Last Day of Our Acquaintance

Every year, each stream has it. Some years you don't know that it will be, but it is. Some years it's plainly obvious. This year, given the forecast, was such an obvious year. Wednesday we knew we would fish Thursday. Thursday's forecast was for +18C and mainly sunny. Friday was forecast to be +5C. The rest of the forecast was cold, snowy, cloudy, rainy. When it's Oct 21 in the rockies, with that forecast, you pretty much know that this would be the last day of our acquaintance for the 2010 season in the high country. So, without further delay, a few shots of our last day up on high...

4 hours

My waders are being repaired. The ones that fit me enough to allow me to hike the Ram that is. The other pair I have at home right now ride high on the inner thigh, and the boys let you know quickly that walking 15km isn't going to be met with open arms. It was a frosty morning in the high country and while the hike in was easy in my wading boots and quick dry pants, I had a hunch my boys weren't going to be overly excited about their treatment down in the shady, frosty canyon waters. But, it was 11 am and they'd be happy enough by 2.
The fall weather continues to provide wonderful fishing. While the Ram in the canyon is slightly off color, levels are way up for this time of the year, and the water is really cold but for 4 hours of the day (which is about when the fish are active), if your expectations are in line with all those factors, things can turn out wonderfully. It was pretty hard not to enjoy +22C with nary a breath of wind or spot of cloud.

The fishing through the entire west country is great right now where conditions merit. The Clearwater, RDR, and lower Ram are all out, but most every other water is in good shape. The lakes are fishing very well.

More weather

If you're headed to the Ram drainage, the canyon may well be muddy water for a day after this afternoon's storms swept in. Not a long storm, but an intense one that will likely show up on river flow reports by the morning. Streams with exposed soil in the Ram - upper Red Deer R area will certainly be off color. The forecast is for a continuation of unsettled weather. Such storms have been rolling through the region for a couple of weeks now. Perhaps the back half of August will have more stability?

July 30 Fishing Report

July 30 - 2010
The region is in almost perfect condition, though water levels remain higher than normal. Lingering impacts on fishing are now down to the Ram in the mid to lower canyon reach where water levels continue to scour the sandstone, keeping visibility down and sediment loads up. Otherwise, most everything is in good to great shape! Perfectly timed for this long weekend!

N Ram is fishable - 4 - 5 foot vis and green-clear @ Nice Cr
S Ram - mid to lower canyon is a little high (watch the crossings) and visibility definitely poor. Much better upstream.
Upper Red Deer is in good shape - watch out for jet boats this weekend.
Blackstone is in good shape
Prairie, Red Deer tailwater, Little RDR, FallenTimber, Dogpound, etc are in good shape, though lower reaches may be impacted by the t-storms forming further out from the foothills recently.
Hatches - golden stones, pmds, brown drakes, tricos, caddis, midges, mid sized hoppers, yellow sallies, lime sallies, flavs, green drakes in high country.

The Hinton - Edson waters along the #16 corridor are all clear and low as of this morning.