We received an email from Anita Wolf of the Reel Hookers Fly Fishing Club in Calgary. The club has closed its doors. Hopefully energy from within might carry it forward. From what we'd heard it was a positive club that will be missed. Best of luck and we wish your situation well.
A&D Jensen
Friday, February 27, 2015
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
The way we are
NZ, 2010:
Amelia & I had been spending the day in bright sunshine spotting and taking fish. It was the break through day after a couple of tough weeks of rain and cloud, which really hamper the sighting. Through that tough stretch, we still caught many fish each day, it's just that the going is slower and the eyes have to really be zoned in. Not this day, however. The river glowed a west coast gold, crystal clear and of perfect flow. On the first bank we came to, 800m above the highway bridge, there were 6 trout, spaced 10m from each other, lined up along shore. It was a happy time. The only disappointment came as Amelia stepped into the casting zone to hook the last one. It was as much a gimmie as the others had been. As she stripped her line from the reel, literally out of nowhere came a dust devil about 80 feet high right up the shoreline seam. This mini-tornado went right over the trout, sending it for cover mid river. Like I've said to others about out last 6 weeks to NZ this year, we hooked everything we cast to. She never had a chance. It was a really neat interruption to our day. Neat that it happened. I still giggle when thinking of it, and that my only comment to her was "That was your fish. My turn!"
That day will certainly go down as the first really solid break through. It was hot, sunny, and we walked a good distance. The fish glowed in the water. Things were quite obvious. The fish were all nice trout, in the 4.5 to 8 pound range... about 22 to 28". Nice fish. I was still hoping for something more, however. I was still at the stage of hoping to crack 10 pounds in NZ. AJ had already done it a few times earlier in the trip in a couple of intimate streams. For me, I simply watched and enjoyed her shaking and squealing on the first one, then just enjoy the others. Seeing trout that size was fun. I just wanted one.
As it unfolded, we were walking along this river. It had been given rip rap armoring on the out turns of this reach to protect the saw mill on the north shore. This, the only development on the river, which spends much of its time racing through beech forests and virgin hills. We were just touching on the lowest reach. The rip rap looked similar to rip rap on the Red Deer about 2 km below the dam. Like many rip rapped corners, it created a few deep pools. And it was in one such pool that we came to that a large, dark shadow was holding. It fed a couple of times to its right (the deeper side), but would not come left. AJ was setting up the video camera, but I just wanted to flip my fly, catch it, move on. I knew it was large but wasn't really too concerned about it. It was just another fish in a series of just another series of good fish 5 to 8 pounds. I was excited to have a go and decided to cast before she was ready. My first cast was left (inside) of the fish. No dice. My next cast was about right and lo and behold it took. It didn't look too long but I simply couldn't budge it. It literally owned me for the next 10 minutes as I waded back and forth to try to turn the fish. It wasn't until it finally came to net that we realized that I'd cracked 10 pounds.
It wasn't a mind blowing experience. It was just big. I was no more nervous about casting to it than any other trout on the trip - less, if so honest. I was not impressed by its fight nor its wariness as compared to other trout - each was about right. I was impressed that it was so fat because it had been feeding on mice up in the hills. That was neat. But, my desire to chase after big, fat trout waned right there and then. I'd done it, but so what? Honestly, size matters so little as related to the other matters of where, how, when, why, and a couple dozen other "what" factors that create intensity for moments. To flip a fly at a fish sitting in cutthroat water, knowing it will feed, it doesn't matter if it's a 10" cutthroat or a 10.25 pound brown. It's going to happen. It's fun, but it's essentially the same. I sure had my 10 pound brown. We just spent most of the rest of the trip trying to find places to make it a little harder on ourselves. It's just the way we are.
Amelia & I had been spending the day in bright sunshine spotting and taking fish. It was the break through day after a couple of tough weeks of rain and cloud, which really hamper the sighting. Through that tough stretch, we still caught many fish each day, it's just that the going is slower and the eyes have to really be zoned in. Not this day, however. The river glowed a west coast gold, crystal clear and of perfect flow. On the first bank we came to, 800m above the highway bridge, there were 6 trout, spaced 10m from each other, lined up along shore. It was a happy time. The only disappointment came as Amelia stepped into the casting zone to hook the last one. It was as much a gimmie as the others had been. As she stripped her line from the reel, literally out of nowhere came a dust devil about 80 feet high right up the shoreline seam. This mini-tornado went right over the trout, sending it for cover mid river. Like I've said to others about out last 6 weeks to NZ this year, we hooked everything we cast to. She never had a chance. It was a really neat interruption to our day. Neat that it happened. I still giggle when thinking of it, and that my only comment to her was "That was your fish. My turn!"
That day will certainly go down as the first really solid break through. It was hot, sunny, and we walked a good distance. The fish glowed in the water. Things were quite obvious. The fish were all nice trout, in the 4.5 to 8 pound range... about 22 to 28". Nice fish. I was still hoping for something more, however. I was still at the stage of hoping to crack 10 pounds in NZ. AJ had already done it a few times earlier in the trip in a couple of intimate streams. For me, I simply watched and enjoyed her shaking and squealing on the first one, then just enjoy the others. Seeing trout that size was fun. I just wanted one.
