The Bow And Our Economy

[jusfloatin]

I was walking along the Bow today and started thinking what impact the economy being what is is would have on the Bow as the signs say it will get worse. Would I see less fish because more are starting to think of them as food than a sport/hobby.

Would I see more boats only because the cost of going where boats are more acceptable is a matter of cost and how much spendable cash people have.

 

 

I wonder.

[Carlodabroads]

If you quickly walk down to the Bow underneath the community of Cranston and downstream slightly you might be able to ask the guy with 2 rainbows and one brown (so far), all well over 35 cms, sitting dead on the bank. Today at noon When I explained that what i saw on the bank of the river was illegal, when I explained the regs, and explained to him what would happen if he was caught, it didnt seem to matter as he kept fishing with a nice looking apex with 2 trebble hooks on it, clearly not interested in how to release fish. He even offered one of his fish to me to take home to the wife for dinner. I declined.

 

Sadly, our river is overrun with individuals who either dont care to educate themselves to the rules, or play ignorant and purposley break the rules to feed the family.

 

DUe to the fact that I seem to run into poachers 50% of the time I am out, I have now vowed to keep a laminated copy of the Bow River Regulation page in my vest so i can do my part to educate those who just dont know. The others, those who choose to play ignorant, I hope you get mercury poisening.

 

Carlo Dabroads.

[AndyW]

Lets hope the slower economy cuts down on the raft and inner-tube floatillas of drunken bums...

I doubt it will make a difference but maybe they will keep their empties rather than tossing them overboard.

[Nick0Danger]

If you quickly walk down to the Bow underneath the community of Cranston and downstream slightly you might be able to ask the guy with 2 rainbows and one brown (so far), all well over 35 cms, sitting dead on the bank. Today at noon When I explained that what i saw on the bank of the river was illegal, when I explained the regs, and explained to him what would happen if he was caught, it didnt seem to matter as he kept fishing with a nice looking apex with 2 trebble hooks on it, clearly not interested in how to release fish. He even offered one of his fish to me to take home to the wife for dinner. I declined.

 

Sadly, our river is overrun with individuals who either dont care to educate themselves to the rules, or play ignorant and purposley break the rules to feed the family.

 

DUe to the fact that I seem to run into poachers 50% of the time I am out, I have now vowed to keep a laminated copy of the Bow River Regulation page in my vest so i can do my part to educate those who just dont know. The others, those who choose to play ignorant, I hope you get mercury poisening.

 

Carlo Dabroads.

 

Piss on that call em in, and get your reward money or don't but still call em in so they don't take the fish.

[Gil]

Fly fishing is an expensive sport, at least I seem to spend a small fortune anyway. So my guess is the ratio of fly to spinning rods will decrease. Also there will be generally fewer people floating the boat due to the cost of the shuttle, gas etc. The guides are going to be struggling to find clients in the coming year as well. However, as long as I have my job I'll be floating. Maybe I can top the 23 days of floating I did last year....

[headscan]

Lets hope the slower economy cuts down on the raft and inner-tube floatillas of drunken bums...

I doubt it will make a difference but maybe they will keep their empties rather than tossing them overboard.

Unfortunately I think the opposite will be true. Floating down the river with a six pack is a lot cheaper than going to a patio on 17th or something else. When the economy tanks liquor sales go up.

 

[cuttbow]

was trying to target a species lst week. 2 younger guys were at the hole already using ice fishing rods as spin casters. You know the 2 footers. When i approached them wanting to fish the hole, they never even conceiled the fact they were using bait and barbed hooks to snag fish.Gee cell phone in my hand , told them no bait , no barbs. Two other flyfisherman approachad and i asked them if they were their friends. No was the reply . i told them bait was illegal in the area and you must use barbless hooks. I got asked who the@%%$# I was And if i wanted to join in the fun. Easy done one phone call and they stood there and fished for 2 hrs until the co showed up. The one guy said he had read the reg 4 times. oops hope they wont be fishn for a while.

[AndyW]

Unfortunately I think the opposite will be true. Floating down the river with a six pack is a lot cheaper than going to a patio on 17th or something else. When the economy tanks liquor sales go up.

 

Hopefully the bikinis get smaller in a recession. There were some dang fine bikini hatches last summer.

