NO ACCESS - Legacy Island & Johnson’s Island (Carseland)

We’ve been advised by Brian Meagher (TUC) that the Bow River runoff has caused some serious issues with Legacy Island. Access to the island and to the boat launch is blocked.

George Yanicki (District Conservation Officer – SRD) informed us that the gate to the Wyndham-Carseland Park and Johnson’s Island boat launch is locked as a result of damage from the spring rains to the switchback road down to the boat launch area. It will remain locked until repairs have been completed. That could take several weeks.

Photo Courtesy: Brian Meagher (click directly on image to enlarge

Legacy Island

Brian Meagher writes:

“There are multiple logs across the road at the crossing, and a tree is across the former boat launch. It is far worse than before- not useable in its current state.

We would not be able to get trucks out to the island with the side channel as high as it currently is, I had to put on waders to get across and the water was up to my hips and flowing pretty good. We could set up a work day to get rid of the downed trees and the debris from the wire, but posts will have to be re-drilled to keep people on the trails and the silt will have to be removed and that cannot be done with a shovel. The contractors redistributed 8 dump truck loads around the island the last time, and I think there is more silt there now.

If an event was planned in the coming weeks, then we could take the initial steps of removing the trees to allow for the proper equipment to finish the job- after the water drops. There is also Alberta Environment and DFO to be contacted for approvals.”

Photo Courtesy: Brian Meagher (click directly on photo to enlarge)

Legacy Island Cleanup – Volunteer Workday #2

Date: TBD, approx 2-3 weeks from now, after water levels decline.

Participants: TUC Bow River Chapter.

Bow River Shuttles writes:

"Who is TUC Bow River Chapter? If you walk & wade the Bow River, float fish the Bow River, guide fly fishing on the Bow River, then YOU are TUC Bow River Chapter.

Legacy Island Cleanup #1 on May 07 produced 6 volunteers, out of a possible total of over 1,000. We can do better than that." :-)

Please RSVP Your Interest to Attend To:

Brian Meagher

Alberta Provincial Biologist

Trout Unlimited Canada

(403) 209-5185

Email - bmeagher@tucanada.org

Johnson’s Island

George Yanicki writes:

“Due to a public safety issue, the day use area and boat launch at Johnson's Island has been closed until further notice. Johnson's Island is a popular take out point for people who are using drift boats on the Bow River. I will keep you updated regarding the re-opening of this area.”

Click directly on poster to view larger image

VFTSV*

*Views from the Shuttle Van

Alberta's 'other' Provincial flower

Rocky Mountains are covered by haze in the background

Appearances can be deceiving

All Photos: Bow River Shuttles

Driving to or from McKinnon Flats over the years, you and I would have probably looked at this as just a farmer’s field.

To someone else, it looked like a potential 36 hole golf course.

That’s what we’ve been told is under construction just south of Highway 22X, on the road to McKinnon.

Soon, you will be able to plan a fins and skins day along this stretch.

Float Mac to Legacy, and return for a round of golf. Or vice versa. 

What do you think?  Would this appeal to you? 

Photos above May 20, Photos below June 10

Guide Chronicles – June 2011

Check out ‘High Water Tactics’ by Brian Fifield.

If these tactics work for the trout on the Yakima River, maybe they’ll work for the Bow River Trout. What do you think?

Guide Chronicles – June 2011

The Red Ant

  

All Photos: Bow River Shuttles



Jim McLennan was the guest speaker at the Calgary Hook & Hackle Club in May.

Lynda McLennan (centre) w/H & H Club members

He spoke about “Favourite Alberta Hatches”. He began with the bugs that show up early in the spring, and moved through the fishing season, and the bug cycles, to the fall.

In this brief video clip, he talks about the red ant.



http://www.mclennanflyfishing.com/

Rainy days and Green Drakes

“On this particular day in June the Front Range is but a rumour, replaced by a bank of gun-metal grey clouds that look prepared to leak rain any moment now. This, in Martha Stewart’s words, is a good thing.”

Neill Waugh writes about a super-hatch of drakes on the Alberta Front Range in the Edmonton Sun

Via: MidCurrent

Fly Life Magazine - June 2011

Fly Life Magazine claims that they “can teach you to speak bonefish, read permit, text sailfish, and learn the tarpon code.”


Fly Life Magazine

VFTSV*

Photo: Bow River Shuttles

*Views from the Shuttle Van


Fishing the Bow River on June 22.


River Flow Rate: 287 cms

More on Mega Loads

Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil megaloads will pass through Idaho and Montana this summer. They will enter Canada via Sweet Grass, MT. The loads, which will travel on Highway 95 and Interstate 90, will be smaller than the full-sized module pictured here.

