Fly fishing is not a rocket science. Although it takes some practice to perfect your casting stroke, some basic knowledge can get you on your way to successful fishing trips. There are many lake in Alberta that provide a fly fishing haven. Most of the lakes around the Edmonton area hold trout, which are primarily what is targeted amongst the fly fishing crowd. We will be focusing on trout in this post. To get started, the basic's you will need is a rod, selection of flies, fly line, leaders. I will go into these in more detail.
Rods: There are many rods in the market these days. Choosing can be a daunting task, if you don't know what to look for. Rods come in many weights, lengths and of course... prices. When fishing for trout around Edmonton, 6 or 5 weight will cover most situations. I prefer 5 weight's as they are light enough to present a #20 Adams, but also hefty enough to chuck Wooly buggers. Stick to company's such as sage, TFO, Redington, st croix, G. Loomis. Sage is my favorite, but they range from 200-800 dollars. Do not let the price of the rod turn you off. I found in the long run investing on a higher end rod will save you some trips and provide you with years of great days on the lake.
Flies: Flies are categorized in terms of the way that they are fished. Flies are rated in size by numbers, 22 being the smallest and 3 being the largest you will see fished in Alberta. Dry flies, are flies that are fished on the surface or film of the water. I generally use these flies when i see there are ripple's on the surface of the water, this indicates that the trout are fish are feeding on insects trapped in the surface of the water. Wet flies, nymphs and streamers are fished sub surface. Most of the trouts diet consists of sub-aquatic forage, so this category of flies should not be over looked. Good general patterns are Elk hair caddis, Adams, Humpy and Royal coachman's for dries and Mohair leech, Wooly buggers, Hares ears, pheasant tail nymphs for wet flies.
Fly lines/Leaders: Fly lines are rated by weight, number 2 being the lightest going all the way up to 8. These come in many different colors which is not a major factor in catching fish and many different depths that they can go to. Floating lines float and sinking line sink. You will want a good floating line to cover most lakes around Edmonton, such as Rio gold or Rio grand. When picking fly lines, choose the line weight that matches your rod. Leader are rated the opposite way fly lines are.The higher the number the lighter/thinner the line and the lower the number the heavier the line. A good 5-6X leader should cover most trout fishing applications.
Fly fishing is only as hard as you make it, you don't need a 800 dollar rod to have fun and catch fish. with some basic knowledge of the equipment needed. you will be on the water catching fish in no time.
Big Horn River
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The little gems of Alberta
Alberta is littered with many man made and glacial deposits, what are known as pothole lakes. Although i have not been to all of them, i have had my fair shares of fish from most of these little gems around the Edmonton area. I will be focusing on 2 of my favorite lakes and share my story's as well as my opinion and what lures that have produced many fish for me in the past.
East Pit Lake
I have fished this lake for close to 5 years. Rainbow trout inhabit this little pothole. The first time i came here, i was not ready for what ferocity and size of fish in this lake. When i arrived at the lake i was greeted by a large fence that blocked off the parking lot and hill leading to the lake and a trail to the left of the hill. I knew this was a good sign as this created a nice environment for the lake and it keeps out large boats. Having all my gear ready to go, i decided to take the trail towards the lake. The trek to the spot my uncle guided me to was surprisingly long, but as i found out it was well worth it. The method of choice was, marshmallows on Lindy rigs. About 10 minutes in i hooked onto what i thought was a football of a fish. After a good 2 minute fight the rainbow finally gave in. To my surprise, i was right about the fish being a football. It weighed in at around 4 pounds and came in around 20 inches. The whole day, me and my uncle constantly hammered hefty fish one after the other. I find East pit is often hit and miss. There are some days where you can catch up to 60 fish a day and there are some days you'd be lucky to catch 2 or 3. I have since gave up bait fishing and switched to fly fishing. Although the trusty marshmallow, on a Lindy rig or pickerel rig still is a local favorite. I found fly fishing to be much more productive when the days are slow. My flies of choice are hare's ear nymphs, mohair leeches, woolie buggers. When the bit is on the surface i prefer Adams, elk hair caddis, royal coachman's, depending on what they are feeding on. Although it is very rare to constantly catch large fish in that lake. Overall it is a nice secluded lake, that is a perfect getaway for the angler that seeks serenity.
Beaumont pond
Beaumont pond is a man made pond located the middle of four seasons park in Beaumont. It is stocked annually with rainbow trout. The first time i fished this pond, the fish were eager to bite and jumping all over. I first fished this lake with a small no.5 Len Thompson in 5 of diamonds. I was reeling fish in every cast. Although they were not the size of the ones from eats pit, i was still entertained by the little scrappers. Some fish do overwinter this pond, As i learned. I caught my biggest bow' to date from Beaumont pond. It weight in at 6 pounds and 23 inches. This pond is perfect for fly fishing, because of the lack of trees surrounding the pond. people who prefer hardware should use small spoons and spinners. My flies of choice are Griffith's gnat for the surface, mohair leeches and damsel fly nymphs for sub-surface. Beaumont pond is a great spot to take your kids, as it will constantly produce fish throughout the day.
