn't really exaggerate.

or just measure your boot and step on the fish while you have it beached on the rocks to measure it Really, why does it matter? Does everyone only fish to catch more/bigger fish than everyone else on the forum? And why does anyone care what other people think of the fish they catch? Fishing shouldn't just be about size and numbers, it's about solitude or heading out with good friends, enjoying some scenery, and relieving some of the stress from the rest of your life. See the RH-B quote in my sig below...

I just guess, but I tell people that if I thought it was a 20" fish in reality it was probably anywhere between 16" and 18". I tend to apply the same margin of error when I read someone's fishing report claiming to have caught 10 fish between 20" and 24". I figure that usually means about 6 fish between 16" and 22". We're fishermen (and women). We lie about fish. It's in our nature.

How would you enforce anything like that? There are guys who post here and own shops or work at shops and don't make any secret of it (bigbadbrent, IslandGuy, Whistler, Wetduck, etc.). There are probably also a few that don't let on, but how can you definitively tell the difference between them and someone who loves gear from a certain manufacturer? There are some people on here that will instantly recommend TFO to anyone looking for a new rod no matter what. Do they work for Springbrook or TFO? Probably not, though it may seem that way at times. Sure guys who own shops may recommend what they carry, but who's to say that they don't carry that product because they believe in it? And there are always going to be shops who carry gear based solely on the margin they get but how would you be able to tell the difference? As a consumer it's your responsibility to thoroughly research your purchase. Would you blame Tiger Woods if that bottle of Gatorade tasted bad? Or for that matter would you blame Lefty Kreh if your TiCR broke right away? So don't make your purchase based on one or two forum posts. It's the internet. People lie, exaggerate, and distort - especially on forums. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to jump in my Ferrari so I can pick up my supermodel girlfriend from her Sports Illustrated swimsuit photo shoot.

Looking forward to tomorrow. Just gonna layer up the same as I do when I fish in January and February. It'll be perfect practice for winter run steelheading - the kind of day that separates the hardcore from the pantywaists.

That's what the scotch is for...

Forecast for Saturday is -6C and snow. Dress warmly!

Have to disagree with this. I think a novice is far more likely to have an impact on fish mortality because they may not handle caught fish as well, fight them quickly, and release them properly. I helped a guy land and release a fish the other day down there. He didn't get the fish out of the current and into slack water quickly which would have shortened the fight. Then he had trouble getting the hook out of the fish. I offered my hemostats to help, but the problem was that he hadn't debarbed his hook. I had to crush the barb while the fish was still hooked to get it out with minimal damage to the fish. I pointed all this out to him afterwards so hopefully he'll remember for the next time.

You can go through most of the fly shops in Calgary to arrange for a guided float down the Bow. Try West Winds, Fish Tales, or Bow River Troutfitters. But, if you're mostly going to be fishing it by walking and wading then you'd be better off hiring Max as Hawgstoppah said. His spring special ends soon, but he'll still be around in the summer when you get here. The thing is that taking a float will get you acquainted with the river - from a boat. Some spots you stop to fish on a float may be difficult to access on foot. If you'll mostly be walking and wading, then Max can show you some access points and a few good runs you can get to on foot.

Exactly.

Just walk 15 minutes up or down stream. It's a big river and there are fish in places other than the confluence, though I understand the draw at this time of year. Otherwise get there earlier so other people will have to ask you if they can fish in (though most won't).

http://www.markspace.com/missingsync_palmos.php

Oakley does prescription eyewear and polarized lenses but I don't know if you can combine the two. Try calling some of the places in town that do Oakley prescription stuff to check. Won't be cheap either, though.

The Danielsson reels are nice - sealed drag, no cork. You may also want to look at Nautilus and Loop reels since they're the same concept. Every reel I fish is a Nautilus for that exact reason. I think some rods lend themselves better to Skagit than others. My understanding is that they tend to be rods that have a fuller flex. My Skagit setup is a 12'6" 9 weight Loop that flexes right down to the cork. Takes almost no effort to shoot line with a big streamer on the end. CND makes a couple of specific Skagit rods, though I've never cast them so I couldn't tell you what they're like. Then again nobody in Calgary carries them

Just thought I'd post a few of the resources that have really helped me out as I learn to cast with the two-handed rod, especially since there seem to be more people picking it up lately. If anyone has any to add this thread could be a great starting point for people looking to get into Spey casting. Understanding Spey Lines by Simon Gawesworth http://www.rioproducts.com/photos/file/Und...ines%202008.pdf Great article on Skagit lines and for understanding cheaters: http://www.ggacc.org/docs/Sites/1/Bulletin-2006-07.pdf A couple of really good DVDs: Rio's Modern Spey Casting Spey to Z I'm sure there are other good resources I've left out. Anyone?

Talk to either Courtney as Harps said or Brian Niska at Whistler Fly Fishing. I told Brian where I wanted to fish, for what, my skill level, and so on and he set me up with what I feel is my ideal rod and line combinations (Loop Goran Andersson 9126 with a Skagit line for sink tips and Scandi line for floating work). Having said that though, have you cast a two-handed rod yet? If not, you may want to see if speyghillie has any space in his clinic or look into the clinic Brian is offering in May. Both will likely have a variety of setups you can test to see what you prefer, plus you'll be learning from some great two-handed casters.

I've seen a weasel in the rocks at the FC boat launch. They're pretty small though, so I doubt a weasel could've done that to a fish that size. They mainly hunt mice and small birds I think.

Heh, you'd never know that those first few pics and the last one were taken on the same day. Gotta love spring in Calgary... Great to meet a couple more people from the board. Was also great to be able to watch some experienced spey casters at work but it's also sickening to see how easy you guys make it look Pretty impressive turnout considering how miserable the weather was in the morning.

I've only used them on the Bow so far and find they're better on algae covered rocks than my felts were. Haven't had a single problem staying on my feet. YMMV.