Back in April, we posted twice on this topic:

Fighting Goliath

Hauling oilsands equipment thru Montana opposed

Last Friday, Imperial Oil received approval to apply for permits to move two of its ‘mega loads’ – but only on U.S. 95 and I90, and only for ‘chopped down’ versions that would fit under highway overpasses.

However, Imperial has not decided whether to make use of the permits. It’s still hoping for approval to use scenic waterways and highways 12 and 200 in Idaho and Montana.

That route has met with serious opposition from local groups, determined to protect the Lochsa and Clearwater Rivers, and to prevent this ‘Wild & Scenic’ route from becoming an ‘industrial’ route.

Imperial, which was reported to have originally stated that the mega loads could not be reduced in size, is doing just that, at a cost of $500,000 per unit. 33 units are currently sitting at the Port of Lewiston.

The story below was in yesterday’s Calgary Herald.

Imperial may not use Idaho permits
By Dan Healing,
Calgary Herald
June 21, 2011

Fly Fishers, Fashionistas & Feathers

Beginning in early 2011, some specialty chicken farmers across North America have found their products to be in high demand by the fashion industry. That includes Alberta’s very own Howard Hackle.

Demand has outstripped supply since hairstylists were handed a new source of income, thanks to the likes of Steven Tyler (judge on American Idol) who is credited with kick starting the current craze of weaving certain types of chicken feathers into hair.

The article below appeared yesterday in the Calgary Herald.

Has anyone reading this post had problems finding feathers for their fly tying? Let us know in the 'Comments' section below.

Fashionistas and fly fishermen fight over rare feathers

By Jennifer Fong,
Calgary Herald
June 20, 2011

Fly fishermen and the fashion conscious are flocking together over a feather.

And not just any feather, but super long and narrow quills that come from designer chickens produced by only one farm in Canada.

Fishermen want them to tie flies. Stylists want to tie them into hair.

Since feather extensions exploded as a hot new hair trend, demand for the feathers, known as saddle hackle, has soared.

Some fishing supply shops and distributors say they expect to be sold out until November, maybe even 2012. Read more here

Ethical Water: Learning to Value What Matters Most - June 23



Click directly on poster for later image


The Friends of Fish Creek June Speaker Series
Ethical Water: Learning to Value What Matters Most
Presented by Robert Sandford

Do you know the True Value of Water?

Robert Sandford is a world-renowned expert on water and ethics, the EPCOR Chair of the Canadian Partnership Initiative for the UN "Water for Life" program, and the author of three books on the subject: Water, Weather and the Mountain West, Restoring the Flow: Confronting the World’s Water Woes, and Ethical Water: Valuing What Really Matters.

Sandford warns that if our widely held belief system, that water can be used at humanity’s complete discretion, does not change, global ecosystems will deteriorate and our economy will continue to suffer.

Learn what this new way of valuing and managing water should look like in order to help ensure healthy global ecosystems and economies for the future.

When: Thursday, June 23, 2011 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Where: Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre, Shannon Terrace, Fish Creek Provincial Park (access via 37 St. and 130 Ave. SW)

Presentation is free for Friends of Fish Creek members and only $5.00 for non-members.
For more information, please visit www.friendsoffishcreek.org.

To register contact:
Chris Lalonde
Communications Coordinator
Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society
403-238-3841
chris@friendsoffishcreek.org

VFTSV*

Photo: Bow River Shuttles

*Views from the Shuttle Van

Fishing the Bow River on June 19.

River Flow Rate: 255 cms

Love the Castle: Don't log it!

Photo courtesy: Alberta Fly Fishing Adventures

In the current issue of This is Fly magazine, Darcy Toner (Faceless Fly Fishing – Calgary) highlights the threat of logging in the Castle Wilderness of south western Alberta.

For more than 20 years conservationists have been campaigning to increase protection of Alberta's Castle Special Place, in Waterton National Park's backcountry. But parts of the Castle are due to be logged in coming months.

Alan Brice (Alberta Fly Fishing Adventures – Coleman) and Vic Bergman (The Crowsnest Angler Fly Shop & Guide Service – Bellevue) are just two of many local businessmen who are voicing their opposition to logging in this watershed.

They could use your support!

Check out these two links for ways to get involved.

Stop Castle Logging

Create a park in Alberta’s Castle Wilderness

Related story:
“Unfriendly”

Calgary Herald
June 5, 2011
By Gordon Petersen, Pincher Creek, and Sarah Elmeligi, Calgary.

Gordon Petersen is president of the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition and Sarah Elmeligi is senior conservation planner for the southern Alberta chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society.

