Bow River Blog – Page 60 – Is Your Fishing Resource For Spin Fishing The Bow River

Feb 01

The Fish Memory Theory

By Mike Robertson in Fishy News

Do Fish Have Memories?

If they do, just how good are they?

According to some scientists, memories in fish are better than we may have believed. Forget what you know or have heard, Fish have a memory that lasts much more than three seconds and are capable of deception and learning, say’s Dr Kevin Warbuton from New South Wales. He has been studying fish for more than three decades and says they’re much better at memory than we give them credit for. He states the idea that fish have a short memory is wrong. “It’s absolute rubbish”. “There’s been a lot of work done over the last 15 years on learning and memory in fish, and it has been found that fish are quite sophisticated. Fish can remember prey types for months; they can learn to avoid predators after being attacked once and they retain this memory for several months.”

Warbuton believes fish are capable of learning, albeit at a cost. For example, his research on the silver perch revealed something unexpected. “With one type of prey, the fish got more and more efficient at catching their food,” he says. “But when we put two different types of prey in together, their overall efficiency dropped. We think it was because they suffered from divided attention. It’s a cost of learning.”

Dr Ashley Ward, a fish biologist at the University of Sydney says where the three-second memory urban myth came from is hard to find. “It seems to come from an advert many years ago, but nobody is sure what it was for,” he says.
Ward believes the misconceptions surrounding the intelligence of fish may stem from the early days of zoology. “Back then [zoologists] tested their abilities based on what a human could do … so obviously the fish would fail.” Ward says we now know of numerous of examples of fish displaying amazing memory skills.

He refers to one anecdote from the United States, where a Professor Charles Eriksen spent several months feeding a pond of fish while calling out “fish-fish”. After a break of five years, Eriksen returned to the pond and called out “fish-fish”. Immediately a number of the surviving fish swam to the surface waiting to be fed.

I wish I could call out fish-fish and the trout would end up on the end of my line. Nahhh, that would take the fun out of it for us. In all seriousness though what does this information mean to me. Well first off if a fish has that good of memory, then how often I change lures needs to be reconsidered. The colours I use most often needs to thought about. Perhaps I need to paint my lures customs colours, that way the fish will not remember me when I cast my lures to them. I know some of them laugh at me when I use the same thing over and over again. Now that I know a little more my decision making will change. Hopefully these facts will help you make better decisions while out on the water casting to your favourite species of fish.

Jan 17

Winter Fishing The Bow River 2010

By Mike Robertson in Winter Fishing the Bow River

Just What The Doctor Prescribed

After working feverously to get all my work done this week, I packed my fishing tackle and my rod into the back of my car and headed off to finish the work week. Friday morning was looking really great to leave work early and sneak away to fish the Bow River. Just as a doctor would prescribe ointment for a rash, fishing scratches and heals all my itches. I left work early at ten thirty and drove thirty minutes to meet up with some trout.

I parked the car and got out. Burr, it was a little chilly so I got on my snow pants. I added an extra sweater for good measure as well, after all I am not leaving the river until I catch at least one fish. I tied up a Rapala Countdown and made sure the knot was going to hold if I caught a monster Brown Trout. The knot broke the first time I tied it up so I made extra sure the knot was solid the second time I tied it up. I am a little rusty but the clinch knot was perfect the second time. I then put my back pack over my shoulders and make the short walk to the river bank. I fished my way upriver with no bites for the first five or ten minutes. I was looking for a deeper section of river as the countdown can run fairly deep. If you use a lure that runs deeper than the river, all you will catch is rocks, branches of trees and weeds.

I gingerly walked out onto the ice that has gathered on the bank and made my cast. I was able to almost cast all the way across the river as the ice was quite far out into the river in some spots. The lure was running true and clean when, tap, tap I feel the bite of a trout. I seen the fish swim back into the rock he was hiding behind. Even though I thought there were fish stacked in this area, I kept moving upriver to see what else was alive down there. Just a short distance upriver I finally hooked into a twenty inch Brown Trout on a Brown Trout Rapala. This guy was hungry and engulfed my offering. Then there came another slow period. I decided that instead of leaving the original hook on, I would change it to another Rapala of a different color. I feel many fishermen make the mistake of leaving their hook on too long when they are not catching fish. Today all it took was to change the color pattern and then I started slamming trout. I was using the same hook, it was the same size but I just changed the color.

After I switched hooks I made a long cast into a seam in the middle of the river. I could see there were some large rocks and I wanted to see what was hiding behind them. My cast was made just a metre in front of the spot I wanted to work my lure through. I was careful not to spook the fish from the splash of my lure. I clicked the bail over and reeled the lure making it swim erratically and fast, then BOOM a trout was hooked on and fighting hard. I reeled him in and to my surprise it was a chunky rainbow. I love rainbows! The very next cast was put almost to the exact same place the first cast went into, this time the lure dove down and I let it sit still, BANG another trout was hooked up. Back to back trout’s. This time it was a big brown that was rolling to get the hook out of his mouth. I managed to slowly reel him in to land him and what a beautiful looking fish. I released him back into the frigid water and wiped my hands off. It was getting windy by now and it was time to walk back downriver towards my vehicle. I was fishing all the way back downstream as the wind was howling behind my back.

