May 24

May Long Weekend Bow River Fishing Adventure

Canadian Broadcast Corporation Films Bow River Episode

Girls Just Wanna’ Have Fun

The clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped rapidly Friday night. As I was down checking water conditions I could see my breath as I stood along the river bank looking upriver at the weather front coming in over the N.E. end of Calgary. The wind was bending the tall weeds that line the banks of the river, still brown from winters chill. I opened my smart phone and checked the weather conditions for Saturday, said high of 4 degrees at 9:00AM and then gradually warming for the rest of the day. At least it never said -5 with snow! As we Albertans know, May long weekends are known for unpleasant weather and often that S word. Homeward I returned to dig out the hoodie and some long sleeve shirts, boy am I ever glad I wore several layers on Saturday morning.

I was contacted by Evelyne Asselin of CBC Canada a month ago in regards to a show she need to film. The show’s focus was on fish consumption in a metropolitan.  Evelyne’s request stated “CBC’s French network is doing a series about food in Alberta and we would like to do something on fishing in the Bow River”. Evelyne wanted to fish the Bow River and keep a few fish to eat as part of her television episode. So off onto the Bow River we went under overcast skies and mild temperatures. We met at the coffee shop and then onward to the boat launch at Graves Landing under the Glenmore Trail Bridge. We unpacked the gear from Evelyne’s truck and loaded the camera and tripod into the boat along with several bags of gear. I then tied up the hooks onto two rods and loaded the fishing gear up into the boat then off we went drifting peacefully on the river. After a few short minutes of floating, Evelyne started rolling footage with the backdrop of downtown Calgary seen from the middle of the river. I rowed the craft into the far bank where we cracked open the rods and heaved minnow imitations into the bank. Jinny had on a Rapala and Marie-pier was bottom bouncing a Panther Martin. Continue reading

May 06

The Annual Bow River Clean Up 2012

Clean up of the Bow River Calgary, Alberta

Bow River Clean-up A Success

I was out wandering the banks of the Bow River today checking on the water clarity. What a nice day it was to stroll along the banks and take in the rays of sunshine. I had my camera with me and was taking pictures of the river when I spotted several people picking up garbage along the river bank. I would have been one of those volunteers if I would have known about the river clean up before today. It amazes me on just how much rubbish gets tossed out of car windows and onto the streets, then ends up in our river systems as a result. Why can’t we take the time to throw our trash into the garbage at home or into a garbage can when we are out and about?

I stopped a lady beside the river and asked if I could take her picture of her and her team cleaning up all the trash along the river today, she kindly said yes so I snapped a few pictures. In 2011, almost 10,000 pounds of garbage was collected – including five bikes, six tires and three shopping carts! I am curious what volunteers will pull out of our water ways this season. From what I saw in one small little area of the river bank, it should possibly be more trash collected this year than last.

The Pathway and River Cleanup is hosted by The City of Calgary Parks and is sponsored by Tim Horton’s, Stantec, Encana, Calgary Area Outdoor Council, Waste Management, Matrix Solutions Inc. and the Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation. Other City of Calgary supporters include Community Neighborhood Services, Animal and Bylaw Services, the Calgary Fire Department, Waste and Recycling Services, Water Services and the Calgary Police Service.

If we all do our part and throw our garbage into is rightful location, namely the garbage can, Calgary’s water ways will thrive for many generations to come. Its resident population of trout will survive and tourists will flock to our clean city by the droves. I ask each of you to do your part and keep our river clean and free of rubbish! Use the trash cans provided for us by the city if we walk along the Bow River pathways. Don’t toss trash out of your car window, keep it in a bag in your vehicle until you arrive home and then discard it when you get home. Our trout population thanks you in advance for your cooperation.

Apr 24

The Bow River’s 2012 Maiden Voyage

Bow River Trout Fishing April 2012

The Saturn Raft drifts again!

