Muir Education Signs - Digital Version

[PeterSL]

The Edmonton Old Timers Fishing Club  and the Edmonton Trout Fishing Club are partners with the Northern Lights Fly Fishers Chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada on a project to update and replace the eight educational signs at Muir Lake. These signs are part of the national award winning ‘Muir Lake project’ completed by these same groups in 2003.

The project includes a plan to create a digital version of the information when the new Muir Lake signs on the food that stillwater trout eat and related spin and fly fishing techniques are installed (hopefully July).  This will be advertised provincially at first and be freely available to any individual or organization interested in learning about the topic or teaching others – scout and guide groups, science and outdoor ed teachers, other fishing related organizations etc.

The information on the signs contains basic information on the entomology, appearance, movement etc. of each natural food item, and fishing tips for imitating each item at each stage of its life cycle. This will form the core of the digital information. Links to additional and more detailed information will be added for the reader and/or teacher to explore as needed or interested. Ideally the links will be to credible sources, illustrated (or on video ), relevant to Alberta where possible, and suitable in content, interest and reading level.

Searching for and evaluating these links is a daunting task and will take those of us currently working on this project a long time. Your help and recommendations would add value to the project, speed up the timeline and be much appreciated. Our request is that you pick any one (or more) component of the topics listed below, search online for additional information that meets the criteria listed above and email your top one or two recommended links for each to nlft.tu@gmail.com

TOPICS (all of which are mentioned in the main text)

 General Information:

for each of Backswimmers, Water Boatmen, Caddisflies, Chironomids, Damselflies and Dragonflies (with a focus on the Darner and Sprawler nymphs), Leeches, Mayflies, Scuds (Hyallela and Gammarus). Daphnia, Forage Fish (particularly Fathead Minnows and Brook Stickleback):

·         Entomology - life cycle, characteristics, identifying features, habitat

·         Interesting facts

·         spin and/or fly fishing strategies using imitations of these natural food items

Specific information:

Re: the food

·         how air breathing bugs like backswimmers and boatmen breathe underwater

·         the backswimmer’s bite – how, effects, treatment

·         re chironomid larvae (bloodworms) – what is hemoglobin and  its role

·         the Travelling Sedge- description, interesting facts, how to fish etc

·         what is a larva

·         what is a pupa

·         What is a nymph (re bugs only please)

·         Why leeches need 32 brains

·         How leeches move

·          alkaline water – what it is and its impact on bugs

·         Parasites in scuds

·         Zooplankton description (freshwater)

·         What is a freshwater ‘indicator species’

·         Comprehensive overview of forage fish in Alberta freshwater lakes

Re: the trout

·         how to distinguish among different species

·         recommended release tips

·         the lateral line

·         aerial predators

·         location/function of fins

Re: fishing

·         most useful knots and how to tie them (esp. non-slip loop knot)

·         explanation of ‘washing line technique’

·         spin fishing with a bobber

·         tippet material – description, benefits

·         tips on fly fishing with a bobber

·         how to gauge water depth without electronics

·         attractor lures -what and why effective

·         description of the ‘Catatonic Leech’ fishing technique

·         explanation of the countdown method for fishing subsurface flies

·         the hand twist retrieve

·         jig hooks – description, uses, benefits etc

·         how to fish ‘spent’ spinners (mayfly)

·         fishing daphnia patterns (e.g. Blob)

·         ‘balanced’ flies

·         Comparative description of spinner, spoon, crankbait etc. in style, function etc. (or individually)

 

There may be more topics to come but this will cover the basics.

Thanks!