Tag Archives: crowsnest pass fly-fishing

Opening Day – 2023

The fishing season on our local trout streams officially opened today. While a couple of rivers around here, including the Crowsnest, are open year-round, most close at the end of October. It’s been 8-1/2 months since anyone has fished these waters.

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Crowsnest River Cobwebs

I went fishing on the Crowsnest River today. First time out in a while. When I went into my garage this morning to collect some of my gear, I noticed there were cobwebs on my wading boots. That’s not a good sign. I’ve never seen this before. I guess it had been longer than I thought since I was able to wet a line. I laughed to myself, then brushed off the cobwebs and headed to the river.

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Bamboo Trout – Part II

Over the past month, I’ve been able to get out on the water a few times by myself. With temperatures climbing above 30 degrees Celsius (85°F) on some days, I’ve been fishing the cooler headwater reaches of a couple of local trout streams. It’s places like this where I enjoy using my bamboo fly rod the most.

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Bamboo Trout – Part I

As a young boy, I used to go for my haircuts at George’s Barber Shop in Coaldale. My father would usually take me here when it was time for a trim. The shop was located in a small, white stuccoed building just off Main Street. Inside, it was set up like any other barbershop of the day. There was a barber chair, along with all the usual accouterments of the trade – hair trimmers, clippers, scissors, razors, combs, and towels. There were chairs where customers would sit and wait their turn while conversing with George. What set George’s Barber Shop apart from the typical barbershop was the array of fishing tackle that was for sale. The walls were covered with all sorts of lures, spinners, lines, and other fishing paraphernalia. Clear plastic boxes stacked on shelves were filled with colorful trout flies. There was a rod rack near the front where bamboo fly rods were on display. I’m sure there were fiberglass fly rods in the rack as well, but I remember being drawn to the bright, honey-coloured cane rods.

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May or December?

Less than two weeks ago, we were enjoying summer-like weather in Crowsnest Pass. It was sunny and warm, with daytime temperatures registering in the mid-20 degree Celsius (75°F) range. After a long winter, people were glad to be able to be outside wearing t-shirts and shorts. A lot of people were out biking, hiking, and walking their dogs. The nice weather also drew numerous anglers onto some of our local trout waters. Life was good.

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A River Never Sleeps

Visiting a river in winter is an experience unlike that of any other time of year. From a distance, a river blanketed in snow and ice may appear as if it is asleep in the season. Upon close examination, all is not as it seems.

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Christmas 2020

It’s going to be a different Christmas this year, to be sure. Things will be a lot quieter than what we are accustomed to. Most of us will be staying at home with members of our household. I suspect a lot of people will be celebrating Christmas dinner with their families over FaceTime, Skype, and Zoom. It’s a good thing Santa is immune to the pandemic and has been provided world-wide clearance to make his rounds, come Christmas Eve.

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Late-Season Trout Fishing

Autumn is my favorite time of the year to go fishing on our local trout streams. After Labor Day, there are fewer anglers on these waters. By the end of September or early October, you can often have the river to yourself.

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Headwater Streams

One of the great things about fly-fishing for trout is that these fish often live in some of the most picturesque places you will ever visit. The headwaters of some of the trout streams in southwest Alberta are a good example of this.

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Brighter Days Ahead

In early March, I posted an article here on how it was approaching the time of year when anglers were beginning to plan their fishing trips for the coming season. Much has happened around the world since that post. A lot of plans, not only for fishing, have been put on hold, at least for the time being.

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