Camping during the Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer

Camping and fly fishing is almost a perfect mixture when combined with good friends. What is more important, the camping or the fly fishing? Well both! Karen and I have been out a lot and the fly fishing on the eastern slopes has been exceptional. The cutts should be looking up this long weekend.

Sitting in camp enjoying an extra cup of coffee and the "Swampers Special" for breakfast makes for a great start to a leisurely day of fly fishing. You know that the cutthroat trout will be willing.

One day was quite overcast and we did see some green drakes and the cutts devoured them when given a chance. You can hear the hoppers everywhere so any hopper imitation is also a great choice.

Nymphing, well all you need is a size 14 or 16 flashback and some split shot to ensure your flies are down deep.

We did notice that many cutts moved up into the riffles above pools to feed. Its a place often overlooked.

Enjoy August long weekend. The fly fishing should be awesome. Stay safe.

...photo courtesy of Lynn Hetherington

Almost 50 Pounds! Just 46 Pounds! Wow!

Reid Stoyberg had one of his guests catch a 46 pounder this past week. What a monster. Reid is hoping to land a 50 pounder this season. He is edging closer and closer. What a beautiful specimen!

I bet his guest was thrilled with this amazing experience!

Well done guys!

Artisans Love to Fly Fish Too!

Darren Peterson and his buddy Brian, hit the eastern slopes for some cutthroat fly fishing. 

 Brian is also a local artisan and doesn't fish often but he handled his flyrod pretty well for a relative newby and caught lots of cutties.  Some of the best fishing he has experienced.  Darren thinks he might have the "bug" now.

Darren and Brian were both taking underwater habitat shots for fun and future art projects. They were quite surprised to find a little school of trout in the lower left of one image that had some interesting submerged root structure (Darren didn't know they were there till he blew up the image on his computer later).   

They had a pretty funny experience on the hike into the the river they were fishing.  They got charged.........not by a bear or a bull, but by a fierce momma ruffed grouse that came at them with ruffs puffed and tail fanned looking as big as she could to intimidate and distract them from her babies in the grass along the trail.  

Beautiful composition in the water!

Very cool habitat shot. Can you see the little cutts swimming around?

Fly Tying Material for Sale

Byron Stearms is selling a lot of fly tying material. Byron is an avid fly fisher and I know his fly tying material is great quality!

If you are new to fly tying and want lots of great material. Call Byron, 587-876-4482. I think that Byron will sell everything for $250. That would be an amazing deal!

Backcountry Fly Fishing

Steve and his buddies decided to hike into Lake of the Falls on the weekend as a sort of "shakedown" trip for a much bigger backcountry adventure into a golden trout lake. The hike in is about 18 km and you have a chance to catch cutthroat trout and bull trout! The hike in is a steady uphill starting at the Cline River. You could also veer off and hike into Landslide Lake as well.

The rainy weather was a good test of the the guys' gear. In between rain showers, the guys got out and did some fly fishing as well.

Looks like they gang is ready for the trip to chase golden trout. Now that should be a great adventure. I am already looking forward to the pictures.

Caddis and Hoppers

Wandering along a river at dusk can produce some surprises. The thunderstorms have caused most creeks and rivers to rise and significantly cool. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a rise right at a small deflection. I wasn't sure because I was a long way downstream.. I decided to slip off my runners and quietly approach the spot. Well I saw nothing. I decided to cast anyway. The second drift through with my size 16 elk hair caddis produced a rather sizeable brown trout. I managed to get the hard fighting brown to hand and the brown blasted away after a quick picture.. I had to clean the silt off of my bare feet before putting my runners back on. Great moment!

Cooler waters have allowed some fishing in Central Alberta. Hoppers seem to be everywhere and this brown smoked my Turk's Tarantula.

Tree River and Great Bear Lake with Guide Reid Stoyberg

Looks like Great Bear Lake is producing some monster lakers again this year. Reid has already smashed his personal best just days into the season. It looks like he may have beat that 41 pounder with this monster. Wow!

Reid has had a few chances to get to the Tree River again. The char are big, great fighters and a real challenge on the fast waters of the Tree River. Beautiful fish!

It's Raining, It's Pouring! Thank goodness!

Bow River Brown

Taryn landed this beauty of a brown trout on a recent float down the Bow River. I have spoken to a few fly fishers who have reported that early morning and late evening fishing has been excellent. Taryn described this brown as a "football." You can tell it is a very healthy thick brown. Well done Taryn!

Refusals, ...What to do?

Have you been refused by a cutthroat yet? I have. Maybe it was the presentation but often it is the the fly. My "old reliable" Orange Crush has been turned down a lot this year. The low clear water has made the cutthroat suspicious and wary. Cutthroat wary, yep! Coming up from the bottom of a deep run to attack the orange crush has not happened as much this year so I have had to change tactics a bit.

Yes, match the hatch is quite successful but I wanted to share a system that has been working well for Karen and I.

We have been fly fishing with two dry flies. The old reliable parachute adams has worked great if it is small enough (size 14 to 18) and then about two or three feet further back another fly. It could be a BWO, beetle, ant, emerger, griffiths gnat or a small stonefly. 

Smaller flies have been working great.

Often the second fly we have been using is tough to see by itself so the parachute adams is almost a strike indicator. You may still not be able to see the second fly but you now have a good idea where your flies are on the water.

Just tie the second dry fly at the curve or put the first dry fly above a surgeons knot and let it slide above the knot. It works great.

Fire Hazard Updates

Wild Fire hazard is high in our west country. Check out this web site:

http://srd.web.alberta.ca/rocky-mountain-house-area-update

Great Start to Reid's Season at Plummer's Lodge

Reid flew in to Plummer's Lodge while the ice was still on Great Bear Lake to help get everything set up for the 2 month season. Just after ice was off, Reid managed to check out what was going on right in the bay out from of the lodge. He latched onto this 41 pound laker. What a beautiful specimen of a laker. This is Reid's personal best laker. He was quite excited to say the least.

I had the opportunity to visit Reid a few hours before he was off to Yellowknife and then on to Plummer's Lodge. His fly box was full of beautiful articulated streamers that were gigantic. Here is hoping Reid can get a few records on the fly rod. Last year, one of his guests boated a 36 pounder on a fly rod. Now that is impressive!

All Terrain Vehicles

Here is an excellent article about All Terrain Vehicles that was on the CBC web page. Very interesting read. After seeing the extreme damage on several rivers I love to fish, there is lots to think about!

At Home on the River

There are very few young ladies who are as passionate about fly fishing as Taryn. She is totally at home on rivers casting her Pieroway fly rod to unsuspecting trout! Karen and I meet up with Taryn for an afternoon of cutthroat fly fishing. We had a great time trying to solve the puzzle of what a fussy cutthroat would eat. Taryn caught several cutthroat using small dry flies.

Few gals can cast, properly present their fly and tangle with unsuspecting trout like Taryn. Taryn is most passionate about steel heading with her spey rod but given the chance, she loves to use her single handed rod too.

Taryn is a very independent young lady. She is totally at home camping and of course being in the outdoors. Her muddy Mitsubishi is proof that mud holes, dust, pot holes and deadfall will not stop her from getting to her destination to fly fish!

Taryn is an original. Karen and I enjoyed our time with this fabulous young lady on the water!

Go girl!

Bidding another cutthroat good bye!

Karen caught this beauty while fly fishing with Taryn.