2013 Alberta Fishing Regulations

They have likely been up for a few weeks, but I just noticed that the 2013 Alberta Fishing Regulations are available now.

Making Progress

I finished the initial sanding on the wood fly rod blank - it is now ready for the heat treating process, which I hope to do this weekend.

The wood fly rod blank sanded to a smooth, even taper, and ready for heat treating.

Meet the Key Players (lakes)

Here is a list of the core bug and life stage patterns that I always have with me when fishing lakes (again, these are all contained in a single fly box):

1.   Midges (Chironomidae)

a.   3 color variants

                                       i.    Tan Pupa

                                     ii.    Green Pupa

                                    iii.    Maroon Pupa

2.   Scud/Freshwater Shrimp (Gammarus)

a.   2 color variants

                                       i.    Olive

                                     ii.    Pale dun

3.   Corixidae (Backswimmers)

a.   2 variants

                                       i.    Sinking version

                                     ii.    Floating version

4.   Dragonflies (Anisoptera)

a.   Aeshnidae (crawlers)

                                       i.    Nymph

b.   Libellulidae/Corduliidae (sprawlers)

                                       i.    Nymph

5.   Damselflies (Zygoptera)

a.   Lestidae/Coenagrionidae

                                       i.    Nymph

6.   Mayflies (Ephemeroptera)

a.   Callibaetis

                                       i.    Nymph

                                     ii.    Emerger

                                    iii.    Dun

7.   Caddisflies (Trichoptera)

a.   Phryganeidae

                                       i.    Larva

                                     ii.    Pupa

                                    iii.    Adult

b.   Limnephilidae

                                       i.    Pupa

                                     ii.    Adult

Without a doubt, Midges are the number one food item in any lake – and also one of the most under-utilized by fly anglers. There are almost 100 genera and several hundred species in Alberta so it makes no sense trying to identify the hatches. Instead focus on the general size and color of the naturals. I carry pupa immitations of the three most common colors in my core fly box, along with a dozen more patterns (mostly pupa, but a few larva and emergers) in a small hatch specific box.

Midge (Chironomid) larva

The second most important prey items in lakes are scuds. Most are some shade of olive but in some lakes they become infected with parasites that make them more active than usual, and cause them to fade to a bluish-green dun color.

I have already discussed the importance of sprawlers and crawlers, and posted a video showing how they swim. The rest of the critters on the list will likely be discussed in more detail over the summer.

One pattern that is conspicuously absent from the list but one that I also always travel with (there is just no room in my core box for them) are Leech immitations. Black, maroon, and brown with orange or black speckles are the colors I prefer.

 

Erpobdella punctata a common leech found in lakes

 

Part 3: Shaving the Bark & Initial Sanding

The wood fly rod project resumed this weekend with removal of the blank from the drying jig, shaving off the bark, and starting on the initial sanding. I was quite happy with how straight the blank was right out of the jig – but I know from experience that a perfectly straight blank can sometimes develop a slight curve as the blank is sanded (Note: avoid the temptation to flex the rod blank at this point as it is most susceptible to developing cracks until it has been heat treated).

The rod blank is 9' 4" long and arrow straight at this point

The next stage in the wood fly rod build involves preparing the blank for the heat treating process:

The first step is removal of the bark; this could conceivably be done with coarse sandpaper but the dried bark is quite tough and it would be far too time consuming. The fastest way to remove the bark is by scraping it with a heavy hunting knife on a firm flat surface. To do this the blade of the knife is held at right angles to the blank as it is drawn along lengthwise. Work around the circumference in approximately 30-45 cm long sections before moving to the next section. Use even steady pressure as you draw the knife along and avoid allowing the knife to bounce or chatter. It is important to note here that the knife is used to scrape, not carve the bark off – carving (or letting the knife chatter as you scrape) risks cutting too deep into fibers and leaving micro-serrations that can lead to breakage.

