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The Much Maligned Whitefish


reevesr1

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Thats some big ass rocks in that river! How did they get so square?

 

OK its a pool off to the side of a river that is feed by the river and in the regs its part of the river but it happens to be below a dam so I'm sure the Lakers like the lake above the dam but somehow end up in the pool that is part of the river below the dam :huh:

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How about we look @ the fish on how hard they are to catch on dries.

 

In my experience from toughest to easy it goes:

 

Suckers

Whitefish

Brookies

Browns

Rainbows

Cuts.

 

So why don't we target the ones that really get our thinking caps on - but no we get all excited about the easiest fish in town. Go figure!!! And worse than that - some of us brag about it.

 

catch ya'

 

 

Don

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One of my favorite days fishing was at sunset on a small Alberta creek fishing for 5 inch whities rising to the dry. I like em i think of them as the save the day fish only because theyèr ussually not the target my ideal fish is that 16 to 18 inch rainbow that thinks he`s a bad ass.

Wasn't that the day we stopped coming home from the bullie trip? 2 days of fishing for big cutties and bullies in BC, with very mixed success, and taking a bit of a side trip to said small alberta creek on the way home-and close the day laughing our assess off at the little whities.

 

There were so many fish rising it was like rain. We thought they were little rainbows and hoped there might be the odd bigger fish in the group. We also changed flies numerous times before the first tiny whitie was actually hooked.

 

And no, we did not continue to fish for them. Just a couple to confirm they were all whities!!

 

 

 

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I hate to say this but Dryfly and I are experiencing "selective whitefish" more and more this winter........We target them on the Oldman and Crow in the winter since we both subsribe to the "tug is the drug" philosophy (I love that expression)........Snce last November we've had several quite humbling experiences with the maligned RMWF........I fully agree with those posts who liken them to bonefish in all but a few characteristics---i.e. speed, fight, stamina, water temp., selectivity, spookiness, bragability,---shall I go on??

And by the way, if you want to get into some SERIOUS lake whitefish action on the fly, get Dryfly to take you out one evening to his secret spot at Chin Reservoir..........the action is absolutely non stop..........:)

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HA HA HA.

 

Nah..his ass was sore from sitting motionless on the rocks waiting for Mr. Whitie to bite. adc has been to Chin with me two times. Both of us skunked both times when he's along...the ONLY times I've been skunked there.... yet another example of the Curse of Allan...heck my granddaughter has caught lake whities at Chin!! :P

 

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Cool post Rickr. Lots of good ideas in there.

 

I do think that braggability comes into play quite a bit. But I'll tell you why I dont like whitefish. 1) UUUUUUUUUUgly. 2) They don't fight well. I know you say they pull like a log, but who wants to fight a log. If I wanted that I could tie my leader to a piece of driftwood and kick it down stream. It's all about running and jumping. That's why bows are the tops for me.

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They don't fight well. I know you say they pull like a log, but who wants to fight a log.

They don't always fight well, but they quite often do, at least until they get big. But they don't tend to run, unless you are like Rev Bob and fish with a 3 wt all the time.

 

I've enjoyed this thread. Like many things in life, there is no right answer, and peoples public position can be signficantly different than their private behavior. In the end, to each his own. I like sticking up for the whitie because he is an underdog and I think underappreciated. He is not a trout, lord knows, but has earned my respect, sometimes anyway. Anyone around here casts aspersions on my friend the whitie, expect me to come to his defense!

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They don't always fight well, but quite often, until they get real big, they do. But they don't tend to run, unless you are like Rev Bob and fish with a 3 wt all the time.

 

I've enjoyed this thread. Like many things in life, there is no right answer, and peoples public position can be signficantly different than their private behavior. In the end, to each his own. I like sticking up for the whitie because he is an underdog and I think underappreciated. He is not a trout, lord knows, but has earned my respect, sometimes anyway. Anyone around here casts aspersions on my friend the whitie, expect me to come to his defense!

 

Good post Rick and I'm glad someone is going to defend them because they may need it one day.......I was intriqued by your comments on how Galveston Bay was once full of tarpon that nobody fished for.........I'm with you---tarpon are the ULTIMATE game fish and if I could catch only one species for the rest of my life it would be tarpon.....Good post.......

Oh and by the way, Clive SAYS that he and his grandkids have caught lake whities at Chin but I have never seen him even get a strike.....Now that may be my curse or could it be that he's, well, LYING??

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:lol: :lol:

 

Al we should sell all of our gear and join a convent ... :lol: :lol:

 

Chin ... July 2006 .. they actually hooked one each and landed both single handed.

 

 

 

Now that may be my curse or could it be that he's, well, LYING??

 

Mr. Speaker I want to apologize to my esteemed colleague for my above remarks.......It is apparent by his recent post that Mr. Clive was NOT lying and I apologize for any embarrassment my remarks may have caused........

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I dont care what anyone says, I will take smoked rocky mountain whitefish as my favourite smoked fish anyday! Reminds me of being a young teenager waking up at 5 am to bike down to the bow with my best friend and fish for em with maggots on #14s with weights made out of cloth hangers and have my grandpa smoke em up for us in Cochrane, nothing better than that.

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I'm in agreement that whities get a bad rap. They have certainly saved many days for me this winter and can put up a decent fight when they get big enough. I've enjoyed hearing people talk about how good they are smoked....will have to try that sometime this summer.

 

Hooked into a football of a cracker yesterday. Not the longest one I've netted, but certainly the heftiest!

 

I usually don't photograph fish, as I hate putting extra stress on them, but had to take one here. Don't worry, he was only out of the water for a few seconds. Any advice on shooting pix when you're flying solo???

 

The second whitie was taken from the Yellowstone last fall. Had a foul hook on the dorsal fin which prompted a 15 minute fight to the net!

 

http://flyfishcalgary.com/board/index.php?showtopic=6266

post-2769-1235345155.jpg

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Don't forget the burbot

 

So speaking of burbot, what kind of steak fly was that one caught on??........I have some fond memories of catching burbot (we called them ling) in the Red Deer downstream of Drumheller when I was a kid.......Used to use a night line (an old green cord thing about 9/0 diameter) that had a couple of snelled hooks and a bolt for a sinker........First thing in the spring after ice-out when the river was high and the color of chocolat milk, bait each hook with a chunk of chuck..........Attach the line to a stake, pound the stake into the ground at water's edge, swing about 4 feet of line around your head and heave 'er out..........Let it sit overnight and check it in the morning.........Usally a ling on each hook........I had a big nail pounded into a tree and you just pushed the head through the nail, cut the skin around the head and peeled it down an inch, then grabbed the skin with a couple pairs of pliers and pulled like hell........The result is one of the finest eating fish this side of the salt water...........Best fish and chips you can imagine!..........Haven't caught one in years but my mouths a-waterin'........:)

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"Let it sit overnight and check it in the morning"

 

Damn! I spose there is a statute of limitations on this, eh?

 

Al.. I'll call RAP and if you are convicted I'll get a $300 reward and we can do lunch. :P:D:P:D

 

EDIT: Oh I forgot ... way back then was before there were fishing regulations. :lol:

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