Designated Driver

[MariettaMike]

Got the company car (Ford Escape) today with gas card and ready to take it fishing. Don't know where, but if there is anyone out there that wants to show me I've got a bottle of scotch and a case of beer you're welcome to drink.

I'll be the designated driver.

No where to be until Monday AM.

 

PS: I enjoyed meeting you guys on Wednesday.

[dave robinson]

Hey Mike:

It was good to meet you also.

I missed your post yesterday as I was down fishing the Bow with Barry White and Bill Gouge.

I had four solid hookups, two broke off and two spit the hook after a half dozen leaps, one a big brown.

Bill had one spit the hook and one he landed. I expect he'll show pictures on Wednesday if he's in town.

The fishing was a bit slow, but nonetheless a great day with Barry.

I thought of you a couple of times, wondering how you'd react to the ambiance.

Once when we floated past a big bald eagle sunning himself in a tree

and another when one went soaring overhead followed later by a great blue heron.

 

I'd take you up on your offer tomorrow, but my daughter is singing in a choir concert.

Her Edmonton Youth Choir is joining the Boys, Girls and Junior children's choirs

in a 3pm concert at Knox Metropolitan United church on 109 Street (how's that for a plug?)

 

Maybe someone else can introduce you to Muir Lake.

If not, try the pond at Cardiff. You can fish from shore.

You take the highway north from St Albert toward Morinville.

Turn east just south of Morinville to Cardiff.

You go through Cardiff to the east side where the golf course is, then turn south through the park adjacent the golf course to the pond. Size 12 to 14 Gold ribbed hare's ear or pheasant tail nymphs work this time of year

if cast on a 9 ft leader and slow stripped back. Small rainbows and perch are the reward.

 

Cheers

Dave

[MariettaMike]

Maybe next week Dave.

 

I did make it down to the Bow and waded at FP and PF. GL didn't look too good for that. Considering I found an Altoid's box with a roachclip with roach I'm guessing a different kind of outdoorsmen go there.

 

No action for me or anybody that I saw. One guy told me he caught one rainbow and one whitefish. I told that to another guy I talked to and he said there was no way he could catch a rainbow because they are all up the creeks spawning. Makes you wonder if all fisherman are liars are just uneducated.

 

Stopped at the Wholesale Sportman store and was amazed at ALL the stuff they have in inventory. Got me for $150.

 

I drove out to the Raven on the way back. Boy what a difference from the Bow. Still had ice ledges hanging about a foot above the water in the wooded areas. Definitely a place for a 7' 3wt and not the 9' 6wt I had. Didn't see much of anything alive. I saw one midge flying. There were thousands at PF when I left.

 

It was weird to see all that white organic stuff in the Bow. Kinda looks like sewage plant overflow because the white stuff looks liked shredded TP. Oh I did catch a Ziploc bag. Thats better than the red briefs I snagged in the Lower Sac out in California last month. What is that white slime?

 

Thinking of driving up to Fort Assiniboine tomorrow.

 

Don't worry I didn't drink any of the scotch or beer.

[dave robinson]

I'm not sure what the white stuff you mentioned is. You'll have to ask Barry.

Its' not TP as the Calgary Sewage treatment plant is very efficient.

 

Yes, there were tons of midges.

The Franklln Gulls (black head, yellow eye and pointed wings) were doing their conveyor belt thing.

They fly upstream, land, then float downstream picking midges off the surface.

When they get to the bottom of the run, they take off and fly upstream again.

We saw at least three flocks doing that.

We also saw three groups of Pelicans, but they were mostly sunning and not eating midges.

 

And yes, the rainbows were there. Bill has photographic evidence.

The fishing was just slow. A couple of driftboats that went by us commented the same.

 

If you're going to Ft Assinaboine, note that the Athabasca River is closed to fishing until June 1 and the Freeman River until June 15th.

Edited May 11, 2009 by dave robinson

[dipperdan]

I fished the Bow at F Creek , Fri night , no fish , but a heck of a lot of golf balls from Willow Creek Golf Course.

I figure full moon and the fish where out partyin it up......

Sure would like this weather to get close to normal .....

Later Dan

[MariettaMike]

Went back to FC today. Put in another 5 hours and no fish. Lost my dropper on what could have been a strike, but considering the situation when it happened it was probably trash. I did talk to a couple that said she caught a 12" brown on a spoon with an orange worm trailer. Lady Luck!

 

Will probably try a lake tomorrow after work.

 

Bottle of scotch is still untouced. Beer is tasting good after 1400k of driving over two days.

 

See y'all Wednesday.

[Bill Gouge]

Yes the Bow fishing was slow but the trip with Barry was great.

 

Learned a lot about what I do wrong when I am casting, far too much to cover here.

 

Attached are some images of the trip, four pictures of the one fish that did not get away. Also three of Dave working a pool. One of the nice things about the trip were the range of different fishing styles we got to do, wading, drifting, nymphing with and without indicator, streamers, dry flies.

 

A trip with Barry will definitely help your fishing as well being just a great day on the water and real learning experience about the Bow and the changes it has gone through over the years.