Equinox storm

Every year there's an equinox storm. No matter what the weather leading up to it, every year 2 or 3 days either side of the equinox, there's a good storm. All September at Fortress Lake, it was wet, cloudy, and cool. AJ asked me almost daily if this was the equinox storm. Nah. Just crappy weather, I'd retort. It wasn't a great Sept for weather. Every other year has been beautiful up there, this year an exception. But the fishing was simply stunning. Naturally, we planned to fly out on Sept 20, the day before the equinox. We got to bed about 2 am, having played cards with guests and having a nice send off. The weather had set in and wet snow was starting to hit the ground, the first time we'd seen snow hit the ground in 5 years of owning the retreat. We rose a little later that morning and hoped for the best. Clearly, our pilot wasn't going to be flying that day! So, AJ & I, along the with BC Park Rangers Ty & Jeff, made a quick decision to hike out. By the time we got to the east end of the lake, there was more than 4" of snow on the ground and dumping. The hike was a wee bit wet. No matter how good or bad the weather leading in to the fall equinox, it seems it can always get a couple of steps worse. And every year I make mention of it. Just a matter of fact, the fall equinox storm.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sighted

We spend quite a bit of time on the water and this weekend was no different. The one thing AJ & I always wonder this time of the year - where is everybody? Stauffer's fishing well - there might have been some anglers there over the weekend but none Thurs or Fri. But we drive past Range Roads, bridges, etc and see no vehicles. No sightings, no footprints, nothing. Well, we do see a few things out there...

Firefly spotters wonder if the species is fading away

Andy Johnson, CTV.ca News
Date: Sunday Sep. 26, 2010 7:10 AM ET
There's something special about a warm summer night at dusk, around a campfire or under the stars in the backyard, when the darkness is suddenly illuminated by bright, fast flashes of light.
But are fireflies -- and the memories they inspire -- fading away forever?
The Museum of Science Boston wants to find out. Motivated by reports of fewer and fewer firefly sightings each summer, the museum has been recruiting backyard volunteers to study the luminescent flying beetle and report their sightings online.
The project, dubbed Firefly Watch, tracks and maps all the reports across the U.S. and Canada in an effort to determine the exact range of the firefly, their "flashing" season and whether they really are in decline
"It's funny, as ubiquitous as fireflies are, there isn't a lot of scientific study or information about them," Paul Fontaine, the museum's vice-president of education, tells CTV.ca.
"We thought it would be a great opportunity to get people outside, looking at nature, recording their observations using technology, and for us to collect a database that would allow scientists and researchers to answer questions like: What are the range of some of these species?"
The organizers of the study -- a joint project between the museum and two universities -- hope to learn more about how fireflies are reacting to factors such as urban sprawl and loss of habitat, drought, increased ambient light and the effect of pesticides and fertilizers.
There are dozens of species of fireflies across North America, and each have their own unique characteristics and behaviours, Fontaine said.
"There's one firefly that is active just at dusk and dawn, so it needs to have those twilight conditions," Fontaine said.
Fontaine added that the study organizers also want to know: "If there is a lot of ambient light in an environment, does that create permanent twilight conditions and is this firefly increasing its activity because it senses light in its environment?"
They also want to know whether artificial lights are interfering with the firefly's ability to attract a mate, Fontaine said.
Male fireflies typically fly around in open areas bordered by trees, flashing their lights, while the females perch in the trees and take in the show.
"When she sees a flash she likes she'll respond with a flash back and attract the male to her," Fontaine said.
If too many streetlights are nearby the females simply can't see the males, despite their best efforts to woo them.
And as urban sprawl and development swallows up those open areas interrupted by trees, there are fewer and fewer places for fireflies to perform their courting ritual, Fontaine said.
The project has just wrapped up its third year, with hundreds of volunteers reporting sightings, from Texas to Ontario and PEI, creating a detailed and interactive firefly map.
Volunteers are asked to spend 10 minutes, once a week, recording data such as the location, time and temperature of their observance, and the number of fireflies and the colour and pattern of their flash.
They are even asked to note when they don't spot fireflies -- information that is also considered vital to the study.
The last sighting of the summer in Canada was on Sept. 2 near Peterborough, Ont. Before that unusually late observance, fireflies were spotted and recorded on Aug. 21 near Wiarton, Ont. and in Nova Scotia near Red Point.
"I was very surprised to see this lone, flying firefly at this time of the year," wrote the volunteer in Wiarton. "Firefly activity stopped around here about a month ago. This is a new "latest sighting" record for me."
This summer fireflies were spotted as far south as the southern tip of Texas, and as far north as Ottawa.
In 2009, however, fireflies were spotted as far north as Sturgeon River, Ontario, in the bush northwest of Thunder Bay. And in 2008 they were seen in southern Manitoba -- a surprise to Fontaine and the scientists involved with the project.
There have been many such surprises along the way. For years, Fontaine said, conventional wisdom has been that fireflies don't inhabit areas west of the Rockies. But that has also now been put into question.
"We've had one or two stubborn observations of flashing fireflies west of the Rockies...so what does that mean? Is it something that requires further study? We're hoping folks are intrigued by that and get outside and look more closely."
One of the goals of the project -- which is set to run for 10 years -- is to enlist more volunteers who live at the fringes of the known habitat area. The goal is to establish more defined boundaries for the bioluminescent firefly's range, which is currently a roughly sketched rhombus encompassing the eastern U.S. and the southeastern half of Canada
A lot of other questions remain as well, but with only three years' worth of data it's too early to draw any definitive conclusions about the fascinating little lightning bugs.
However, one thing is certain, Fontaine said. Fireflies -- in declining numbers or not -- still possess the ability to intrigue and inspire those who witness their simple beauty.
"Nature retains the ability to awe people," he said.
"There's something about a tiny little flying fellow traveller on this planet who is beautiful and bioluminescent and glowing and flying -- it kind of stops you in your tracks."

