Skwala Stones on the Red Deer River

Hi Everybody!

The skwalas are out along the Red Deer River. Judging by the numbers of skwalas I have seen along the bike paths, I bet the Red Deer River browns are looking up! A green/black stimulator or foam stone from sizes 8 to 12 can be a great choice to get into a nice trout. Of course the goldeye will be enjoying these BIG meals as well. Go for a walk along the trails or float the Red Deer River and you might find a snout or two enjoying these stoneflies. Keep a sharp eye along the willows and aspen. My favorite hatch is right around the corner. Enjoy the skwalas for the next short while. The dam operator will have lots to say about your fishing opportunities along the Red Deer River. Right now the river is low and clear. That means a well presented fly is a must.

The word on the river is that the browns are also after caddis, small caddis.

Colton caught this 25 inch brown gulping down skwalas.  Way to go Colton!

Bob

Prairie Pothole Potpourri

Experiencing new water is loads of fun. After a windy, rainy drive; we finally arrived at our destination. It was an exploratory trip but we were hopeful that we might find some trout willing to tangle with us. When we arrived, the swallows were all over the lake. Our brains shouted chironomids although the cold front slowed the fishing to a crawl on day 1. The lake was gin clear. The fish we caught were not feeding aggressively but we knew the weather was going to improve. Catching some large beautiful brook trout right along a road gave us all big smiles.  Day two was windy and the fishing improved as the cold front headed east. Again the chironomids were moving towards the surface and the birds were very happy as were many more fish. Day three was perfect. We got up with the sun coming over the horizon. It was 6 am. No wind and we did not waste the opportunity to get to know our new surroundings. The fish were on the move and hungry. We caught some dandies and we lost a biggie right at the boat that would have been one for the ages. We were amazed at the aggressive feeding as evidenced by our throat samples. 

The swallows were telling us to pay attention to what was on the water.

Larry and Rick

Larry smashed his brook trout record twice on the same day. Brilliant!

Three moose were feeding along the shore line all day. A cow kept her yearling close by.

Larry and Bob enjoying their new surroundings.

Most wetlands were full of returning water fowl.

A typical throat sample gave us lots of clues as to what to fish with.

Spey Rod Casting Workshop with Maxwell Robinson

Hi Everybody!

Twelve individuals from our group learned the basics of spey rod casting over the last two days. Maxwell Robinson did a fabulous job teaching us a bit of history, casting styles, rod set up and then the main casting techniques. (take a look at the casts we learned After spending lots of the day on the grass learning a Single Spey, the Perry Poke, a Double Spey and Circle C Spey; we got into moving water to give it a go. We all wanted to try  different fly rods. Luckily Max had a wide variety of rods to try. We had a chance to cast switch rods to 13.5 foot spey rods. Max did a great job helping all of us refine our casting. Now its practice, once we get our own rods.

 Vic and Max on the water.

Dryland casting to learn the basics.

Maxwell Robinson

Bernie and Max getting everything straightened out.

Bob and  Karen with Max