Fly Fishing Patagonia, Part 3, Miami

Miami International airport has a buzz about it. It is probably second only to Atlanta in the south east USA for flight activity. I had landed and was waiting at the special cargo area for my dog to arrive. Eventually her kennel appeared. She looked alright. The effects of the tranquilizer had worn off. She was happy to see me. That was a good sign. I had already surveyed outside to see if there was a pet area or at least a large area of grass, or some sort of greenery. I didn't see anything. I asked airport staff about a pet area. They looked baffled. There was a tiny island of growth just outside full of discarded paper and other trash. Cars whizzed by it. I figured that is where I'd take her so she could relieve herself. That worked out well. Once back in the airport I noticed the water container that came with the kennel was missing. My next task was to get the airline luggage staff to try and find it. I kennelled my dog and then asked a uniformed fellow who kept going in and out of the special cargo area to look for it. Getting his attention wasn't easy. He seemed disinterested in my request but eventually said he would check. He returned seconds later and said he had found nothing. I explained to him once again what it looked like and that it had been attached to the kennel when it was placed on board so it had to be around! Another company employee was standing nearby, overheard me and came over. He went to look and came back several minutes later. When I spoke to him it was as if he had totally forgotten who I was and my request earlier. The water holder was gone. I had to accept it. I was ticked off at the airline employees. I was glad I had attached the back up water container with duct tape and it was still in place. When you travel bring two of everything... no make that three of everything.
I took my dog out of the kennel again and disassembled it so that it would fit in an over sized locker. I had spotted a row of taxis just outside earlier. With my dog on leash I went to hail one. My plan was to spend the afternoon in a nearby park and then return to the airport in the evening for the overnight flight to Buenos Aires. I spoke to several taxi drivers and all responded as if I had the plague. They said they wouldn't put my dog in their vehicle. I went from one driver to another. I told them I 'd kennel my dog if that would make a difference. No interest. I asked if there was a good dog park nearby. Eventually one driver said, "Tropical Park". The name stuck in my head. After much persistence I found a driver who said he would transport me if I kennelled my dog. I said it would take me a couple of minutes to retrieve and assemble it. He said he'd wait. When I returned he was gone. I spoke to several new drivers as the taxi line had turned over. Fortunately, a large middle-aged African-American driver agreed to take me to Tropical Park. The park took 10 or 15 minutes to get to. When he dropped me off I asked if he'd be willing to pick me up in 5 hours. He half heartily said he would. I didn't fully trust his response but said I'd be exactly in the place we were standing in 5 hours. I offered extra money if he returned. I thought to myself I'd better search for a telephone in the park just in case he didn't show. Cell phones weren't the norm then.
Tropical park was big, well manicured and beautiful. Where I was let off seemed to be a large tennis area with many courts. People were arriving and leaving in crisp white tennis cloths. Most looked Hispanic. Many were in shiny sports cars with convertible tops. I remember that Pete Sampras was the top tennis star then. I found a park office and asked the young people working there if they could call for a taxi later on. They said they would. I also asked what time the office closed. I spent the afternoon walking the park figuring it would help my dog sleep for the long 12 or 13 hours flight to Argentina. It was hot for us as we had come from the start of a Canadian winter. It was also humid. My dog's winter coat had also grown in. There were a couple of man made lakes in the north end of the park. I had brought lots of bottled water for us to drink. We eventually had to take refuge in the shade. I had disassembled the kennel and bungee corded it together so that carrying it was easy at least for an hour or so. Later I dragged it on the grass. I didn't want to leave it anywhere because if stolen I'd be in quite a predicament. Late in the afternoon we got caught in a tropical down poor. It was relief for both of us.
A couple of hours before I needed to return I started thinking I'd better call for a taxi based on my earlier experience at the airport. I went to the park cabana and they called as promised. It took forever for one to show up. I had assembled the kennel in the meantime. When the taxi arrived the driver refused to transport my dog. Deja vu!
It was time to tranquilize my dog for the flight. I gave her the pill disguised in a dog treat. Shortly after she became very sedated and stumbled a couple of times. I think the heat and all the walking we had done earlier made her more susceptible to the medication. People hanging around the park cabana started asking me, "What is wrong with your dog?" They still looked at me funny even after I explained to them that she had been medicated for an upcoming flight.
It was now dark. My dog was wobbly. I was desperate. One more call and a taxi showed up. The young driver said in a heavy Spanish accent that he wouldn't transport my dog. I pleaded to him over and over and then offered him sixty extra dollars on top of the airport fare. That changed everything. He said, "get in". As he whisked me down the Palmetto expressway north he said the smell of a damp dog made his "skeen (skin) crawl". He complained all the way to the airport. Thanks to him I was able to checked in on time. The Aerolineas Argentinas staff took good care of my dog. It felt good in the air conditioned airport and I felt free to go for a beer and sandwich. I realised then that I hadn't eaten since early morning and it was probably 7 pm or later. I was tired but grateful that I'd of soon be off to Buenos Aires. I remember saying to myself, "good-bye Miami!" It was a couple of weeks before Christmas 1998.

