South Western Alberta and beyond, 2010 to 2011 Fly Fishing Season.

Articles Trip Reports & Travel
1

Well folks it is finally here, the much anticipated, much heralded, much loved…Hahahaha you get it! This is my 2010/2011 Fly Fishing Season Report.

Got off to a great start 01 April 2010, April fools, thought mother nature was going to pull a fast one on me and give me a perfect day to fish waters that had just opened up and had not another fresh foot print in the soil, but no fish. Well John Scotts’ PSC turned the day around, I tied it behind a RPF Woolly Bugger and it was the ticket, as I do not carry other lines only the floating line and lots of leader mat, the only thing to hit the RPFWB was an over eager Bull trout about 10" long, who shot out from under the ice I was standing on to hit the RPFWB HARD and then fly out of the water spin around and shoot right back under the ice, I would have sworn I was hallucinating but Thor my wife’s Golden Retriever had that where did the fish go look…

Fisher played his April Fools trick on me with a 6’ stick he wanted me to throw!!! Crazy Dog…

I will try not to miss reporting a trip from now until 31 March 2011 but can’t promise you that, I do intend to be at the Idaho Fish In in Sept, so that should be fun, I also fully intend to fish Montana with JS this year…

Fresh water.

Fischers April Fools day trick, “throw this for me”

Hope I have seen the last of this

and more of this…

Hogs with the PSC.

Note the only reason I have the net is because my hand is still messed up from the accident, and I do not take the fish out of the water if I can help it, this is just my preference, not a judgment, or meant to be judged.

Remember Egos and ignorance are a trouts worst enemy on a river.

2

… can’t figure out which I like better - the pic of Fischer with the log or the third one of the PSC with a hog. So I guess I’ll just have to like them equally well.

Great start on your '10 / '11 thread. Omissions and interruptions are permitted for good reasons. But there ain’t any good reasons !!

John

3

Excellent, excellent post. Can’t wait to follow this through the year! Thanks for sharing.

Kelly.

4

Awesome photos and great report!!!

You sure have some nice looking water there.

5

Kelly and Sasha Thank you both very much I am looking forward to this year, already have several multi-day trips planed…

6

Had a fun day on the water the fishing was great but and there is always a but the catching proved to be challenging to say the least.

We started the day off with 80+kmH winds, so that changed out plans of fishing the Oldman River in the newly opened section, it is a straight west to east flow and would be like casting into a wind tunnel facing the wrong direction !!!

So we went to the Crowsnest river to hide from the wind, we did until it started to snow, but that was when it started to get interesting!!!

As it started to snow the fish started to look up and see what the weather was like and they liked what they saw, at least they liked the little Midges and BWOs that were floating by, WHAT THEY DID NOT LIKE WAS ANY OF MY BWO OR MIDGE PATTERNS Yes I yelled that last part… it was one of the most beautiful and frustrating days I have had on the water all winter, I still count that day as winter:confused:

I was so intent on the fish I did not even think of a picture of the time, my partner for the day "Trouthunter Andy is a relative newbie to Fly fishing and did not know what was going on! I had to explain it to him that to catch a trout in those conditions was a real feat!!!

I will be fly fishing the Bow river for the first time this Wednesday, will post my utter defeat after, I am going to Calgary to give a presentation on PHW&FFC, to the Hook and Hackle Club.

Here are the Pictures I managed that day.

I still do not have a vehicle to travel (my wife’s Matrix is great but not a fishing veh) tha thas been slowing down my spring flings…
The menu at least part of the menu.

Kewl

the other half or second course.

one of my favorite lakes is open but darn windy as always.

this is the type of pig that comes from it

7

Out of every weather condition, wind is the one I hate the most.

Great report and pics!

8

Love the reports, honored to have them here on FAOL. Thanks a bunch!
LF

9

Why Thank You kind lady! That is awful nice of you to say, I do believe I am Blushing!

10

I asked in a PM if Montana had any moisture they could spare, Well watch what you ask for Cause you just might get it… IN SPADESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSNOW!!!

Top deck usually 20 - 25c this time of year, 40-45c in the summer, if it ever shows up this year!!

Dirty waders that were gifted to PHWC , getting cleaned thanks to Mother Nature…

My Fur kids eating alfresco…in the snow…

some small signs of spring,

What has this to do with spring, I was going to hit a city lake known for big brood stock, Brookies, Browns and Rainbows from the local University and then fish up in Calgary on the Bow in the morning - we will see!

11

You know, the more of the white stuff, all the more for the fishies ;). Thanks for the great reports. Keep 'em coming.

Kelly.

12

Well I have sat down a # of times to write this up, and something has always gotten in the way, well here we go the last time out I got to cruise by my fav Brown trout lake, well it is fishing well and the rivers are a little hit and miss and that is the fish! I have gotten 5 trout on Drys and not the delicate small stuff but big foam monsters!!!

I am not sure if it is OK to say this on a Family FF BB but John Scott I love - your fly !! The PSC scores again there is something about it all the big fish find it impossible to resist, I have caught Browns Rainbows at that special lake, and on several rivers as well. I use a Slumpbuster or other heavy fly to get it down or just swing it in slower sections of the rivers… will try to fish it in all conditions this year and see what comes up so to speak. I enjoyed fishing with my friends and son.

