HopperStone Outfitters

Here's who I plan to take my next guided trip with on the bow. I'm already setting up a 6/7 wt. with sinking tip for streamers. I'll keep my #4 for the hoppers. These guys are serious about hitting the banks for large fish. Not only the all day 20 inchers. Jim was a great guide. He knows how to find the honkers. $300 each guy including tip gets you a trip with him. A coffee at Timy's in the morning gets you a day with me on pontoons. Who's in and when? July is the best!

http://hopperstone.ca/index.htm

20/20 Club

Jim the guide helping me land a 21" rainbow caught from the boat on a #20 dun. What a fucking rush! These fish jump completly out of the water and head shake the entire fight in.

Dave, from Connacher Oil, hunting a large surfacing rainbow.

18" brown I saw in 2" of water feeding the trico hatch. Took him on the same fly.

Brown released and gaining his breath. You can see the small flies (hatch) just above him we played through.

Fishing the Bow was amazing. Even better from a drift boat and guided. I learned what I need to know to take on the river without a guide. Fish average 20" with both rainbows and browns up to the 28" - 30" range in some areas. Can you belive this.......2400 trout per mile!!!
Fishing was hard and cold yesterday. Very small blue trico hatch for a few hours. We all landed fish over 20" on #20 dry flies. Incredible. Can wait to get the pontoon boats on the river next year. Water is shallow and calm on most of the river. Nymphing and small dries for 20" fish and large foam hoppers along the banks for the monsters. Who wants in on that 2009 trip? Here are my pictures. I'll get some from the other boys via email.

Friday September 27, 2008

This post is for you Mark. You should have never aksed me to stop posting pictures and updates on Alberta fishing. I just confirmed a full day guided drift boat fish on the Bow River for Friday with two clients from Fort McMurray. I am really excited. #4 dry fly and #6/7 sinking tip nymphing and hopper droppers in the larger pools.

http://www.countrypleasures.com/

Posting Direct from the Field

I am now capable to post direct from the field while fishing! - have finally broke down and got a blackberry, who would have thought it would be great for fishing!!

Anyway, this is the first wireless post. We can now do online travel logs on any trips we do.

I might head out today for a bit.

Phil
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Alberta Bound!

I vote that the JBFC 09' edition be held in the mountains of Alberta, Canada. All in favor say "I" in the comment section.

Top 10 reasons to go:

1. We had a awesome time in 2007 on the Blackstone & other nice rivers

2. We have a scout out there doing some excellent pool hunting for us probably as I type this message

3. We all already have our WIN cards to fish in Alberta.

4. Ryan "box of wine " Horning can make it out this year. ( one would say he's "horeny" to go)

5. We all have the necessary flys to fish with in the mountains. ( i.e.- "The Zibber Booger" )

6. We could plan a back country trip for 30 inch + Bull Trout through Chungo Creek Outfitters

7. Shawn keep sending us pics of big Bull's, Cutts, and Browns; we need in on some of that action

8. We have about 45 to 47 weeks to save up for the trip, lots of time to get the cash needed

9. There's nothing like fishing and knowing that a Grizzly could pop out of nowhere and make you shit your pants.

10. It would be nice to take Barrie back and not think that the river swallowed him.

DU

http://www.ducks.ca/contest/quacks/index.html

Man o Man

I took a few hours the other day and hit Stuffer by myself. Water is low and full of weeds this time of year. A few large trout (20"+) were hitting dry flies in the deep pools and mostly out of reach. From the banks, these fish are impossible. One step on the bank within 15 feet or a bad cast and they are done. I had 5 or 6 trout landed in 3 hours of fishing. A few were pushing 20". All on dry flies. There was a constant blue quill hatch all day at 17 Celsius. The flies were small. I was almost to the bridge and ready to leave with a #18 blue dun dry fly on and 5.2 lb leader when I saw a tail as big as a baseball hat turn and duck under the overhanging ledge in the river. I threw one cast with the dry fly quickly, it landed perfectly, and then I saw it......a fucking monster trout head slowly, very slowly, rise up and take my fly. I instantly registered it was one of the 5-7 pounders this river hides from the world. I set the hook, he couldn't believe what was happening, he pulled back, showed himself, I raised my rod again and began the scary process of getting 10-20 feet of fly line on the reel. If I was going to land this guy I had to get him on the reel and hope he didn't get tied up in the weeds too quickly. I also instantly realized that I would if required jump out and back into the river and grab the fucker. He let me see him one more time in 3 feet of clear water and then almost laughing snapped my leader like it was fun. I have been dreaming about that fish ever since. I will most likely never see him again and or have another fish like that on my line in that river. It was a great moment between me and the fish and something I'll cherish for ever. I didn't win the battle but I won my respect for even getting the fly into his lip in a river like Stauffer.

Blackstone River Yukon?

Apparently I was in the Yukon according to Duck's Unlimited in this article published this month in the Conservator magazine? And, looks like I'm from Atlanta (Atla)?

Chainsaw Party!

Its time to cut some wood for River Oaks Camp. How does Oct 4th & 5th sound for everyone?

We should try to get this done before Salmon season heats up again.

Bucksaw.

JBFC Important Notice!

The JBFC activities are suspended until I get to see some pics form this years trip!

sincerely cranky,

Bucksaw

Ram River - Labour Day

Beautiful stretch of river. Not great fishing. 3-4 bulls and 10 or so cutts. Amazing water, good walk, wild life, Shuan fell in over his waders, etc.....

Had to do it....

Morrison and I decided to add some fun to our lives at an amazing price. We'll have one of these each for the 2009 season. Hopefully available for all of us to use at the 2009 JBFC if it works out for Alberta. Shaun and I will scope out the lakes and be ready for you. Sweet! Bought with a 30% off coupon for only $189 each. Good old Sierra Trading Post hits again.

Fall Salmon fishing Pictou trip.

September has sprung and the air is crisp once again. So it's time to get the wheels in motion for our 2nd annual salmon trip to the north shore. We can fish East River Pictou and sourrounding tributaries for the whole weekend.

Barrie, what's your schedule like? Do we want to set a date and go with it, OR, play it by the weather? Can we use you place again as our home base? Or maybe we could all stay down at the camp. I think the dates we should look at are OCT. 18,19 or OCT. 25,26. Maybe we could do a JBFC thanksgiving diner at the camp and have the trip on that weekend, Oct. 11,12, &13th.

Let us know what each other thinks for dates and we'll go from there.

Mark