Listen To The River: A Packraft Adventure

Listen To The River: A Packraft Adventure from Wild Confluence Films on Vimeo.

**** "A number of years ago, my husband Armand and I had the good fortune to enjoy canoe trips on both the North Fork Flathead River and the Middle Fork Flathead River in Montana, which are not far south of the Canada/US border. (In fact, the North Fork begins its journey in Canada) This short film takes us on a trip to the South Fork Flathead River." - Michelle **** 

Listen To The River: A Packraft Adventure 

A classic summer adventure on the roadless South Fork Flathead river in Montana's vast Bob Marshall Wilderness. Follow the Wild Confluence crew on their fully self supported packraft adventure as they enjoy some of finest fly fishing in the lower 48, endless solitude and the rhythm of this pristine river. And just as the trip of a lifetime is about to come to a close things take an unexpected turn for the worse...

The Canadian Connection: Ft. Paula Shearer

The Canadian Connection: Ft. Paula Shearer

by Kyle Wilkinson, Trout's Fly Fishing, January 28, 2016

Read on to learn more about the girl from Canada who catches bigger fish than you.

Click this link: http://bit.ly/1Sf06Rv

Paula Shearer - PS on the Fly | ‪#‎bowriver‬ | ‪#‎flyfishing‬ | ‪#‎yyc‬

Get ready to talk, text, tweet and share - ‪#‎BellLetsTalk‬ day is tomorrow!

Got any plans tomorrow? Join @ClaraHughes_ and the #BellLetsTalk Day team as we fight to #endthestigma. https://t.co/jRS1kkfM14

— Bell Let's Talk (@Bell_LetsTalk) January 26, 2016

  http://letstalk.bell.ca/

Coalition calls for limits on off-road vehicles in Alberta to protect water

A designated off-road vehicle trail and sign post in the Castle Wilderness Area of Southern Alberta in October 2012. Gavin Young / Calgary Herald archives

Coalition calls for limits on off-road vehicles in Alberta to protect water

by Colette Derworiz, Calgary Herald, January 25 2015

Alberta’s conservation community is calling for strict limits on off-road vehicles on public lands and a total ban on their use in parks and protected areas in the Eastern Slopes of the Canadian Rockies to look after water and wildlife. 

The move, which is supported by dozens of scientists and environmental groups, comes a few months after the NDP government announced the expansion of an existing wildland provincial park and the addition of a new provincial park in the Castle. 

It shut out logging, mining and future oil and gas surface development, but it still allows for off-highway vehicle use on designated trails.

Read more here: http://calgaryherald.com/…/coalition-calls-for-limits-on-of…

Read AWA new release here: https://albertawilderness.ca/easternslopescommunique/

H/T to Kevin Van Tighem & Jordan Pinkster
 
‪#‎bowriver‬ | ‪#‎flyfishing‬ | ‪#‎yyc‬ | ‪#‎CastleWildnerness‬

Patagonia Opposes TPP

Patagonia Opposes TPP

by Rose Marcario, Patagonia CEO, The Cleanest Line, Nov 13, 2015

Now that full text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has finally been made public, we can say unequivocally that we oppose it, as it advances the interests of big business at the expense of the environment, workers, consumers, communities and small businesses. This confirms our previous fears (here and here) about the agreement’s serious social and environmental costs.

The proposed trade agreement between the U.S. and 11 other Pacific Rim nations, crafted behind closed doors over a five-year period, may indeed cut tariffs, increase trade and build closer economic and regulatory relationships among its signatories, as its proponents say. But it will also weaken worldwide labor standards, harm the global environment, diminish regulatory safeguards and enable corporations and individuals that already have far too much influence gain even more at the expense of everyone else.

Read more here: http://www.thecleanestline.com/…/11/patagonia-opposes-tpp.h…

Patagonia Calgary | ‪#‎bowriver‬ | ‪#‎flyfishing‬ | ‪#‎yyc‬ | ‪#‎TPP‬

New study aims to show water demands in the Bow River Basin

Morning light along the Bow River near Calgary, Alta., on Thursday April 23, 2015. (Mike Drew/Calgary Sun/Postmedia Network)

New study aims to show water demands in the Bow River Basin

by Amanda Symynuk, Bow Valley Craig & Canyon, Dec 18, 2015

A new study by the Alberta WaterPortal Society is researching the effects of the increasing demand and competition for water in the Bow River Basin.

“There are a number of competing demands for water in southern Alberta, or in the Bow in particular, and what this project is doing is helping develop a knowledge base around helping decision makers work on water allocations and further progress in water management,” said Mark Bennett, executive director of the Bow River Basin Council.

Read article here: http://www.thecragandcanyon.ca/…/new-study-aims-to-show-wat…

‪#‎bowriver‬ | ‪#‎flyfishing‬ | ‪#‎yyc‬ |

Western Canadian Fly Fishing Exposition - Jan 15-17, 2016

Western Canadian Fly Fishing Exposition
 
Spruce Meadows Equiplex
 
18011 Spruce Meadows Way SW
Calgary, AB

JANUARY 15 - 17, 2016
 
Friday | 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Saturday | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
 
http://www.flyfishingevents.com/ | Western Canadian Fly Fishing Exposition

Drowning in money: the untold story of the crazy public spending that makes flooding inevitable

‘Vast amounts of public money are spent every year on policies that make devastating floods inevitable.' Illustration by Daniel Pudles Daniel Pudles/Guardian

When will we ever learn... ?

Back in early December, 'Storm Desmond' swamped north-west England as well as parts of Northern Ireland, north Wales and southern Scotland. Honister in Cumbria recording 13.4 inches of rain in 24 hours, the most rain to ever fall over a 24 hour period. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35023558

Locals are wondering why the multimillion-pound defences that were built following floods in 2005 are failing to keep the deluge out from people's homes.

Turns out the cause of their problem is upstream, the result of clearcutting the hills, and digging drainage ditches, for sheep farming!

Our recent floods in Calgary and southern Alberta were exacerbated by similar problems in our Bow River watershed - clearcutting for lumber, damage from ATV use, killing all the beavers, etc.

And Calgarians are being led to believe that the current upgrades to berms and dikes, plus the proposed Springbank dry dam, will protect us from the next 'big one'. 

Seems we never learn...

Drowning in money: the untold story of the crazy public spending that makes flooding inevitable

George Monbiot, The Guardian

We all know what's gone wrong, or we think we do: not enough spending on flood defences. It's true that the government's cuts have exposed thousands of homes to greater risk, and that the cuts will become more dangerous as climate change kicks in. But too little public spending is a small part of the problem. It is dwarfed by another factor, which has been overlooked in discussions in the media and statements by the government: too much public spending.

Read more here:  http://www.theguardian.com/…/flooding-public-spending-brita…

2015 Fly Fishing Photo Contest: The Results

All the official selections from Hatch Magazine 2015 photo contest at this link:
 
http://www.hatchmag.com/…/2015-fly-fishing-photo-contest-re…