At the end of the day I am so tired and SORE that I need two days to recover, but after an extra day or two I am itching to get back at it

Enjoy the pictures I will try to be more prompt with the reports…

Earliest these guys have come out to play

One of their playmates and mine

Early for this also MMMMMM Strawberries…

Big Lunch will have to stop with the meats and cheese soon, have already seen BEAR tracks…

Rose Quartz you can see through it I would like to find a big Red one for Ann

Playmate in a net, my broken ring finger still makes it hard to do the release without he net.

THE FOAM IS HOME!!

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More fun the tall handsome fella is my son he takes after his Mom…

My favorite river looked like Chocolate soup that is what drove us to the Lakes

This fella said that his basement was flooded

You know I hate this, this is on Public land and I feel somebody has done me a cheat, they have stole some of the niceness from the river bank.

Thor watching Fischer show off.

That log is water logged and weights 40lbs

Mmmmmm Dandelion wine and salad

What can Brown do for you!

The first small one

Big Girl!!

14

Cont’d from above
Here are the kids pictures
My best by catch, he is a good kid…

Big Boy Browns have teeth

Here is a top picture of the large female, I am still struggling with my broken finger but it is getting better.

15

I take no credit for these four pictures, they were taken and well taken by a young Biologist, who allows me to tag along with him once in while…
Fischer and I, DAMN I love that dog!

Playing sneaky Pete with my amigos there is a large Rainbow in the small pool in front of us.

Fischer doing his Ninja trick I turn around and he is laying there behind me watching.

Thor is such a good Golden Retriever one would almost think he is a German Shepherd

16

You have me chomping at the bit now. I was deployed about 10 years ago to the Crowsnest area for 3 months, and have vowed to get back with a flyrod some day. Still trying to plan that day:^)

17

Great pics! This one with the caption made me smile. Good stuff.

What can Brown do for you!

18

Well I re-found these photos… I was out with a former Guide and good friend with the fun Nickname of Hawgstoppa…

I must warn that there is a very graphic picture at the end of this, but and there is always a but, they are a fella’s PB = Personnel Best, and will be mounted with fiberglass and eaten… He is a bait chucker but very nice. Besides damn are they nice big fish, stockers and brood fish from the hatchery…

Thor doing the spotting thing, would think he was a Pointer not a retriever.

Sexy Fly

One of Hawgstoppa’s

The boys chilling

Little fella, smallest of the 10 that were cruising the shore line, only about 16-18 inches…

Girls coming down for a dip!

Bigguns!!! Old Brood stock from the hatchery…They were not taken by me, or by Fly Fishing but were taken legally and well handled.

19

Deployed as in Army deployed?

Fire fighting ?

Or best of all just fly fishing?
Like nike say’s "JUST DO IT!

20

HAAAAA
NOTE TO SELF.
When I asked for more moisture I should have been more specific in my request…

This winter storm can produce poor travelling conditions. Persons in or near these areas should be on the lookout for adverse weather conditions and listen for updated warnings.

Crowsnest

                                                          [b]           [WINTER  STORM WARNING  IN EFFECT](http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?ab17#ab17-641cweg-073100)         [/b]

                 
                                                                                                                                                             Past 24 Hours                         Radar Imagery                         Satellite Imagery

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           Current Conditions
            
         
                                                       
                                1                       [?C](http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/forecast/city_e.html?ab-17&unit=i)                                        
             
           
                                               Observed at: CrowsnestDate: 5:00 PM MDT Wednesday 28 April 2010

[ul]
[li] Condition:Not observed[/li][li] Temperature:1.3?C Dewpoint:1.3?C Humidity:100 % Wind:SE 7 km/h[/li][/ul]

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                            Forecast               
            
         
                                                      [b]Tonight[/b]


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[li]1?C[/li][/ul]

                            [b]                   Thu                 [/b]


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[li]2?C[/li][/ul]

                            [b]                   Fri                 [/b]


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[li]7?C[/li][li]0?C[/li][li] 40%[/li][/ul]

                            [b]                   Sat                 [/b]


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[li]10?C[/li][li]-3?C[/li][li] 30%[/li][/ul]

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[li]8?C[/li][li]2?C[/li][/ul]

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[li]16?C[/li][li]4?C[/li][/ul]

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[li]9?C[/li][li]3?C[/li][li] 60%[/li][/ul]

                              Issued : 4.40 PM MDT Wednesday 28 April 2010

Winter storm warning in effect. TonightRain mixed with wet snow changing to snow overnight. Rainfall amount 30 mm. Snowfall amount 5 cm. Wind becoming west 30 km/h this evening. Temperature steady near plus 1. ThursdaySnow changing to wet snow in the morning. Amount 10 to 15 cm. Wind north 40 km/h gusting to 60. Temperature steady near plus 2. Thursday nightWet snow changing to snow and ending near midnight then cloudy periods. Amount 2 to 4 cm. Wind northwest 30 km/h. Temperature steady near zero. FridayA mix of sun and cloud with 40 percent chance of flurries or rain showers. High 7. SaturdayA mix of sun and cloud with 30 percent chance of showers. Low minus 3. High 10. SundayCloudy. Low plus 2. High 8. MondayA mix of sun and cloud. Low plus 4. High 16. TuesdayCloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Low plus 3. High 9.

                                                                                                                                            Record Values                         Historical Weather

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           Well at least I got some of this in before things got bad..

Three play pals from last week

Time to stock the Boxes and plan the next big adventure.