 

Once all of the bark has been removed the entire blank is sanded. You want to smooth out all of the knots, divots, high spots, and imperfections to the point where the blank is perfectly round, smooth, and evenly tapered. I usually start with 60 or 80 grit sand paper and progress down to 120 as things start to smooth out. This is all done by feel with a small piece of sandpaper folded in the palm of your hand – the blank is pushed lengthwise back and forth through the sandpaper, and rotated as you work (It is a good idea to wear leather gloves at this point to avoid getting splinters, or burns from the friction with the sandpaper). Work the blank evenly from tip to butt; repeat the process until an even taper has been created along the entire length. Don’t worry about exact rod taper or flex at this point – you want to sand off just enough material to get the blank smooth and even so it can be heat treated.

Meet the Key Players (streams & rivers)

A recurring theme in the fly fishing literature over the years has been the list of must have flies (the top ten, the deadly dozen, the six flies no angler should be without, etc.). Most of these fly patterns have rightfully earned their place due to the fact that they have stood the test of time, or they simply catch fish. But if you were to ask 12 different fly anglers what their 12 must have flies are – you would likely get 12 different answers. So what is the budding fly angler on a limited budget to do?

Like many anglers I also carry an assortment of my must have flies. These fly patterns are organized in a single fly box that goes with me on every river or stream excursion (I also have a similar box dedicated to lakes). This core fly selection covers most of the situations I can expect to encounter throughout the season. But rather than being based on specific fly patterns, this fly box is organized around the relative importance of each aquatic insect found in Alberta waters. Trout feeding on these bugs and life stages are encountered often enough that patterns to imitate them should be considered staples in every fly angler’s arsenal. The fly patterns in this box may change over time as I experiment with new fly tying techniques or materials, but the bugs and life stages the flies are designed to imitate do not.

Siphlonurus nymph

Here is a list of the 20 bug and life stage patterns that I never leave home without:

1.   Mayflies (Ephemeroptera)

a.   Baetis complex (BWO – Blue Winged Olives)

                                               i.    Nymph

                                             ii.    Emerger

                                           iii.    Dun

b.   Ephemerella (PMD – Pale Morning duns)

                                               i.    Nymph

                                              ii.    Emerger

                                            iii.    Dun

c.    Drunella (Green Drakes)

                                                i.    Nymph

                                              ii.    Emerger

                                            iii.    Dun

d.   Rhithrogena (March Browns)

                                                i.    Nymph

e.   Siphlonurus (Gray Drakes)

                                                i.    Nymph

2.   Caddisflies (Trichoptera)

a.   Hydropsyche (Spotted Sedge)

                                                 i.    Larva

                                               ii.    Pupa/Emerger

                                             iii.    Adult

b.   Brachycentrus

                                                 i.    Larva

                                               ii.    Pupa/Emerger

                                              iii.    Adult

c.    Rhyacophila (Green Rock Worm)

                                                 i.    Larva

3.   Stoneflies (Plecoptera)

a.   Skwala

                                                i.    Nymph

b.   Perlidae (Golden Stone complex)

                                                i.    Nymph

I have already discussed the importance of a few of these key players on my blog (e.g. Baetis Nymph and Baetis Emerger), but it would take many pages to cover the importance of all of the bugs on the list, and how to imitate them, so the details for each one will have to be presented over time. I will also lay out the contents of my lakes core fly box in the next few weeks.

 

Rhyacophila sp. (larva)

In addition to my core fly box I also carry another trip specific fly box containing patterns to match the various hatches specific to the location and time of year that I am fishing (this may include life stages for some of the insects listed above that were not included in the core list – e.g. Rhithrogena emergers, Skwala adults, Siphlonurus spinners etc.). I rotate patterns in and out of this box as needed – but the 20 core patterns go with me no matter what. If you have a fly pattern in your box to imitate each of the 20 bugs and life stages listed above you are well prepared for most moving water in Alberta.