Rant

[Guest guito]

I wonder what people are thinking when they talk about (frenchmans creeks) on public forums. There are very few places a person can go nowadays and not see other anglers. One of the reasons I enjoy fly fishing is that I can go somewhere and not think about all the sh*t happening in everyday life. Gone are the days of walking in to avoid fishing pressure, cause now people just jump on their quad and beat you there. Just remember if you find a place that you have all to yourself don't tell anyone, cause if you do don't be suprised if someone is already there along with their friends and so on.

 

Don't get me wrong I like seeing fish pictures and videos as much as the next person. But think before you post, does this picture give away where I am fishing? I would like to give credit to the humblefisherman for their videos, they seem to walk into distace locations, film the fish they catch but never have I seen them mention where they are!!! (atleast in the couple videos I watched) There is a reason why these guys catch the fish they do and it's not just all skill.

 

You might think I'm full of sh*t but with all the people fishing it won't be long before someone finds out your secret spot. If they do I hope it's the old fashion way of getting off your butt and seaching out new areas.

 

This is not directed at anyone post or poster, but just an observation I have made over the last few years

 

Guito

 

 

 

 

[rusty]

Tough call....

 

I've seen some of my favorite spots get posted here with, in my opinion, waaay to much information given about access, etc. Hell, you could drive 541 a few years ago and see two or three cars on the Highwood - now it's really rare to not see guys at every hole most weekends. 10 years ago you could be shot in some circles for mentioning the Livingstone in a crowded flyshop. I still know of a few places really close to town that fish well and don't get a lot of attention, but I also know that it's only a matter of time before they get a lot more busy.

 

However, every single person who's fishing these places is another set of eyes on the lookout for poachers. No one here is killing wild fish, and the more people who fish these rivers the more people there are who will contribute to Streamwatch and other similar efforts. I think it's a huge feather in this board's cap that we pulled together $15,000 over two years for the cause, and I know that as the word gets out and the program gets going more that the numbers will continue to go up.

 

I can see how you don't like the amount of publicity it's giving some less well known spots, but it's also teaching a lot of people about conservation ethics, proper fish handling, and it's allowing newcomers to the sport a much gentler learning curve. It also seems to be a great spot to recover lost gear.

[Guest 420FLYFISHIN]

if they dont put in any leg work they dont deserve any of the fish! I have made the mistake of doing that to a great spot that in the past but i am getting better and better about not letting out the names of the small stuff that i like to fish.

 

I find there is a minimum distance from civilization that you must travel to get away from the rest of the jebronies. It is about 1.5 to 2 hours out of the city before the # of people starts to significantly drop off (both 4x4s and fishermen alike).

[reevesr1]

I don't think very many people actually say the names of the small water they fish (though there have been some recent discussions). If someone gets some creek background in a shot and you recognize it, you shouldn't assume others do. And if they do recognize it, that only means they've fished that body of water several times in the past and already know it fishes well. You do see people talking about the Oldman, Linvingstone, Crow, Castle system, etc., but those are hardly secrets. And discussion of access? Well I guess I can see where some would have issues, but really all you have to do is pick up Barry Mitchell's book to learn all the access you are likely to ever need, though I imagine he made a lot of locals mad. I for one am very glad he did.

 

To me, I think that it is our duty to share our passion for the sport. Talking about fishing trips, how they went, techniques we used and places we went, spoken of typically in generalities, helps us do that. I certainly recognize that this could mean someone is fishing water I want to fish from time to time. But I think that is a exceedingly small price to pay if our discussion of fishing has inspired others to learn to enjoy the sport.

 

Over the past several years I have used this board and it's members to teach me how to fish this river in particular, and how to fly fish in general. I'm sure I'm not the only one. To not share information I've learned with other members would be wrong. (and guito, I don't know if you directed your post at me, nor am I in any way offended by it!!)

 

All that said, I know of a couple of creeks myself that if I ever saw them written in print anywhere, I would be pretty choked. Guess that makes me a bit of a hypocrite.

[Taco]

You know I don't quite agree with you Blair, more friends blah blah blah and because I do @ times respect others wishes and feelin' I won't give rickr a coronary right now but because I'm a incurable smartass and think this subject is vastly overblown IMNSHO; 49 53'31.86"N 108 43' 19.12"W browns up to 8lbs. Have fun.

 

 

 

edit; corrected co-ordinates, came damn close to givin' Reeves a heart attack,

[Bigtoad]

It's interesting, but probably 3 out of my biggest 5 browns from Stauffer (20 inch range) have been caught within 30 yards of either bridges or easy access points that we see an incredible amount of fishing pressure. At least for C & R waters, I think this little piece of anecdotal evidence at least makes me start to rethink my ideas that heavy fishing pressure = smaller/less fish. I definitely agree that in catch and keep this would be different but I'm not convinced it's true on C & R one's.