As the wind was blowing strong my lure was going even farther out into the Bow River than when I first started my day. I hooked the bottom; probably a tree or a large rock in the river and my hook broke off. “Oh well” I said and reached into the back pack for another. A different colour Rapala was selected. It’s a new color out this year. As I came to a deep small pocket of water, I flicked the lure into the drop point of the hole and slowly reeled the Rapala towards the deepest part of the hole. After the third try, what I left early from work for was pulling my lure hard. A twenty five inch Brown trout was getting the best of me. I loosened the drag on my reel as I could see this was no small fry. He then peeled out several yards of line before coming to a stop; quickly I picked up the lost line and brought him close to shore where I tailed him out and removed the Rapala from his tooth jaws. “Now that’s what I’m talking about” I said out loud. I saved the best for last today that’s for sure. Hopefully next week the weather is nice and I can get away again. What are you doing this week? Perhaps some trout fishing on the Bow River!

Dec 22

Thank You To All My Fishing Friends

By Mike Robertson in General Info

The Spirit of Christmas and Lasting Relationships

I started the Bow River Blog three years ago with the intention of helping people succeed where I had failed. Many futile trips to the river and the tackle store and I always walked away from the river frustrated and discouraged, and with no fish. So the idea was hashed out on a public golf course with my friend Brent. Three years later and with the help of so many wonderful people we have a solid beginning in the Bow River Blog.

In the spirit of the season I want to thank all who have helped the Bow River Blog become what you see and read today. So this may seem long winded and sappy but I feel it needs to happen. First we need to thank Brent for making this all come to life, without the idea we had three years back, none of this would be possible. Brent’s hard work and countless e-mails back and forth to upgrade the site, fix some issues with the way the site operates, the site going down, plugins added and so on, I thank you so much. Brent encouraged me to Blog about something I was passionate about and immediately I said “Fishing”. I am glad he never suggested to Blog about the weather, which I know nothing about. Thanks for all your hard work and making the site come to life. Thank you for all your help in keeping the site looking great.

Next, after writing some articles and pecking away on my new laptop keyboard; I met a kind gentleman via the Blog. Oh and by the way, I never owned a computer and never typed an article since that day Brent and I talked on the golf course. His name he left with a comment on the Blog. Dwayne K. Parsons, Dwayne stated he was from Idaho where there are some awesome fishing destinations. He offered to help me become a better writer and he offered to edit my articles for me at no charge. In fact money was never even mentioned, ever. So I sent Dwayne my rough copies and he would comb through them. Once he was done editing he would send the article back to me and I would then post it to the Blog. Remember I needed lots of help as I never wrote an article since high school and was very, very rusty. Dwayne is a writer, editor and has published his own books for many years now. Thank you Dwayne for mentoring me and taking me under your wing, thank you for helping me get my ideas out of my head and onto the Blog. For that I am forever grateful.

Then I started to get better at writing and fishing as well. I took Dwayne’s suggestions and posted my articles to other fishing sites on the internet. Then I heard about this new site that was gaining serious popularity among the fishing community world wide. Bounty Fishing was a new concept that was taking off and making anglers some big bucks in the process. I was asked by the founder Richard M. Shafter to write articles for Bounty fishing’s Blog. I was blown away by the offer and gladly accepted. If you have never seen Bounty Fishing’s website and you are a serious about fishing, you need to check it out now. Thank you Richard for your support and your generous offer to contribute to what has become the Mecca of fishing websites, Bounty Fishing.com. I have had the honour of meeting so many awesome, helpful people through this site.

To my clients who I have meet and had the opportunity to work with and for, thank you so much for fishing with me the past couple of years. You teach me more than I have taught you, believe me. There have been many fantastic memories created on the banks of the Bow River, and in the boat also. I hope to serve you for many more years and capture that “Fish of your dreams”. Thanks to those who take the time and send in questions and comment on the Blog, I know this is time consuming so thank you for your time.