As it unfolded, we were walking along this river. It had been given rip rap armoring on the out turns of this reach to protect the saw mill on the north shore. This, the only development on the river, which spends much of its time racing through beech forests and virgin hills. We were just touching on the lowest reach. The rip rap looked similar to rip rap on the Red Deer about 2 km below the dam. Like many rip rapped corners, it created a few deep pools. And it was in one such pool that we came to that a large, dark shadow was holding. It fed a couple of times to its right (the deeper side), but would not come left. AJ was setting up the video camera, but I just wanted to flip my fly, catch it, move on. I knew it was large but wasn't really too concerned about it. It was just another fish in a series of just another series of good fish 5 to 8 pounds. I was excited to have a go and decided to cast before she was ready. My first cast was left (inside) of the fish. No dice. My next cast was about right and lo and behold it took. It didn't look too long but I simply couldn't budge it. It literally owned me for the next 10 minutes as I waded back and forth to try to turn the fish. It wasn't until it finally came to net that we realized that I'd cracked 10 pounds.
It wasn't a mind blowing experience. It was just big. I was no more nervous about casting to it than any other trout on the trip - less, if so honest. I was not impressed by its fight nor its wariness as compared to other trout - each was about right. I was impressed that it was so fat because it had been feeding on mice up in the hills. That was neat. But, my desire to chase after big, fat trout waned right there and then. I'd done it, but so what? Honestly, size matters so little as related to the other matters of where, how, when, why, and a couple dozen other "what" factors that create intensity for moments. To flip a fly at a fish sitting in cutthroat water, knowing it will feed, it doesn't matter if it's a 10" cutthroat or a 10.25 pound brown. It's going to happen. It's fun, but it's essentially the same. I sure had my 10 pound brown. We just spent most of the rest of the trip trying to find places to make it a little harder on ourselves. It's just the way we are.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Alaska to ban felt soled boots
Ban on felt-soled shoes intended to prevent spread of fish diseases
Starting next season, felt-soled boots will be banned from Juneau waters
A new ban on felt-soled wading shoes is set to take place next year as Juneau fishermen take to freshwater streams with fly rods in hand.
The ban is meant to keep nasty fish diseases from creeping into waters on the waders of traveling fishermen.
A proposal to expand the ban from the Southeast region statewide will be considered by the state Board of Fisheries at its March meeting in Anchorage.
Forty-year fly fisherman Mark Vinsel fishes almost exclusively on the Juneau road system, but has dipped a line in the waters of about 20 states.
Vinsel's first experience catching a rainbow trout infected with whirling disease, in Trukee, Calif., was so repugnant to him that he never cast a line in that stream again.
"It had a kink in its backbone so it had a little bit of a hunchback and a twisted form," he said, adding that infected fish can only swim in tight circles.
Whirling disease is just one communicable fish disease of concern. Didymo, an algae also called rock snot, mud snails and zebra mussels are others that can kill all the fish in a stream.
"The waters where fly fishermen tend to fish and wade have become a map of the spread of these problems," Vinsel said.
They spread by hitchhiking on the bottom of shoes as fishermen tote them between fishing grounds. Felt-bottomed shoes are of particular concern because they tend to stay wet, providing a living habitat for the host to survive away from the infected stream.
Alaska should have been at the forefront of passing measures to protect its streams from infection but that has not been the case, Vinsel said.
"We should absolutely be the leaders in proactive measures and awareness to make sure that we don't cause ruin to the fisheries that we love," he said.
Felt-soled waders provide good traction for standing on wet river stones. They are not that popular in Juneau because they still slip on the glacial silt and slick mud prevalent here.
Fishing guide Arne Johnson is slowly replacing a fleet of felt-soled waders for his business, Bear Creek Outfitters.
"It's ... expense but it's one of those things where the waders are wearing out," he said. Not overly concerned about spreading fish disease in Southeast waters, Johnson said he does understand why the board would pass the ban.
Trout Unlimited is sponsoring the proposal to expand the ban statewide. The organization also worked with manufacturers to phase out felt soles by the end of this year.
The ban on felt-soled wading shoes takes effect in Southeast on Jan. 1, 2011.
The statewide Board of Fisheries meeting is March 16-21.
• Contact reporter Kim Marquis at 523-2279 or kim.marquis@juneauempire.com
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/021810/loc_564577077.shtml
Monday, February 23, 2015
Athabasca R ice report
A random offering: we flew over the Athabasca last week between Hinton and south of Jasper. The river is generally wide open, with the exception of 250m up and down of the bridge on #16 between the gates and Jasper townsite. Lots of open water from the town to the bridge. With this week's forecast, that little bit of ice should clear off.
Weigh scale nets
In New Zealand, the fish are measured in pounds. Inches mean little other than to say a skinny fish caught in spring would be much heavier in the peak of summer - a 32" brown might go from 7 pounds in spring to 11 or 12 in a mouse year. I'm not sure if inches or pounds really matter so much - the fish are big. Does it matter if you catch a 7, 9, or 11 pound fish? Does it really matter if it's 27, 32, or 35 inches? You're in a country that has a finite number of specific, large trout. They'll be big.
Regardless, they have neat nets with weight scales that slide in and out of the handle. Simply lift the fish and pop the end off the net handle and read the scale. Voila, you have a 5 - 51/4 pound trout. Now, if they'd just do something about the mesh that's used in the nets. Remember that old, large weave, nylon braid from the 80s? Just can't be good for the fish, yet you can't find a net that has the newer, soft mesh. Hope that changes soon.
