The Bushwhackers Society

For the longest time, the steelhead rivers of BC’s Northwest beckoned me from afar. Being a landlocked prairie-boy, steelhead always seemed like a far away dream. Big Bow River rainbows were the closest thing I had growing up as an angler. As good as Bow River Rainbows are, I knew steelhead must be even more impressive, based on the reverent way anglers talked about them. Like most, I’ve always perceived the steelhead as the creme-de-la-creme of sportfish. They are known…

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One of the hottest topics in Alberta right now is water security, and the looming threat of severe and prolonged droughts, both now and in the future. This risk is greatest in the dry agricultural regions in the south of our province, which rely on water from the Bow and Oldman rivers and their tributaries. These rivers supply essential drinking water for major cities, including Calgary, Lethbridge, and Medicine Hat, provide the lifeblood for the farming and ranching industries, and…

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What Can You Do As An Angler? Hello everyone, and welcome back to Part 3 of this series examining the status of Westslope Cutthroat Trout in Alberta. In part one, I introduced the Cutthroat Trout and talked about one of the key factors to consider when talking cutthroat trout conservation— hybridization with rainbow trout. In part two, I did a deep dive into the threats facing cutthroat trout, as well as looked at some of the management strategies that are…

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Current Threats and Management In the last post, I introduced the Cutthroat Trout and talked about some of their ecology, along with hybridization with rainbow trout. If you missed it, check it out by clicking here. In this post, I am going to get into the nitty gritty…. How did we end up here? What are the biggest threats facing this trout? What is being done to minimize them? How does this relate to conservation of this species moving forward?…

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The Westslope Cutthroat Trout is a favourite for many anglers in Southern Alberta, myself being one of them. They aggressively eat dry-flies, are relatively easy to fool, and inhabit some of the prettiest streams in the province. They have a distinctive red-slash under their jaw, a trait which gives them their name. They are a unique fish, and a major attraction for anglers across the west. However, they are presently listed as threatened under the provincial Wildlife act and by…

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In the the rolling hills of the southern Alberta prairies, there exists a perfect trout stream. A trout stream that starts along the divide, meanders through boulder fields, waterfalls, and rapids. A trout stream with the perfect amounts of riffles, runs, and pools; with several different species of excellent sportfish to pursue and abundant bug life. The best of these waters lie near the end of this streams course- a course which was cut short and forever altered by the…

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Typically when anglers hear the word ‘Sally,’ they think about a big, juicy, yellow stonefly- known as the Yellow Sally. However, in this post, I am going to talk about another type of trout food – the Long-toed Salamander, or what I have come to know as ‘Sallys’. Much of what I am going to be discussing in this post is based on research done by my friend, Kaegan, who last summer was conducting field research on Long-Toed Salamander for…

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There is many, many benefits to catch and release angling. I have always condoned it, primarily as a way to ensure healthy stocks of trout and continued angling opportunities moving into the uncertain future. In todays world, there are too many anglers for the amount of healthy, sustainable trout populations- hence, C & R has gained traction as the most ‘ethical’ approach to fly-fishing, and for the most part, I support that notion. In recent years, however, I have begun…

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