I woke in Fernie this morning around 5:30, Spencer was on his way out the door to continue the fish studies in the Elk Watershed and the smell of coffee and cigarette alerted my senses enough to surrender to the possibility of a sleeping in. I began my day by sorting through the 1500 dozen flies I just received from my "Thaiing" team. Some nice stuff for sure but there was nothing in there that would have helped a fly angler on the Elk today. The river was as high as I've ever seen it and the visibility was about a thumbnail.
No casts just some time spent at the bank appreciating the velocity of the river and the endurance of the fish that sit blind in that water, gills getting pounded by sediment. Be like living in a sand storm I guess; did see a few lime sallies and what looked to be a paralep (mahogony dun). Never felt so safe about a bugs chances as I watched the paralep swirl around in a soft, back eddy foam line.
Well they do have the clearing of the water to look forward to and along with that they can look anticipate the hammering of golden stoneflies and getting the high protein reward from eating these huge bugs. We in turn can look forward to sticking large foamy patterns into there jaws and welcoming them to another season of guiding in the Elk River valley. Streamers will also rob some meat off the banks in early season.....
This time of year is a waiting game and I prefer to sit it out. Planting is paying well and keeping me healthy and I'm in no rush to head onto a river that just isn't ready. That being said SW Alberta does have some decent conditions and some days can be quite good while others....not so much.
The cool and damp weather has the Columbia behind and I have a feeling that the caddis will be going strong into August again this year. That's later than normal but follows what happened last year when runoff and cool weather hindered the success of the evening caddis hatch (which is actually a mating congregation).
My first trip will be on the Waterton in Alberta for some browns. An overnight pleasure cruise with Jimmy Carter (formerly NOT the president of the USA) and a few of us eager guides. Our fly shop will be opening on July 1st and I am expecting some reasonable to good fishing at that point. Booking earlier could be a roll of the dice unless you are willing to travel east to Alberta.
'til next time.
No casts just some time spent at the bank appreciating the velocity of the river and the endurance of the fish that sit blind in that water, gills getting pounded by sediment. Be like living in a sand storm I guess; did see a few lime sallies and what looked to be a paralep (mahogony dun). Never felt so safe about a bugs chances as I watched the paralep swirl around in a soft, back eddy foam line.
Well they do have the clearing of the water to look forward to and along with that they can look anticipate the hammering of golden stoneflies and getting the high protein reward from eating these huge bugs. We in turn can look forward to sticking large foamy patterns into there jaws and welcoming them to another season of guiding in the Elk River valley. Streamers will also rob some meat off the banks in early season.....
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| Blue Ball Streamer |
This time of year is a waiting game and I prefer to sit it out. Planting is paying well and keeping me healthy and I'm in no rush to head onto a river that just isn't ready. That being said SW Alberta does have some decent conditions and some days can be quite good while others....not so much.
The cool and damp weather has the Columbia behind and I have a feeling that the caddis will be going strong into August again this year. That's later than normal but follows what happened last year when runoff and cool weather hindered the success of the evening caddis hatch (which is actually a mating congregation).
My first trip will be on the Waterton in Alberta for some browns. An overnight pleasure cruise with Jimmy Carter (formerly NOT the president of the USA) and a few of us eager guides. Our fly shop will be opening on July 1st and I am expecting some reasonable to good fishing at that point. Booking earlier could be a roll of the dice unless you are willing to travel east to Alberta.
'til next time.
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