solopaddler

42 degrees .

I can't believe how many of you guys this clown suckered in. C'mon boys, he's not for real he's just playing with you .

Thanks to everyone for the kind words . The wallet issue is now a non issue thank goodness. My new passport will be ready for pick up Tuesday morning, leave for Michigan Wed morning. Can't wait!

For what it's worth this guy has pm'd me to ask me directly. My take on this dude is he's a troll. Definitely something not kosher here . (I could be wrong. If so I apologise and reccomend you contribute to the board a bit and allow people to get to know you before asking for spots)

Thanks everyone! As it turns out I "might" be okay for next week. Turns out I can get a passport without a birth certificate since my old one expired less than a year ago... Yeah Snag, it's the Olympus 790SW. Too many buttons and functions on it to figure out for my liking, but overall nice little camera

First off the highs: I had a last minute invite to join an old friend steelheading. First trip of the spring for me with my work schedule so I jumped at the chance. Honestly it was a perfect day, the weather was amazing and the fish cooperated in a big way. I've only got a few lame pic's of the outing but it was a day of huge numbers. The water was way up with a perfect green tint to it and there was huge run of chrome fish. Nothing big, they were all on the small side, but full of spunk and lots of fun to catch. My buddy with a typical sized fish It was a fantastic spring day for a tramp through the woods . A couple more typical fish After my ice fishing trip in Feb when my camera froze I bought a new one that's supposedly shockproof, freezeproof and waterproof. I definitely plan on fooling around with underwater shots this year, but this pic was my only attempt yesterday. Pretty lame I know, but I figured I'd show you . . Now the biggest high of the day: I called Joanne on the cel enroute home last night and was told that our firm offer on a house in Grimsby was accepted. We've been on pins and needles waiting to find out if we'll get the house and are pretty pumped at the moment . It's a huge upgrade on where we're at now! Now the lows: Shortly after calling Joanne I realised that my wallet was gone with all my I.D., bank cards, papers etc.. I honestly don't know how I lost it. Actually I'm thinking maybe it was stolen, just don't know really. It's not the end of the world though BUT I've been anticipating a 4 day trip to Michigan to fish steelhead for months now and I don't think I'll be able to cross the border. I've go zero identification. Called the passport office at 9 and they can get me one with a temporary drivers lisence (no problem) plus my birth certificate (big problem as it was in my wallet). Don't think you can get a birth certificate quickly. Not totally sure, but I guess I'll find out.... (Have to say though, the good outweighs the bad in this situation, nothing is ever the end of the world ) Cheers, Mike

I'll add this, as some of you guys know many moons ago I worked for Canadian Sportfishing. Can't stand either one of those guys.....but I personally never saw them stage anything and I was present at several film shoots. Here's a good one though, back in my guiding days at Kesagami I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Ken Schultz. I think he writes for Field and Stream, but back when I was a lad he was the fishing editor for Outdoor Life. Anyhow, if you're old enough you'll remember some of those wicked cover photos on both magazines. You know, the ones where you see a giant headshaking bucket leaping out of the water with an excited angler battling him from a boat in the background? According to Ken in order to get those amazing shots they'd get a diver to hurl the hooked fish up into the air as the photographer snapped away .

Blasphemy!