I have fished this lake for close to 5 years. Rainbow trout inhabit this little pothole. The first time i came here, i was not ready for what ferocity and size of fish in this lake. When i arrived at the lake i was greeted by a large fence that blocked off the parking lot and hill leading to the lake and a trail to the left of the hill. I knew this was a good sign as this created a nice environment for the lake and it keeps out large boats. Having all my gear ready to go, i decided to take the trail towards the lake. The trek to the spot my uncle guided me to was surprisingly long, but as i found out it was well worth it. The method of choice was, marshmallows on Lindy rigs. About 10 minutes in i hooked onto what i thought was a football of a fish. After a good 2 minute fight the rainbow finally gave in. To my surprise, i was right about the fish being a football. It weighed in at around 4 pounds and came in around 20 inches. The whole day, me and my uncle constantly hammered hefty fish one after the other. I find East pit is often hit and miss. There are some days where you can catch up to 60 fish a day and there are some days you'd be lucky to catch 2 or 3. I have since gave up bait fishing and switched to fly fishing. Although the trusty marshmallow, on a Lindy rig or pickerel rig still is a local favorite. I found fly fishing to be much more productive when the days are slow. My flies of choice are hare's ear nymphs, mohair leeches, woolie buggers. When the bit is on the surface i prefer Adams, elk hair caddis, royal coachman's, depending on what they are feeding on. Although it is very rare to constantly catch large fish in that lake. Overall it is a nice secluded lake, that is a perfect getaway for the angler that seeks serenity.
Beaumont pond is a man made pond located the middle of four seasons park in Beaumont. It is stocked annually with rainbow trout. The first time i fished this pond, the fish were eager to bite and jumping all over. I first fished this lake with a small no.5 Len Thompson in 5 of diamonds. I was reeling fish in every cast. Although they were not the size of the ones from eats pit, i was still entertained by the little scrappers. Some fish do overwinter this pond, As i learned. I caught my biggest bow' to date from Beaumont pond. It weight in at 6 pounds and 23 inches. This pond is perfect for fly fishing, because of the lack of trees surrounding the pond. people who prefer hardware should use small spoons and spinners. My flies of choice are Griffith's gnat for the surface, mohair leeches and damsel fly nymphs for sub-surface. Beaumont pond is a great spot to take your kids, as it will constantly produce fish throughout the day.
5 reasons to start fly fishing
1. Low fish mortality rates - While there is still is a chance of mortality amongst fish, because of the size of hook used, the chance of hooking a fish in the throat is minimal. Fish are usually released unscathed and healthy. When fishing with hardware such as pickerel rigs, the fish often swallow the hook. This is due to the hook being hidden in the bait.
2. Who said you need to catch big fish to have fun? - Fly rods are generally produced as slender as possible so weight can be cut down. Although this might be a disadvantage in terms of rod durability, this makes you feel even the smallest of fish give you a worthy fight.
3. Forget the bait - You know those time you forgot the bait in the fridge? Well, don't fret because there is no need for those creepy crawlers in fly fishing. Instead, flies are used. Flies are artificial lures, that are usually made up of feathers, fur, synthetics tied onto hooks down to the size of a grain of rice and up to the size of a apple.
4. No more sitting around - Fly fishing drives you to discover new spots, that you would have never found sitting on that lawn chair. You would be surprised of all the spots that you are overlooking, when fishing with bait. You are primarily at one spot on the lake the entire day when fishing bait rigs, but in fly fishing you need to move along frequently searching for fish other than the fish searching for your stationary bait. This in many cases will catch you more fish, than fishing with bait.
5. Natures T.V - While sitting at home and staring at the tv is somewhat relaxing, Imagine yourself on a calm lake with the graceful symphony of birds and fish sipping insects on the surface of the water. well... stop thinking about it and go fly fishing. Fly fishing completely changes the concept of fishing. While you still can stay on one spot of the lake and continually catch fish, most of the fun comes in reading the surface of the water and determining what they are eating. 10 percent of the the food trout eat are taken on the surface, this is what you see as ripples on the surface of lakes. In fly fishing a dry fly is used (a fly that floats on the surface of the water). Casting your fly to these fish can result in many acrobatic jumps. In my opinion is much more thrilling than sitting at home and watching tv.
2. Who said you need to catch big fish to have fun? - Fly rods are generally produced as slender as possible so weight can be cut down. Although this might be a disadvantage in terms of rod durability, this makes you feel even the smallest of fish give you a worthy fight.
3. Forget the bait - You know those time you forgot the bait in the fridge? Well, don't fret because there is no need for those creepy crawlers in fly fishing. Instead, flies are used. Flies are artificial lures, that are usually made up of feathers, fur, synthetics tied onto hooks down to the size of a grain of rice and up to the size of a apple.
4. No more sitting around - Fly fishing drives you to discover new spots, that you would have never found sitting on that lawn chair. You would be surprised of all the spots that you are overlooking, when fishing with bait. You are primarily at one spot on the lake the entire day when fishing bait rigs, but in fly fishing you need to move along frequently searching for fish other than the fish searching for your stationary bait. This in many cases will catch you more fish, than fishing with bait.
5. Natures T.V - While sitting at home and staring at the tv is somewhat relaxing, Imagine yourself on a calm lake with the graceful symphony of birds and fish sipping insects on the surface of the water. well... stop thinking about it and go fly fishing. Fly fishing completely changes the concept of fishing. While you still can stay on one spot of the lake and continually catch fish, most of the fun comes in reading the surface of the water and determining what they are eating. 10 percent of the the food trout eat are taken on the surface, this is what you see as ripples on the surface of lakes. In fly fishing a dry fly is used (a fly that floats on the surface of the water). Casting your fly to these fish can result in many acrobatic jumps. In my opinion is much more thrilling than sitting at home and watching tv.
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