[RussC]

Carlodabroads Posted Today, 03:11 PM

If you quickly walk down to the Bow underneath the community of Cranston and downstream slightly you might be able to ask the guy with 2 rainbows and one brown (so far), all well over 35 cms, sitting dead on the bank. Today at noon When I explained that what i saw on the bank of the river was illegal, when I explained the regs, and explained to him what would happen if he was caught, it didnt seem to matter as he kept fishing with a nice looking apex with 2 trebble hooks on it, clearly not interested in how to release fish. He even offered one of his fish to me to take home to the wife for dinner. I declined.

 

Sadly, our river is overrun with individuals who either dont care to educate themselves to the rules, or play ignorant and purposley break the rules to feed the family.

 

DUe to the fact that I seem to run into poachers 50% of the time I am out, I have now vowed to keep a laminated copy of the Bow River Regulation page in my vest so i can do my part to educate those who just dont know. The others, those who choose to play ignorant, I hope you get mercury poisening.

 

Carlo Dabroads.

 

If you would like to walk along the river and not see these individuals poaching then call Report A Poacher. Thats why it's there, make the call anytime you see someone breaking the rules, and most likely you won't see them again. Have your phone with you, take along a camera. If they leave get a picture of their auto and license plate and pass along the information to the CO. Please report the incident that you speak of below Cranston. The number for Report A Poacher is 1-800-642-3800

 

Russ C

[jusfloatin]

I expect see a lot more of everything good and bad, with more people out there I believe there will be less littering as well as poaching. Even jerks/poachers/litters are less likely to cause problems because of more people being around.

I hate confontation with people when I am by myself reguardless if I am right and just reading the regs.

 

The thing I was thinking the most was what if you thought they were doing it so there was food on there table.

 

I think this happens more than we are willing to believe.

[maxwell]

time will tell what the impact of the economy will have on teh bow and other waters in alberta.. best thing i can say abotu poachers is make them aware some are just ignorant.. but call any of them in! cant the c/o's patrolling if we dont let me know there are problems!!!!! hopefully the guiding wont suffer too much for my sake but i will just halfto waite and see! would be nice if more people fr out of country came here with our dollar being lower than ours but the U S is hurting too and i can see a decline in clients almsot forsure...

[troutlover]

there is what the media say and there is what the educated say. The economy is as bad as she's going to get but it is going to stay the same for a while till they sort *hit out and then she's going to turn and re-grow. Interest rates are at the lowest they have ever been and we can expect them to not go up for a year and if they double we are still looking at the lowest rates ever. Now is the time to borrow cheap money and make investments, buy houses and turn expensive debt into the cheapest debt we have ever had the opportunity to finance. Soon all the spectators are going to quit listening to the media and start looking to the facts and we are going to see people start to spend and jobs return. I think your going to see more people fishing this year and booking guides with the rat race we were all running during the boom i think this slow down brings us into more normal work hrs. and more time to focus on family and the hobbies we love.

[luukesh]

there is what the media say and there is what the educated say. The economy is as bad as she's going to get but it is going to stay the same for a while till they sort *hit out and then she's going to turn and re-grow. Interest rates are at the lowest they have ever been and we can expect them to not go up for a year and if they double we are still looking at the lowest rates ever. Now is the time to borrow cheap money and make investments, buy houses and turn expensive debt into the cheapest debt we have ever had the opportunity to finance. Soon all the spectators are going to quit listening to the media and start looking to the facts and we are going to see people start to spend and jobs return. I think your going to see more people fishing this year and booking guides with the rat race we were all running during the boom i think this slow down brings us into more normal work hrs. and more time to focus on family and the hobbies we love.

 

well said, I agree

[Nick0Danger]

This mess would not be half as big if it was not for the media.

[LynnF]

I'm kinda hoping, in light of the fact that we plan to fish the *hit outta the Bow this year, that the cost of shuttles goes down. Surely they can't go up this year.....

[Nick0Danger]

I'm kinda hoping, in light of the fact that we plan to fish the *hit outta the Bow this year, that the cost of shuttles goes down. Surely they can't go up this year.....

 

I hope not, the price of gas is down so i hope the price of the shuttles will go down, but in reality it will likely stay at 60 bucks.

[LynnF]

I hope not, the price of gas is down so i hope the price of the shuttles will go down, but in reality it will likely stay at 60 bucks.

 

60 BUCKS???????????????????? Last time we fished it was $45! Anyone know the price range last year between the different companies? How many are out there now?

[Nick0Danger]

60 BUCKS???????????????????? Last time we fished it was $45! Anyone know the price range last year between the different companies? How many are out there now?