Fly Fishing Patagonia, Part 2, Consulate

Dealing with airline companies around transporting a pet internationally can be very complicated. The polices and advice change depending on what airline employee you are talking to and on what day. I must have made forty telephone calls in order to check and then recheck the rules. If you are flying a long way and dealing with different carriers then it all gets even more convoluted and confusing as each airline has its own pet policy and information. There are also different animal Custom polices with each country and since I was was dealing with several ( Canada, USA, Argentina, Chile on the way down and then in reverse order on the way back) there was much to look into. I didn't want my dog quarantined some place for several months. I ended up having to deal with Canada Food Inspection and Agriculture regarding my dog. I had to get passport like photos of her which were attached to an official document and stamped. It seemed everything needed an official stamp. Of course I needed to prove she was healthy and up to date on all shots. I also had to look into a Chilean work visa for myself. Fortunately Montreal had a Chilean consulate. The consul there informed me I had to get my potential employer in Chile to fax a letter indicting that I in fact had employment and a job description. All this was understandable. I had a couple meetings at the consulate. The consul always sat behind an official looking desk and politely asked many questions. I imagined him to be a great card player as he revealed little. I telephoned the consulate just three or four days before my flight to remind them I had yet to receive a work visa they promised. I was concerned; they weren't. A couple of days before my flight I was at the consulate once again reviewing everything with "poker face". I was relieved when he provided me with the needed visa. I had received it in the finial hour. I had gotten through that hoop, a big hoop. Looking back I should have just told everyone including Customs that I was going on a 5 month fishing trip of a lifetime instead of being honest. Although honesty is the "best policy" sometimes it makes things much more complicated. Paper work, or not, I would have gone.

I purchased a large dog travel kennel and started sensitizing my dog to it. She was not used to confined spaces. Dog treats helped the learning process. I made the kennel a fun place with lots of rewards. The kennel came with a water container that looked flimsy. I made a back up one out of a solid plastic container and duct taped it to the grated kennel door. I then wrote the Spanish word for dog, Pero, all over the kennel along with my home address, etc. I consulted a veterinarian about long distance air travel. He informed me that since my dog was one year old she was in the prime of her life and at her strongest. He suggested a sedative for the air travel and I picked up the prescription. My itinerary was Montreal to Miami non-stop. Then a 5 hour stop over before boarding an all night Aerolineas Argentinas flight directly to Buenos Aires. Then I'd switch to a flight to Santiago just an hour later, where Jim had arranged someone to meet me. I'd  spend two days with a member of Jim's family in downtown Santiago and then board an over night bus south to Osorno, Chile. The fly fishing lodge driver would met me there upon arrival early in the morning and we would travel southward a full day through Argentina and then back into Chile. I was informed the overnight bus had a place for pets in the back of the coach that was safe. Jim said he transported his dog this way and it worked out fine. I was uneasy with this arrangement. Next thing I knew I was at Montreal's Dorval airport with my fishing equipment, outdoor gear, extensive paper work (documents), and a drugged dog. Miami international would be my first stop. It turned out to be one of the most challenging on my journey.

