Bow River Shuttles

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Bow River Fishing Report - from May 04 2012 (2nd)

Photo, courtesy Sean F.

Friday May 04 2012

Policeman’s Flats to McKinnon Flats.

Had a great time on the river, first time down so wasn’t expecting too much in the way of fantastic fishing, more of an exploratory trip for further fishing trips.

It took us about 6 hours to get to McKinnon flats, the river was running reasonably fast and we took quite a few breaks along the way to enjoy the nice weather.

Spent most of the day fishing streamers and nymphs, streamers were various coloured buggers, bead heads included and a cone headed muddler minnow, no action at all on the streamers.

Nymphs used were stone fly and San Juan worms, only caught one rainbow all day on the San Juan worm.

There wasn’t much happening in the way of bug or hatch activity, only saw two fish rise all day, one was a huge brown trout that came up about 3 feet from the boat.

The water was cloudy but not muddy so could only see about 14 inches down, as this was my first trip on the water wasn’t sure if this was an issue or not, I suspect not.

The geese along the banks were quite territorial and made for a couple of interesting encounters, they must be nesting to be so aggressive, can’t remember the last time I let birds chase me off good looking water.

Now that I’ve taken my first run down I think I’ll change my tactics a little to accommodate the larger river size than I’m used to.

I struggled with deciding if I should be fishing the deeper faster banks along the steep sides or if I should spend my time working the slower runs along the gravel banks. Never did decide which was the best.

I loved the service you provide, very convenient when you’re travelling so far and you don’t have to bring two vehicles. Also really nice to know your truck is waiting and you don’t have to spend the next hour or two ferrying vehicles around before you can head home.

I’m looking forward to my next trip and my revised fishing methods, now that I know what doesn’t work I expect to have more fish next time.

All in all a great day on a beautiful river, can’t wait to see it when the leaves are on the tree’s

I attached one photo of us stopped for lunch in the middle of the river, it does look odd with no leaves on the trees but as you can tell by the tee shirt it was nice and warm.

THANKS TO SEAN F. FOR THIS FISHING REPORT AND PHOTO

One in five fly fishers…

Mental-health care: we can do better

The Montreal Gazette

Editorial

May 9, 2012

A pernicious sense of shame about mental illness and an underfunded and badly co-ordinated mental-health-care system have worked to create barriers to mentally ill Canadians getting the treatment they need.

The tragic result is that the one in five Canadians who suffer a mental-health problem are often left to struggle alone. Some end up in prison. Others become part of the homeless population. And a large proportion of the mentally ill are either unemployed or underemployed despite having marketable skills. Under the combined weight of mental-health costs and lost productivity associated with mental illness, the Canadian economy loses an estimated $50 billion a year, the Mental Health Commission says.

This week the commission, a national body created five years ago in the wake of a critical Senate report on mental-health care, issued recommendations for an overhaul of the country’s $14-billion mental-health-care system. They include an immediate addition of $4 billion a year to spending to get treatment to the estimated 6.7 million Canadians who suffer from mental illness. The commission also calls for, among other things, volunteer organizations to educate Canadians about mental illness and keep it in the public eye, in much the same way as has effectively been done for AIDS, heart disease and diabetes.

The report marks the first effort Canada has made to formulate a national strategy on mental-health care. We are the only G8 country without such a strategy.

For the revamp to succeed, Ottawa and the provinces must work together to identify priorities and act on them. Keeping the mentally ill out of the prison system should be a matter of urgency – as should housing the homeless mentally ill.

The commission also says there is a need for early identification and treatment of depression, one of the most common mental illnesses. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, early diagnosis and therapy can mean the difference between debilitating illness and the ability to get back to regular activities.

Children and youth are identified as a priority. Between 10 and 20 per cent of young Canadians are affected by a mental illness or disorder, the CMHA says.

With the cost of mental illness to individuals and the country as a whole identified, the way should be clear to putting in place the services that mentally ill Canadians, and their communities, need.

LINK: Montreal Gazette

Canadian Mental Health Association

Looking back along the Bow River - Season 2011

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Today along the Bow River - May 2012

Lady's day on the river. All photos: Copyright Bow River Shuttles 2012

The Alpacas are still wearing their winter coats

The greening of the Bow River Valley #1

The greening of the Bow River Valley #2


22X at 88th St SE. Work continues on the Stoney Trail/Calgary Ring Road.

