TR: Southern Alberta

Today was my first fishing day of 2004. I had hoped to get out in
January, but the -30C temps but a bit of the damper on those plans. It
has been warm, by local standards, for the past few weeks (Today saw a
high of 12 C), so off I went. I started the day by scraping the frost of
the car windows, but by the time I arrived at the river, all had warmed
up. My fishing buddy arrived in due course, and we had tea and caught
up before fishing. I fished nymphs for part of the morning, but didn't
get a nibble. After lunch. we moved downstream. My friend caught one
bull trout, but I wasn't having much luck. I fell in the the river, and
took a pretty good drenching. I also lost my landing net, so was
beginning to think the day was going to be a bit of a bust. Then,
success. I was drifting a black woolly bugger through a run, and close
to a rock, felt the tell-tale tug. I set the hook, and started to pull
in the fish. It turned out to be about a 24 - 25" bull trout. It was in
remarkable form, and very fat. I have caught longer bulls, but I think
this one was the heaviest. It fought reasonably well for a winter fish,
at one point shooting right between my legs as I reached down to tail
it. I finally landed it, and my friend took a few pictures before I
released it. I decided that was good for the day, and headed slowly
downstream back to the car. My luck continued, as I even found my
landing net.

Interesting thing about this stretch of river is that it was predicted
not to be able to support bull trout. It is below a dam, and the feeling
was that the bulls would be trapped below and not be able to move up to
find spawning grounds. For a couple of years, TU even had a program to
catch bulls below the dam and release them above the dam. It seems to me
that folks are catching a lot of bulls in the area, including some
smallish ones, so it very well may be that they are spawning below the
dam. It will be interesting to see how this fishery develops.

Tim Lysyk

"Tim Lysyk" wrote in message
news:l3z_b.37557$D_5.35603@edtnps84...
snip
I fished nymphs for part of the morning, but didn't
get a nibble. After lunch. we moved downstream. My friend caught one
bull trout, but I wasn't having much luck. I fell in the the river, and
took a pretty good drenching. I also lost my landing net, so was
beginning to think the day was going to be a bit of a bust. Then,
success. I was drifting a black woolly bugger through a run, and close
to a rock, felt the tell-tale tug. I set the hook, and started to pull
in the fish. It turned out to be about a 24 - 25" bull trout. It was in
remarkable form, and very fat. I have caught longer bulls, but I think
this one was the heaviest. It fought reasonably well for a winter fish,
at one point shooting right between my legs as I reached down to tail
it. I finally landed it, and my friend took a few pictures before I
released it. I decided that was good for the day, and headed slowly
downstream back to the car. My luck continued, as I even found my
landing net.

Nice fish! I still have visions of the bull you caught on our trip
together. And as far as I can tell, it must have been a damn near
impossible day for fishing if you weren't having any luck.

snip

Tim Carter wrote:

Nice fish! I still have visions of the bull you caught on our trip
together. And as far as I can tell, it must have been a damn near
impossible day for fishing if you weren't having any luck.

February can be a little tough. The water is still cold (at least where
its not solid)and the fish slow moving. You don't see many rises, even
with a few midges flying about. I measure how tough a day it is against
my fishing buddy...he is an excellent angler, and if he only lands one,
I pleased to even see a fish.

Tim Lysyk

"Tim Lysyk" wrote...
Today was my first fishing day of 2004. I had hoped to get out in
January, but the -30C temps but a bit of the damper on those plans. It
has been warm, by local standards, for the past few weeks (Today saw a
high of 12 C), so off I went. I started the day by scraping the frost of
the car windows, but by the time I arrived at the river, all had warmed
up. My fishing buddy arrived in due course, and we had tea and caught
up before fishing. I fished nymphs for part of the morning, but didn't
get a nibble. After lunch. we moved downstream. My friend caught one
bull trout, but I wasn't having much luck. I fell in the the river, and
took a pretty good drenching. I also lost my landing net, so was
beginning to think the day was going to be a bit of a bust. Then,
success. I was drifting a black woolly bugger through a run, and close
to a rock, felt the tell-tale tug. I set the hook, and started to pull
in the fish. It turned out to be about a 24 - 25" bull trout. It was in
remarkable form, and very fat. I have caught longer bulls, but I think
this one was the heaviest. It fought reasonably well for a winter fish,
at one point shooting right between my legs as I reached down to tail
it. I finally landed it, and my friend took a few pictures before I
released it. I decided that was good for the day, and headed slowly
downstream back to the car. My luck continued, as I even found my
landing net.
snip

A dunking, lost gear, and fish - the stuff of which dreams are made. Fine
TR, thanks.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

I went fishing today as well...same story for me on the weather...January
was windy and too cold to think about going out...I don't have to drive
anywhere I live on the Skeena River...As a beginner with a fly rod I find
the strong runs of Salmon and Steelhead a great learning ground...Today I
was so happy just to be"Out"... so of course the old "third cast"... half a
sleep...nice slow take on my Moosehair Muddler Minnow....and I didn't even
move my hands....oops...Oh well at least I didn't get my feet wet and my two
fishing buddies are my two Hounds so "nobody" outfished me today....better
luck next time out....peace gord p

Rivers North wrote:

I went fishing today as well...same story for me on the weather...January
was windy and too cold to think about going out...I don't have to drive
anywhere I live on the Skeena River...As a beginner with a fly rod I find
the strong runs of Salmon and Steelhead a great learning ground...Today I
was so happy just to be"Out"... so of course the old "third cast"... half a
sleep...nice slow take on my Moosehair Muddler Minnow....and I didn't even
move my hands....oops...Oh well at least I didn't get my feet wet and my two
fishing buddies are my two Hounds so "nobody" outfished me today....better
luck next time out....peace gord p

Nice report, Gord.

Hey Wolfie, here's the guy who's been stealing all your periods !

--
Ken Fortenberry

Ken Fortenberry wrote in message om...
Rivers North wrote:

I went fishing today as well...same story for me on the weather...January
was windy and too cold to think about going out...I don't have to drive
anywhere I live on the Skeena River...As a beginner with a fly rod I find
the strong runs of Salmon and Steelhead a great learning ground...Today I
was so happy just to be"Out"... so of course the old "third cast"... half a
sleep...nice slow take on my Moosehair Muddler Minnow....and I didn't even
move my hands....oops...Oh well at least I didn't get my feet wet and my two
fishing buddies are my two Hounds so "nobody" outfished me today....better
luck next time out....peace gord p

Nice report, Gord.

Hey Wolfie, here's the guy who's been stealing all your periods !

You're lucky to be fishing. I live on the Kenai River and it's frozen!
Can't wait for spring.

Mark Glassmaker
Alaska Fishing with Mark Glassmaker
www.mgfalaska.com