Hook & Hackle Club spreads some Yuletide cheer

The Christmas party was a grand way for the Calgary Hook & Hackle Club to wrap up 2010.

More than one hundred members and guests enjoyed some very good food and service, thanks to the owner and staff of Amici Italian Grill.

There were gifts for everyone, as well as a number special awards and presentations.

Thanks to Club President Daniel Young and to everyone who was involved in putting this special event together.

Calgary Hook & Hackle Club

David Brower’s Fight For Wild America

Why are the wild places worth saving? This video on David Brower is a good place to start.

Unlike most movie trailers, which tease but don’t give much of the story, this promo for Monumental: David Brower’s Fight for Wild America tells a narrative, and it’s one that’s as compelling now as it was when its subject, longtime Sierra Club director David Brower, was first coming to his outdoor life.

The footage of Brower and his cohorts scrambling peaks in their tennies or running an untamed Grand Canyon is extraordinary, and the messages still resonate: “If you like wilderness, you’ve got to work to try to save some of it so there’ll be some more left for the next generation.”

The DVD of Monumental is on sale for $18.71 from First Run Features. If you’re interested, buy it here

An Entirely Synthetic Fish

“The last century has seen the rapid spread of the rainbow trout across the USA, and Anders Halverson’s award-winning book An Entirely Synthetic Fish does an excellent job of chronicling the rainbow trout’s manmade diaspora – along with the negative effects on native fish populations.

An Entirely Synthetic Fish is a worthwhile read.

Halverson is a thorough researcher and a fine storyteller, and his engaging book never lags or lapses into biologist “geekspeak.”

Instead, it’s an engrossing read – one that’s hard to put down, and just as hard to forget.
It deservedly won a National Outdoor Book Award, and is well worth any fly fishermen’s time.”

- Read complete review by Tom Chandler, Trout Underground, here

Available at your favourite Calgary fly shop.

Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival – New Beneficiary Named

I am excited to announce that the 4th Annual Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival (Feb 12, 2010) has chosen a new beneficiary for 2011.

This event will be an awareness raiser and fundraiser for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Canada. Net proceeds will be donated to PHWFFC.

As in past years, festival goers will be treated to several full length films (about 3 hours total) from some of the best fly fishing film producers on the planet.

Doors open @ 12:00 noon, Show @ 1:00 pm.
Doors open again @ 5:30 pm, Show @ 6:30 pm.

You’ll meet interesting people from the world of fly fishing and travel to exotic locations! Plan now to be there!!

Stay tuned for more information!

Please check out my new Facebook Page for Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival

Dirty ass nympher

A civilized debate about Steelheading techniques... Well, almost civilized...



Via: Red Truck Fly Fishing Co.

Prairies and Southern Rockies Area Joint Round Table

(click directly on poster for larger image)

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division will be holding a Prairies Area and Southern Rockies Area Joint Round Table for the Bow River Watershed area on Wednesday, December 15, 2010. The objective is to exchange information with you about fisheries management initiatives in this region. The meeting will cover a variety of topics including sportfishing opportunities, the status of fish populations and other program initiatives in the Bow River watershed and associated reservoirs.

Please accept this e-mail as an invitation for yourself or a designate to attend. It will be held in Calgary on December 15, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. in the Bass Pro Shops Conference Room. The address for the facility is:

Bass Pro Shops
#112, 261055 Cross Iron Blvd.
Rockyview, Alberta

For further information and to confirm attendance, please contact Jim Stelfox (403) 851-2205 or Jenny Earle (403) 851-2211 at the Cochrane Fish and Wildlife office.

Yours truly,

Jim
Jim Stelfox
Senior Fisheries Biologist, Southern Rockies Area
Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Box 1420, Room 228, 2nd floor, Provincial Building
Cochrane, Alberta, Canada T4C 1B4
Tel 403/851-2205, Fax 403/932-2158
Jim.Stelfox@gov.ab.ca

NOTE: I've also attached a poster that provides some of the rationale for the regulation change that I'm proposing for Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes. This is one of the things that will be discussed at the round table meeting.

2010 Trout Unlimited Canada Fish Rescue

A great video segment detailing our annual Fish Rescue program created and provided to Trout Unlimited Canada by Sandra Young. For addtional information please visit our website at www.tucanada.org.

Good times at the Calgary Hook & Hackle Club

The Calgary Hook & Hackle Club put together a special event for members on the regular meeting night this week.

Everyone enjoyed pizza and “libations” before the show.





The main feature was a slide presentation set to music, using multiple projectors, by club member Brian Harasim.