Siding

A neat photo of the side of a small, 3 pound male brookie swirling in the deep blue water of Fortress Lake, as it's netted. Amelia landed this spectacularly coloured brookie last week. The brookies spawn later in October at Fortress, into November. The colors begin developing sometime early August and continue to develop and heighten through the spawn. Some wonderful colors are dsiplayed.



Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association offers the Teacher’s Workshop July 22 to 24, 2011

As of April 1, 2010 it is a legal requirement for all first-time hunters in the province of Alberta to complete the Alberta Conservation and Hunter Education program or an equivalent hunter education course.

In 1964, the Alberta Government, together with Alberta Outdoorsmen, created a Hunter Safety program. This program later became the Alberta Conservation and Hunter Education program. Annually, approximately 15,000 students complete the Conservation Education course and 6,500 students complete the Fishing Education course. On October 15, 2006, the millionth student graduated from Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association’s (AHEIA’s) Conservation and Hunter Education course.
Along with the Fishing Education course, the Conservation and Hunter Education course is also offered in Alberta schools through the Alberta Education curriculum, within the Careers and Technologies Studies option called the “Wildlife Strand.”
AHEIA has developed a workshop for teachers related to the Wildlife Strand. Part of the AHEIA Teacher’s Workshop will offer the certification that teachers require in order to teach Conservation and Hunter Education and Fishing Education courses. An additional session of the workshop will familiarize teachers with outdoor activities as related to Outdoor Experience I and II, including hands-on participation in the Survival and Camping Program, the Shooting Program (shotgun, small bore and large bore rifle), the Compass Program, the Fishing Program, and the Archery Program.
AHEIA is hosting the Teacher’s Workshop from July 22-24, 2011. The workshop takes place at the Alford Lake Conservation Education Centre for Excellence, which is located 24 kilometres west of Caroline, Alberta.
The workshop registration fee is $150.00 per person, plus GST. This fee includes all accommodation, meals, resources materials, instructor certificates, and a one-year membership to AHEIA.
Teachers interested in the workshop should contact AHEIA for more information; contact the Edmonton Conservation Education Centre for Excellence at edmontoninfo@aheia.com, 780-466-6682 or 1-866-282-4342, or Dave Paplawski at dave@aheia.com, 403-319-2277 or 1-866-852-4342. See www.aheia.com for the registration form. Registration is limited and must be submitted by July 8, 2011.
Kelly Semple, Executive Director
Hunting For Tomorrow
#87, 4003 – 98 Street, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 6M8
Phone: 780.462.2444 Fax 780.431.2871
E-mail: ksemple@huntingfortomorrow.com
http://www.huntingfortomorrow.com/