Regardless, they have neat nets with weight scales that slide in and out of the handle. Simply lift the fish and pop the end off the net handle and read the scale. Voila, you have a 5 - 51/4 pound trout. Now, if they'd just do something about the mesh that's used in the nets. Remember that old, large weave, nylon braid from the 80s? Just can't be good for the fish, yet you can't find a net that has the newer, soft mesh. Hope that changes soon.
And there's the 5 - 51/4 pound fish.
A great week to fish the Crowsnest
If you're into late winter fishing, this is the week to fish the Crowsnest. A little windy at times but a little warmer than last week too.
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/ab-17_metric_e.html
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/ab-17_metric_e.html
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Nick Pujic leaves Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine
In case you weren't in the loop, Nick Pujic is in the process of leaving Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine. Nick is largely responsible for the design flair and creative content change the magazine enjoyed the past 7+ years (I might be short on that Nick). His enthusiasm and honesty are unique amongst magazines - few have ever been so open, willing to share, learn, and grow - both himself and with others. He brought a lot to the magazine industry in Canada. If a couple other fly fishing magazines could learn from his integrity, it would be a big step forward. I know I'll miss working with him because he was one of few in the industry that I could trust to follow up on word given to a project or as a sounding board to ideas. As a writer, I only write for and work with magazines that I can trust. I'll miss Nick @ Canadian Fly Fisher, but look forward to continuing to work with the CanFF Magazine.
"Dear friends,
There comes a time within everyone’s professional career when tough decisions must be made in order to continue self development and a healthy and prosperous lifestyle. That time for me has come.
In order to focus my full energy and resources on Fly Max Films, my true passion, I would like to inform you that I’ve decided to move on from my post at The Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine, and divest the ownership of my shares, effective March 1st, 2010. This decision was not an easy one, however I’m very excited about my future ventures.
I know that along side executive producer Paul Langford and producer Tim Myers, Fly Max Films will reach new heights and will set a new standard for fly fishing television productions. I also plan on continuing my role with Hatches Magazine.
Below you will find points of contact at CFF who will be taking over my responsibilities:
Please contact Liz Marshall, of The Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine, in regards to any advertising and marketing matters at info@canflyfish.com
Please contact Chris Marshall, of The Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine, in regards to any editorial or content matters at canflyfish@sympatico.ca
Please contact Jason Marshall, of The Canadian Fly Fisher Magazine, in regards to account receivable / payable matters at jason@canflyfish.com
Thank you all for all of your help and support over the years. I’ve enjoyed working with you, and certainly hope that we stay in touch.
Your support and friendship were very much valued, and I look forward to working with you again.
Should you ever have a need for video production services, no matter how big or small, or if you would like to stay in touch, never hesitate to contact me directly at 613.779.9417 or at my new e-mail address at nick@flymaxfilms.com
From the bottom of my heart, I wish you the very best!
Truly,
Nick Pujic
Office: 613.779.9417
E-Mail: nick@flymaxfilms.com"
Fisheries Round Table Update Email
"Associates…………………plans are underway to hold the next Alberta Fisheries Management Round Table meeting on April 17th.
Executive Director, Fisheries Management Branch, Fish and Wildlife Division
Phone: 780-427-7763, Facsimile: 780-422-9559
Office & Mailing Address: 2nd Flr. - 9920 - 108 Street,
ken.crutchfield@gov.ab.ca
Aotearoa
Sunny days are rarely clear and crisp with deep blue in New Zealand. The Maori name for New Zealand is Aotearoa, or "Land of the long white cloud". In the photo below, AJ's playing a fish we sighted in the glare of the long white cloud. There were many days where we would sit and have lunch on a fine day, watching long lines of cloud travel across the sky.
As we sat on the top of Baseline ridge on our snowshoe hike yesterday, we talked about how different cloud watching is between Alberta and New Zealand. In NZ, the long lines of clouds move rapidly across the sky. As we watched them, we knew we were sitting on a tiny island in the midst of a massive expanse of water, the land a minor interruption to the flow and movement of air. Systems might travel unimpeded thousands of km. In Alberta, as we sat on Baseline ridge yesterday, we may watch thunderstorms develop over the front ranges, but they dissipate before they reach Red Deer most days, 120km east. Cloud watching is unique in both places.
The Aotearoa cloud comes during fine weather, or on the leading edges of a new front. It's nothing to set fishing clocks to, and is a bit of a pain when it filters the sun, leaving a milky-silver glare on the water, making sighting a little tougher than you'd think.
As we sat on the top of Baseline ridge on our snowshoe hike yesterday, we talked about how different cloud watching is between Alberta and New Zealand. In NZ, the long lines of clouds move rapidly across the sky. As we watched them, we knew we were sitting on a tiny island in the midst of a massive expanse of water, the land a minor interruption to the flow and movement of air. Systems might travel unimpeded thousands of km. In Alberta, as we sat on Baseline ridge yesterday, we may watch thunderstorms develop over the front ranges, but they dissipate before they reach Red Deer most days, 120km east. Cloud watching is unique in both places.
The Aotearoa cloud comes during fine weather, or on the leading edges of a new front. It's nothing to set fishing clocks to, and is a bit of a pain when it filters the sun, leaving a milky-silver glare on the water, making sighting a little tougher than you'd think.