MAP OF STONEY TRAIL/CALGARY RING ROAD AT 22X AND 88 ST SE

Volunteer Opportunities: Fly Fishing Team Canada - Calgary August 2012

Click on photo for much larger 1024X image

Volunteers needed for the 2012 Canadian National Fly Fishing Championships for August 29, 30 and 31

Fly Fishing Canada is looking for volunteers to serve as Controllers and Judges for this year’s National Fly Fishing Championship, which will be held in the Calgary area on August 29, 30 and 31. The jobs aren’t difficult and will provide you with the opportunity to spend some time on the water with some of Canada’s finest, competitive fly fishers.

No previous experience necessary, as there will be members of Fly Fishing Canada on hand to provide instruction and answer all of your questions. A Controller’s duties basically consist of watching the competitors in action and recording the size and number of trout that are caught by the competitors that they’ve been assigned to monitor.

We’ll provide a box lunch and water each day for each Controller, and recommend that you bring a folding chair, umbrella, or whatever makes you comfortable. A walking stick, camera, sun hat are also great items to have in a day pack.

The evening of Friday, August 31st features the Awards Banquet that all volunteers are invited to attend. This is a great time to chat with new friends made during the event and to hear fish stories from the competitors and to see who takes home the medals.

If you’re looking to compete in future events, it’s also a great way to learn the event process and techniques that are being used by Canada’s top competitors. Volunteers can also take advantage of the same lodging packages that will be offered to the competitors.

For more information Contact Todd Oishi @ 604-462-0194 or toishis@uniserve.com

Fly Fishing Canada

Fly Fishing Team Canada

Bow River Fishing Report - from May 04 2012

Photo, courtesy Ryan L.

Friday May 04 2012

Policeman’s Flats to McKinnon Flats

My son and I had a wonderful first float of the year. The air was sweet and the sun was warm.

The river had about 18" or so of visibility and there were BWOs hatching prolifically. All the fish we caught were small but feisty.

Photo, courtesy Ryan L.

In the first part of the float we were catching them on #18 BWO emergers in the riffly water at the heads of runs. Later on we switched to a small rusty streamer that attracted a bunch of enthusiastic strikes.

As I mentioned, all the fish we landed were small but we did have some larger fish on momentarily. The river still felt empty of the spawning rainbows but maybe that was just us.

All in all, It was a lovely day.

- THANKS TO RYAN L. FOR THIS FISHING REPORT AND PHOTOS

Photo, courtesy Ryan L.

Political Hippy

A call to action: Ray Fairweather, Chinook Fly Fishing Club, Lethbridge, urges all fly fishers to take action in response to the proposed changes to the fisheries act in omnibus Bill C-38.

Political Hippy

by Ray Fairweather

Friday 04 May, 2012

Sexyloops

I am not normally a Political Hippy unless something that is at the core of my Hippyness is being threatened, and I am pretty sure you all know what core I am talking about, well if you are guessing then here it is FLYFISHING. This time is it not climate change or any natural attack, this is pure man made Bullshit. So here it is.

The Harper government in Canada is changing the legislation to eliminate the protection of fish habitat and really all the fisheries in Canada. Instead, the government is planning to offer token protection only for commercial, recreational, and aboriginal fisheries, while cutting federal environmental reviews and fisheries reviews of the impacts of projects. This draconian change will set environmental laws back by decades.

Right now the government does not know where the recreational fisheries are, nor do they know that sportfish eat other fish, so other "lesser" fish have to be protected also. They also don't understand that to remain productive a fishery needs clean good quality water, fish need access to quality habitat, and they need to be able to migrate to overwintering and spawning areas. To protect a fishery, the habitat must be protected - each puzzle piece is as important as the next, and if you remove one, you seriously limit the capacity of the system, or cause a catastrophic collapse.

There is are many articles about the proposed changes:

Edmonton Jounal article

Winnipeg Article

Globe and Mail Article

DFO Info Release

So in that regard, I have a task for you all...

Read more here

Looking back along the Bow River - Season 2011

Monday, May 7, 2012

Black Out Speak Out

Black Out Speak Out

Today along the Bow River - April 2012

Bow River Fishing Reports - March & April 2012

We are always appreciative of fishing reports and photos sent to us by our shuttle clients who are floating the Bow River.

Here are a couple that we received in March and April. While we were not able to pass these along in a 'timely' manner, we hope that you will enjoy them anyway.

March 04, 2012:

Glenmore Trail to Policeman's Flats

Photo, courtesy Eric M.

A great day to be on the water before the wind kicked up and did the great old job of annoying the casters and the rower.

Before the wind played its little game of annoy the fishers we landed several nice fish with a 22" brown topping the deck. More memorable was the monster of a Bow that took, shook, rolled at the surface and spit the streamer; a rainbow that will be that much smarter when our paths cross next time.