Red Deer to Golden aerial pics

I was updated via email about a fellow's trip from Red Deer to Golden in his Piper Cub. A neat flight with some photos of the area - 61 in all. It's neat to see things from a different perspective, so here's the link to the pics:
http://s112.photobucket.com/albums/n186/AB_Summit/Flight%20to%20Golden%20BC/?start=0

PETA wants to know if you measure up

Gee, I took the test & clearly I have issues to deal with. Bugga!
The testimonials at right shamed me.
http://www.doanglershavesmallrods.com/?c=dahsrfb

Pollution could be killing off male fish

University of Calgary researchers are studying waterways in southern Alberta, including the Sheep River, to determine the extent of damage pollution is having on fish populations.

Two Alberta rivers, the Old Man and Red Deer, have found to be contaminated with elevated levels of synthetic estrogens. Studies on fish populations in the Sheep River are already underway but the results won’t be known for at least a year.
Hamid Habibi, a professor of biological sciences with the University of Calgary, said typically the level of hormone contaminants increases as testing moves closer to urban areas and evidence of contamination is present in the Bow River.
“We don’t know the scale of this in terms of (fish) population in southern Alberta yet,” said Habibi. “Certainly the Bow River as it goes through Calgary, we do find some problems and downstream from Calgary, we find problems.”
Until studies are complete, Habibi couldn’t say whether the Sheep River contains elevated levels of hormone contaminants.
Habibi and his team studied the effects of hormone contaminants on population levels of a common species of minnow, the longnose dace. They found elevated levels of a protein normally found in female minnows producing eggs. In minnow populations downstream of Lethbridge and Fort Macleod, females outnumbered males 85 to 15. A normal gender ratio for minnows is normally 55 females to 45 males.
Researchers chose the longnose dace because they remain in one area for long periods giving scientists a clear picture of the state of water in the area.
“Really, by studying the fish, the fish is telling us what is going in that site,” said Habibi.
Elevated levels of synthetic hormones can lead to endocrine disruption in fish populations. That disruption can cause a drop in the number of male fish inevitably leading to a decline in populations.
Habibi and his team found chemicals such as natural hormones and synthetic hormones typically from birth control pills and bisphenol A, a chemical linked to cancer and elevated levels of estrogen in humans.
“We also find veterinary pharmaceuticals, which could from municipal sources but more likely from feedlots through the cattle,” said Habibi.
Alberta Environment spokesperson Cara Tobin said trace levels of contaminants have been found in wastewater and surface water in Alberta waterways. While Tobin said no studies have been completed on the Sheep River, it’s safe to assume humans are having an impact on all rivers in Alberta.
“It’s not unique to Alberta, this is something that’s happening across the globe,” said Tobin. “Anywhere where humans have an impact on their environment.”
The University of Calgary study was partly funded by Alberta Environment and it included the Bow, the North and South Saskatchewan, the Red Deer and the Old Man rivers.
Tobin said while Alberta has some the best water treatment facilities in Canada, improvements still need to be made to treat newer contaminants found in Alberta’s water systems.
“The reason that we are starting to detect these things now is because our technology is so much more advanced that we are able to detect it at very miniscule proportions,” said Tobin.
rnorthrop@okotoks.greatwest.ca
http://www.westernwheel.com/2010/news/pollution-could-be-killing-off-male-fish-8334

Gee, I wonder what's about to happen?