Temperature swings
Sunday was a wonderful day for a snowshoeing up Baseline ridge tower road just west of Strachan. There really was no need for the snowshoes, some kind of lighter crampon would have been better. We just needed something to give better grip than hikers. The snow was packed by ski-doo tracks but slushy. We left home at -14 in Red Deer. By the time we arrived it was +10C. A gorgeous day. If you haven't noticed lately, the weather at the first ranges and west has been much warmer than the rest of the province. On our way home it remained warm until we got to hwy #22, where the thermometer dropped like a rock. It fell to -4 again by Eckville, 20 minutes up the road. A great day to be out on a mountain top.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
My Wild ALberta Updates/News
We have a number of interesting and new events coming up over the next while. The following is a brief summary about the various activities. More detailed information is available from the contact information provided.
Outdoor Youth Club Bow Building Workshop – Sunday, February 21, 2010
Hosted by: Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association
Location: Edmonton Conservation Centre For Excellence - # 87, 4003 – 98th Street, Edmonton.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $60.00 plus GST
Are you between the ages of 10-17?
Would you like to build and take home your own long bow? Join us for a day of learning and building!
For more information or to register: Contact the Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association at 780.466.6682
Ladies Bow Building Workshop – Friday, March 5, 2010
Hosted by: Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association & Hunting For Tomorrow
Location: Edmonton Conservation Centre For Excellence - # 87, 4003 – 98th Street, Edmonton.
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $100.00 plus GST
Would you like to build and take home your own long bow? Join us for a day of learning and building!
For more information or to register: Contact the Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association at 780.466.6682
Edmonton Boat and Sportsmen’s Show: March 18 – 21, 2010
Location: Edmonton Northlands
Show Times:
Thursday March 18th: 12:00 – 9:00 PM
Friday March 19th: 12:00 – 9:00 PM
Saturday March 20th: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday March 21st: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Admission Prices
Adults $12.00
Juniors (Ages 6 to 15) $8.00
Seniors (Ages 65+) $9.00
Children (Under 6 years) Free when accompanied by a paid adult
Family Pass (2 Adults & 2 Juniors) $30.00
* Show your WIN card and save $2.00 off the admission price. Valid only on admissions purchased at the door from a ticket seller.
Fly Tying Workshop: March 23, 2010
Location: Edmonton Conservation Centre For Excellence - # 87, 4003 – 98th Street, Edmonton.
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Cost: $60.00 plus GST
Learn the basics of fly tying in this workshop for all ages and all levels of ability.
For more information or to register: Contact the Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association at 780.466.6682
The Fishin’ Hole/Campers Village Outdoor Show & Sale: March 25 – 28, 2010
Location: Mayfield Trade Centre, 16615 – 109 Avenue, Edmonton
Thursday March 25th: 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Friday March 26th: Noon – 9:00 PM
Saturday March 27th: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Sunday March 28th: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Check out the latest in outdoor gear & shop the sale!
• Meet the brand reps that supply our products – Asolo, Eagle Creek, Icebreaker, Merrell, Outdoor Research, Osprey, Outbound, Teva & more
• Participate in hourly seminars on a variety of outdoor topics
• Enter a draw for our $1000 camping/fishing package
This is a Free Parking Free Admission Event. Please bring a donation for the Edmonton Food Bank
Volunteers Needed:
There are a number of areas that we can use your help with.
1. Virtual Fishing
2. Archery Simulator
3. Shooting Simulators
4. Pellet Gun Shooting
5. Assisting With Youth Club Display
6. Raffle Ticket Sales
7. A.H.E.I.A. Store - merchandise sales
8. Firearms Challenges (Help is always needed in this area)
9. Handing Out General Information & Literature
These are always very busy events and we are constantly looking for volunteer assistance and this year is no different. All indications are that the shows will be even busier than in previous years. If you are interested in volunteering at either the Edmonton Boat & Sportsmen’s Show or the Campers Village show, please contact Len Gransch at len@aheia.com.
Outdoor Youth Club – Wilderness Camp: April 17-18, 2010
Join us for a two-day camp and learn survival skills, archery, and try out the range with a .22, shotgun, and big bore rifle.
Location: Alford Lake Conservation Education Centre for Excellence. (Located approximately one hour drive West of Innisfail on Highways 54 and 591 (about 24 km West of Caroline) and then approximately 1.6 km North of Highway 591on Range Road 8-3 North).
Cost: $40.00 plus GST per person
Space is limited and you must register in advance. Contact the Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association at 780.466.6682
Pre-registration with payment is due by April 1, 2010
Outdoor Women’s Program: August 11-15, 2010
Join us for the 17th Annual Outdoor Women’s Program! This is one of the largest and finest programs of its kind in North America and is a sell out every year.
Location: Alford Lake Conservation Centre For Excellence
The complete Program information and registration details are available at www.huntingfortomorrow.com or www.aheia.com
Register early to avoid disappointment!
Calendar of Events: Hunting For Tomorrow Web-site:
Visit our web-site at www.huntingfortomorrow.com for a complete list of upcoming events for the next year! Please feel to contact us to add your event or activity to our listing.
My Wild Alberta
Have you had a chance to visit the www.mywildalberta.com web-site. This is an easy to navigate web-site, jammed packed with information for hunters, anglers and trappers. You may also use this site to post Calendar events and also to submit information for distribution to the My Wild Alberta members. If you haven’t had a chance to join yet, we encourage you to do so.