Fly Fishing Patagonia, Part 1, Miramichi

 

I was standing in the middle of the river and it felt cold. It was the last weekend of the trout season. Leaves were falling around me. The wind was chilly and the clouds had the ominous look of winter. I started thinking about Bruce Chatwin, Yvon Chouinard, William Leitch and others who had visited the Land of the Big Feet. I thought about large trout swimming in rios, lagos and bocas. I was thinking about Patagonia and the southern hemisphere. I wanted to go straight from Fall into Spring and fool nature itself by skipping Winter. I wanted to transport myself to where the rivers were beginning to warm and come to life; where trout weren't hunkering down in dark deep pools but instead awakening and looking to the surface and the sun.

By chance I read a magazine article on several fly fishing lodges in Patagonia. The images of the terrain and rivers were mesmerizing. I decided to take action and after a little research faxed my resume to the bottom of the world. It was the first angling resume I had ever written. It was my message in a bottle. A couple days later I received a reply. I couldn't believe it. I thought, "Things like that don't happen to me!". A lodge owner named Jim said he'd be chasing the King of Fish ( Atlantic Salmon) on a famous maritime river in New Brunswick in a couple of weeks. I lived in Montreal then. He knew his geography and asked if we could meet. I said I'd make the road trip east to the lodge near the town of Blackville where he would be staying. I made the full day drive dodging moose and logging trucks along the last stretch of rural route 108, and arrived just before dark. We talked over a beans and wieners dinner in a classic wood lodge overlooking the Miramichi river. It reminded me of the old Adirondack camps in a region just south of Montreal where where I learned to fly fish as a child. It all felt familiar. Jim seemed larger than life. He had fished just about everywhere for trout and salmon. He said with a playful smile that "after God created trout he created him". I didn't know what to think of him. I don't think it really mattered. The next morning I watched him and others take turns fishing a tannin colored salmon pool on the Cains river. He wore a Filson tin cloth hat and a Barbour coat, and fished a full flex fly rod. He oozed tradition. I liked that. He spoke about his love of dry fly fishing and his home river in Chile. I also liked that. Before I drove home I had committed to spending five months in rural Patagonia, from late December until May. He offered a guiding gig and I couldn't say no. I took the hook. I had a full time job, a mortgage, a one year old golden retriever and like most people numerous other responsibilities. There were many unanswered questions: Could I get several months off from work? Could I afford to take the time off? Was it possible to transport my young dog such a distance? Did I need a work visa? Where the hell is Valle Des Escales, Chile (my destination)? It was already the middle of October and I had a lot of scrambling to do. I wondered if I could pull it off. I doubted I could pull it off. Then one night while listening to talk radio I heard the author Ray Bradbury being interviewed and I found confidence. He spoke with boundless enthusiasm about everything he loved. He said that his approached to life was to "jump off a cliff and then learn to make wings on the way down". Mr Bradbury was the best storyteller I had ever heard. He made everything seem possible. I said to myself," build wings".          

Hatch report, mid-october

Crowsnest River

In the past two weeks there have been Tiny Western Olives on the lower Oldman river and Mahoganies. The trout seem to be focusing more on the large darker fly. Hatches haven't been thick probably due to the fair, mainly sunny, weather. I was out one day when it was overcast but a strong hatch never developed. All we need is a low front and some of the best dry fly fishing of the season will get underway.

I was on the Crowsnest river today and I waited until about 3:00 pm for Olives to hatch. Not a bad hatch considering the bright sun. I spotted several large fish in slow shallow water and managed to land a couple. The hatch waned after an hour or two. I will post some Fall photos soon. It is beautiful out there.

Crowsnest River Rainbow Trout

French assassins, fly tying and selective trout

In Neil Patterson's book, Chalkstream Chronicle, he shares with the reader a period in French angling history where there were people who caught trout daily and sold them (angling professionals) for a living. Interestingly, this practice was only outlawed in the 1960's. He notes that these professionals, by choice, fished with flies as they learned this was the most successful way for them to earn a living (catch trout consistently). He reports they either "succeeded or starved". They tied their own flies and over time what evolved was a variety of  highly effective "killing" patterns. He notes that what these flies all had in common was that they were very lightly dressed or had a "feathery lightness" and also a low profile in the water. I assume that the streams they fished were probably flat water creeks. He calls this group of specialized anglers, French Assassins.