At given times of the year, fishing for big brook trout at Fortress Lake is remarkable. In fact, the sight fishing opportunities can be mind boggling, as fish move about. The following photo illustrates the point. The slow moving pod of giants (the fish are 3 to 5 or 6 pounds) was a little wary as the wind had died down, but the fish to the left of the indicator, to the edge of the pod of trout, was coming in to the zone. About 10 seconds after the photo was taken the bobber plunked down and a few minutes later a 5 pound brookie was landed. There were about 18 trout in the photo, with two other straggling sub pods 10 yards away. 



To the net!

An incredible day of fishing at Fortress Lake culminated in a wonderful moment for our guests. A brilliant, sunny day with no wind and not even a wisp of a cirrus and the sight fishing was epic. The fish were glowing in the crisp, clear water. Of the two following shots, I'm not sure which I like better, each for different reasons. The last shot shows just how crisp a day we had and how marvelous the weather, and a happy fellow gets in touch with his beauty!

Fly Fishers Inc

The latest online magazine from New Zealand. Some great shots and content. A nice vid to boot.
http://www.flyfishersinc.com/

Wyoming G&F fights for the cutthroats

POWELL — Standing near the North Fork of Soldier Creek on Aug. 10, Mark Smith, Cody region fisheries biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said native cutthroat trout once occupied more than 500 miles of streams in these parts.

Then, in the late 1800s, brook trout from the eastern United States were introduced in the Bighorns by the department and fishing clubs, Smith said.
“They were stocked pretty liberally,” he said.
Now, the cutthroat is fragmented to 10 percent of its historic waters. Brook trout are out-competing cutthroats, and a single fire could wipe out the entire cutthroat population if blazing trees in the dense timber superheated the creeks. Killing some brook trout on the west slope of the Bighorn Mountains is necessary to improve the Yellowstone cutthroat population.
In 2008-09, brook trout were removed from Buckskin Ed Creek. Two weeks ago, cutthroats from lower Soldier Creek were deposited in Buckskin.
Thanks to a series of natural barriers, the cutthroats will remain in the creek, Smith said.
The relocated cutthroat population is expected to expand, affording fishing opportunities in the future. Smith said the department is not acting out a vendetta upon brook trout; it simply wishes to encourage healthy populations of cutthroats in select locations in the Bighorns.
Smith broke out a topographical map. Blue lines tracing drainages indicate the areas where brookies must be removed. Lines delineating elevation changes are a hair apart and the blue lines, long. Cleaning out brookies by hand would be physically impossible, so Smith oversees an operation to squirt small doses of Rotenone into North Fork of Soldier Creek at drip stations.
At a Rotenone site, the stuff is diluted with water in a 5-gallon jug. The tap dribbles the white liquid like milk squeezed from a cow’s udder. Below, the chemical foam big bubbles like dish detergent in a sink. A Rotenone sand mix in pillowcases was anchored in small seeps where the chemical did not mix well. Rotenone will naturally detoxify itself within two hours, but detoxification stations also were employed, Smith said.
The detoxification stations use potassium magnate to neutralize Rotenone. Potassium magnate is like powdered sugar, so it is placed in pillow cases to leach out of the cloth’s pores, Smith said.
The small doses of Rotenone are toxic only to animals with gills. It would be fatal to amphibians such as frogs or newts, but there are no such critters in this stretch of the Bighorns.
Rotenone is not toxic to humans or other mammals in the quantities the department is using, Smith said.
In the tropics, Rotenone roots are harvested to dispatch fish for human consumption, Smith said.
I don’t think you could synthesize a better chemical for killing fish,” he said.
Thanks to the barriers, once the brook trout are killed, they will be unable to re-colonize the stream unless they are stocked illegally, Smith said.
In a meadow of tall grass and petite flowers of blue and yellow, the North Fork of Soldier Creek sparkles and gurgles as though delighted to be sharing the sunshine with the people clustered around it. A net is stretched across the creek to capture any dead brookies, and a bag of potassium magnate hangs just downstream of the net. Like grape Kool-Aid whisked to a foamy froth, the potassium magnate blends with the water and tumbles over rocks down the narrow stream.
After a short hike upstream, Smith stops by a clear pool where the Rotenone has done its job. Like lost bass lures, several dead brookies float on the bottom of a pool. Another in its death throes, makes a half-hearted flop as though striking a fly on the surface before washing down the stream. Dead fish that aren’t caught in nets decay rapidly, and some are scavenged by predators.
“In three days you’ll be lucky to find any,” Smith said.
Not surprisingly, Smith is an avid angler. Normally, it’s his objective to ensure the proliferation of fish, not their demise.
“So,” Smith said watching the brookies flounder, “it’s kind of weird to be happy to see them go.”
But there will still be plenty of brookies around to catch, Smith said. “We don’t have any intention of removing brook trout everywhere, so there are always going to be those (angling) opportunities.”
For example, brookies will remain in the Middle Fork of Paintrock Creek, he said. Brookies tend to over-populate, and many brook trout in the Big Horns are stunted as a result. Cutthroats don’t overpopulate, so they grow larger, Smith said. Below an inactive talus slope, huge granite boulders seem to sprout from the soil. Nearly hidden beneath the stones are narrow channels. Trout sensing the Rotenone evade the chemical and hole up in small seeps, Smith said.
At a location like Soldier Creek, with rivulets everywhere, treatment is complex. It will require at least two treatments one per year but more likely three, Smith said. If the department finds baby brookies next summer, it means spawning brook trout survived, so another treatment will be required.
It will likely be summer 2012 before cutthroats are returned to Soldier Creek, Smith said. The setting is a narrow stream surrounded by timber; a sort of meadow oasis in the forest where and animal can drink or a stealthy angler could stalk an unwary trout.
It’s a lovely spot where a fisherman could admire nature while enjoying the fruits of the department’s labor to right a wrong.
“This is native cutthroat country,” Smith said.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_1de0b652-b715-11df-94f0-001cc4c03286.html