Outdoor Youth Camps and Seminars
Registrations have been received on a steady basis for the upcoming Camps and Seminars taking place at Alford Lake this summer. These are weeklong events, which provide certification training for youth participants.
For more information on specific dates and availability: Visit the Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association (www.aheia.com) or contact the Edmonton office at 780.466.6682
Minister’s Special License Raffle Tickets:
- Alberta Minister’s Special Bighorn Sheep License: License # 289935 Tickets are $10.00 each and there are 15,000 tickets printed.
The draw will take place on Friday August 20, 2010 at the Calgary Firearms Centre in DeWinton, Alberta.
Only Alberta residents are eligible to purchase these tickets.
Raffle tickets may not be sold to a person under 18 years of age. - Alberta Minister’s Special Mule Deer License: License # 289939
Tickets are $10.00 each and there are 2,500 tickets printed.
The draw will take place on Friday August 20, 2010 at the Calgary Firearms Centre in DeWinton, Alberta.
Only Alberta residents are eligible to purchase these tickets.
Raffle tickets may not be sold to a person under 18 years of age. Tickets are $10.00 each and there are 2,500 tickets printed. The draw will take place on Friday August 20, 2010 at the Calgary Firearms Centre in DeWinton, Alberta. Only Alberta residents are eligible to purchase these tickets.Raffle tickets may not be sold to a person under 18 years of age. - Alberta Minister’s Special Elk License: License # 289941
Tickets are $10.00 each and there are 2,500 tickets printed.
The draw will take place on Friday August 20, 2010 at the Calgary Firearms Centre in DeWinton, Alberta.
Only Alberta residents are eligible to purchase these tickets.
Raffle tickets may not be sold to a person under 18 years of age.
Since 1995, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development has offered these special permits, in partnership with Alberta Conservation Organizations. Funds raised from both the sale of the auction and raffle permits are managed under a segregated fund. Each year, applicants (individuals or organizations) apply to this fund for financial assistance for their conservation projects. Categories include wildlife management, habitat improvement or conservation education. A Program Advisory Committee (PAC), comprised of representatives from various conservation organizations within Alberta meets to review, rank and allocate funding. Since the introduction of these permits, nearly $5.5 million dollars has been raised and re-invested in Alberta for wildlife, habitat and education programs.
RAFFLE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FROM:
The Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association Offices:
Calgary: 403.252.8474 or 1.866.852.4342 & Edmonton: 780.466.6682 or 1.866.282.4342
and The Hunting for Tomorrow Office: 780.462.2444
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Fortress & New Zealand Images
We've just put our first image gallery magazine, Vol 1/2010, on our magazine page:
http://www.flyfishalberta.com/magazine/index.htm
We feature some of our trip to New Zealand, as well as some of our favorites from the 2009 season at Fortress Lake.
http://www.flyfishalberta.com/magazine/index.htm
We feature some of our trip to New Zealand, as well as some of our favorites from the 2009 season at Fortress Lake.
Monday, February 16, 2015
HipWader.com for sale
Just got this email from the folks at Hipwader. I don't know what an idea on the internet that will consume your life is worth, but here goes:
"Hey Dave, Rob O'Reilly here. I'm co-owner of www.hipwader.com . I see that you post on hipwader from time to time and of course, it would be hard to NOT know what you do for a living! I'm a HUGE fan of western fishing, even though I find myself living in Canada's industrial hub of north Toronto. I can tell you...as much as I like Ontario, there is NO sinking feeling like flying BACK here into 35C temperatures and smog...knowing you just left SW Alberta and countless cutthroat and bull trout behind you. I've done it 3 times in the last 6 years...almost too much to take.
"Hey Dave, Rob O'Reilly here. I'm co-owner of www.hipwader.com . I see that you post on hipwader from time to time and of course, it would be hard to NOT know what you do for a living! I'm a HUGE fan of western fishing, even though I find myself living in Canada's industrial hub of north Toronto. I can tell you...as much as I like Ontario, there is NO sinking feeling like flying BACK here into 35C temperatures and smog...knowing you just left SW Alberta and countless cutthroat and bull trout behind you. I've done it 3 times in the last 6 years...almost too much to take.
Anyhow, I wanted to let you in on what might be a great opportunity for you Dave. My partner and have decided to sell www.hipwader.com and before we throw it out there to the highest bidder, I thought it might be a good idea to reach out to some of the higher-profile fly fishing operations in Canada and see what I hear back. As I'm sure you know, www.hipwader.com ranks VERY high in the search engines and gets an incredible amount of web traffic. It is a Canadian site with more than half of it's traffic coming from the US, but has visitors from more than 100 countries. How might this work for you? As a vehicle to promote your business(s) Dave, there is an incredible amount of potential if you were to use hipwader to bolster your own web presence. A turn-key fly fishing website with incredible traffic, something you don't see come up for sale often!
Let me know if it is something you might be interested Dave and we can discuss it further. We have full Google Analytics taken directly from our site (in .pdf format) that give the full picture of how the site performs online, but I'd like to gauge your interest first. I should also add that we'll assist the new owner(s) in the transition period, and get their own banner ads in hipwader.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Rob
Rob O'Reilly
Co-Owner www.hipwader.com"
Friday, February 13, 2015
Am-eeeel-ia (Part 2)
Like all good stories, the eel encounters stories had to have multiple parts. Here's what happened about a week after AJ was so shamefully visited by an eel...