Beautiful photos, presented in two, twenty minute, segments.

Thanks to the Club Executive and everyone else who made this a most enjoyable evening.

Dr. Patricia Gallaugher receives Haig-Brown award

The Totem Flyfishers, British Columbia's oldest and most respected fly fishing club, awarded Simon Fraser University's Dr. Patricia Gallaugher the 2010 Haig-Brown Conservation Award.

Dr. Gallaugher, a fish physiologist and conservationist, is the Director of Simon Fraser University's Centre for Coastal Studies and Continuing Studies in Science programs, and has organized SFU's successful Speaking for the Salmon Program since 1998.

In bestowing the award, the Totems noted the Speaking for the Salmon program has rightly earned Dr. Gallaugher wide acclaim as someone who can parlay the credibility of academia into a "don't miss" forum involving a diversity of users and decision makers around salmon management and conservation.

Totem Flyfishers

Speaking for the Salmon

Via: MidCurrent

Animated Knots

Check out Animated Knots for instructions on how to tie all kinds of knots. Also has an app for your phone!

LINK: Animated Knots

Wetlands for kids

Ducks Unlimited Canada has submitted an idea to the Pepsi Refresh Project to establish a wetland interpretive education site near Edmonton.

Goals

•Provide a wetland interpretive site in the Edmonton capital region.
•Provide a field trip destination for DUC's youth education program.
•Showcase the benefits that wetland conservation provides to society.
•Link wetland conservation with sustainable land development.

You can help DUC win $100,000 for their idea by voting for it!

Vote early and vote often!

Link: Wetlands for Kids

Salt Water Flats 101 with David

David Blair of Fish Tales Fly Shop (Calgary) covered all the basics, and then some, at his seminar last Sunday afternoon.

Rods, reels, lines, leaders, flies, clothing, foot ware, recommended reading – it was all there.

At the request of one seminar participant, he even got into a few knots, in particular one handy variation that he picked up from a Cuban guide.

He finished up with a bit of information and some photos from a couple of trips he completed in November – one to Cuba and another to Christmas Island.

That boy sure does get around!

“A Simple Solution”

A compelling documentary that focuses on the urgent need for protecting and increasing Alberta's wilderness areas.

Required December Reading

Catch Magazine



The current issues of This is Fly and Catch Magazine have been live since early November.


This Is Fly

Alaska’s Choice: Salmon or Gold

At my Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival in Calgary last year, I featured "Red Gold", an award winning film from Felt Soul Media.

That documentary focused on the competing interests that exist in the Bristol Bay area of Alaska.

This month National Geographic takes a look at this controversy. They have also included a very good photo gallery.

Via: Buster Wants to Fish

Harvie Passage is on time and under budget

This week, Howard Heffler provided a history, as well as an update, on the Harvie Passage (Calgary Bow River Weir Project). It was Howard who proposed the current project some ten years ago. He, along with Tony Palmer (Undercurrents Paddling Store) and the Bow Waters Canoe Club, spearheaded the initial fund raising and design studies. And Howard has kept a close eye on it ever since.


Howard Heffler

The instream construction work will be completed by April 2011. However, the area may not be available to the general public until the spring of 2012.



The issue of parking was also discussed. Despite the fact that parking facilities were included in the original drawings, that topic is still very much up in the air for a number of reasons.


Looking downstream

The bottom photo is an arial view of the project in mid November, just before the snow arrived in Calgary.


Looking upstream

(Click on any photo for larger image)

Fly Fusion

I really enjoyed the lead article in the current issue of Fly Fusion Magazine – “The Meaning of Water”. Understanding water, especially from the fish’s point of view, is the glue that pulls it all together for the fly fisher.

The cover shot of the mag was very cool. My teenage grandson had to take a second look. He initially thought it was a photo of a soldier! The story that went with it – “Snow Day” – showed the determination of a fly fisher who was driven to succeed, regardless. The commentary reminded me of some of my experienced fly fishing clients, who describe “hunting” for trout.

I always enjoy Jim McLennan’s Watermark article. In this case, “Fair Weather Angling” actually complements the “Snow Day” story.

Fly Fusion is available at your favourite Calgary fly shop.

Have you read any of the articles? Let me know your thoughts. Just click on “Comments”.

Double Down, we hardly knew ye…

For a short while, we thought that Spolumbo’s in Calgary might be challenged by the KFC Double Down sandwich as the shore lunch of choice by discerning Bow River fly fishing drift boaters.

Alas, the window of opportunity has come and gone.