Well, if you're talking steelhead, this time of year there's always somewhere where conditions will be prime. Key point is all rivers drop and clear at different rates. My entire spring has been pretty much shot with nothing but work, but finally I'm going steelheading tomorrow and I know I'll do well. (Just in time too, otherwise I think I'd end up in a clock tower with a rifle ). To specifically answer the question about fishing in high, blown conditions, this response was taken from another board but is so well written deserves to be seen (plus the man is EXACTLY right ): "I had made a statement that I do not check the board for river condition reports. I don’t and neither do my fishing buddies (actually they don’t even go on any boards). Most people will check the board to see about water clarity and flows. Under almost all combinations of the 2, the river is fishable using various techniques. After a snow and rainfall, sometimes the river is “blown”, and posted as such. I’m not talking about times when there are houses, cars, livestock, and trees coming down the river, but when it’s over the banks by 5 or 10 feet or more, brown, and just snorting by. Its like the time you got to the parking lot or the bridge, look at the river and decide your not even going to take the rod out of the car and are going back home. But you notice the one and only one truck in the parking lot and decide it belongs to a hiker or kayaker. In fact, it’s probably my buddies and I fishing. If there is 4 to 6” of water clarity, you could be in for some super fishing. All you have to do is get to the right place. You can’t fish most of the river because the velocity of the flow is too fast for most, if not all presentations, and the fish are not going to be there anyway. Water velocity will be less along the riverbank and could hold some fish. What you are looking for are areas of quiet water away from the main current of the river, like an eddie or the inside curve of a river bend. That’s where the fish are going to be resting and stacked up. The problem is getting ½ a km. down the river to the spot. The path by the riverbank is 1-2 feet underwater. There is dense thicket and brush everywhere. All the grass is no longer standing but laying in the water like spaghetti in a pot and you have to step over it like you are going up the stairs, 2 or 3 steps at a time- for ½ a km. If you are old enough, by the time you get there, you'll be older, and you will have pulled every muscle in your groin, except for one (that one fell off), had leg cramps, and had what might have been a minor cardiac arrest. Truth is that you will be so sore and beat at this point, that you will fish there all day just because you can’t go back. When you are fishing “the spot”, the disadvantage of the poor water clarity is partially offset by the very slow water current which gives more opportunity for the steelhead to smell and/or see your presentation. Better yet is the fact that you are partially paralyzed and are there for the day. This will result in up to a thousand drifts depending on how long the eddie is. The odds are on your side. If the steelhead are stacked up there, may be you could have a 20 or 30 fish day. We have. In fact, our 2 best days ever were when “the river was blown” and there was no one else fishing. It should be noted that walking the river and flooded areas, under these conditions, can be extremely dangerous. Use common sense. A belt around your waist is mandatory (assuming you are wearing waders!) as well as a walking stick. With the reduced water clarity, falling into a pothole is possible, falling into the frigid current would likely be fatal. Extreme care should be taken and one should never go alone. If the radio and TV are warning parents to not let children near swollen rivers and creeks, DON”T GO, you just don’t want to be on the local news that day. We have numerous rivers to choose from in our area. All may be “blown” on the same day, but all will have varying water clarity. That is why you should be able to find some place to fish and maybe have your best day. One last thing, this is going to be a catch and release day. With that long, slow, painful walk ahead, you’ll be happy just to get your own sorry carcass back to the truck."

Could be that you simply need a new battery.

Hmm, if you're only 2 years away from being mortgage free right now, that's not a very long time. Personally I would never make any long term decision based on a short term inconvenience or problem. Another thing to consider, is the area you're considering buying in as good an investment? If North Battleford will gain you more equity I probably wouldn't make the move. Bottom line though, which ever option will improve your quality of life, that's the one I'd take.

Cool picture, looks like Mongolia.

Didn't totally get the title of your post 'till I watched the clip. Good choice of music, and VERY well done video!

Very nice Cliff, your smile says it all .

It's hard to follow up with a suitable comment after a report like that, but wow, totally unreal!

Artificials work incredibly well...I use them all the time, but nothing beats properly presented fresh roe(most of the time). To me the question isn't rainbow, brown or salmon roe vs artificials, it's fresh skein vs loose eggs. Properly preserved fresh skeined eggs will usually outfish loose eggs especially in the colder waters of late fall, winter and early spring. They're much softer and "milk" out more scent than loose eggs. Whether it's salmon scrape in early September, brown skein in October, or rainbow skein in Feb/Mar, it's all good and very deadly. Sometimes you need to use the messy, yucky jam . Obviously you need to harvest a fish to aquire skein, but personally I NEVER do it from a stream that has wild fish. I catch enough clippers in other places to supply my roe needs.

WTG Steve, some nice fish there!

The forecast doesn't look quite as bad now (seems as though it changes hourly ). Keep your eye on the Environment Canada flow rate graph for the Credit (or any other river you want to fish for that matter). It'll give you a pretty good idea whether it's fishable or not once you have a personal yardstick to compare with what you're seeing online. http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/waterweb/fullgraph.asp

Got a buddy who lives 5 minutes from Erindale and fishes it every day. Told me today it was pretty much blown out. More rain and snow over the next couple days doesn't bode well either...

Good one! On another note, how 'bout them Leafs?

Hey a sense of humour, I like it! Is that last shot a pic of the moon? LOL!

Hey, I do that LOL! (but not thrown on the ground and always either on snow, rocks or in the river, never mud..) I've been at it for quite a long time and personally have never carried a net, only a tailing glove, although there is the odd occasion when I wish I had one. I'd personally never criticise anyone who uses a net, each to their own... Now more importantly great post Cliff and Bly!, beauty fish! .

Atta boy, nice fish!

Hey man, those are some nice fish WTG!

Thoughts and prayers for your bro's recovery and for you and your family.