"We did that same creek yesterday. You won't believe it but I was fishing the same rising brown trout and lining up to cast to it when AJ giggles and calls out from the bank,"Dave, the eel's coming up behind you, it's 3 feet away!" I, naturally, don't believe her. "Ya, right". She gets a little more giggly and tries to come across seriously, repeating herself. I look around. Sure as shit there's the freaking eel about to nibble my feet and legs. Bloody hell, I got out of there quick. The damned thing follows me to shore too. We got a great look at it and it is, by all accounts over 6 feet long and 10-11" across at the head. Again, spooked the bloody trout. Bugger. Ah well, had some fun fishing later anyway. I was shaking for 15 min after. :) Thankfully they're just curious more than anything. It's not like they're anacondas, ready to roll and drown you. There again, I guess some divers found a drowned person after a big flood some years ago and when they recovered the drowned dude, they rolled the body over and a giant eel slithered out of the abdomen for several seconds. So, don't drown in NZ."
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Am-eeeeel-ia (Part 1)
Here is a story that might make you laugh or at least put a bit of a smile on your face. This was copied from her email to friends back home while we were in New Zealand. The location of this story was a tiny creek totally enclosed by willows with undercut banks.
"Yesterday I had a very creepy experience on the river. I really freaked out actually. I was lucky to not have destroyed our video camera I had in hand. I was standing waist deep in water beside Dave in the river and I was videotaping this feeding trout on the surface that he was fishing for. The fish dropped back towards us, so to not spook it we had to be very still. The next thing you know, the tripod that the video camera was on starting shaking (which I thought was rather weird) and then moments later I felt this tap tap on my inner calf. At first I thought maybe the trout had come over and sidled up beside us on his way back upstream because we were so still in the water - but this sort of thing doesn't happen too often. The next thing I thought was that maybe some how Dave was tapping my leg with his body. I then looked down and I saw a huge head of a big Eel in between my legs. It had to be about 6 feet long. I looked at Dave and said "Oh my God there is a huge f*** Eel beside me and I started bolting for the other side of the river to get out of the water. I was absolutely shaking and Dave was freaked out too, because he hates them. I know that they can't hurt you and we have seen them before, but we can always see them from a distance. Yesterday, however, the water was a bit off color and it was harder to see in it, so we didn't see it coming. Totally and completely creepy!! Anyway, I don't wish to repeat this anytime soon. "
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Fisheries Mtg in RMH review
It was essentially Fisheries Mgt 101, catching folks up to speed from the ground floor. A great recap of items, how process works, and a slight touching on the policies that govern directions in action, regulation, etc. A very well run mtg, the facilitators were excellent, the level of information well packaged, and the department staff very open, well prepared, and offered excellent delivery.
It is an interesting time in our fisheries management in Alberta. With all of the arms of gov and lobbies, as well as active programs like Streamwatch, Cows & Fish, etc, and our generally excellent regulations... we're about as far along the path of integrating as much knowledge as possible, especially given the keen awareness we all have of the limitations of budgets and manpower. There are definitely tweaks that can be done and that will evolve (converting a few more lakes to quality fisheries), but at present we're in position where the fisheries side of things is quite well set up. Remarkable when we truly look at what they've had to work with. And anglers have had a lot to do with the result.
The greatest issues out there pertain to land use issues, access, and the general free for all that is ongoing. It took many years for fisheries to react to public pressures and set in motion the plan to evolve to the generally excellent regulations we now have. Mixed in for the past 20 years of angler complaints has been access, yet we bend the ear of fisheries staff at these meetings instead of insisting that a forum be held by SRD to develop a management plan for our public and forested lands for issues such as unrestricted and unregulated atv and helicopter use.
The one thing that I was reminded of again at last night's meeting: People who have blinders on to their own agenda will grind out that agenda, no matter how many years go by and no matter what direction or policy has been established through process. Even with a few "dummy" questions from a couple of people in attendance set up to allow allow fisheries staff to point blank remind those same people that process has occurred, the horse blinders remain. It's great to have a forum where sharing occurs, however, it must drive fisheries / gov workers nuts when the same questions have had the same answers for years, yet the same people want to grind their gears anyway. Good on the department staff for once again delivering the message.
Just a quick post to thank the RMH fisheries & enf staff for an excellent mtg. It was very appreciated.
Cheers
Check out the RMH Fisheries website:
http://srd.alberta.ca/FishingHuntingTrapping/FishManagementZones/ZoneOne/WatershedUnitES2.aspx
It is an interesting time in our fisheries management in Alberta. With all of the arms of gov and lobbies, as well as active programs like Streamwatch, Cows & Fish, etc, and our generally excellent regulations... we're about as far along the path of integrating as much knowledge as possible, especially given the keen awareness we all have of the limitations of budgets and manpower. There are definitely tweaks that can be done and that will evolve (converting a few more lakes to quality fisheries), but at present we're in position where the fisheries side of things is quite well set up. Remarkable when we truly look at what they've had to work with. And anglers have had a lot to do with the result.
The greatest issues out there pertain to land use issues, access, and the general free for all that is ongoing. It took many years for fisheries to react to public pressures and set in motion the plan to evolve to the generally excellent regulations we now have. Mixed in for the past 20 years of angler complaints has been access, yet we bend the ear of fisheries staff at these meetings instead of insisting that a forum be held by SRD to develop a management plan for our public and forested lands for issues such as unrestricted and unregulated atv and helicopter use.