 

 

Maybe it was 50, but im pretty sure harry said it was 60, perhaps he was pulling a fast one on me LOL.

[seanbritt]

Good thought provoking thread! I have to say, I'm quite fortunate in that I don't read newspapers or watch the television, so don't get trapped into the "lack" thought process that the media is driving across North America. Don't get me wrong, I have felt the impacts of the economy as I lost my job in Dec. and will be starting a new one April 1. I think the key is the mindset with which you approach it. If you think of always lacking, then often that will manifest. However, if you think positively that you will always have that which you need (not necessarily want) then I find things tend to work out.

 

As for how the economy may hit the bow, I honestly don't expect much difference other than perhaps slower drift traffic and not as many new "big" purchases...such as a new rod, etc. Thinking back from personal experience, people tend to prioritize that which is important to them during these times....which often includes some type of hobby to keep your sanity. For some this is drinking, smoking, etc., while for others it may be biking or fishing. Despite my work situation, I still managed to feed the local fly-fishing economy and plan to do my annual b-day float again.

 

One way to boost your income though is to prowl the banks and just report poachers all day long! Too bad they didn't have a volunteer co position where we could issue fines, etc. right then and there.

[Gil]

Maybe it was 50, but im pretty sure harry said it was 60, perhaps he was pulling a fast one on me LOL.

If you were using Louise Shotton it was $50 last year. By the way, I've been using Louise regularly for a number of years now, with no issues yet. I've finally convinced a couple of my friends to get pontoon boats so I'm hoping this year that I can do our own shuttlling and save some cash.

[Golfman09]

I would agree with people prioritizing things during this time and choosing way to recreate even if they have seen a decrease in income. It may be negative for the guides but regardless people will have more time this year in comparison to years gone by because of the lack of work. That may lead to more wading traffic as it is the least expensive way to fish. I know for myself I did make a bigger purchase(drift boat) but that was something that was in the works before all of this really started to affect my income. But, once that single purchase is made I am making decisions on where to fish based on cost as my regular income has dropped noticeably.

 

One of the nice things about fly fishing is that once you have a license and a few basics you can access several places to fish. We don't NEED the $1000 rods or reels....although they can improve the experience. But at several levels you can fly fish for pretty reasonable dollars.

 

Through all of this I plan to fish more than in the last couple of years because the time is there.

[Tungsten]

So far this year i have seen more anglers then in the past,and as the year goes on we will see more.We will see more boats too ,people that have bought boats in the last 5 or so years now have time to use them.Guys that like to golf and fish will be fishing more rather then playing golf.

 

I think that the guiding community will loose a few trips from the locals but i think it will hold its own because people have more time and remember talking a guided trip on the bow is probably pretty high on most out of town fly fishers lists.

 

Myself i plan to fish more too,good thing i have all what i need and will only have to pay for gas for a full day of entertainment.

[jusfloatin]

I bet you will see a big jump not only in the amount boats and but boat types. People that own jet boats will no longer take them to the Red when we have a spot like Policemans Flats. Its close, brand new and fits lots of people and trailers.

I even expect to see lots of aluminum boats with guards on there 2 stroke prop drives.

 

 

[acurrie]

If you were using Louise Shotton it was $50 last year. By the way, I've been using Louise regularly for a number of years now, with no issues yet. I've finally convinced a couple of my friends to get pontoon boats so I'm hoping this year that I can do our own shuttlling and save some cash.

 

 

Why don't we just start a new thread for the Summer. Unlike the "Get togethers" section, make it specifically for sharing rides so us guys with Pontoons can float on a regular basis. I know that i never once floated the Bow because i was to cheap to pay for a shuttle and my wife doesn't get amused when i ask her for a pickup

 

Maybe call it "Pontoon Floats and Rides"

 

Good way to meet people on the board, share some info, and save some much needed $$$$$.

 

 

Just an Idea.

 

[reevesr1]

This mess would not be half as big if it was not for the media.

 

I'm not so sure about that. How do we know it wouldn't be worse? The worst economic crises were the Great Depression in the 30s and there was a crash in the 1880s or 90s that were both worse than this is projected to be. Much less media around then. There was mass panic then too. Probably worse than now.

 

In some ways, the media striking fear in us is good. If it helps people get their debt under control, that is good. You can also use fear to your advantage as an investor. As Mr. Buffet says, when everyone else is selling, buy.