The other day I was on a local tailwater river and there was a strong hatch of tiny western olives. I spotted a fairly large fish feeding a couple of feet off of the bank in the slack water where the insects were collecting. The rainbow wasn't eating the olives but was occasionally sipping a larger mayfly.  I had a small parachute olive rigged but the fish paid no attention to it. The larger mayfly turned out to be, I think, a Mahogany Dun. It was dark chocolate brown ( a bit reddish) very slender and 3 tails. I had several patterns in my fly box and casted a somewhat heavily dressed size 16 fly to it but with no response. I then put on a very sparsely tied ( just a couple of turns of hackle with bottom clipped: a low rider) same size fly and the fish took it. I got a photo and will post it.
On flat water with selective fish "less on the hook" is often better. Much can be learned from a French Assassin.
Voila!

Lower Oldman River Rainbow Trout

Bonefish flats in southwestern alberta?

I've been waiting for the wind to die down for a couple of weeks in order to fish a local tailwater river. It has been unseasonably hot in southwestern Alberta; in the 30C temperature range...Caribbean like. I've driven the 30 minutes to the river a couple of times to check out the conditions and to see if there are any hatches. The water clarity has been bad probably due to the relentless winds which churn up the reservoir. The water is cloudy (milky looking) with visibility of only about 3 or 4 feet. It is usually low and clear in September. At this time of year we often experience some low fronts (clouds) and accompanying Blue Wing Olive (baetis) activity that can produce some of the best top water action of the year. I'm still waiting for all the "stars to align". Yesterday afternoon the wind eased up a bit and it felt like it might even calm down in the evening. I decided to gamble and make the drive to fish the milky river. I went hoping for a late day hatch as it had been sunny all day. I got lucky. A hatch did occur; mostly olives, size 20. Very tiny stuff. I also saw what looked like fly ants; again tiny. When the hatch got going, fish came up. Some were on emergers (sub-surface feeding) but some very good fish were eating duns in the slower areas. I managed to hook four great fish and landed two. All were rainbows. Two took me into my backing. The largest landed was right around 20 inches. All were hooked in a foot or two of water and took off for deeper territory like bonefish. It is why I'm persistent with this river; challenging angling and long runs. Bonefish in southwestern Alberta! Before you go out, check the tides, start tying some Crazy Charlies and of course as a back-up small Olives. I'll post some photos soon.

Lower Oldman River Rainbow Trout

Wildlife Along River

silver creek, part 3

Things I learned while visiting the Sun valley region and fishing the creek:

*Silver Creek is one of the most beautiful, pristine trout streams I have ever fished;
*The whole Sun Valley region (Ketchum, Hailey, Bellevue) is a great place to visit for anyone. The towns are quaint and well taken care of including beautiful home gardens;
*The Nature Conservancy section of the creek is a wonderful example of  how to preserve a river: a place;
*I disrupted the flat water less and was more stealthy while wading with the flow(downstream)at the river's rate or slower rather than pushing water when fishing upstream;
*Proper presentation with a fly that is somewhere" in the ball park" of what is hatching (size, attitude on water,etc) will often work even on a spring creek with very high angling pressure. Down and across seemed to work best especially in the bright sunshine;
*Other access locations on the creek, outside of the preserve section, offer great angling. I fished the Point of Rocks section several evenings as I could take my dog with me;
*With weed beds and many competing currents try to get as close to the fish as possible;
*Wade the channels between the weed beds(firm) if you have to stay in the water to get into position for a fish. It disrupts the water less; less debris; firmer footing.

I read an excellent book on Silver Creek before I went and found it helpful, accurate and informative. It also had several interesting chapters on the history and geology of the region. The book: Silver Creek, Idaho's Fly Fishing Paradise by D Clark and D Glasscock.

Finally, it felt good to fish a creek that is considered one of the toughest stretches of trout water in North America. It felt good to fish where some of the best anglers have fished and be successful. It was confirmation, I think, that I have become quite good at this ancient craft.

