Boat Launch Report - St Paddy's Day edition

We made another tour of the boat launches yesterday, Thursday March 17.

At the bottom of the post, we show what some of the boat launches looked like last year, on Mar 14 2010.

2011


17th Ave/Cushing Bridge

17th Ave/Cushing Bridge

Glenmore Trail/Graves Landing

Fish Creek Park/22X

Fish Creek Park/22X

Policeman's Flats

Policeman's Flats

McKinnon Flats

McKinnon Flats

Legacy Island

Legacy Island

Carseland

Carseland

2010

Fish Creek Park/22X

Policeman's Flat

McKinnon Flats

Legacy Island

Carseland

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This image is the business end of the Lucky Charm Fly swimming in a sea of ale. This was an image from the 2008 Drawing Flies 365 series. This fly pattern is typically used to catch "Tavern Locked Salmon"!

Drawing Flies 365

Canada Water Week

Canada Water Week is a week-long celebration of water from coast-to-coast-to-coast, starting March 14 and culminating with World Water Day on March 22, 2011.

Individuals, organizations and governments across the country are encouraged to get involved by organizing or participating in fun and educational events.

Together, we will raise the profile and understanding of water and its importance to Canada’s prosperity.

Canada Water Week

The Drake

The spring issue of The Drake is out. More good reading.

Alberta is not the only jurisdiction with concerns about power lines blighting the landscape. Check out “Lost in Transmission” in the Scuddelbutt section.

Many good essays in Tippets. Barracuda Blues was a fun read.

A new, multi issue feature is “The Twelve Apostles”. The opening article profiled Brian O’Keefe of “Catch Magazine” fame. Who knew that it all began with a Kodak Instamatic!

Available at your favourite Calgary fly shop.

Gender-bending fish on the rise in southern Alberta

Chemicals present in two rivers in southern Alberta are likely the cause of the feminization of fish say researchers at the University of Calgary who have published results of their study in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Read more here

2011 Patagonia Fly Fishing Digital Catalog

“….if you can’t immerse yourself in the river, try wading through our latest digital catalog: full of beautiful photos, compelling stories and all of our new, extensively revised fishing gear, it’s nearly as good as coaxing a trout from a willow-lined stream.” The Cleanest Line

Catch your copy here

Kids Fly Tying

The Kids Fly Tying class got off the ground this morning at Bow River Troutfitters.

Lead instructor is Kyle Snarr, Canadian Youth National Fly Fishing Team, 2011 Team Member.

With three classes still to go, today’s session concentrated on the San Juan Worm and the Woolley Bugger.

Photo: Kyle Snarr & student
Courtesy: Bow River Shuttles

Bow River Troutfitters

Canadian Youth National Fly Fishing Team

2011 Gear of the Year

Following a year of uncertainty and economic challenges, the fly-fishing industry heads out of the chaos and into the nanosphere. by Steve Walburn

From American Angler:

This time last year, you might say that the sport of fly-fishing was enduring its winter of discontent. The American Fly Fishing Trade Association (AFFTA) had just severed relations with promoter Nielsen Media, which aimed to absorb the fly-fishing industry’s only stand-alone trade show into its much larger Outdoor Retailer expo. Meanwhile, others were saying our industry conclave should be a part of the International Convention of Sportfishing Trades, better known as ICAST, the world’s largest general sportfishing trade gathering. And a third scenario had organizers of the consumer-oriented Fly Fishing Show circuit mounting their own campaign to manage the industry’s trade event. Within a span of weeks, the sport of fly-fishing in America went from having no show at which to conduct annual business, to possibly having three.

Eventually, AFFTA took control of its destiny by organizing its own expo this past September—renaming it the International Fly Tackle Dealer show. In light of the challenges IFTD faced, the event was by general consensus a success. But many question remain. How will the past year of turmoil affect fly-fishing consumers? Are manufacturers bringing more or fewer products to market? Is innovation on par with prior years? While this year’s trade show saw the lightest attendance in recent memory, it was not without plenty of noteworthy new products.

Here is a look at some of the gear that will beckon for your hard-earned dollars at fly shops in 2011.

Learn about ‘sight fishing’

SHOW • Join Trout Unlimited Canada’s Bow River Chapter for a free multimedia show by Dave Jensen about an interesting fly-fishing technique on March 14 at 7 p.m. at the Cardel Theatre (180 Quarry Park Blvd. S.E.).

Jensen, a fly-fishing guide and the owner of Fly Fish Alberta and Fortress Lake Retreat, will present a video and talk detailing his transitioning from chasing hatches and snouts to sighting for trout, and how that has changed his approach to fly fishing.

Dave and Amelia Jensen’s short film Q the X received the Best Film award at the 2011 Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for socializing and an opportunity to meet the presenters. For more details, call 403-2789165 or e-mail michelle@ bowrivershuttles.com.

