I just got back from the Western Canadian Fly Fishing Exposition in Calgary where Amundson had a booth showing off their products.  It’s a great event where you get to see some old friends, take in some great presentations and ‘fondle’ the new products on the market.  You never seem to have everything you need when it comes to this sport.  What starts off with one or two rods, quickly turns into 6, 8 or 10.  Unfortunately, I have a passion for 4 wt’s and hand made nets.  Not sure what the limit is, and hoping I never find out.

The one thing that probably gets me through the winter the most is dreaming about trips.  I’m lucky enough to make numerous ‘extended’ trips into the mountains and surrounding areas but the ones that excite me the most are those that take me into the back country.  Alberta stocked Golden trout into a few remote lakes in the 1960’s and 70’s and they’ve now become a self-sustaining population.  I’ve made this hike numerous times, but it never seems to get old.  I keep looking on the internet for old stocking reports, different trails in, or someone else’s reports on the lakes.  There’s also some nice flowing water in the area, so Google Earth keeps me searching for cut lines, trails or the closest access points to the creeks.  I guess you can also add cutties and big bull trout to my list of passions.

The 5 day forecast calls for +1 this Saturday in the Crowsnest Pass, so I just may be able to find a different way to scatch that fishin’ itch.

-Tim Bloomfield

With loads of input from both experienced and rookie lady flyfishers, who thought “pink has been done to death”. The women’s consensus was for a metallic aqua with pale mauve guide wraps, and a matching fly reel. The name “ALDIS” is the Viking “goddess and guardian spirit of good fortune”. Seems it might just “fit”, eh ??

Delivery is in August. Samples will be issued to selective women across Canada for evaluation.

jack

Women's Only Amundson "ALDIS" Fly Rod

If you’ve never been to a CFFC, or to the Parkland Region of Manitoba, you need to go.  The CFFC is a great event where you get to see some of the best Fly Fishers in Canada compete, but also share their knowledge.  For more info on the CFFC, see here:

http://www.flyfishingcanada.net/

I got to meet some great people and spend a lot of time with Brent Jakobson (Fishin’ Hole Manager), Steven Erikson (President of Manitoba Fly Fishers), Brian Joynt (Regional Wildlife Manger and chairman of Fisheries Enhancement Fund) and John Veenstra (member of Manitoba Fly Fishers).  We spent some time fishing Twin Lake for Tiger Trout and the lake didn’t disappoint.  Lots of people got a chance to take a look at the Amundson rods and reels and take them for a test drive.  Since most of the competition was done on lakes this year, it was no surprise that the Wind Warrior Still Water rods were the most talked about.

If you get some time, check out Brent’s shop in Winnipeg (The Fishin’ Hole), and also the Manitoba Fly Fishers if you’re in that area.  A really good bunch of guys.

-Tim Bloomfield

So, the process has begun on two new concepts, a new rod/reel combo that I strongly believe has been missing in the fly fishing world, that hopefully, will be appreciated by an under-represented segment of the fly fishing community. The second concept is a little more risky, it is our first real move into the arena of  “higher end”  fly rods and matching reels. A superbly performing, all new rod blank, with super high quality components, put together with the looks that says “understated elegance”.  We hope to prove to fly fishers across Canada, that performance, quality and elegance is not just for the rich, but also for “Mr/Ms. Ordinary “  who would really appreciate a beautifully performing fly rod.  A couple of prototypes will be ready for testing by the end of July.

Finally, I’d like to put in a plug for the organization to which we have committed our whole-hearted support to: Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing Canada. An organization of volunteers who are actively providing support and rehabilitation for our wounded and disabled military and emergency service veterans.

http://projecthealingwaters.ca/

NOW I can go fishing! Cariboo stillwaters, here I come.

Jack

I had the opportunity to attend the Chinook Waters Fly Fishing club Conclave and Banquet last weekend and had a great time presenting and meeting some new people.  The club from Lethbridge, Alberta put on a great show with presentations, (Brian Niska, Maxwell Robinson, and myself), the Drake Fly Fishing Film Tour (everybody loves the Drake), and an awesome banquet.  Also found some time to do some casting during the afternoon, and the two lighter weight speys (the WW1134 and WW1106) and the ‘Midge’ were big hits.