 

Also, how will any of us know if we are giving away a secret spot or stepping on someone's toes? I recommend that we use this thread to list ALL of the secret spots that people have, and that way, people will know that they shouldn't mention anything about waters on the list?

 

My $0.02

 

Cheers.

[kungfool]

I digress...

[bloom]

You know I don't quite agree with you Blair, more friends blah blah blah and because I do @ times respect others wishes and feelin' I won't give rickr a coronary right now but because I'm a incurable smartass and think this subject is vastly overblown IMNSHO; 49 53'31.86"N 108 43' 19.12"W browns up to 8lbs. Have fun.

 

 

 

edit; corrected co-ordinates, came damn close to givin' Reeves a heart attack,

 

 

OK, giving coordinates to some mosquito invested stream in saskabush aint being a smartass I've fished it, and the masses can have it...8lb browns and all. Don't think I'll ever be back there again in +35 C heat in mid July.

 

Lets see the coordinates for those streams that contain pure genetic cutties, up to 20'' and are only a 5 min walk from a parking spot. Don't you have any of those in your back yard.

 

And for being a red neck old timer, you're pretty good with the internet short hand (IMNSHO...WTHTM)....(Whatever The Hell That Means )

[headscan]

Meh, this debate has been going on for ages. If it isn't internet forums, it's magazines or books. Rick, I'm pretty sure Barry Mitchell did make a lot of people mad both with his book and the annual guide. I think most people will fish within 50 yards of the spot/access point they read about and if they don't get into a lot of fish or big fish within a couple of hours don't bother going back. When I see a spot I know get posted here I just avoid it for a week or so. There may be one or two more new "regulars" at that spot but there are plenty of other places to fish and I don't mind fishing with people I run into on the river. With the increasing population you're bound to see a few more people out there.

[Taco]

OK, giving coordinates to some mosquito invested stream in saskabush aint being a smartass I've fished it, and the masses can have it...8lb browns and all. Don't think I'll ever be back there again in +35 C heat in mid July.

 

Lets see the coordinates for those streams that contain pure genetic cutties, up to 20'' and are only a 5 min walk from a parking spot. Don't you have any of those in your back yard.

 

And for being a red neck old timer, you're pretty good with the internet short hand (IMNSHO...WTHTM)....(Whatever The Hell That Means )

 

I did post the co-ordinates for a good little cutty stream a while back but it ain't a 5 min walk and you might hafta kick bear *hit outta the way, Fall outta your car fishin'? that you can find yourself, Need to work for it fishin'? that I don't have a problem with telling the world where and how. I can think of only 2 tiny foothill streams where I ain't sayin nothin' to nobody because of native populations teeterin' on the edge.

 

 

"InMyNotSoHumbleOpinion"

[headscan]

I can think of only 2 tiny foothill streams where I ain't sayin nothin' to nobody because of native populations teeterin' on the edge.

Yeah, someone posting that sort of info wouldn't be good. But then again I'd hope that the people who know where those are would also know better than to post them or tell too many people about them.

[Keith]

I wonder what people are thinking when they talk about (frenchmans creeks) on public forums. There are very few places a person can go nowadays and not see other anglers. One of the reasons I enjoy fly fishing is that I can go somewhere and not think about all the sh*t happening in everyday life. Gone are the days of walking in to avoid fishing pressure, cause now people just jump on their quad and beat you there. Just remember if you find a place that you have all to yourself don't tell anyone, cause if you do don't be suprised if someone is already there along with their friends and so on.

 

Don't get me wrong I like seeing fish pictures and videos as much as the next person. But think before you post, does this picture give away where I am fishing? I would like to give credit to the humblefisherman for their videos, they seem to walk into distace locations, film the fish they catch but never have I seen them mention where they are!!! (atleast in the couple videos I watched) There is a reason why these guys catch the fish they do and it's not just all skill.

 

You might think I'm full of sh*t but with all the people fishing it won't be long before someone finds out your secret spot. If they do I hope it's the old fashion way of getting off your butt and seaching out new areas.

 

This is not directed at anyone post or poster, but just an observation I have made over the last few years

 

Guito

 

An old debate, but I couldn't agree more. No problem in talking about the famous waters like the Bow, Crow or Stuaffer, but if you find good fishing and there is no one there you aren't doing yourself any favors by advertising.

