I'll never see that happen again.

I was just driving home from a few hours on the water and noticed what looked at first like a deer running out of the ditch onto the hwy. Not so. Split second registering what was happening. A hawk had chased a flicker out of the forest and they were in a fluttering tailspin as the hawk nearly grabbed it mid air. As it was, they came across the hwy at eye level, the flicker trying to escape. The hawk saw me and pulled up, barely missing my windshield. The flicker got smoked by my van and bounced up 10 feet. I looked in my side view mirror to see the hawk nab it mid air and fly to a fence post. Supper time!

NEW! Sight Fishing Trout Rivers DVD release

Jensen Fly Fishing is excited to announce the release of our SIGHT FISHING TROUT RIVERS DVD. As you may be aware, we have enjoyed many years of travel to the S Island of New Zealand, sight-fishing the country's beautiful trout waters. For several years on our home waters in the province of Alberta, Canada, we have sight-fished almost exclusively, hunting and stalking trout. It is a fascinating style of fly fishing that can be enjoyed on most trout streams. We've shared many photos, articles, posts, and short video clips of our sight-fishing experiences through various media. Our goal was to produce a video based on building the success of others. We invite you to order our DVD as we share our experiences in order to help you build the foundations of being a successful sight-fishing fly fisher!

TRAILER
A short, 2 minute trailer is now on line. The footage style is representative of what makes this dvd unique. The DVD is approximately 64 minutes.

HELPING YOU
This DVD is laced with situational tips to maximize your success. The DVD has been shot over many years in order to show the variety of situations common to sight-fishing trout rivers. It is designed to help all fly fishers appreciate the art of sight-fishing for trout of all sizes on a variety of waters.

NOT YOUR CLASSIC 'HOW-TO' VIDEOWe focus on scenes that show the trout; what trout in various waters look like; how and where to approach the water to maximize sighting; how to simplify casting and line control; and we reveal the world of a trout's lateral line. Our goal - to maximize your success!

To order your copy, please visit the JENSEN FLY FISHING website!

Dave & Amelia Jensen

Orvis' NEW website dedicated to How to Fly Fish - AWESOME

At the Orvis Guide Rendezvous in Missoula, we had a great time learning about all the latest goings on at Orvis. One of the features that really caught our eye was the extensive, well thought out new website that Orvis is in the midst of launching. This will be an amazing resource for fly fishers of all abilities, as it will encourage new anglers and provide experienced anglers not only good re-reference, but a place to steer friends and new fly fishers they cross paths with. There are flip cards and quizzes, as well as excellent how-to tie knot graphic, articles, podcasts, and a wealth of fly fishing video lessons featuring Tom Rosenbauer. It is a wonderful website.
http://howtoflyfish.orvis.com/
The site goes extremely well with the Orvis fly fishing app, which is also available at the Orvis website.

It was great to see a few clips of our video in the site as well.

Catch Magazine - subscription fee time

https://www.catchmagazine.net/Magazine/cmapr2012
First, we all know that Catch has essentially led the way in fly fishing photography / videography E-Zines. It needs no introduction for its quality and longevity. But, being first carries you only so far and to continue to do something like that production, you need to steel yourself to a longterm vision - to continue a larger scale project takes a lot of hard work and needs to realize some tangible result, plain and simple.
In the time Catch has been around, most of us have taken internet entertainment for granted - be it forums, blogs, photos, videos, etc. At best, most of the artists and producers break even on photos and videos - many come and go as they realize the realities of trying to either make a name or living in fly fishing visual arts is not going to fill your pensions. 99% fall out within a few years. Catch provides a platform for many, a glimmer of hope - if not a benchmark for success in our arts. The fact that many come to enjoy the work is a bonus.
We have an opportunity to continue to support Catch, to continue to enjoy the artists it features. It comes with a catch now, though, and enters that forbidden internet zone... Catch is asking for $1 a month for a subscription. Given what I typed above, given the inspiration I get as a photographer, given that in the dead of winter (well, when we're not in New Zealand), the photos and video come through and add a source of escapism that's worth well more than $1 a month.
I have no affiliation to anyone over at Catch and there's no likelihood my opinion matters too much, but I'm encouraging everyone, even you young folks or those of you who have taken your fly fishing internet entertainment for granted, please support Catch by subscribing.
Cheers

River Ice - April 11

Raven - some ice free reaches mid - upper, otherwise still frozenLittle RDR - ice though some open water up & lower
Clearwater - mostly ice free mid to upper
Upper RDR - mostly open
N Sask - Mostly ice free
Fallentimber - ice free mid but lower locked in ice
Dogpound - Considerable open water
Prairie - mid open, lower frozen
Stauffer - ice free to 761

RDR tailwater - closed until May Long wkd

Early Spring Odds & Ends

Quite a dump of snow in Red Deer overnight. Woke up at 1:30 am to that dead still silence you only get when the world outside is covered in 6" of heavy, wet snow. A look out the window - it was dumping. Of course, timing is everything and I noticed a set of fresh tracks in the snow and looked to see a porcupine crawling over the back gate.
Sorry to say that all this snow and the coming sun will see central waters muddy for the weekend.
If you get out fishing, small buggers will work. So too a #6 to 12 hare's ear, 2X shank, weighted nymph - those stoneflies are out and about. If you find clear water, you might do well to find a bankside riser.
Sure sign spring is here - the tap water in Red Deer tastes like mud.
The ice went off on the Red Deer on Monday. Only 6 more weeks until it's open to fish.
A lot of hawks flying over this week. We're not the only ones enjoying that warm air.
Funny, for as often as everyone speaks of global warming/climate change - the ice at Fortress has come out May 21 to 28 every year that I've ever heard anyone speak of. (by no means dismissing or discounting, just sayin').
Looking forward to getting in to the Ram canyon this year. I have a project in mind, laid out, that is an interesting angle. Looking at the whole of a bigger picture and some thoughts.
Bullshead will be a zoo this wkd. They escaped the big dump of snow and it remains nice down that way. It is warranted as the fishing can be excellent this time of year.
The Bow should be good fishing at some point for those looking to streamer fish. Conditions will get muddier but the fish will move about. Don't discount a few risers to midges in the soft edges though.
Central waters - a lot of ice about as yet. Usual suspects of Dogpound, Prairie, Stauffer, Raven, etc with the upper Clearwater & N Saskatchewan having ice free reaches legal to fish. Look for more open / clear water by the 3rd week of the month. Again, it's nature's annual clock work.

Almost there...

It's been an interesting journey. When you love something and want to share it, then set out to produce a dvd on Sight Fishing (ok, ok, Jim... Sight-Fishing), you have visions of what you want to do, what you want to share. Then you realize that there is only so much time on a dvd that can be registered by the viewer, clarity is a must, and you have to be true to yourself. And in the 20 months of putting it all together then tearing it all apart, and time keeps marching on, you know that you'll get there but need to tweak a few more things. All the while, you have to learn the editing software you've chosen, figure out what cataloging system will carry you through the present and future projects, and these are just the beginnings to thinking how the long term projects unfold while completing the present. Complex.
Regardless, the Sight Fishing dvd is almost here, just in time for the fly fishing season.
Soon. Very. Soon.
Here's a sneak peak at the dvd cover.