Silver Creek Brown Trout & Clear Water

silver creek, part 2

After walking through a tunnel of trees on a foot trail I reached the creek. Many sections of the path had planks put in place to step on. The creek was smooth, glassy surfaced and very clear. It looked like photographs I have seen of  famous English Chalk streams, but I wasn't in Hampshire or Berkshire, I was in Blaine county, Idaho. The next thing I noticed was the prolific, dense weed growth. Much of the aquatic vegetation reached the surface. Between this growth were a myriad of channels; sort of mini streams with their own individual flow rates. It seemed like several rivers within one river. Some of the weed growth was so dense it created mat like islands. There were also natural islands with side channels and the creek meandered significantly as most spring creeks do. Basically there was holding water (habitat) for trout everywhere; and there were trout everywhere.
Most of the trout that I saw rising were smallish. That was the case most of the week. I was between hatches. The September Olives had not started. There was a brief Trico hatch in the morning, one hour or so, which was a leftover hatch from the summer as early September, when I was there, was hot and sunny. Day time temperatures were in the low 80's F. There were some PMD's mixed in with the Tricos in the morning and then a very light evening presence. Overall the best hatch was the Tricos. I fished Trico patterns, hook size 22. The PMD's were also tiny, about the same size. I started spotting some larger fish later in the week when I grew a bit more accustomed to the creek. They were bank fish but due to the relatively brief and sparse hatches often only surfaced occasionally. This made it tough but I managed to hook a couple. My best fish and chances occurred when the morning Trico hatch was at its best and I was able to find trout that were feeding/rising with a rhythm. I experienced two mornings like this when the hatch was better and hooked, but didn't land, a sizable fish that was displacing a lot of water when surfacing. I caught fish every day and was pleased with this. In comparison to other creeks I've fished I found Silver Creek trout very subtle in their rises. Sometimes I thought they were subsurface feeding but when I took the time to really watch I realized  they were often picking off duns from the surface: very subtle sips with no head appearing. Maybe a lot of these fish were brown trout as I caught several through the week. A good portion, probably close to 50 percent, of the fish that I landed were browns.
I saw many large Browns when wading. They were usually along deep banks, undercut areas, and always right on the bottom. I saw some spawning browns in shallow gravel areas, again large fish. Silver creek is a great place to study trout behavior due to the wonderful water clarity.
I caught a few nice fish on a beetle pattern. Had little success with hoppers possibly due to it not being windy; it was very still when I was there. I was pleased to just catch fish and would like to return when there is a more significant hatch and some occasional cloud cover to hopefully see some of the creeks larger denizens surface feed with regularity. As always on angling trips I learned some things and will describe this in my next post.

Silver Creek Brown Trout

silver creek, idaho, part 1

If you love dry fly angling and have read a lot about the sport then you probably have come across a world famous spring creek called, Silver Creek in Idaho. Many consider it one of the most beautiful creeks anywhere. I've wanted to fish it for a long time and recently got the chance. In the past decade I have fished spring creeks much closer to home: Nelson, Armstrong, Depuy, Odell, and Milesnick. This year I had enough time off to make the trip to southern Idaho. It was a long drive: 14 hours with stops. The last couple hours of the drive I crossed a desolate, arid region called Craters of the Moon....no Lunar Vehicle in sight just my speeding Hyundai. Even the Sun Valley region, where I stayed, just north of the creek looked like it was ready to ignite. There were forest fires somewhere as the sky was always smoky. The area is considered a high desert region; lots of Sage brush. You don't expect trout water to exist in such a parched place, but it does. It seeps from the ground; cool, clear and very rich in aquatic and insect life. Through the foresight of Jack Hemingway, son of Ernest, and Guy Bonnivier, and many others, a preserve was created on a good portion of the creek. It is aptly called: Silver Creek Preserve. Many land grants and easements have been negotiated along other sections to ensure the care of the riparian habitat bordering the creek and access. It appears their efforts have in fact "preserved" the creek and it flows silkily as it did a long time ago. The preserve is part of the Nature Conservancy.

Silver Creek Visitor Center

Ernest Hemingway bird hunted along the creek, and finished his novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, while living in Sun Valley (Ketchum).

To fish the preserve section you simply sign in at the Conservancy office and then walk down one of the marked trails to the spring creek; an oasis in a desert plateau. When I signed the daily fishing log book under the heading, Visitors, my heart was racing. Only two other names: one from Bend, Oregon and another from Sweden. Then I was off down one of the trails...

