Tequila Blobs for the Backcountry

Tequila Blobs can be so effective. For some reason, this colour combination is very appealing to certain trout! Karen and I are heading to the backcountry soon and we will be sure to have a handful of blobs (and chernobyls). We were both surprised at how effective they were in the mountain lakes. Give Bob Edens a call ( 403-304- 8362) if you need daphnia fritz or slush jelly to make them or order from Canadian Llama Company.

I like to wet the materials before I wrap them on either a wide gap nymph hook or a jig hook!

I hope this long stretch of rain makes its way out of the mountains. We do need lots of moisture but we need some sunshine too!

Wet the materials before wrapping!

 

Magic Hour Rocks

Magic hour can be very exciting. That last 60 minutes before dark can get interesting!  It certainly is a waiting game and "hit and miss!" ...but when you favourite hatch happens and the trout respond, it can be tremendously rewarding! Whether it be caddis, brown drakes, hexagenia, golden stones, PMDs or something other; it is all about good timing and a bit of luck. I used to talk to a few Bow River guides that loved the last hour of light or the first hour of light. It can make for some insane moments! You will have days that nothing happens and then there are the days that you see more trout in a stretch of water than you could ever imagine. You got to put in the time. 

Karen and I have floated the Red Deer River starting at 7 pm hoping to hit certain hatches. We got back home after 1 am. Those floats are crazy but so rewarding too! Our favourite ones usually revolve around a full moon! Coyotes, deer, moose, and beavers that slap their tails right beside you! It certainly gets your blood flowing!

I have a deep admiration for hatch chasers who have put in the time. They have done their homework!

Is it worth it? Definitely!

 

Evening Caddis Hatch

Caddis during the evening can make for some epic fly fishing with dry flies. I have been lucky enough to be out camping with Karen and enjoying the evening caddis hatch! Just a size 14 elk hair caddis and a long leader with 4x tippet! I have learned not to cast until you see a trout rising regularly! Watch what the trout is doing and the rhythm of the fish's feeding. Is the trout cycling? Just watch and then cast when it feels right! I have run into some sizeable trout! You have to have patience (not my best trait)! But, when it happens, yahoo!

Sipping caddis just 3 or 4 inches from a bank! 

 

Consider the Following!

Have you ever watched Bill Nye The Science Guy? Well one of his favourite lines was, "Consider the following!" When it comes to tying up chernobyls, ...consider the following:

1. Use a heavier hook (streamer hook) so your chernobyl lands upright and not upside down!

2. Add an antron wing so it is easier to see on the water. I have often used chernobyls on high mountain lakes and at times, having a wing makes it a lot easier to track where your fly is (I also use brushed out macrame cord for the wing).

3. Create segments on the bottom piece of foam as you work forward while tying up a chernobyl!

You can make chernobyls as simple as you want or as creative as you want! I like to keep chernobyls simple. These three simple ideas can up your chernobyl game.

Use a Streamer Hook

Add an antron wing!

Add segments to the lower piece of foam!

 

Hatch Chasers Love this Mayfly

If you are a hatch chaser, you lose sleep during the hexagenia hatch! It is a late evening hatch that can make every trout in a stream lose their inhibitions and greedily gorge on the largest mayflies we have in Alberta. The hatch has mostly wound down now in Central Alberta. Some of my favourite places to fish this hatch mean stumbling around in the dark. I have fallen into holes, tripped on logs, fell off of a bank, you name it, I probably have done it with this hatch! Sometimes all you can hear is the popping sound from a big brown eating these tasty treats! Then you have to guess where to cast and maybe you get a take. I have had evenings where I have not seen a single mayfly and I do not make a single cast. ...but when it happens, it can be an amazing experience!

 

Betty and Steve Having a Great Time at Cree Lake

Betty and Steve made the trek to Cree Lake too! It is so easy to drive to Fort McMurray and fly over to Cree Lake. There are three lodges on Cree Lake and Betty and Steve choose to head to Cree Lake Lodge (same as us). It was fun to run into Betty and Steve at Cree Lake. They ran into the same challenges as us with a few windy days. That did not slow them down in the least. Betty and Steve had a guide for their 5 day stay and as you can see even with the wind challenges, they caught walleye, big pike, and arctic grayling! I am pretty sure they are going back next year. I think I hear the word "whitefish" next year and "lake trout!"

The neat thing about Cree Lake is that you can get all the way to Lake Athabasca from Cree Lake. You can canoe the entire Cree River to Wapata Lake then carry on to Black Lake and then Lake Athabasca! Our first nations trappers and fur traders used this route a lot! I see that Betty and Steve found a trapper's cabin to explore at the head waters of the Cree River!

There is no question that Cree Lake is an amazing area to fly fish and explore. 

Lots of wild fires started by lightening!

Nice grayling Steve!

Shore Lunch is the best!

A bear scoured below this tree for the bacon grease from a shore lunch!

Cree River is a fabulous place to connect with arctic grayling!