However, don’t despair. There’s talk on the net that this is just a marketing ploy to make this wonderful sandwich even more desirable. We all tend to want what we can’t have. So stay tuned. The Double Down might be returning to a Calgary KFC near you!

It seems like so long ago...

Here - Faceless - Fly Fishing from faceless fly fishing on Vimeo.

LINK (Via Fly Fish Calgary Forum)

Local Heroes 2010

As part of Fall Splash tradition the Trout Unlimited Canada-Bow River Chapter recognized the efforts of those who have made significant contributions to the work of the chapter and to the ongoing conservation efforts in the Bow River basin.

Tim Hamilton was this year's recipient of the Bob Paget Memorial Conservation Award.

The Bow River Habitat Award went to the City of Calgary's Wastewater Treatment and the Tom Wagler Volunteer Award went to John and Joyce Cozens.

The "Fall Splash" took place in Calgary on Nov 17 2010.

Read More Here

More Photos Here

Go Riders!

http://www.saskriders.com/

Book Sale at Calgary Hook & Hackle Club

The Calgary Hook & Hackle Club maintains a great library of books and videos for its members.

Their catalogue includes everything from historical books right up to the latest books and videos on fly tying and fly fishing.

At the regular club meeting a few days ago, the club offered up for sale some of their older books. The twist was that payment was by flies, not money. All flies went into the “fly bank”, which are donated to various good causes throughout the year.

After the brief formal meeting, members commenced fly tying. The fly tying school also had a class underway with Instructor Dennis Killips.

Photos:

top: club members looking over book offerings

bottom: Instructor Dennis Killips (centre) with students

http://www.hookandhackleclub.org/

The Stimulator - November 2010

We managed to get the November issue of our newsletter out to our subscribers earlier this month, just hours before we left for a bit of a holiday.

As of today, the three most popular items have been the new Alberta-based fly fishing website, the three new on-line fly fishing magazines and the new video on Project Healing Waters Canada that was produced during the summer by local fly fisher Rick Harding of The Fly Fishing Life dot com.

For those looking to purchase a drift boat, there are two listings, including one first-time listing. Yes, I know it’s cold out there. But it’s never too early to start planning for the next season. :-)

“The Stimulator” e-newsletter is part of my Community Support Program and is available at no charge to any interested person.

To have your copy delivered to your email inbox, please send your request to michelle@bowrivershuttles.com

(For a larger readable image, please click directly on the newsletter image.)

Kurtis & Streamer Fishing

Kurtis Giles from Fish Tales Fly Shop presented a very good seminar on “Streamer Techniques for the Bow River” this past Sunday.



He began by explaining why he has a passion for streamer fishing. He then carried on by showing and describing a very good selection of flies that he had on display, and continued with an explanation of all of the other subjects related to his topic.

Well done!



Curtis will be presenting a Streamer fly tying course beginning next Wednesday Nov 24. Check the website for more info.

Also, the next Fish Tales seminar is scheduled for Sunday Dec 05. Details are on the website.

http://www.fishtalesflyshop.com/

A dangerous precedent for provincial parks

When it comes to environmental/conservation concerns, we usually stick to water issues. However, there are exceptions, and this is one of them.

News about Bill 29 began to surface during the first part of November, while we were away on a short holiday.

However, the email letter that is copied below arrived just two days ago.

Please go to the CPAWS - Southern Alberta Chapter website for more information, including links that can be used to contact the Alberta Government on this issue.

Here is some additional information from the Environmental Law Centre in Edmonton. And also a letter written to Minister Ady from the Alberta Wilderness Association.

There is some urgency, as we understand a decision on Bill 29 could be made as early as this week.


A dangerous precedent for provincial parks

In a move that could set a dangerous precedent for all of Canada's provincial parks, Alberta is proposing a new Parks Act that could gut park protection. The Act is being debated right now in the Alberta legislature and could be passed as early as this week. Albertans are speaking out against it and the government is starting to pay attention. Your voice will help show that the world is watching.

Please take a moment to help us ensure that Alberta does NOT turn the clock back 40 years by passing this Bill. Alberta is birthplace to Canada’s national parks and home to the famous Rocky Mountains and Kananaskis Country.

Here’s what’s wrong with the Act, Bill 29:

• It doesn't identify protecting ecological integrity as the first priority for managing provincial parks -- unlike the National Parks Act

• It proposes a new zoning system to define protected areas, but the criteria for zones are undefined

• It leaves it up to the Minister, not to conservation biologists or the public, to decide what the zones will be

• It requires no public consultation for zoning changes

• It threatens the World Heritage Areas, like the Rocky Mountain national parks in Alberta adjacent to provincial parks

Over 1,000 Albertans have already spoken up, prompting a meeting between the Minister of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism and CPAWS and other conservation representatives on Friday. The Minister said she would consider our concerns, but defended the Bill's “flexibility”.