New recreational activities to be offered in national parks

Ottawa, Ontario, September 9, 2010 – The Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, today announced a new national policy direction concerning recreational activities in national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas.
“Canada’s national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas are unique and treasured protected areas that offer inspiring natural surroundings to participate in a wide array of outdoor activities,” said Minister Prentice. “We remain committed to ensuring that the new activities proposed in our national protected areas are offered in ways that encourage Canadians to experience their national heritage places in a manner that respects important natural and cultural resources and ensure their ongoing protection so that they can be experienced by generations of Canadians to come.”
Offering visitors a variety of opportunities to experience national protected heritage places through recreational activities is one way that the Parks Canada Agency is bringing its mandate of protection, education and experience to life.
Over the past two years, five activities have been assessed at the national level with the collaboration of various stakeholder groups. The following activities could soon become part of the menu of activities offered in national parks, national historic sites or national marine conservation areas:
mountain biking
traction kiting (kite-surfing, kite-boarding)
guided interpreted tours including canopy walks, zip lines, via ferrata, and elements of aerial parks
community gardening
hang gliding and paragliding
“Parks Canada is continually evaluating new activities that might offer visitors outstanding experiences to connect with their heritage,” added Minister Prentice. “The new activities assessed are just a few examples of the innovative approaches envisioned by Parks Canada and its partners to better respond to the needs and demands of our current and future visitors.”
Now that Parks Canada has developed national guidelines to help promote activities which encourage Canadians to experience and form connections to their national heritage places, individual national parks, historic sites and marine conservation areas may conduct local assessments to determine if these activities can be offered in a specific park or site.
For more information and to consult the national guidelines for these activities, please visit us online at www.parkscanada.gc.ca.
Information:
Pascale Boulay
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441
www.twitter.com/jimprentice
Source: Parks Canada news release, & the web editors

Catch Magazine

The latest issue is live - has been for a short while - sorry for the delay!
:)
http://www.catchmagazine.net/