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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Hello all, just a quick post here to update you on some of the recent events of note. It has now been 10 days since small streams opened in Alberta and BC, and for the most part they opened with clear water and very fishable flows, which is always a blessing. Personally, the fishing was very hot and cold, but despite some slow days I did manage to catch some great fish and scratch my small-water itch. There was some…
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That is now a question that we can answer with some confidence. And the results couldnt be more telling. The government of Alberta recently released the results from the Coal Policy Engagement Survey, an online questionnaire that was opened to Albertans from March 29-April 19. I hope many of you took the time to participate. In just 20 days, close 25,000 Albertans took the time to voice their opinions over the controversial topic of coal mining in Alberta’s eastern slopes….
Check out our most recent video, where we went and fished for native Cutthroat Trout in many different tributaries (and their tributaries) of the Oldman and Castle watersheds of Southern Alberta. These fish face a myriad of threats from poaching, overfishing, habitat degradation, hybridization from non-native fish, and now the prospect of open-pit coal mining in the area (discussed below), all of which jeopardize the future of these special fish. Recreational opportunities, fishing, and expansive wilderness are all part of…