Jan 28

Fishing Etiquette

In this post I would like to discuss fishing etiquette while out on your local body of water. I usually go to places on my local river where there is low fishing pressure and usually do not see another human being, and I kind of like it that way. I don’t know about you but when I leave the city I like to escape. That’s the point of leaving, then it’s just you and the fish; man verses nature if you will. The rivers are seeing more people these days as it looks like there are more people trying to escape the busyness of everyday life. That’s ok with me as fishing is not only fun it is relaxing as well. Here is the problem, when you see another fisherman catching fish respect his area and do not crowd him. This is my biggest pet peeve when I am on the river trying to escape. I am fishing and now someone else is on my back casting into the water I have already claimed. Lucky i’m not a hunter! Please have respect for your fellow fisherman/women and give them the distance they require. Like the old saying goes, do unto others as you would have done to you. I give my fellow fisherman enough room to cast and do his thing as he was there first and should be able to enjoy his day. So please show some respect and keep our sport fun for everyone who partakes.

Jan 26

Fishing Trips- Bow River

A Brown On The Bow

The alarm goes off and I jump out of bed. It’s time to go fishing again, my friends. I can’t wait. I turn off the alarm and hear that glorious morning sound of birds chirping. I wipe the cob webs from my eyes. My heart begins to race in anticipation of the day ahead.

As I step out of my car at the Bow River, I flush a gold-breasted pheasant. It flies desperately for cover and I smile. nothing for you to worry about, I tell the bird. I’m here for the fish.

I lean over my tackle box to tie up my first choice, a shiny gold Minnow Spinner. It’s so bright in the sun that it causes me to squint. I look up into the sky. It’s close to eight o’clock now. I’m eager to get on with the fishing, as the days are short in the winter time.

The water is clear blue, almost ice blue, yet I am alone. There is no one around but me and some large brown trout swimming over the rocks. I cast my selection slightly upstream and allow it to seek as it swings down with the current. Anticipation of that first fish is almost unbearable at this point.

I look up to the crystal sky, blue against the backdrop of Canadian Rockies. I am happy that I’m a fisherman and have this great escape in my life free from the fast-paced hustle of city life.

Carefully, I work my offering to tantalize the big brown I imagine lying in wait underneath the surface.

As the lure tumbles over the bottom of the Bow, I cannot help but think this is where I am meant to be. Slowly I retrieve spinner all the way back to shore and there is no trout on the end of the line.

I shrug and cast again. The spinner drops into the water, swings, takes up motion and WHAM, I’m fast into a monster brown. The line screams out of my reel and I might have lost him, but my Berkley XT monofilament is stronger than him. He bulldogs his way to the middle of the river, but I hold him.

Just as I think he’s going to come in, he turns to ride the current downstream. My rod bends sharply to his effort, but I won’t give in. Slowly I gain the upper hand. The fight is honest and pure and equal for a time, and then he comes to the bank and is mine.

This guy was one tough customer. I kneel down beside him in the flowing water to administer some first aid to my new friend. I ask for the forceps but there’s no nurse around. He’s not a very good patient and won’t lie still; but I gently work the hook from his mouth.

He’s not the one in the photograph. I released back without a picture. But he was just like the one you see. Yes, I was meant to be there. Oh, the fun of it! There’s nothing in the entire world like trout fishing on the Bow.

This post was edited by Dwayne P. of Idaho. U.S.A. See his website at http://www.talesoffish.blogspot.com/

Jan 26

Gone Fishing- Bow River

The phone rang last night and it was my newfie buddy Todd on the other end. He asked me if I wanted to go fishing tomorrow and all I could say was “let’s do it”. We made arrangements to meet down at the river and slay out some of the Bow River finest trout. I arrived thirty minutes before he did and was greeted by a Coyote who was down beside the water getting a drink of the fresh water. He took sight of me and disappeared into the trees that lined the bank.

I then pulled my first lure out of my backpack and tied it on the line as fast as I could and fired it into the cold water of the Bow River. As I was fishing I could not help but notice the water level has risen. I was intensely staring into the river waiting for that first trout. As I was looking over my shoulder to see if the coyote was back, I feel a big pull on my line and the fights on.

I battle the bow river bullet for a couple of minutes; she’s back and forth, up and down the river and than she run out of gas. I pulled her over the ice that lined the bank and gently pulled the hook from her mouth. She still had some fight left in her while she was on the bank. I calmed her down as I knelt over the ice to put her back into the cold water. She took a couple of seconds to start kicking again but darted back to her hole very quickly once she could breathe again. I smiled to myself and slowly wiped my hands dry. My friend arrived and we discussed what had just transpired and he too could not wait to get his lure wet. The pure fun of fishing, I cannot think of anything I would rather be doing.