Oct 28
My son and I had an opportunity to go fishing with Mike. Mike’s enthusiasm is contagious and his knowledge is unsurpassed. My son and I agree, Mike is the “Trout Slayer”.
That said Mike is very much a catch and release advocate and cares deeply about the fisheries.Thank you Mike for letting us join you on that adventurous day.
Until next time,
Tony
Oct 26
What is a winner?
A winner is someone who recognizes his God-given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals. Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble. When we fish, we always want to win, and recognizing what your strengths and weaknesses are is very important. When we fish, being a winner takes on various forms. For example, I may set out to catch the twenty five inch monster from a section of river I intend to fish, or I may choose to catch ten fish on my outing. If I go out and accomplish my goals, then I can come home from the river a winner.
A winner never quits, doesn’t take success to his head & most importantly stays humble. I believe it is important to realize that there “is always someone better” and in that thinking, I can always continue to learn. When I feel that “I am the best” I forget to watch other people and learn from more advanced anglers that can teach me something. There are so many great ways to learn about fishing now days, from the internet to books, to videos, to blogs, to becoming a member of a Facebook group, or simply asking other anglers on the bank for advice. If we stay humble, I believe we will continue to learn and grow as anglers!
Sep 26
The Chute Désirer
Have you ever woke up and wanted something so bad you could almost taste it? A deep hunger for something that you can get rid of until you have it, or rather in my case, go do it? I awoke a few weeks back and had fish on the brain in big way. I must admit, I just bought a new jet boat so each and every chance I get, I want to be out on the water fishing! A few Tuesdays ago I woke up and immediately started thinking about rainbows and browns, and what lures I was going to use to catch them. In fact, I had to get out there so fast that I skipped breakfast and headed straight for the river, sandwich and drinks in cooler of course! I hurried to pack the gear into the truck, and made the mad dash to get to the river that most fishermen and women know too well. That rushed hustle to make it out on the water before any other boats touch the water, sometimes even before the sun peaks its head above the eastern horizon. Sometimes this works out in your favor when you touch the water, and or when your hook digs and dives under the choppy banks of the river. I sometimes wonder if the birds are looking at me going “wow, that guy is up Early”. We know what they say about the “early bird”.
Driving the speed limit with jet boat in tow, I arrived at the river ready to do battle with the Bow River’s finest. As I crossed the river before my turn-off at Dunbow Road, there was a heavy fog still looming over the river. The nights are getting colder now as fall is setting in here in Calgary, leaving frost on the northern side of the tree trunks, and turning the leaves that nice golden yellow that signifies the turn of seasons. We all know here in Alberta, that there are only so many days to enjoy boating and fishing so an angler must “make hay when the sun shines” as the saying goes. Continue reading
Aug 24
My Staycation Fishing Holiday
It has been quite some time since I had summer holidays, so this year I decided it was time to take a vacation, or rather a “Staycation” as people like to call it. To me, a staycation is a place that is not so far from home, but when you are there, it feels like you are a million miles away. It’s a place where nothing else matters and time stands still. Suspended but for only a week, that beauty of blue sky and the sight of the sun rising over the horizon through misty river air. My home away from home!
Before I left work that Thursday, my co-workers asked me where I was going for holidays and my reply was simple, “Fishing”. None of them really understood my reply, but I know you do, I know you understand! I hung a sign off my paint room door that simply said “GONE FISHING” and off I went to seek out those creatures that give me so much joy.
Day 1 (Friday)
The very first day of holidays started off with a HUGE bang, it happened to be the start of the Calgary Stampede also. While everyone was going into the city, I was heading the other way to the river. I had plans to fish with my friends Riaz and Ted. I had talked to Riaz and he was kind enough to offer me a jet boat trip on the Bow River which meant I did not have to row my boat and could do some power fishing with the boys in their new boat. I was extremely excited and could hardly sleep that Thursday night, it’s funny how I still get that childlike excitement when I know I am fishing the next day. I met them at Mackinnon Flats and off we went upriver to find some of the Bow Rivers finest. Continue reading