Easter weekend, eh?

Apparently it has been a long winter around Alberta. We've been back from New Zealand for a month and while we missed the 3 harshest months I'm not sure that we would want to enjoy much more cross country skiing in the cold, cloudy weather that's been lingering. It's fairly well within typical for early spring though.
Sweet forecast this week, mind you! And I'm sure that the opening day of April 1 coupled with an Easter holiday weekend will no doubt see hordes on Stauffer Cr. Maybe a few will poke around into some of the smaller spring creeks that somehow managed to remain ice free through the cold of this winter. But 95% of the water will be frozen. It looks to be nice weather for a drive for Friday and Saturday.
And with the present forecast and sunshine, there will even be a few bugs. Small black stones (think a black trude in #16 to 20) will be out and about. You might even see a rise or two. Maybe a brown or rocky will take a nymph or streamer. It all depends on just how the conditions line up for you - your fishing.
But, like every season, the weather will be fickle. A slow build up to the nicest day, followed by a collapse. These early, warm spells just can't sustain themselves around central Alberta. There's simply too much snow, too much mountain and arctic influence to keep things steady. So, while the forecast is for nice weather now, make sure you leave yourself enough lee-way to get out when the weather is actually good. The collapse always leaves things empty, cold, cloudy, and quite slow.
Of course, it seldom is the fishing success that leads many out this time of year. These early trips are the t-ball to the season. It's a time to set the ball on the T and take a few swings. There's nothing over the top that happens for most. It's an exercise in setting the season up. And many, may will this coming weekend, so keen up the happy social skills and make a new friend.
If it's fish you are after, maybe turn your attention to the lower Oldman, Crowsnest, or Bow. Less temperamental rainbows and more fish per km await. And it looks to be a very nice forecast down that way as well.
But for us in central Alberta, while the weather is coming nicely, it will be another 6 weeks yet before we see marsh marigolds bring in the first good waves of pmds. By then, hopefully, the skwalas, smattering of tiny to small stones, and a few olives will have come off, bringing a few nice browns to hand.