We saw a decent hatch of midges and I am excited to say a couple tiny Blue Winged Olives were gracing the bow of my boat.

Two out of three months drifted this year, we shall see how the year goes.

- Thanks to Eric M. for this fishing report and photos

Photo, courtesy Eric M.

April 24, 2012:

Policeman's Flats to McKinnon Flats

Photo, courtesy Martin L.

Just a quick note to say that the river conditions were very good on Tuesday (except for one hour of solid east wind in the afternoon).

Jeff and I caught one big rainbow, one big brown, and one big whitefish (all about 19-20 inches), and a bunch of 12-16'' rainbows. There were fish rising to small midges and BWO, but we focused on fishing big nymphs in the hopes of catching bigger fish.

It was a fun day, thanks again for the shuttle.

- Thanks to Martin L. for this fishing report and photos

Photo, courtesy Eric M.

Something’s fishy with Bill C-38

Tricky smells something. Something fishy.

Something’s fishy with Bill C-38

Terry Glavin

Ottawa Citizen

May 4, 2012

Bill C-38, also called the Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Act, is a heck of a thing. It’s an omnibus bill that purports to be a budget bill but isn’t. It’s a statutory juggernaut that introduces, amends, or repeals nearly 70 federal laws. It’s been presented to the House of Commons in a manner that may be without close precedent in Canadian parliamentary history.

It could be a whole lot of things, depending on who’s doing the shouting, but the things that Industry Minister Joe Oliver and Environment Minister Peter Kent and Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield have had to say about its purposes just don’t add up.

We’re supposed to believe that the elaborate and contradictory environmental-review “streamlining” components that make up much of C-38’s heft are necessary to the defence of ordinary job-wanting Canadians beset by those scheming, obstructionist, radical environmentalist ideologues who won’t be satisfied until Canada’s vast energy wealth is locked away in the ground and we’re all living in yurts.

If you want to see how easily that fable falls apart, ask yourself this one question. What influence has Canada’s all-powerful environmental movement really managed to exert upon the pace, the scope or the scale of Alberta’s oilsands development? The correct answer: pretty well none. So much for the boogeyman Joe Oliver is always banging on about.

Here’s another question. Is it really true that the habitat-protection provisions of the Fisheries Act are being jimmied so weirdly just so that Ontario cottagers can build their boat docks and Saskatchewan farmers can work around their bothersome duck ponds? That’s the spin on offer from Ashfield, the fisheries minister. He should give us a break.

Big Bad Bows: Community Style

Interesting concept from Forward Cast Productions

Thousands help clean riverbanks, pathways

The City of Calgary’s Julie Guimond with some of the more unusual finds: a hand-built model boat and a piece of white crystal judged the most unusual during the annual pathway and river cleanup on Sunday.

Photograph by: Gavin Young, Calgary Herald

Thousands help clean riverbanks, pathways

By Clara Ho

Calgary Herald

May 7, 2012

CALGARY — A brown and black faux-fur throw, a set of three glass casserole dishes, and an auburn-tressed wig entangled with a brush and horseshoe were among the stranger items plucked from the riverbanks and pathways on Sunday.

But a hand-built, wooden toy boat painted white and brown — along with a pair of white crystals found nearby — took top prize for “best find” at the 45th annual Pathway and River Cleanup.

“The Erlton Community Association helped find the boat. It’s kind of falling apart. It’s missing some of its parts,” said Julie Guimond, an education and facility supervisor with the city’s parks department.

The annual event brought together approximately 2,000 volunteers from 84 groups — ranging from corporations to members of the public — who combed about 200 kilometres of paths along the Bow and Elbow Rivers, Nose Creek and the Glenmore Reservoir armed with garbage bags and gloves.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Today along the Bow River - April 2012

Changes to the Fisheries Act - the Current May 01 2012

The budget bill before parliament has a great many tentacles affecting everything from oil and gas exploration to environmental assessment to fish. One outspoken critic, a former Progressive Conservative fisheries minister calls it a return to the Dark Ages.

Listen at this link

Changes to the Fisheries Act

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Part Two of The Current

Changes to the Fisheries Act - Minister for Fisheries and Oceans

The Omnibus Budget Bill that's before Parliament this week covers an array of legislation that you might not connect right away to the budget. For example, there are changes to the Environmental Assessment Act, the National Pipeline Act, and the Canada Oil and Gas Exploration Act.

All, according to government officials, under the auspice of streamlining government services to Canadians. All are controversial. But suggested changes to the Fisheries Act really hit a nerve.

