how was everyone’s season

[WayneM]

Just curious how everyone’s season was. This was my first year fly fishing. I avoided the bow river, hoping 1 less angler would help the recovery of such a great river after the floods. On 31 trips I caught 71 fish from most types of trout to walleye and pike. 

[trailhead]

My season was mixed, got out to some foothills streams early but the water temps were so low that the fish were sluggish at best. Then hit the Oldman drainage and as per others was overwhelmed by the amount of anglers at all the tourist spots. But I did the hike to quiet waters and was rewarded by doing so, tried the Bow on a few occasions and had one fish to show for it. Then I was hit by a red SUV towing a motorboat by Kikomun while riding my bicycle and my left arm got torn in half at the elbow so I had to heal up. I am right handed so did manage to flail away on some foothills streams in the past couple of weeks and dredge up a few fish to end the year. Was planning on fishing the White or the Bull but the accident kiboshed that, though the day before I managed to catch my first bass on a fly. So as I said mixed

[WayneM]

Where did you find the bass I havnt seen anywhere in Alberta with them?

[WayneM]

I’ve gotta dear hair popper I tied that I’d love to test on them

[trailhead]

Wasn't in Alta, I caught them in Baynes Lake BC, the day before I got creamed on my bicycle. Was going to go for cutthroat in either the Bull or the White River but couldn't do much with one arm.

[SilverDoctor]

Ouch!!!!!

[WayneM]

13 hours ago, trailhead said:

Wasn't in Alta, I caught them in Baynes Lake BC, the day before I got creamed on my bicycle. Was going to go for cutthroat in either the Bull or the White River but couldn't do much with one arm.

I had found your old thread saying where you were at when it happened. I used to bycicle the highway from calgary to Banff every year to camp and fish “my spincast days” and it’s crazy how little consideration cyclists are given by the average driver. I hope the recovery is going well and that you get full use of the arm back. On a side noti looked the lake up on anglers atlas app,it didn’t tell me any species were in there. Besides bass what else have you caught there?

[trailhead]

There are some big rainbows, and right now the backswimmers are on.

[SilverDoctor]

Not a bad season overall but didn’t get out as much as I would have liked.

Prowled streams and tribs

Met a bunch of nice Browns that came out to chat with me over some Dry flies and unfortunately only one Cuttie.

Smelled the earth

Freaked out some squirrels

Studied insects under rocks

Watched hatches ebb and flow

Mostly watched trout sip on Mayflies

Chatted about life with good buddies

No bruins this season but lots of tracks

Listened to nothing in the woods and everything

Fished 2 solid hatches where trout fed with abandon

Thought about new dry flies and emergers for next season

Saw deer cross streams I was fishing without them seeing me

Listened to leaves rustle and called out their summer and fall sounds.

Ate some nice lunches but promised myself more hot coffee and food using my Coleman stoves.

Remembered those who I fished with who are no longer on this earthy plane.

Was happy!

My waders ended my season early on my behalf. First pinhole leaks which where easy to fix,  then both seams where they met the backs of both booties. Oh well 8 years is OK for a set of waders I guess.

A shootout to all I met on the waters this season from this old Doc.

 

 

[WayneM]

2 hours ago, SilverDoctor said:

Not a bad season overall but didn’t get out as much as I would have liked.

 

 

Prowled streams and tribs

 

 

Met a bunch of nice Browns that came out to chat with me over some Dry flies and unfortunately only one Cuttie.

 

 

Smelled the earth

 

 

Freaked out some squirrels

 

 

Studied insects under rocks

 

 

Watched hatches ebb and flow

 

 

Mostly watched trout sip on Mayflies

 

 

Chatted about life with good buddies

 

 

No bruins this season but lots of tracks

 

 

Listened to nothing in the woods and everything

 

 

Fished 2 solid hatches where trout fed with abandon

 

 

Thought about new dry flies and emergers for next season

 

 

Saw deer cross streams I was fishing without them seeing me

 

 

Listened to leaves rustle and called out their summer and fall sounds.

 

 

Ate some nice lunches but promised myself more hot coffee and food using my Coleman stoves.

 

 

Remembered those who I fished with who are no longer on this earthy plane.

 

 

Was happy!

 

 

My waders ended my season early on my behalf. First pinhole leaks which where easy to fix,  then both seams where they met the backs of both booties. Oh well 8 years is OK for a set of waders I guess.

 

 

A shootout to all I met on the waters this season from this old Doc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds like a perfect season to me.

[Smitty]

Since it seems we are veering away from a Bow River analysis, I'll say that my season left something to be desired. Huge rainfall made river fishing near Edmonton an impossibility. Mcleod R, for example, was pretty much blown out the entire summer. Should have been way more focused on the lakes this year, as the water levels did rebound. 

When dad and I finally made it down south in August, we found extremely crowded rivers with incredibly picky fish. Wasn't the most fun trip I have had in southern Alberta. Oh we found some solitude on smaller waters,...guess what? Fish were still incredibly moody. Like I was taken aback. Talked to other anglers wasn't just us; that week in August lots of zero's being posted, including a couple of guided trips out of shops that didn't fare well either. Timing, I guess. Trip was salvaged by cutting it short a day and heading to central AB for more cooperative fish.

Overall, just didn't get out enough. I'll fix that next year. 

Oh, wait, yes, we did have a pretty awesome beginning of the year in May at some QSF coal pits. Very impressive average sizes of fish. Guess it wasn't all a downer...lol. 

-Smitty