Let Alberta know that Canadian wilderness lovers from far and wide are watching:

1. Write a letter -- Add your voice to those of Albertans who have voiced concerns to the Premier and opposition parties.
2. Donate to help CPAWS speak up for parks and wilderness conservation

Thank you for helping us to defend Canada’s amazing parks and wilderness areas!

West Coast Hiking Holiday

For larger images, click directly on photos

We’ve just returned from spending a couple of weeks on the West Coast.

Our time was spent hiking along a number of creeks, rivers and ocean beaches.




















We started off on the southern tip of Vancouver Island around the Saanich Peninsula and Sooke. We then moved north to the Comox Valley and then a bit further north to the Campbell River area and Quadra Island.

























We were pleased to discover a “Stream of Dreams” mural on a school yard fence on Quadra Island.




















You can see more photos from our trip at Bow River Shuttles on Facebook

What a great weekend!

The weatherman and Mother Nature came through!!

Above average temperatures on Friday, Saturday and Sunday brought out the boats and the walk & waders along the Bow River.

That "one more trip" is probably the final float trip of the season for the majority of fly fishers in this area.

TUC Bow River Chapter - Fall Splash 2010

Click directly on poster for larger image

YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US for our 19th Annual Bow River Chapter Fall Splash to celebrate the Bow River and the volunteers that work to protect its world class fishery. This event is your chance to support conservation efforts along the Bow while bidding on unique art, fantastic trips, and top line sporting equipment in the company of friends.

http://www.tucanada.org/

Fishing gets more mobile

Stuff Sack

Compiled by Trent Edwards
Calgary Herald
November 4, 2010

Fishing gets more mobile

FISHING - A new iPhone application offers a user-friendly online guide for those who enjoy sport fishing in Alberta.

The App Door has launched the iFish Alberta app, which allows users to search for lakes by name or proximity, view a summary of catch limits and reference species. Fishing fanatics can also use the app to get interactive directions, fishing calendars, real-time weather, boat launch locations, points of interest and tips and tricks.

For more details, visit http://ifishalberta.com/


Via Calgary Herald: http://tinyurl.com/2ewww8t

Josh Ritter performs in Calgary

By the time we became aware of Josh Ritter’s Calgary concert date, the performance had sold out.

Josh, along with many other musicians, including Canada’s Chris Velan, is a member of One Percent For The Planet. (Chris was in Calgary earlier this year)

Josh, Chris and 39 other artists are on “The Music Vol I”. It can be yours for $9.99. All proceeds go to One Percent For The Planet.

Please click on the “My site helps rock stars Save the Planet” button on the right hand side of this screen.

1% For the Planet was started by Craig Matthews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies and Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia.

Felt Soul Media (Running Down the Man, The Hatch and Red Gold) has produced an excellent video on the story of 1% For The Planet.

A Warm November Day on the Bow River

The temperature hit +22°C today! Someone forgot to tell Mother Nature that it's November.

Remember when it got all the way up to +8°C back on August 29?

Only in Calgary!!

Warm Start to November

A bright blue sky and a promise of temperatures in the low teens brought out a handful of boats floating the Bow today.

Those floating downstream of McKinnon were taking out at Legacy Island, rather than floating to Carseland.

With an even better forecast for tomorrow, we’ve already got a few shuttle bookings.

The Drake

Nice to see a painting grace the cover of The Drake, instead of the usual photo.

The artist is Derek DeYoung from Livingston Montana.

Check out the article on him titled… wait for it… “The Artist”. Seriously though, it’s a very good profile of him.

Lots of other great stuff in the magazine as well.

Available at your favourite Calgary flyshop.

Fly-tying & Beer

Adam writes:

“Fly-tying Wednesdays with the Mckenzie Towne Fly-fishing and Tying club. New members very Welcome, the club is only 5 mos old, and always looking for new members.

Kyle at Muldoons has some sweet deals for us and we have our own semi-private area with TV's. I'll put 2- 8x10 pages in stands on the table, so it should be easy to find.

Come one, come all for fly-tying, fishing chat or just to have a beer or 2.”

Schedule:

Wednesdays 3rd, 17th of Nov, and the 1st of Dec.

Where: Muldoons on 130th ave SE

Time: 7-9pm

Mckenzie Towne Fly-fishing and Tying Club