Read story here

McKinnon Flats last Sunday June 12

Legacy Island gets a facelift

Back in early May, after completing our shuttles to McKinnon Flats, we decided to check out the ice conditions at Legacy Island.

We arrived just as the TUC-Bow River Chapter volunteers were finishing up their annual cleanup.

A total of six volunteers answered the call to assist TUC Provincial Biologist Brian Meagher (wearing the orange cap).

They had also brought in some heavy equipment to deal with the build up of silt in the boat ramp. After almost getting stuck, they gave up. The next day, they used a tracked backhoe to get the job done.

Photos above: Bow River Shuttles

Photos below: Courtesy Brian Meagher

Fishing for Westslope Cutthroat Trout in Western Montana

’TRCP’s Native Trout Adventures’ invites viewers to accompany the TRCP and its sportsmen partners as they fly fish for native trout that are dependent on sound public-lands management. Episode 1, ‘Westslope Cutthroat Trout in Western Montana,’ takes viewers to a blue-ribbon trout stream in one of the American West’s most iconic landscapes – a place whose future lies in the hands of the national forest planning rule-making currently under way.”



Via: Midcurrent

Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival 2012 - Call for Entries

Photo: Bow River Shuttles

Bow River Shuttles is excited to announce that the 5th Annual Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival is open to submissions. Over the next six months, we will be collecting entries for the contest.

This segment of the Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival is geared toward amateur film makers, and proceeds benefit Project Healing Fly Fishing Waters Canada.

Submission Guidelines:

- Regular Film: Maximum 10 minutes. (30 second max end credits).

- Short Film: Maximum 5 minutes. As short as you like. (30 second max end credits).

- The films must be about fly fishing, but can cover any aspect of the sport, from conservation, to adventure, humour, history, profiles or travel.

- We encourage original, recently gathered footage.

- We're interested in championing the work of aspiring filmmakers who use the language of film to tell a story. Instructional videos or ten minutes of grip and grin are discouraged.

- You must own the footage.

- Movies using copyright material without permission will be disqualified.

- If your DVD plays on your home DVD player, it will work for us.

- Photo stills from film (2 minimum)

- 200 word film synopsis,

- 200 word film maker bio

- Send DVDs and other requirements to Bow River Shuttles, 1279 Lake Sundance Cres S.E., Calgary, AB. T2J 2S7.

- There is a $20 entrance fee, which goes to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Canada. Make check or money orders payable to Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Canada and include them with your submission.

- By submitting your movie to the Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival, you are giving rights to Bow River Shuttles to show your film or excerpts of it during the festival, and to include the film or excerpts for a compilation DVD.

- A small committee will select the best entries.

- Best entries will be screened at Back Cast FFFF, and the winning film will be selected by the audience.

Deadline for submissions: Nov 30, 2011.

Prize for winning film: $500.00

Back Cast FFFF Date: Saturday February 11, 2012

So fire up those cameras guys and girls - and remember, it's for a good cause - raising funds for an organization that provides a unique outlet for healing and rehabilitation to injured Canadian soldiers.

Flymage - June 2011

Another impressive edition from Jose Weigand – in your choice of English or Spanish!

Hunting European bass, getting to know the “Kings of Leon” (tying feather cockrels since 1624), chasing salt water species (including permit) off the coast of Oman and Competition Flies.

Flymage – June 2011

In the Waters

Calgarian Mark Davis drops his new album ‘Eliminate The Toxins’ next week.

Here’s a track we like.

In the Waters by markwdavis

Creekfest 2011

Click directly on poster for larger image

Site map for Creekfest

Friends of Fish Creek

Bidasoa Trout

A very cool video from a river in the Basque Country of northern Spain and southern France.

Lots of good stuff

The TUC Bow River Chapter ‘Tackle Swap’ is organized each year by volunteer Craig Robillard, assisted by volunteers Craig Cooper and Wayne Olsen.

Craig R. told us that there were more tables sold this year, than in any year in recent memory. Almost a sellout!

We were also pleased that a number of boat sellers took advantage of our Bow River Shuttles Drift Boat Sale, which is held in conjunction with, and in support of, the TUC Bow River Chapter.

Thanks to all of the sellers and buyers who made this 2011 event such a success!

All Photos: Bow River Shuttles

This is Fly – June/July 2011

This issue explores Fly Fishing the Periphery, taming Tigers in Lion Country and wandering the vast flats of Treasure Island. See through the lens of Aaron Otto and dive into the art of Adam Friedman.

The message from our fellow anglers: protect your home waters.

Faceless Fly Fishing (Calgary) offers a perspective on the threats to our home waters in Alberta.

This is Fly – Issue 29