I sat on a large rock and squinted as I attempted to tie on a small PMD pattern onto my fly line in the vanishing evening light. Moments ago, I drifted my large caddis pattern through an enticing run, prompting a large cutthroat to reveal his hiding spot amongst the cobbles- a brief flash of silver and crimson, subtle enough that it could have easily been missed. I covered the seam pressed up against a wall on the far bank,…
Hey all, a new video has been posted to youtube. You can check it out below! We did a two-day 50 km loop- 30 of hiking and 20 biking- and caught some pristine cutthroat trout along the way. Anytime we began to overheat, we cooled down with a plunge into a cold an alpine lake. It wasn’t easy but the rewards were worth it! It truly doesn’t get any better than this! Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed the…
This topic seems to have fallen off the public radar recently, so I wanted to take a moment to provide some updates, remind everyone the importance of decontamination, and briefly explain the parasite that causes the disease and its life cycle. There have been some frightening studies in the past few years that warn of trouble to come; we will also get into those. Whirling disease was first detected in Alberta in 2016, in the Bow River system. Subsequent testing…
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As the name implies, a cutbow trout is a hybrid species that is the result of a mating event between a rainbow trout and a cutthroat trout. These species chromosomes arrangements are similar enough that they can mate and their offspring are usually viable and able to reproduce. After enough generations of interbreeding between the two species, the cutbow genes become the dominant genes and the pure genetics of the native westslope cutthroat are slowly diluted, eventually being lost all…
Hello bushwhackers, Thank you all for your continued support and enthusiasm for fly-fishing in western Canada. A special shoutout to all patrons; your financial support means the world and is vitally important to keeping the site going. THANK YOU! For those who might not know, I am an experienced guide and fly-fishing instructor who has been fishing for trout in Alberta’s high country for over a decade. I am taking bookings for guided trips and fly-fishing lessons in southern Alberta….
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To view this content, you must be a member of Bushwhackers’s Patreon at $1 or more Unlock with PatreonAlready a qualifying Patreon member? Refresh to access this content.
After 80 years of injustice, the time has finally come to bring salmon back to the Canadian Columbia. Since time immemorial, the men, women, and children of the Syilx, Secwepemc, Sinixt, and Ktunaxa First Nations gathered along the banks of the mighty Columbia River every year. Baskets and nets in hand, they all came for one purpose- to fish for salmon. That is until 1942, when the Grand Coulee dam was completed, and the largest run of salmon in the…
Dear Bushwhackers, Since 2016, our blog has provided western Canadian anglers with a unique resource. We have worked tirelessly to bring you engaging and unique fly-fishing content, top-notch information regarding your favorite streams, and in-depth research into conservation issues in our backyard. We have strived to inspire the next generation of conservation minded anglers, and have fought to protect our wilderness each and every step of the way. For being part of this journey, we thank you! However, it costs…