The one thing that I was reminded of again at last night's meeting: People who have blinders on to their own agenda will grind out that agenda, no matter how many years go by and no matter what direction or policy has been established through process. Even with a few "dummy" questions from a couple of people in attendance set up to allow allow fisheries staff to point blank remind those same people that process has occurred, the horse blinders remain. It's great to have a forum where sharing occurs, however, it must drive fisheries / gov workers nuts when the same questions have had the same answers for years, yet the same people want to grind their gears anyway. Good on the department staff for once again delivering the message.
Just a quick post to thank the RMH fisheries & enf staff for an excellent mtg. It was very appreciated.
Cheers
Check out the RMH Fisheries website:
http://srd.alberta.ca/FishingHuntingTrapping/FishManagementZones/ZoneOne/WatershedUnitES2.aspx
Douglas Barnes Photography
Just saw this in an email and wanted to pass along some nice photography:
http://nowpicturethis.zenfolio.com/
http://nowpicturethis.zenfolio.com/
Kicking Horse Resort Update in Golden
It looks as if the town of Golden, BC, is about to get a major facelift. The spin-offs from this will be felt in many sectors.
BC Premier Announces Approval of KHMR Master Plan
After the lighting of the Olympic Torch in Golden, BC Premier Gordon Campbell attended a ceremony at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort where he announced the approval of the New Master Plan for the resort. The plan calls for a world class, destination mountain resort with an expanded controlled recreation area, 20,000 bed units, an 18-hole signature golf course, a multi-use trail system with 11 proposed lifts and 4,188 acres of skiable terrain. The plan is a major milestone for the resort.
BC Premier Announces Approval of KHMR Master Plan
After the lighting of the Olympic Torch in Golden, BC Premier Gordon Campbell attended a ceremony at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort where he announced the approval of the New Master Plan for the resort. The plan calls for a world class, destination mountain resort with an expanded controlled recreation area, 20,000 bed units, an 18-hole signature golf course, a multi-use trail system with 11 proposed lifts and 4,188 acres of skiable terrain. The plan is a major milestone for the resort.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Starting Over
Through the past 5 years we've done a lot of video taping on the water. From many waters in Alberta, Montana, BC, and New Zealand, we have nearly 100 hours of HD video. The thing of it is, we have held off the capture and edit process, keeping what we've shared to a minimum because we've waited for the HD world to catch up to an acceptable level for ease of sharing higher quality video. You can argue that Youtube has been around a long time, but up until about a year ago we certainly wouldn't have wanted the compression quality of YouTube to compromise some of our video. That, plus we needed to reach completion of subjects before we could begin a few projects, be it web or (hd) dvd based. It will be a bit of a painful first step, deleting all captured and cataloged video from hard drives and external drives captured in SD, forcing our hands to solely use the HD format. That means all the time lines and productions to date are now out the window, zapped for good. But, like all good things, the end result is a clear vision now, be it (hd) dvd productions or web promotional copy - all of which have to be in HD format, which is why we bought the HD camera so long ago. In behind the scenes over the coming months and into a year from now are a few productions we're working on - be it ourselves or with another couple of talents. It should be fun!
Cheers
Dave & Amelia.
Traffic Cop
It's almost imperative to have a traffic cop on New Zealand rivers. This day, I gave up quite a bit of fishing time to be the eye in the sky for Amelia and our friend Serge, whom we fished with a few days earlier in our trip. I spent the day high above the river spotting from about 80 feet up, where the terrace of the box canyon leveled somewhat. I'm lucky to have 20/5 vision and was able to apply it for the two fishing. Spotting trout is one thing, but spotting them in water that is full of glare or is folding from the fisherman's perspective is another altogether. Sure, from the bird's eye view it might be painfully obvious to me, but one has to keep calm when trying to communicate that information to the one fishing. "See it under that fold by that rock", only cuts it if there is but one rock and one seam line. And sometimes you have to yell at the top of your lungs over the roar of water for them to hear you, and patiently wait for them to stop talking so you can talk and have them hear you. It's a game of patience, a game of timing. If everyone's on the same page, it can go extremely well, as it did for us that day. We didn't see any fish spook, and worked pretty much everything we saw to the point of a take from each fish. Splendid!
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Reminder: Fisheries Mtg in RMH Tuesday.
Reminder to anyone interested in fisheries management for the RMH area, Tuesday evening 7pm @ Walking Eagle Inn. See you there.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival
FYI - the event is tonight, with a repeat on Saturday evening. Some good shows. It'll be interesting to here how the Once in a Blue Moon dvd is received, amongst the other excellent videos.