Lower oldman river, dry fly water levels

Summer Levels, Lower Oldman River

I drove to the the lower Oldman river this past weekend. The 3 ink blue silos off of the highway and the information sign saying, Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump 32km, always remind me that I have arrived. The river is finally at low summer levels/flow. It has taken some time as we are already in the third week of August. With the lower level there is a lot of flat water, dry fly opportunities. I've seen some big fish surface feeding and I was lucky enough to catch one on a spinner pattern, size 16; a 20+ inch fish. There still are a lot of fish focusing on emergers but some are eating Duns even in the bright sun. It depends on how strong the wind is blowing. PMD's are the main hatch with spinner falls at night. Pelicans are around which means fish! Drift boats are  around; this also means fish! The trout continue to be challenging and fairly selective. A fellow in a dinghy, with his son, floated up to me and said, "You are not catching anything". I informed him that I had hooked quite a few fish that afternoon. He then said, "only small ones I bet". I replied that I in fact had managed to land some fairly sizable trout. He seemed disappointed with this. His expression suggested he couldn't accept what I said; it just didn't fit; it just wasn't a possibility. But it did happen...as sure as buffalo jump and pelicans fly in southwestern Alberta. Here is a photo.

Lower Oldman River Rainbow

Trout, olives and bears, oh my!

I was out on the Crowsnest river last night for a couple of hours. I went out as the sky was somewhat overcast and had been most of the day. Lately, it has been mainly sunny and blue skies; no complaints here as summertime  in the Rockies is as quick as a New York minute.I was hoping the partial cloud cover would improve the evening hatch; it did. There were the usual PMD's, and a spinner fall, but also the nice addition of  Blue Winged Olives probably due to the clouds. This was the most significant hatch. I picked up a couple of mid-sized fish and broke off a large one.  I noticed a lot of bear dung on the riverside road and on all the pathways to the river. They are eating the few berries that are around this year. If you are out in the evening stay alert and make your presence known.

Crowsnest River

The black beetle rules

Early this summer I went up into the mountains to fish a small native cutthroat stream. The water was clear and the level almost perfect for dries. In certain spots I was sightfishing. I tied on a haystack pattern and picked up some fish. Eventually put on a black beetle and did even better. Caught some fairly large fish, considering the size of the stream, on the beetle. Cutthroats are right up there with Brook trout for their beauty. Here are some photos of the little gems...

Alberta Wild Cutthroat

Shut up and fish

While driving my dog down to the river for a cool swim on a hot August day I spotted a familiar figure on main street in Bellevue, my home town. I've named the familiar figure, The Sentry. He's like a guard on duty. It seems he's always standing there surveying Main street; checking out the scene. It is not much of a scene as Main street is short and simply a small collection of tired worn-out commercial buildings, many of them empty. He doesn't seem to do anything or have a purpose. He's just there, like a statue; an almost around- the-clock permanent fixture. It doesn't matter the temperature, he's always dressed the same: blue jeans; a black tee-shirt restraining a sizeable belly; and a ball cap. It is the official uniform of many Bellevue locals. Usually a black tee-shirt in this region has a Jack Daniels, Harley Davidson, or a Skull and Cross Bones logo on it; always something tough. The Sentry's shirt in bold print it read, "Shut Up and Fish!

That evening I debated whether to go fishing,or not. I eventually did go and re-visited a spot where a large fish has been feeding for quite awhile. He starts when the river bank cast a shadow on a section of slow water where insects get channeled. His rises have usually been sporadic but he's always there in the evening. I hooked him several weeks ago but didn't land him. I've cast to him since and fooled him with an small imitation but didn't get a hook-up. This time he was as challenging as usual; very selective and not interested in my offerings. I couldn't figure out what he was eating in spite of closely investigating the bugs on the water. Eventually he stopped rising; it was if he disappeared. I waited and waited. The light started waning and then I noticed a large fish surfacing directly across the river. I waded the short distance. It looked like the same fish; certainly the same impressive size. He was feeding more aggressively this time and took the tiny offering. Luckily I managed to land him. A great rainbow thanks to the Sentry's advice: Shut up and fish! Here's a photo...