Many thanks to the following people or websites who encourage me to carry the fishing message to others. Teeg Stouffer at Recycled Fish, you guys are awesome. Keep up the great work. The WFN, which stands for the World Fishing Network. Thank you for accepting me as a WFN Ambassador. I am looking forward to our working relationship for many years to come. Thank you to everyone I have met on E-Bay, many great pieces of fishing tackle were bought through you. Thank you for your fast delivery and excellent communication skills. Thanks to YouTube for giving me a creative outlet I can share my fishing experiences with and in turn, help others “Catch the Fish of Their Dreams”. Thank you to all those who have linked to my site and added me to your Blogrolls, or who have added a link to the Bow River Blog in one form or another. Thank you to Cody Janson from Saturn Inflatable Rafts, who has put up with all my inquiries about his rafts for six months or so, a new Saturn raft will be floating the Bow River this year Cody that’s for sure. Thanks to all those who have fished with me in the past, and for putting up with all my jokes and tricks we play on each other, my favourite trick is “Oh yeah, here we go, fish on” when the second cast of the day is being retrieved. I miss you big Tom. Thanks to Ari Vineberg for all your encouragement, I look forward to fishing with you soon my friend. And last but not least, my best friend Tom. B, we have known each other for thirty seven years, let’s fish another thirty seven years brother.

So cheers to everyone who I have mentioned and I am so sorry if I have forgotten to mention you. Let’s keep our fisheries healthy and clean for the next generation of fishermen. Practice catch and release only, except when we are hungry and need to take a fish home for dinner when allowed. Let’s stop the spread of deadly diseases like Didymo, Whirling Disease and (VHS) Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia. Take all precautions necessary to protect our fisheries; after all if there are no fish left then we all suffer. Please use barbless hooks even if barbed hooks are allowed, it is known to reduce mortality rates after a fish has been hooked. The use of artificial bait is also known to reduce fish mortality. Take the time to introduce someone who has never fished before to the sport of fishing. This is a good way to help someone find a hobby and have some great fun for many years to come.

Dec 20

Merry Christmas Everyone

By Mike Robertson in General Info

My 2009 Christmas Wish List

It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone. Lots of great fishing was to be had in 2009. With winter upon us now the window of opportunity for fishing has gotten smaller indeed. I have only been able to cast a line once this winter with good fishing success. Then it got so cold out that I could only dream. Videos and books have kept my mind occupied but it’s just not the real deal. I have been looking at all the new fishing gear that is making its way out to tackle store shelves. From rods and reels to everything in between. So I thought I would write a short article and let you know what it is I want for Christmas this year.

The new Shimano Stradic is a must buy for any serious spin fisherman, the new design for 2009 utilizes the new CI4 material for construction. Stradic CI4 is the ultimate in lightweight reels designed for the ultra-finesse angler using lightweight fluorocarbon, braided or monofilament lines. From drop shotting to shaky heads and small Texas rigs, this reel has you covered. CI4 stands for Carbon Interfusion with the 4 referring to the number of electrons in the Carbon atom. Ultimately, this means CI4 is reinforced Carbon Fiber. It is over one and a half times stronger than our normal XT-7 graphite and is over 20% lighter. Because it does not contain metal, it is impervious to rust. So, as a result of its strength and weight, we can create an extremely lightweight reel with very precise tolerances. Its cost will be priced at two hundred dollars, but it goes on my list even if it is a little pricy.

Next will be the Shimano Cumara spinning rod, this looks like a very sensitive fishing rod but is also up there in price. Here are the specs on the Cumara. Shimano’s high-performance Cumara Spinning Rods are specifically designed for bass fishing’s most productive bottom bouncing techniques. Whether you’re shaking, dragging, shotting or rigging, the Cumara Spinning Rod is built to deliver maximum feel and enhanced comfort to keep you focused on the bite. The Cumara Spinning Rod features high modulus IM-10 graphite blank construction and is outfitted with Fuji SiC black frame guides, a custom etched butt cap, convenient hook keeper and shaped EVA foam grips. And to make sure the Cumara Spinning Rod is the lightest, most sensitive and innovative rod you’ve fished, Shimano engineered a new custom carbon insert reel seat. The carbon in the reel seat acts as an extension from the blank transferring all signals into the palm and fingers which greatly increases the sensitivity of this rod. You’ll find this increased sensitivity makes a world of difference during slow presentations and deep water situations. The price for this bad boy is 219.00 for the 6 Foot 8 inch fast action rod.

There are a few new colors for certain types of Rapalas. I would add the Rapala X-Rap jointed shad to my tackle box if I were you. Ask Santa to bring you the new colors which are BTO-Bonito. The world record Rainbow Trout was caught with this lure, in this color pattern. Next get the HH-Hot Head which is a hot orange color. And finally the SB-Silver Blue needs to be under the tree this year.

You can buy all this equipment through the Bass Pro Shop link seen above this post. They offer fast shipping and they have what you need in stock when you need it. Bass Pro is offering free upgraded FedEx shipping for orders over 75.00 for the last minute shoppers who need their goods before Christmas arrives. The best thing about shopping on the net is you never even need to get off your sofa.

So these are a few of my must have fishing goodies for Christmas of 2010. Hope you get your fishing equipment you asked Santa for this year and get to chuck out a lure or two on Christmas day. My fingers are crossed the weather warms here and I get to test drive a Rapala X-Rap.

9 comments

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