The Club did a great job raising funds through their silent auctions and draws, and a big thanks to Amundson for donating a Top Fly 4 piece 9’ 6 wt to the event.  It was a great time and already looking forward to next year.  See here for more information on the conclave.

http://www.cwffc.ca/events.html

-Tim Bloomfield

Durring a recent break between spring snow storms I made my first trip of the season to one of my favorite small streams in Central Alberta.  With the weather warming, but still somewhat unsettled, I was hoping for a BWO hatch and possibly some rising fish, so I decided to fish the Midge  for the first time.  Unfortunately the insect activity was minimal, and risers were non-existant, so it was on to plan B – streamers.  Aside from dry fly fishing, streamers are my absolute favorite way to fish these waters for three simple reasons; they cover a lot of water quickly, they will often move the largest fish in any given spot and they can get down deep where there simply isn’t enough time to get a proper drift with a nymph.  There is a trade off with this approach, however.  Couple the size and weight of a streamer with the  swirling east slope winds and you begin to truely appreciate the term “chuck and duck”.  A few hours and a handful of fish later I was standing at the bottom of a long sweeping corner pool and about fifty feet away, across a shallow flat and against the far bank, was a tangle of fallen logs and a narrow, deep slot.  This was the kind of spot that I usually catch out of the corner of my eye when I’m headed for greener pastures, and before I can reason out why I did it, I’ll be stopped and stripping line off of the reel.  For the first time all day I began wishing for the breeze to pick up, just enough to ruffle the surface and blur my profile a little.  The wind wasn’t going to co-operate, so I began working line out anyway, picked my spot and let the cast go.  Not only did the Midge bridge the distance, it put a size  4 cone head Kiwi Muddler within 6″ of the lumber.  It was a big performance for a small rod, and it was one I had no right to expect.  What makes it the Mighty Midge is the fact that I had to make that same cast three times with slight adjustments before the stike finally came.

- Dan Hunt.

I had a demo Wind Warrior Stillwater 1005 that had been loaned out and used carelessly by several people and the cork handle was worse for wear. Harold says “Let me work on that” and only days later produces this masterpiece of a rattan grip, installed on the rod WITHOUT the removal of any components, except the damaged ends of the cork grip. From an abused “demo” to a show rod in 3 days! Amazing talent!

Rattan Grip Retro-fit by Harold Dean

It’s just all FUN !

To some, winter fly fishing is just ‘something to do’ until the real season starts in May; but for me, it’s one of the highlights.  The Crowsnest River in the South Western corner of Alberta is one of the best places to spend a warm, winter day.  The river is relatively small, and easily wadable in many sections.  Accessibility is great also as Hwy 3 parallels the river for most of it’s open sections.  Chinooks can roll in at anytime from December to April, and once that temperature rises to –5 °C or better, it’s time to start thinking of fishing (if you luck out, there’s even days where I’ll be on the river in mid February wearing nothing more than my waders and a fleece)

Fly fishing in the winter is a different ‘beast’ all together.  There’s the extra clothes, lack of hatches, and the shorter hours on the water.  But then there’s also the solitude, the fresh snow along the river and the chance to do it all in one of the prettiest places in Western Canada.  I use to fish the Crow a lot, but now I only seem to find myself on the river in the winter months.  The crowds and heat drive me off the river in the summer months and send me to more of the ‘lesser known’ rivers in that area.  I still get out to the Crow a half dozen times a year over the winter, even though it’s a 3 hr drive one-way from my front door.  The way I see it, 8 hrs of fishing vs. 6 hrs of driving still makes it a doable trip.

Winter fly fishing usually means nymphing.  It’s pretty simple too as there’s not much going on for hatches.  My usual rig has a larger fly on top (either San Juan worm or golden stone) and then a smaller midge pattern trailing behind (black and green are the most predominate colours ranging from a size 16 to 24).  (Note: two fly rigs are legal…and highly productive in Alberta)  Early in the morning, the fish tend to stay in the larger pools, and unless the sun comes out, they will stay there for the most part.  A friend of mine calls the Crowsnest bows “Sun Mongers” as it usually takes the sun to come out and shine down for them to move out of the deeper pools and into the runs.  This can peak later in the afternoon and make for some great action.  Don’t expect a numbers game in the winter though.  There’s definitely your fair share of double-digit days, but if the weather doesn’t cooperate, the catching can be tough.

I never seem to worry so much about numbers.  A half open river, with over twelve inches of fresh snow on the banks and in the trees seems to make one forget about trying to catch as many fish as you can.  Throw in the lack of people around and a thermos of coffee, and I’m amazed why so many people chose to wait for the thaw.

-Tim Bloomfield