20 Inch Crowsnest River Rainbow Trout

Crowsnest river, early august evening

I was on the Crow the other night from 7 to 9:30 pm. The water conditions are now low; typical summer levels. As the light faded larger fish moved into the shallow areas and started feeding on the evening hatch of PMD's and a Spinner fall which was quite intense. I spotted a couple large fish which were quite selective. A bank feeder wasn't interested in a number of different PMD patterns (duns) that I tossed his way. He was in a challenging spot and I had to reposition myself a couple of times to try and get a clean drift over him, as I thought his refusals may be due to drag which wasn't apparent to me. I eventually got him to slide an inch or so sideways to sip a spinner pattern but as I tried setting the hook no connection. It was my only chance. Several other late evening feeders seemed to be focusing mainly on emergers with only the occasional head rise. I missed one more large fish and then ran out of light. It was fun to be there even though I went home without landing a fish. The evening was calm, warm and the river valley full of life. I watched a doe and her fawn ford the stream just before I headed for my vehicle.

Lower Oldman River, emergers over dries

I fished the Crow on July 31 and then a local tailwater, Lower Oldman river on Aug 1st. I fished both rivers from suppertime until dark as weather has been hot and sunny. The dry fly action occurred late. On the Crow I saw PMD's, Yellow and Lime Sallies in great numbers, still some big Golden Stones and of course Caddis flies. The Crow is still dropping and is almost, but not quite yet, at an ideal level for the dry fly angler. Spotted some sippers; not many, and caught one. On the tailwater, similar hatches with PMD's and small stoneflies being predominant bugs...I think some Small Western Green Drakes were around. Water releases from dam (63 M3/S)still significant for this time of year making it far from ideal for top water action. I got a couple rainbows on surface but the most consistent activity was when fishing an emerger pattern trailing off of the dry as many fish bulging and boiling but rarely showing their heads. I fished a small RS2 style fly with some success. The river often requires this type of tactic. Trout in the Lower Oldman can get very single-minded and "lock-on" to emergers. Very challenging angling; the most difficult river in the region when the hatch is on. You have to alter your game plan at times and be flexible or risk going home empty handed. Picky trout are fun!

Small flies, big trout and Pierre Berton

Railroad Hike To Crownest River

I fished a section of the river tonight that I haven't been on in a long time. I hiked in on train tracks. Along the rails I noticed many discarded railway spikes. I thought about the great Canadian author Pierre Berton and his historical book: The Last Spike. I eventually dropped down into the river and waded a long section of water where there is usually a chance to spot a large bank feeder. I didn't see one tonight in spite of many PMD's, which were tumbling and cartwheeling due to the strong wind. I pushed  further upstream to a shallow section that sometimes holds an impressive fish. I watched it briefly but it looked vacant; no sign of life. At that point I made the decision to slow down and sit down. As soon as I got comfortable on the bank a big fish sipped on a mayfly just four feet upstream of me. It is amazing how often this happens. You stop, look and listen and then you notice something. I backed off downstream a bit and put on a black winged PMD  for visibility as I had to cast into a silvery grey surface due to the lighting. On the second cast I hooked him. He went downstream and leaped. Seconds later I broke off even thought the battle was going well. My leader had snapped two feet above the fly. I tie my own leaders. Earlier that night, while in my backyard, I added tippet to my leader while being visually challenged (without my glasses). I probably blew the knot! An hour later I got the chance to cast to him again. I wanted to remove the fly lodged in his mouth. He surged at my small imitation. When I tried setting the hook the fly simply came out of his mouth; no contact. Missed him! He didn't rise again. By then it was late so I hiked the tracks home and thought about Pierre Berton and the Last Spike.

Crowsnest River Sippers

I was on the Crow last night and tonight from 5 pm until about 9pm. The river has dropped considerably lately and is now fishing in the slow areas like a wonderful spring creek. Although hatches aren't thick there are bugs around. The predominant hatch as expected is the Pale Morning Dun, size 16 and 18. Other flies include: PMD spinners (rusty), yellow sallies, lime sallies, still some golden stones...I didn't see many green drakes as in past weeks.