Critics say the amendments erect serious barriers to conservation, and put fish stocks in danger. Those critics include Des Nobels, a longtime commercial fisherman and conservationist. We caught up with him on the shores of Digby Island, just across the harbour from Prince Rupert, on the coast of British Columbia.

To talk about the overhaul of the Fisheries Act, we were joined by Keith Ashfield, Minister for Fisheries and Oceans. He was in Ottawa.

Changes to the Fisheries Act - Former Federal Fisheries Minister

One former Fisheries Minister is openly critical of what the current Fisheries Minister is proposing. Tom Siddon was Minister from 1985 to 1990 in the Progressive Conservative Government of Brian Mulroney. He is responsible in bringing in the fisheries habitat policy now in place. And he's extremely concerned about the proposed changes to the Act. Tom Siddon joined us from Kaleden, British Columbia.

This segment was produced by St. John's CBC Producer, Heather Barrett.

There are links withing the text above which you can access here - The Current with Anna Maria Tremonti

Tying the El Camino Golden Stone

Another fly for the Bow River from Kyle Snarr.

Looking back along the Bow River - Season 2011

Tandem pontoon boat.
Photo: Copyright © Bow River Shuttles All Rights Reserved 2012

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Today along the Bow River - April 2012

Saturday morning May 05 2012. Pickups from Policeman's Flats.
Photo: Copyright Bow River Shuttles All Rights Reserved 2012

Nathan Cullen, Fisheries

Nathan Cullen, Opposition House Leader for the New Democratic Party answers questions posed by reporters about amendments to the Fisheries Act - recorded for Straight Goods News by Samantha Bayard and Ish Theilheimer on Thursday, April 26, 2012.

"If Canadians knew the truth of what’s hiding in the depths of this bill, they would be outraged. Now I’m not talking about one part of the political spectrum.

I think this goes right across the board that people who like to fish, who like to hunt, people who like to have a clean environment are going to be deeply concerned with a government that won’t even have a discussion or a debate about changing fundamentally the way that we approach protecting our environment.

It’s hugely dangerous and quite offensive to me as a Canadian."

- Nathan Cullen

Day 62 BAJA

A sweet clip from Aaron!

Looking back along the Bow River - Season 2011

Friday, May 4, 2012

Today along the Bow River - May 2012

Calgary Hook & Hackle Club - 2012 Auction - A Look Back

The Annual Club Auction last week featured a BBQ, Fish ID with Jim Stelfox (Area Fisheries Biologist, Cochrane, SRD), and lots of laughs, along with bucket draws, a slient auction and a live auction.

You can view the entire photo collection from this event here.

So long minister, and thanks for all the dead fish

Gus Van Harten

Gutting the Fisheries Act

The budget is a disguised and brutal assault on Canadian environmental law

By Gus Van Harten

Winnipeg Free Press

May 03 2012

Among the Harper government's latest environmental reforms -- packed like sardines into the budget -- Canada's Fisheries Act will soon protect fish habitat only in designated waterways.

So long minister, and thanks for all the dead fish.

How did the federal budget come to this?

It used to be that fish habitat was protected in all the places where fish live. How innocently logical this was. The government has a new message for the fish: stay in your ponds or else.

It's a matter of fish discrimination.

You might ask, aren't all waterways vital for the fish that live there? Isn't it hard for a fish to know if a pond is vital or merely a luxury?

Evidently not. Deep in Bill C-38 lies a brave new approach to fish habitat protection. Instead of barring destruction of "fish habitat," the Fisheries Act will now protect only those fish that are part of "a commercial, recreational or aboriginal fishery." Thus, the government will identify vital lakes and rivers, where fish may live subject to environmental protection, and then tweet instructions to the fish.

This is a terrific vote of confidence in the government, especially in our Conservative leaders. I can see them now. Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield dressed as a grizzly to scare the salmon from their usual spawning grounds. The prime minister's chief of staff blaring into a megaphone, "Get back in the lake, or fish heads will roll!" Any fish that disobeys will be bulldozed or poisoned. Vital fish, take heed.

Behold the economist's logic of deficit cum fish-habitat reduction: "Out of the pond Flipper."

“The Mayflies of Spring”, a photo essay by Louis Cahill and Steve Seinberg, is a good place to start with Issue #3 of Southern Culture on the Fly.

Looking back along the Bow River - Season 2011

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Today along the Bow River - April 2012

Coast is no stranger to oil tankers

Coast is no stranger to oil tankers

By Jack Knox

Calgary Herald

April 29, 2012

As Victoria residents fuss about the idea of an expanded Kinder Morgan pipeline sending 350 oil tankers sliding past their front door every year, consider this: They already have 800 going the other way.

