It is spring time in Alberta! And ever since I first fished in south Central Alberta, that has meant one thing to me; Spring Creek Browns. And while this season, we had to wait, ever so impatiently, the ice is finally off all moving water and our spring creeks are good to go! I was lucky enough to be able to get out to one of my favorite of these spring creeks a few days ago, and was greeted with…
What a season of Fly-Fishing it has been! And, even now, as we proceed deeper into October, the lines have still been tight and the rod has been bent over more days than not… As always this time of year, I find my mind wandering and reflecting back on the many great times the river has granted me in the past months. To the many new rivers and streams I’ve explored this year, to the amazing clients and friends my…
Well, it is that time of year once again; when the leaves start changing colors, and your breathe wisps up in front of you in the crisp morning air. The vibrant colors beckon fisherman to their banks, hanging on to the season of fishing that fleetingly hangs on for however long mother nature decides. And the trout, colored up and beautiful, gobble down the bugs that are still around, trying to get fat for the long winter ahead. Yes, this…
The second half of my trip through BC began with a beautiful drive down Highway 33, along the always stunning waters of the West Kettle and Kettle Rivers. Playlist bumpin’, windows down, I made my way through the portal of the Kootenays, towards the Columbia River, where I was meeting fellow Bushwhacker, and fly fisherman Jack. To gain access to the geographical region knows as the Kootenays, no matter which way you are coming from, you must pass through…
Have you ever just been hit by an all consuming and irrational need to get away? To hit the open road without a plan? To explore without an agenda and get away from all the routine and boredom of regular life? The urge hit me last week as the rain poured into southern Alberta for the first time, and the water got high and murky. Not being on a shift at work for another 10 days, I wasn’t really sure…
Well folks, its been a pretty good start to spring so far. Not epic, or amazing, but pretty solid and enough to at least scratch my ‘fishing itch’ that has been building all winter. But things are about to change. In most mountain fed rivers across the province, run-off is around the corner (GASP!). I know. It is very frightening. The thought of that epicly large mountain snowpack coming down with a vengeance and rendering all our favourite rivers and…
The best part of having a mind that wanders is stumbling across something completely random and having it fascinate you and change your outlook on some particular topic. Well this happened to me last night as I lay up in bed and read through this random article/blog post discussing the historical abundance of Alberta’s native trout, and how widespread the destruction of these systems really is. You see, most of us get this feeling when we are on one of…
-Written By: Mark Rossi “I hope my wife calls,” he chuckled through his thick Russian accent “every time she calls the fish start biting.” “ All the more reason to not answer!!” laughed his friend in the wheelchair at the end of the dock. I overheard this conversation as I sat on park bench on the hill behind the dock and I watched the scene in front of me with with a sort of amazement… “this is what fishing is…
The plan was to go to Lake Louise for the opening day of skiing and the beginning of winter… But what began as a promising beginning to what is hopefully a winter full of powder and good times has quickly taken backseat to a fall season of fly-fishing that has truly been nothing short of remarkable. November is typically the time I muddle away my time, watching ski videos in anticipation for winter, and reminisce about trout from the past…
The day is Halloween. Also today. is the final day for fishing in the high country streams of Alberta. It is a monday, and I should be at work. But I am not. I am at home, bored out of my mind, hooked up to an IV unit and wondering why I am struck by poor luck when it comes to getting these obscure and random injuries. I sit in my living room and bend my sore and infected elbow…