With warm weather upon us now and the sweet smells of spring that fill the air, what a perfect way to spend a day out trout fishing the Bow River. Pat and his son Steve were the first clients of this 2012 fishing season. We met at the coffee shop where a tall triple-triple was in order. It usually takes me a few of those to shake the cob webs off and feel like a normal human being! We slammed the coffee down the hatch and piled into my car with boat in tow. Another Friday in paradise was about to begin. Do I ever enjoy when my boat becomes my office for the day, beats sweating in that paint booth!

I was watching the Bow River Shuttle Blog for their boat launch reports all last week, my hopes were to float from Policeman’s Flats to MacKinnon Flats. Down at MacKinnon Flats there is ice build-up every year, heavy ice that piles up to 10 feet in height. This ice takes a long time to melt and usually disables boaters from floating here until May and even until June depending on the winter. I was delighted to see from the boat launch report that MacKinnon Flats was accessible with a channel of rock open to back a vehicle down to the river’s edge. Police to Mac it is then. Continue reading

Apr 16

Friends, Fun and Fishing!

 Rapala Classic Trout fishing rods

And not necessarily in that order!

Fishing is a sport that spreads out worldwide and joins people together that might not connect otherwise. I meet new fishing friends on Twitter, Facebook and the likes daily. I also meet them at the river and local fishing shows I attend yearly. I make a point of talking with as many as I can when at these shows. I chat with the people who attend; the guide’s in the booths and the rep’s who display products. As most of you know I am a Rapala freak, so I always stop in to see the new products from Rapala. This past year was no exception to my yearly ritual. I made a point of asking some questions I needed answered this year and conversed with Steve Gower. I introduced myself and gave Steve my business card stating I was a fishing guide on the Bow River and use Rapala’s by the boat load. Steve shook my hand and was happy to answer my questions I had for him. We chatted for at least fifteen minutes and when we were finishing up, I offered Steve a fishing trip with me this year on the Bow River. He was kind enough to accept and gave me his card to keep in touch. And so a new friend was born, right then and there on the floor of the boat and sportsman show.

Steve had asked me to come up to his home another day so we could chat further and I gladly accepted. I E-mailed him shortly after the show to stay in touch, and he was kind enough to reply. I thanked him for the two hats he gave me at the show and proudly displayed both of them on my head. A month passed and it was time for the spring classic at Bass Pro in Balzac, where I ran into Steve again. We chatted again for a good twenty minutes, must be a fishing thing! It was time for me to go but I wanted to walk the isles and scan the shelves while there, a fisherman like me can never have too much tackle. I glanced to my left and saw a man standing who looked very familiar to me. I turned and said, “Hey is your name Cory”. He replied yes and I stated my name. Another fishing freak form my past was standing next to me. I have not physically seen Cory since high school. Cory is on the Alberta Walleye fishing trail and targets big eyes’ to win cash and prizes. He offered me a trip in his new boat this spring and I gladly accepted. This summer is shaping up to be a very busy fishing season.

I called Steve and went to his home where he gladly offered me some products to try and keep. A new Rapala Trout series fishing rod, a handful of fishing lures, a Luhr Jensen hat that is very rare, a line stripper to peel all that old line off my reels with, and two full spools of fishing line to try out. Once I left Steve’s home I felt like I died and went to fishing heaven. Steve had asked me to try the rod and the line and write a feature here on my Blog for others to read. He asked me to be honest and provide feedback to you the reader. I will gladly attach a spinning reel to the rod, spool up the new Rapala fluorocarbon line and make several hundred casts.

I would like to thank Steve for his kind generosity! Please check back for a review of the new Rapala products I will be testing very soon. I am sure they are going to work like a charm; after all it says Rapala on it! I continue to make friends in the fishing world daily, so don’t be shy and leave me a comment here or join me on Twitter @bowriverblog or come by the Facebook page at Bow River Blog guided fishing tours page and say hello.