Jun 25

Fishing and football

This past weekend I had the pleasure of fishing with Calgary Stampeders slotback receiver, #84, Mr. Reggie Begelton. I follow Reggie on Instagram and saw that he loves to fish. I noticed that he had several images of himself fishing back in Texas, where he is from. After seeing one of his catches, I made a comment on his post asking him if he would like to join me on the Bow River for some trout fishing when he got back to Canada, before the CFL season got started. He replied to my comment and gladly accepted the offer to fish!

Unfortunately, the Bow River has been in full run off mode this month, and we were not able to fish the Bow. I asked Reggie if he would like to fish one of the lakes close to Calgary, for either Walleye or Bull Trout. He had said that walleye was on his bucket list and would like to target that species. He also asked if he could bring some friends to join him and film the trip, as the Stampeders were doing a video series for their social media accounts called “My Passion”.

I met Reggie at Lake McGregor Lake in Southern Alberta, along with Spencer the camera man, and Natashia who conducts the interviews for the football club. We headed out from the boat launch and started bottom bouncing large jumbo dew worms. It was not long after the worms hit the bottom of the lake, our first Walleye crushed the offering and Reggie had his bucket list fish. After trolling a few areas of the lake, Reggie put at least twenty fish in my EgoS2 slider net.

It was a blast getting to know Reggie, and fishing with him as well. You can see the video footage of our trip at the top of the post. Next month it will be power fishing for trout on the Bow River. That will be a super fun trip for Reggie and I.

~Mike

May 14

The Road Less Traveled

There’s something about getting extremely far away, away from people, and often away from my own thoughts that is attractive to my inner core. Getting in my boat and carving a path up the river where only Antelope roam, and rattle snakes slither along hoodoo walls that line the riverbanks. Not many people have been here, and you can tell, but its just the way I like it most days.

Sitting in my boat, anchored in the middle of the river; the wind crashing against my face and only the sounds of the water gently lapping against the side of my vessel. I get lost here, mostly lost in thought as I stare up at my rod, looking for a living dinosaur to slurp my worms up into is mouth. Like the fish below the waters surface, the wind even feels stronger here, like it too has not been touched by time !!

Even though I come here with my good friend Tony, his voice is sometimes drowned out by deep thoughts of only one Lake Sturgeon engulfing my jumbo worm offering, sending me up off my seat and setting the hook hard into the vacuum shaped mouth of these prehistoric creatures. These fish have lived an exceptionally long time, and even getting one is a blessing and a chore some days. I often ponder, while deep in thought, maybe it’s not just the fish I am here for after all. Maybe it’s the solitude, maybe it’s just the peace and quiet I am searching for.

The older I get, the more I realize that life is all about quality over quantity, and the simple things in life is what means the most to me. Simply sitting out there watching for the bite or watching the cumulus clouds come and go hour after hour. Simple easy conversations with Tony as we laugh and joke about fishing trips past, we have taken here. Simple music playing low in the background as we gaze out at our rod tips, day after day. It’s that simple flavor that keeps me coming back here, year after year.

There is an old saying, “nobody buys a drill because they want a drill, they buy one because they want a hole.” It is not always what you want in life, but what you ultimately need that drives our desires. It has been said this way “Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not the fish they are after”. If that is the case, what are we after. Is it the relaxation, is it a spiritual rest, is it bonding with a close friend like Tony? For the commercial angler or guide, it is a living he is after. It is money to have a home and to feed his family! For the sport fisherman it is often the getting away or the seclusion of a place like the badlands of Southern Alberta. Many people often think, including me, that they are going fishing but in reality they are seeking something the fulfills their life and their dreams.

I love to get lost, so lost that I find myself over and over again. The badlands is the place that I get lost to find myself! Where do you get lost to find yourself? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what, or where it is for you!

Apr 16

Wing ding, spring fling, trout thing.

With the sun finally out and the trout on the munch, April has been a productive month for trout fishing the Bow River using all types of crankbaits. As most of you know by now, I started my own tackle company this February! The lures I have are working with great success, putting fish after fish in the net. Several days this month, we have saw over twenty fish hit the EgoS2 slider net. With those kinds of numbers, all my clients walk away happy and content, after a full day Bow River guided fishing trip.

It’s always great to see familiar faces back each year, a sign that I must be doing something right. We took several trips from Policemans Flats downstream, as well as, launched at the new boat launch at McKinnon Flats. I am not sure I like the new boat launch at McKinnon Flats yet, but who knows, it might grow on me.

Here are a few pictures of the great fish we caught in the month of April, spin fishing the Bow River with the Robertson Tackle. Hope you all were blessed and got some great fish like we did in April. If you are interested in purchasing the lures, feel free to leave a message for me here and I will get back to you in a prompt manner.

Cheers,

~Mike

Robertson Tackle Candy Crushed 4.9 inch crank bait

Mar 27

Finally back On the Bow River 2022

Jet boat fishing the Bow River 2022

It’s been a long cold winter, but I was finally able to drag my jet boat out of hibernation this week. With the boat launches still covered in five feet ice shelves, I was barely able to get the boat in the river. Spring is always a great time to fish, as the trout have been through five months of harsh living conditions. They are super hungry and willing to take most anything thrown at them! This past winter I started my own tackle company, Robertson Tackle. I have been using the lures from shore waiting impatiently to get back in the jet boat and chuck the lures from there as well.

I invited my friends Daniel and Matt out for the first trip of the season to test the lures from the boat. Neither Matt or Daniel have fished the Bow River from a jet boat, so I thought it would be a nice treat to split the cost of gas and go. We met up at 9AM and had the boat in the water after some tricky maneuvering over a few obstacles. The boat fired up with no issues, then off we went downriver to find some willing and hungry trout.

After fishing a few great spots, and seeing fish following up to the boat, Daniel landed the first fantastic rainbow to get the party started. The fish was right in a slow corner, exactly where it was supposed to be! Daniel joked, “I think you have all the fishes addresses”. We fished almost all the way down to the Highwood confluence, capturing over thirty fish on our journey. We landed and released many browns, as well as several great rainbows pictured above. I also landed several great fish on my own brand of tackle. You can see my new website here www.robertsontackle.com if you are interested in purchasing high quality lures that work.

Both Matt and Daniel had a great day. We made memories that will last forever! It was very wonderful to finally have my boat back on the water. I am sincerely grateful winter is over, and spring has finally arrived here in Calgary. Big thanks to both Daniel and Matt for coming with me on the maiden voyage of 2022.

~Mike