" How come you're catching fish and I'm not?", the guy just downstream from me asked. "What kind of fly are you using?". I told him what it was and he immediately changed what he had on his line. Not that it did him any good.We had been on the same stretch of water for about four hours. I had landed three, good sized Rainbow trout and two Browns. He, on the other hand, had been skunked. Zilch, nada, nothing. Should I be laughing at this guy? Normally no, but you know how some people just rub you the wrong way. This was the guy. When we had first met the day before, all he talked about was his very expensive tackle. You could also tell he had taken fly casting lessons. He could put that fly out there a good long way and it usually touched down without much of a ripple. He liked to flog the water a lot.He was also one of those guys that had memorized the name of every fly ever made. And their colours.This man was long on book smarts and short on real smarts.
While he was putting his fly out 80-90 feet, I was putting mine out maybe 20-30. While he was flogging the water, I was just flipping my fly out a little way and letting it drift. As you can see in the picture, the Bow River is gorgeous. And right in front of me, it drops straight down to about 10 feet deep. It is so clear you can see the fish sitting, lying in wait for their meal. And that is where I put my fly. You can watch the big Browns and Rainbows just sit there and then slide up under your fly deciding whether or not they like the look of it.The most frustrating part is watching a 4-5 lb. Rainbow come up to just beneath your fly and then turn his nose up at it. They just sort of slide back into their waiting position. But when they hit! WHOA!what a beautiful thing. These are truly wild fish. They are not stocked hatchery fish. These are the real deal. Great fight. They hit your fly like a freight train. So hard, they set the hook themselves. When they fight, they will practically walk on water for you. Adrenaline rush. Best trout fishing anywhere.
The Bow River is a world famous trout fishery. On the particular section I was fishing, for Browns and Bull trout, it is catch and release only. For Brookies, there is a limit of five and for Rainbows just one. The resource is very carefully managed so that later generations will have fish in the rivers. Also here in Alberta, just to make things more interesting, barbless hooks are the law. If your flies have a barbed hook, you must file it down or bend it flat. This is also to make the release easier for the fishand for you. It also makes you very careful in bringing the fish in so you don't lose it.
To get to the spot I was standing at, I waded out about 100 feet and the water was never more than a foot deep with a nice gravel bottom. Every evening, this particular section would go absolutely dead calm and flat. And every evening you could watch the fish come to the surface to feed. What a rush.
As for the guy flogging the water-- when I left, he came and took over my spot. Still didn't catch anything.
If you are a fisherman and would like to try the Bow, it starts in Banff, Alberta and flows east through Calgary. Make sure you get a license and follow the regulations. HAPPY FISHING!
10 comments:
Alphonse, thanks for taking me fishing with you this morning. I could feel the glacial run-off running cold past my waders and couldn't wait for the fry pan to get fired up. You tell a great story and I sure needed it.
This one took me back to my trout fishing days. Just a kid, I used to giggle at the fully loaded "fishermen" who never caught anything. Happily, my cousins had taught me to fly fish with the most disreputable gear they had, I think. But I learned and loved it.
LIn: Glacial waters they are. I once stood in a lake up by Maligne Lake for 6 hours without waders. Only cold for the first 10 minutes and then , too numb to feel anything
Cat: Flyfishing is the best is it not? Do you still fish for trout?
I finally found you! You sent me on a wild moose chase through the creek which had me disoriented.
From your brief comment on Bruno's blog I gather you are in the Harper fan club. I don't pretend to know very much about politics because quite frankly what's going on in the world gets me too stressed out and I have to turn it off.
It seems that NATO is recommending we pull our troops out of Afghanistan in 2009 (I think that was the time frame) but at the same time Harper is telling everyone there is going to be no definitive end date and our troops could be there for a long time.
It's bad enough that our young people are losing limbs and lives but what about the cost to Canadians to keep our troops there? Do you think it's time for some other country to take a turn? I think so.
Tell me Moose (I know you're Alphonse but I like Moose and I can easily type it) what do you think about Harper contradicting NATO's plan?
Babzy: Sorry for the wild Moose chase.I still don't know where your blog is. Give me an address.
What I was getting at was some Canadians think we should only be peace keepers and that this is what our forces are for. It was actually the Liberal government that got us into Afghanistan until 2009. Harper has said if the ob is not done it may be extended. The NDP want us out now, If we had thought this way in WW1 and WW11 what kind of country would we live in now. Where do you draw the line on who should be saved and who shouldn't?I don't always agree with Harper and I write and tell him so. I also write and tell my MP.
To answer your question, yes other countries should step up, but until they get the guts, do we abandon Afghanistan and the region to the Taliban and Al Qaida?
If you read my first blog, this is why I said I won't write about religion or politics. I want to keep it light if possible.
I do appreciate your comment and hope you will keep reading.
Where is your blog? I need to read it.We can play nice like Bruno said. LOL
Darn it. When I saw your comment about patriotism I was all happy. I don't too often get to rattle on about politics, religion, and other hot topics. But I certainly respect that you want to keep your blog light and family oriented. I'll check in now and then. TTYL
Actually, one of the little Meese(moose plural)told me not to talk religion or politics. exceptions can be made.
You didn't leave a blog name or address
Alphonse,
If you want to track down a blogger leaving a comment, click on the blue highlighted name (if there is one). From that profile, you can see their various blogs listed below - just click on one or all of them and you are there.
Thanks Lin, I found that out after I left the note. I do appreciate it thought. We are all so tech savvy in our old age.
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