Cheers
""DVD's are cool but nothing can compare to seeing something on the big screen with a couple of hundred cheering fishermen" - Nick Reygaert6:30 p.m. Jenkins Theatre, Mount Royal UniversityTicket Sales: $15 ($25 for 2 nights) in Advance, $20 at the door Children: $10 ($15 for 2 nights) in Advance, $15 at the door Limited seatingPurchase tickets here...http://www.eventsonline.ca/events/bow_rs_film/(Eventsonline service charge applies)NOTE: Holders of Child (under 17) priced tickets will be required to provide a valid photo ID before entering the screening room.Access to Mount Royal University via 37th St. S.W. to Richardson Way SWParking lot "2".Click here for parking lot map:http://www.mtroyal.ca/wcm/groups/public/documents/pdf/parking_oct09cb.pdf Use "West Gate" entrance to the building Jenkins Theatre located on lower level. Doors open: 5:30 pmProgram: 6:30 pm SHARP1. Ticket "Will Call" table will be just outside the Jenkins Theatre.2. Valid photo ID plus a copy of your confirmation are required for ticket pickup at "Will Call" table.3. If you fail to pick up your tickets we shall not be responsible for this and your money won't be refunded.4. Please arrive EARLY for best seat selection, and especially for "Will Call" tickets. 5. As a courtesy to other attendees, latecomers will be seated at the end of the first film. http://www.bowrivershuttles.com/michelle@bowrivershuttles.com403.278.9165
Cheers
""DVD's are cool but nothing can compare to seeing something on the big screen with a couple of hundred cheering fishermen" - Nick Reygaert6:30 p.m. Jenkins Theatre, Mount Royal UniversityTicket Sales: $15 ($25 for 2 nights) in Advance, $20 at the door Children: $10 ($15 for 2 nights) in Advance, $15 at the door Limited seatingPurchase tickets here...http://www.eventsonline.ca/events/bow_rs_film/(Eventsonline service charge applies)NOTE: Holders of Child (under 17) priced tickets will be required to provide a valid photo ID before entering the screening room.Access to Mount Royal University via 37th St. S.W. to Richardson Way SWParking lot "2".Click here for parking lot map:http://www.mtroyal.ca/wcm/groups/public/documents/pdf/parking_oct09cb.pdf Use "West Gate" entrance to the building Jenkins Theatre located on lower level. Doors open: 5:30 pmProgram: 6:30 pm SHARP1. Ticket "Will Call" table will be just outside the Jenkins Theatre.2. Valid photo ID plus a copy of your confirmation are required for ticket pickup at "Will Call" table.3. If you fail to pick up your tickets we shall not be responsible for this and your money won't be refunded.4. Please arrive EARLY for best seat selection, and especially for "Will Call" tickets. 5. As a courtesy to other attendees, latecomers will be seated at the end of the first film. http://www.bowrivershuttles.com/michelle@bowrivershuttles.com403.278.9165
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Days to come....
Well I am stuck up in Grande Prarie for a few weeks and have spent a lot of time cycling through pictures from years past. Stumbled across this nice shot of a beautiful July evening. Just thought I 'd share.... Keep warm :)
Byron
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Leaving it all on the field
The heels are gone on my wading boots. The blisters reformed atop old ones. You know the drill. Today, we walked 25 3/4 km of a small stream (Google Earth). At the end of the day, once we made and cleared the gate that locks for the night as the employee was there to lock it (2 minutes later and we'd spend the night), a wave came over us both. We're exhausted. 11 weeks of fly fishing, on the water 8 of every 9 days, fighting the elements tooth and nail or glowing in its gifts, it came to an end. On a trip in which we walked closer to 1000km of water than I ever thought possible, we gave it our best. We've certainly learned much once again. We enjoyed each other, laughed, cried, disliked each other for fleeting moments, loved each other more than ever, you name it. In 11 weeks of intense fly fishing, intense pursuit, in physically demanding circumstance, we're done. And we'll certainly have tales to share, photos on display, and a video project or two in development soon.
Today's adventure took us to another small stream. We were supposed to swim with dolphins on the coast, but the 60 to 80kmh winds fated us elsewhere. In swells like that do you want to swim with the dolphins or puke on them?
In a repeat performance of the past 5 or 6 weeks, we touched every fish we saw. And we certainly picked the right bit of water to have a go with. A long hike, certainly, but we knew what was to come as a reward. It ended very well. A couple of the fish from our last day...
Amelia landed this nice brown from a foot of water in the tailout of a small pool. As much a gimmie as you'll come across. An easy cast and the take was wonderful with a good fish. In that 7 - 7.5 pound range.
Then there was this one. I was high on a bank looking into the run (behind me in the photo). It was painfully obvious there had to be a fish against the bank. Sure enough, tight to the grass, this one glowed green in the blue water, sitting there waiting for something to do. It was an awesome day, with several such trout.
Today's adventure took us to another small stream. We were supposed to swim with dolphins on the coast, but the 60 to 80kmh winds fated us elsewhere. In swells like that do you want to swim with the dolphins or puke on them?
In a repeat performance of the past 5 or 6 weeks, we touched every fish we saw. And we certainly picked the right bit of water to have a go with. A long hike, certainly, but we knew what was to come as a reward. It ended very well. A couple of the fish from our last day...
Amelia landed this nice brown from a foot of water in the tailout of a small pool. As much a gimmie as you'll come across. An easy cast and the take was wonderful with a good fish. In that 7 - 7.5 pound range.
Then there was this one. I was high on a bank looking into the run (behind me in the photo). It was painfully obvious there had to be a fish against the bank. Sure enough, tight to the grass, this one glowed green in the blue water, sitting there waiting for something to do. It was an awesome day, with several such trout.
We'll post much of our trip once we return. A day or two in Christchurch and hop the plane... home. Did I mention we're exhausted? What a gift this year's trip was. Simply epic. By far the best of the trips to New Zealand. We leave not hating going home. We come home fulfilled, bushed, energized, revitalized, simply excited at the road ahead.
Cheers & Talk to you soon.
D & A
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