About the end of March everybody was talking about the winter drought and the forest fires due this summer .. I guess they just forgot about where they live .. the Alberta Rockies .. Skiing might have been slim this year but we are going to get that snow at sometime (after the Ski hilsl close ) .... Well we have had the most snow and rain ever in the last month and a half ... it was cold enough the higher snow pack didn,t melt much and the run off has been high and steady , with more snow building higher up.. so a good run off so far this year and more moisture in the ground than I have ever seen .. I got selected by draw , to hunt a wild turkey ... on the last few days of the hunt, I pulled the insoles out of my hiking boots to accomodate my waders and hunted the soggy hills .. it sure was different to hunt in the spring time with every thing turning green , and wild life every where .. I came across three grizzly's and three black bears in just a few days.. also
hundreds of deer ,a mother fox with about 8 mice in her mouth and still, hunting the next one and had two cougar,s growl in the trees close by. I would imagine at me .. and the Wild Turkey is the goofy 'est thing ever .. and I learned lots about them over the course of two weeks (thanx for the hunting time Suzy Q ) .. And would gladly hunt them with a camera until the next time I get drawn for the hunt .. (although I will miss the gun ) and the fine dinners from the bird ..turky pies tonight were excellent .. And with that experience behind me it is back to fishing season.. We had some good fishing on the Crow then it blew uot .. then it cleared a bit and is still high but fishing good ..some salmon flies are about. I saw my first one a couple weeks ago .. caddis .. mayflies .. midges .. salmon flies any time any day .. but don,t expect all the feeding to be one the surface .. Summit Lake B.C. just over the boarder is fishing great .. those rainbows sure fight ! The Oldman is high but not that dirty .. most of the trout have finished spawning, but watch out for reds , because they are right were you would like to wade ... Our little fly shop will be open 7 Days a week starting June 16th.( untill we burn out ) Opening day for all trout waters in Alberta .. we have a web site for the Crowsnest Cafe and Fly Shop now ... crowsnestcafeandflyshop.ca ... I think ? Any how I have to leave for a quick millwright job on Edson AB, And will fish my way there and back ... definately fishing Lk. Minniwanka in Banff on the way back for lake trout.. So reports on other waters next week .. Crowsnest Cafe and FlyShop 403-563-8510 for fishing info .. keep your tip up Al B.