 

[Hawgstoppah]

The only fish in alberta live in the bow, crow, oldman, livingstone, stuaffer, and red deer rivers. leave all the others ones alone they suck

[Guest guito]

Rusty, you make some very valid points about the more people fishing the more eyes on the river. Like you said most of today's flyfisherman practise catch and release and are more awhere of fish handling and conservation and I attribute boards like this to helping educate people. There definatly is a place for forms like this. This board has done a lot for the conservation of our streams by hosting the streamwatch auction and helping pay for a CO and by having knowledgable people who don't mind helping out with advice.

 

Rickr no my post had nothing to do with something you said or posted. I totally agree it is great to share our passion for the sport we all love but I still think there is a proper way to go about it. Talking about rivers that everyone knows about such as the Crow, Bow, Reddeer aren't places that are concidered secret spots and can handle the pressure. There is a reason these waters are well known because they are great fisheries.

 

Taco, you know me and you tend to have different opinions but thats fine, I still won't go out a tell anyone of your secrets streams, and if I choose to fish them I will either fish alone or with you because I respect you for letting me in on those streams and I will never mention there names in conversation.

 

As we get older the need to fish with someone else increases and if you want to fish these areas you might have to let someone in on your secret spot. If you are lucky enough to be shown and asked not to tell anyone respect that person and keep it to yourself.

 

Guito

[Taco]

I know that Blair, it's all about mutual respect, you give you get

 

We need to do that brown trout canyon I showed you last time out, some grey day this fall maybe.

[fish4trout]

Quite simple, people need there stuff stroked for catching some nice fish. They need the ego boost. Sad...

[SilverDoctor]

That's why I don't post as much as I did a few years ago. Posted a picture here of a beauty of a brown showing location. Caught her a couple of times. Found her dead and filleted on the bank a couple of days later. Not only fly fishermen read this forum. Mind you the older I get for me it's more about the fishing then the fish.

[headscan]

Mind you the older I get for me it's more about the fishing then the fish.

Ditto.

[TimSmith]

It is not only fishing pressure that is effected by some small stream posts but

anybody given any thought to the 'unintended consequences' of wading pressure

on the bug life in the stream beds of some of our favourite smaller wadeable streams

we seem to like to share on the internet ? How much stream bed disturbance would

the Crow, Livingstone etc see in a year ? There might even be some correlation in the perceived

decrease in hatches on some streams in relation to wading pressure. Maybe keep it in

mind and if wading tread lightly or better yet fish from the bank if possible. It is not

just fishing pressure we inflict.

[Tungsten]

Not only fly fishermen read this forum.

 

Exactly, at any given time there are twice as many Guests as members reading.One can not be to careful when it comes to wild fish.

[Gil]

I've given up on this fight. Ever time the subject is brought up (repeatedly) people are just compelled to share more info just to the other side off regardless of how they impact the quality of fishing....

[reevesr1]

I've given up on this fight. Ever time the subject is brought up (repeatedly) people are just compelled to share more info just to the other side off regardless of how they impact the quality of fishing....

 

Who exactly is the other side? Are we competing with someone I am unaware of?

 

 

 

[Gil]

Who exactly is the other side? Are we competing with someone I am unaware of?

I'm speaking of the positions taken with regard to the discussion at hand. Not aware of any mention of a competion in this thread.

[nick]

The problem isn't that the streams become more well known in the long run, because in AB most of our good ones are known -people just don't always fish them-, but rather the majority of fishermen will wait until the word is "hot," then head out en masse. Hence the crowding. Often though, as others have mentioned, the fad is short lived, because someone else will blab about a different spot, and the race there will begin. The difference with Barry's book and an internet post is this: his book mentioned everything at once, while a report lets everyone read about ONE PLACE. Again, hence the instant crowd. People may think that Barry Mitchell blew the whistle on a spot or two, but I can honestly say only two spots in his book were places I had either never heard about, or seriously contemplated going to. The Internet my friends, is a totally different monster than a book.

 

Nick

[mikefromsundre]

It is not just posts here -it is a much bigger ball game. I think I commented about this a few years back. Yes there are more people giving out info. The sport has grown. Question -how many people reading this were fishing 10 years ago, 15, or 20? We all start off on the common easy to access streams and will naturally want to explore further afield.

10 years ago I could easily spend 3 days on the Ram and be the only person there. It was easy to find a spot to be by yourself any evening on the Crow. Not now. So we move further out. Last year I had a group from the US tell me where the fishing was good on the Livingston. Several years ago I met 3 different groups one cold day in Aug. on the Crow all were from the US. How many of you saw the recent article in Cdn. Fly Fisherman about SW AB. written by a fella from California?

This is why I promote the hell out of Sundre's great golf courses. Coyote Creek G.C. was filled solid this weekend. Excellant that means they were not on my local streams.