I searched for bank sippers and shallow feeders in slow water below gentle riffles and found a few. Most of my success was in looking for them in the evening shadows away from the sun. I had to cover some water to find them and be very observant. A couple of great fish on small flies. The bank fish I caught tonight was in 1 foot of water. I watched him feed for 15 minutes before casting to him downstream, fly first. I fished a size 16 PMD pattern, white polypro for wing and visibility and light dun hackle clipped on bottom so fly rides low. The sippers are around!

Crowsnest River Rainbow Trout

Crowsnest River, Back Eddies

It is the second week of July and water in the Crow is still higher than usual but clear. The PMD hatch hasn't busted out like it has in some years past. They are around but not in great numbers. As a result, there are not a lot of bank feeders yet. In terms of hatches there are: some Green Drakes, the large kind, coming off of the water; little yellow stones; some caddis (rust and tan); still the occasional golden stone. The only place I'm seeing predictable rising fish is in the back eddies where flies are being circulated and therefore collecting in enough numbers to bring fish up to surface or to feed just subsurface. These spots have been reliable. I have spotted some great fish on banks but few and you have to really look as they are feeding very subtly and not with great frequency as there is not a steady parade of mayflies. I took a picture of a beautiful rainbow I caught the other day and will post it next time I blog. I also took some pictures of the Crow. The water is still very cool: around 50f, mid day. A lot of the locations that I often search for shallow water trout are still a little too high and fast to hold fish and see them sip flies. Hopefully the water will continue to drop and hatch densities will improve so that there will be more dry fly opportunities. Everything is late this year.

Went to the Lower Oldman other evening to check it out. Flows there are double what they usually are and water visibility not great, 2ft. Flows: 90-80 cubic meters. Water levels are also high. I saw lots of bugs and some river locations that are slow enough to have feeding fish. Lots of little stone flies and PMD spinners (rusty). If water drops lower in next couple of weeks river could start producing great dry fly fishing in evenings and mornings if not too windy.

I went up to fish the Upper Oldman above the Gap and will describe that experience in another blog. The water temperature there mid day was 47F.

Crowsnest Bank Fish - Caught by Author

Crowsnest Back Eddy Fish - Caught by Joe F.

Fly Fishing the Crowsnest River, Small Fly Paradise

Summer Time On Crowsnest River

The Crowsnest River, affectionately called the "Crow", is a beautiful, classic walk and wade stream in southwestern Alberta that is rich in insect life. I first visited it from afar 10 years ago. I was so taken with the quality of the angling I moved to the region 6 months later. Now I live within walking distance and during the season wade it at least a couple of times a week.

After Spring run-off sections of the Crow fish like a tailwater or spring creek and there is plenty of opportunity to hunt for trout and sight-cast with a dry fly. The largest rainbows in the river, in the 15 to 19 inch range, can be taken this way. This is when the river is in its prime and dry fly anglers like me get giddy! Generally it is small fly angling; flies size 16 and under; not too small but small enough. Between hatches fish can be spotted sipping on leftovers, so some surface action still can be found. It keeps you in the game

Crow trout can be selective so matching the hatch, especially fly size and attitude in the water, is important. You don't need a Richardson's five tray chest fly box to fish this river but a good fly selection is needed with a couple of different patterns for each potential hatch. Think flatwater patterns that ride low.

The rainbows are wild and wary, and often hold in difficult locations which makes angling that much more intense and demanding. Locating fish is not always easy as many feed softly and in spots where anglers often wade or walk by. It is a subtle river; very subtle. That is part of its charm. When fly fishing with dries you have to pay attention to the "little things", slow down and above all stop casting! The key is observation and patience. You search for a fish ( hopefully find one), then strategize your approach, wade cautiously and try to carefully present your imitation. It is quality not quantity angling. You generally have to do things well in order to be rewarded, which makes a "hook-up" that much more satisfying. Spending time on this river will make you a better angler.

The most consistent dry fly fishing occurs in the Summer and Fall, July through October. Like on any river the hatches can vary from year to year. I've learned that if there are bugs on the water surface feeding fish can usually be found. Season after season I've found the river to be a consistent producer and a small dry fly angler's paradise.