Whits Fish!

[Guest 420FLYFISHIN]

So i'm pretty new to Alberta fishing and I have never got one of these until last night. I had no idea that they had such a good fight in them. A buddy and i were fishing the last hole before the sun went down and they were hitting like mad. They seem to be only taking out elk hair cadise in this huge 1km long hole.

 

The 4 we got were all over 14" and were picked in about as many minutes on the water. Next time im bringing my 2 weight rod just for the fight.

[SilverDoctor]

Whities can be a lot of fun this time of year. I've caught quite a few really large ones on dries.

[agbff]

I cant remember who said this before but it was something like fishing for whitties can save a day of fishing.... I had a rough day with the dries, so nymphing for whtties at least put a bend in my rod!

[Nick0Danger]

There rocky mountain bone fish

[dube]

Good for the smoker though.

[Weedy1]

If only a handful of streams existed in Canada with Whites in them you can bet your ass every Tom, Dick and Harry would want to catch one.

 

Don't be ashamed at catching them. The opposition to catching them is strictly a Calgarian thing. Since their river is full of Bows and Browns they feel it is necessary to lower the Whites to a level that is undeserving. This is a very common elitist attitude you will find in most Calgarian fly fisherman, especially the ones that only use one fly. Why won't they admit it? Because Whites are easily caught while using a San Juan Worm which is essentially a form of bait fishing so if they admit to catching a Whitey they are admitting to bait fishing.

 

So in other words Calgarians will not admit to catching whites because they are really only bait fisherman in disguise.

 

I'm waiting for the day one of those spey freaks actually admits to catching one using one of those fruit loop rods.

 

Troll out.

 

I love freedom of speech.

[rusty]

I personally don't like whites because they fight like a wet sock, thrash until they've tangled and mangled your entire rig, and make your hands and/or net stink.

 

They're a lot of fun in good numbers though, and they are bar none the best way to learn to nymph fish in the fall. Spend a day or two at the old railroad trestle in Canmore and your nymphing abilities will improve tenfold. Stop at the Grizzly Paw for a Drooling Moose Pilsner and one of those back bacon cheddar burgers on your way home and you've got yourself a damn fine October day.

[Tungsten]

I think the alberta record is 5.5lbs or something like that .How many people have caught bigger ones in the bow not knowing .

[Jayhad]

420 Flyfishin and I saw a bundle again today rise to god knows what, there was nothing hatching where we were....

On friday we fished elk hair caddis' and hooked them up but no go today.

 

Neither of us are very good nymphers but perhaps it is time to learn...... drys are so fun though.

 

 

We didn't see anyone today after walking 10k of water, which is always a huge bonus. But way back in the middle of no where we found hooks with worms on them around on the shore..... I have no problem with bait but I do hate poachers

[Guest 420FLYFISHIN]

spoiled some good holes too, long stretches of calm DEEP water with noting but 3 suckers left in it. Might have to hit up the Canmore hole for a bit this year. If it isn't rising it is safe from Jay and I lol

[Jayhad]

So to nymph for the whites, do I set up with an indicator, like normal. I would assume I must use small flies for their litle bitty mouths

[toolman]

So in other words Calgarians will not admit to catching whites because they are really only bait fisherman in disguise.

I'm waiting for the day one of those spey freaks actually admits to catching one using one of those fruit loop rods.

Troll out.

I love freedom of speech.

 

Here's how it's done Weedy1...by a real flyfisherman...skilled in all tactics and methods...

Including swinging stoneflys for Trophy Whitie's...with a fruit loop spey rod...

 

ps. Photo's borrowed from SilverDoctor...

[SanJuanWorm]

Jayhad. If you wanna catch whites use san juan worms in a size 6 or 8. They'll hit them quite a bit. Use an indicator or not. Its personal preference.

 

I caught a massive white on a #6 golden stone one day and almost the whole fly was in his mouth.

[duanec]

caught many a white in the bow. some do consider them to be a 'coarse fish' here but they can sometimes take the skunk off a day, and yes i've landed some absolute pigs in the 4-5 lb range.

used to target them and get a bunch for the smoker every fall up in n. central ab. back in the day. big fun and they are very tasty. found the most successful method was to fish nymphs or wet fly patterns or a combo thereof. have one pattern a buddy tied many years ago, used to hook 75-100 in a single day. tried it on the bow a few years ago... it's deadly for targeting them here too.

but as others mentioned they eat lots of stuff.

[trailhead]

So I'm out fishing my favorite stretch on the Bow. Using nymphs and in the first ten minutes I land a 20" brown, runs and jumps a few times then comes to hand. A few minutes later another brown this one a bit more feisty a few more jumps and some head shakes then I get her close and pop the hook loose. The next fish took the fly in the riffle and I think it's a rainbow, but the fight is just weight on the line and a little pulling, I think it's a white, but it turns out to be a 22" rainbow. This is followed by a 15" jumping darting rainbow. I then cast into the seam along the rough water and a savage strike is the result. My reel starts to scream, line pulls out and the fish heads out into the middle of the river. I manage to slow it down, and it then takes off upstream. I'm holding on, and way out in the river he comes flying out of the water, two then three times. Promptly heads downstream and again all I can do is hold on. Took me a good ten minutes at least to land that 23 inch whitefish. I don't care what kind of fish it is, when it gives you that kind of a fight.

[agbff]

Never heard of eating white fish? Any body have any expierience here haha

[H2O]

Never heard of eating white fish? Any body have any expierience here haha

 

 

I'd never eat anything out of the Bow, but whities taste good out of the Crow in the winter.

[agbff]

No definetly not out of the bow.... Would white fish be eating some of the same things as trout, maybe more nymphs?

[Taco]

Very good brined and hot smoked with willow or alder. My father used to fall over himself to help whenever I brought a gunny sack full home to smoke. The limit used to be 100/day

 

Mostly a nymph feeder although they do surface feed they seem to mostly slap it down and eat it drowned. They like small drowned hoppers in season too, no larger than a sz12

[Harps]

Taken on a size 6 hopper a couple years ago:

 

Great fight!

[birchy]

You wanna talk whitefish do ya?? Here's a "thread for the ages": (Seriously.. if this doesn't get some of you senior members of FFC laughing again.. there's something wrong with ya!)

 

http://flyfishcalgary.com/board/index.php?...ic=347&st=0

[Guest 420FLYFISHIN]

yo, i thought the ones we got were a good size. I had no idea that got to the 6lb mark.

[Taco]

Harpy, that whitey's a pig, it could eat a sz2 hopper

[Jayhad]

Jayhad. If you wanna catch whites use san juan worms in a size 6 or 8. They'll hit them quite a bit. Use an indicator or not. Its personal preference.

 

I caught a massive white on a #6 golden stone one day and almost the whole fly was in his mouth.

 

Thanks for the tips I will try to convince 420 to go out to "the" spot this week. I have 80 or so sanjuans left from my tying frenzy last winter.

 

I have no problem fishing for these guys, hell I am headed to the Harrison in mid october to fish Chum, Brown, rainbow, brook or white they are all fish.

 

Jayhad

[Harps]

Harpy, that whitey's a pig, it could eat a sz2 hopper

 

It was unexpected....

 

 

 

We need to stop being race... fishist and respect Whitefish for what they are>> an excellent sportfish, an important part of the ecosystem (trout love to eat them), and a really cool fish to see while snorkelling!!!

 

 

Whitefish are people too!