U.S. government statistics show 548 tankers entered Juan de Fuca Strait bound for Washington state ports in 2010. Another 252 came in bound for Canada.

Now, depending on whether you're a tanker half-full or tanker-half empty kind of person, you might find those numbers either reassuring or alarming as you consider the Kinder Morgan proposal, which would increase the number and size of vessels from Vancouver.

Reassuring in that tankers regularly pass by without turning parts of Victoria into a Greenpeace commercial. Alarming in that every extra ship ups the odds of one driving into the ditch.

Fly Fish Stoke from Patagonia

If this video doesn't rock your world, head directly to the doctor.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Today along the Bow River - May 2012

Stonefly R3M1X

"Who's looking after the fishery in this type of process?"

Former fisheries minister Tom Siddon, right, is seen signing an agreement while serving as an MP in 1990. He says the Harper government is covertly attempting to gut the fisheries act he helped shape. (tomsiddon.ca)

Budget bill contains environment policy overhaul

Omnibus budget bill makes 'major legislative changes'

By Meagan Fitzpatrick,

CBC News

May 01 2012

The former Tory minister responsible for the current Fisheries Act is openly criticizing his successor over proposed changes to the legislation.

Tom Siddon, who was minister of Fisheries and Oceans from 1985 until 1990 for Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Conservatives, says he is extremely concerned by the amendments being championed by Keith Ashfield, the current minister.

“The minister of fisheries is the one remaining and most powerful person in Canada to protect this marvelous, historically important resource we have in Canada – our fishery. That’s his job,” he said Tuesday during an interview for CBC Radio's The Current.

Omnibus Bill C-38, which is before Parliament this week, covers an array of legislation, including changes to the Environmental Assessment Act, the National Pipeline Act and the Canada Oil and Gas Exploration Act. Although the changes to the Fisheries Act are not the only flashpoints, they have hit a nerve with critics.

Government 'cutting corners'

“This is a covert attempt to gut the Fisheries Act, and it’s appalling that they should be attempting to do this under the radar,” charged Siddon, who said he's sent several letters and attempted to make personal contact with Ashfield, but he hasn’t heard “boo."

Siddon argued that the government is clearing the way for major economic projects by speeding up the approval process and "cutting corners."

He added that habitat protection provisions, which have been a part of the act since 1976, were strengthened in the 1980s, but the proposed changes will hand key responsibilities over to private interests, local governments or even the National Energy Board.

“Who’s looking after the fishery in that type of process?” said Siddon, who argued the responsibility should remain with Canada’s fisheries minister.

Integrated planning overseen by the minister, he said, ensures all stakeholders are at the table – from environmental advocates to industry players. It's “absolute rubbish,” he added, to suggest environmental and economic concerns are mutually exclusive.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Today along the Bow River - April 2012

Fly Fishing Primer FREE

Fly Fishing Primer **FREE**

Do you have friends, family, colleagues you have wanted to get into fly fishing?

This might be just for them! This spring, Country Pleasures will be offering the Orvis FF101 Fly Fishing Schools.

These are a 2 hour "primer" into fly fishing, allowing people who are curious about the sport to get a basic idea of fly casting and fishing. Consisting of 2 hours of instruction and casting practice, they allow anyone curious about the sport to check it out for FREE!

Spaces and dates are limited. Drop by the shop, call, or e-mail to reserve your spots.

Truth in the Names

How the Conservatives stole environmental protection

How the Conservatives stole environmental protection

"It is a wholesale re-writing of all areas of federal jurisdiction over the natural environment."

Mon, Apr 30, 2012

by Elizabeth May

iPolitics

The single biggest assault on environmental law was tabled last Thursday morning in the House – to nary a whimper. No front page headlines. No media interviews for Opposition parties for the major networks. True, we will likely hear more outrage as people wade through the 428 page Budget Implementation Bill, C-38. But, for now, the Harper Conservatives have stolen environmental protection in plain sight.

It was a classic case of media manipulation. Starting with the early January Joe Oliver open letter, then the House of Commons Environment Committee report (hurried after pulling the plug on hearings on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act after 9 days). The mandatory 5-year review of the legislation was expected to take months, but the deadline of having a justification for an assault on Environmental Assessment in time for the budget required a fast report (written in secret). The dance of the seven veils continued with the March 29th budget, highlighting the “streamlining of reviews” and then Joe Oliver’s Earth Week Press Conference to explain what was planned.