Source:
Trent Edwards
Stuff Sack
Real Life Outside
Calgary Herald
Thursday Mar 10 2011

Coldwater North & Salt Water South

This weekend, think Northern Pike and Southern Bonefish.

Photo: Grassy Wonder
Courtesy: Fly of the Month Club




Sat Mar 12 Sat (10 am – 12 pm): Socks for Esox (Pike Flies) with Kevin Peterson. He'll tie a bunch of his go-to flies for the toothy critters. Country Pleasures Fly Fishing



Sun Mar 13 (12 pm - 2 pm): Bonefish Fly Tying Seminar with Aaron Caldwell. If you're dreaming about your next trip to fish the flats and looking for tying tips and new ideas you won't want to miss this session. Aaron is an accomplished and creative tyer who's going to demonstrate techniques for tying some favorite saltwater patterns during this session. Patterns to include: the Bauer's Flats crab, Creeper and Grassy Wonder.... Fish Tales Fly Shop

Sight Fishing - Mar 14

Trout Unlimited – Bow River Chapter

Social Night

Everyone welcome – Free admission

"Sight Fishing”



Dave Jensen, Fly Fishing Guide and Owner of Fly Fish Alberta and
Fortress Lake Retreat, will be presenting a video show and talk detailing his
transition from chasing hatches and snouts to sighting for trout, and how
that has changed his fly fishing since the first trip to New Zealand.

Dave and Amelia Jensen's short film "Q the X" received the Best
Film award at the 2011 Back Cast Fly Fishing Film Festival.

Doors Open @ 6:30 pm. Please come early for best seat selection, and allow time to meet Dave and Amelia Jensen prior to the presentation.

Free admission

Date: Mar 14, 2011
Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Cardel Theatre
180 Quarry Park Blvd. SE.

The Cardel Theatre is free to use for registered not-for-profit organizations, charities and community groups, including TUC-Bow River Chapter. Attendees to not-for-profit events are asked to bring a non-perishable food item to be donated to local shelters and food banks.

Google Map to Cardel Theatre

For more information, contact Michelle Magotiaux at 403-278-9165 or michelle@bowrivershuttles.com

Support Your Local Bow River and Coldwater Conservation Efforts!

Why we need environmental flows?

A commentary series by Dr Colin Chartres, Director General of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), on topical, often controversial, global water issues.

Colin's STRAIGHTtalk on global water issues

preOCCUPATIONS - a series about people who do what they love

Matt Stoecker is a conservation biologist working to restore steelhead trout in the Ventura/Santa Barbara region of California.

preOCCUPATIONS is a collaboration between Patagonia surf ambassador and film director Chris Malloy and filmmaker Jason Baffa. Look for more episodes coming soon.

Get Your Copy – Bonefishing 101

Chasing bonefish with a fly rod is some of the most fun you can have on the water, but bonefishing requires some unique skills and tactics. The purpose of Bonefishing 101 is to take you quickly through the basic skills you need to catch bonefish.

We‟ll cover 5 fundamental topics.

1. The Ready Position
2. Spotting Bonefish
3. Casting on the Flats
4. Setting the Hook
5. Fighting Bonefish

Bonefishing 101

Via: Moldy Chum

Blood Knot Magazine – The Wet Issue #5

This issue has a Calgary connection - “White Summer” with photography by Faceless Fly Fishing and words by Seamus Toner.

Blood Knot Magazine

Boat Launch Report

Each year, we do an early March tour of the Bow River boat launches.

Here is what we saw today, Mar 03, 2011.

At the bottom of the post, we show what the boat launches looked like last year, on Mar 01 & 02, 2010.

Quite a difference!

2011


17th Ave/Cushing Bridge (upstream)


17th Ave/Cushing Bridge (downstream)


Glenmore Trail/Graves Landing


Fish Creek Park/22X


Fish Creek Park/22X


Policeman's Flats


McKinnon Flats


McKinnon Flats (downstream)


Legacy Island (upstream)


Legacy Island (downstream)







2010


2010 - 17th Ave/Cushing Bridge (upstream)


2010 - 17th Ave/Cushing Bridge (downstream)


2010 - Glenmore Trail/Graves Landing


2010 - Fish Creek Park/22/X


2010 - Fish Creek Park/22/X


2010 - Policeman's Flats


2010 - McKinnon Flats


2010 - McKinnon Flats


2010 - Legacy Island (upstream)


2010 - Legacy Island (downstream)

Caitlin’s Bow River

Caitlan Gifford of Country Pleasures Fly Shop has produced several videos. We especially like this one – “Bugs, Browns and Big Eats”.

Bugs, Browns and Big Eats from Country Pleasures Flyfishing on Vimeo.

Flymphs

Dave Hughes demonstrates the Flymph at the Northern Lights Fly Tyers - TU Edmonton seminar, January 2011.