Jul 02

Bow River bruisers with “Bagels” and Mr. Wall

Some call him “Bagles” but I call him Reggie, Reggie Begelton. He plays Slotback (Wide receiver) for the Canadian Football League (CFL) He hails from Beaumont, Texas where he grew up fishin the canals. Like me, his grandfather used to take him fishing to “keep me out the streets”. You can tell he has fished many times before from the pinpoint accurate casts, right where the fish live. I don’t really need to say much other than “put it behind that rock” or “cast on the left side of the river” and he takes care of the rest. He can read water like a boss and casts like a pro. That’s half the battle out there, making pin-point accurate casts, and he does it with ease!

Once again I was blessed to see Mr Titus Wall out with us. Titus hails from Lima, Ohio and plays the (SAM) Strongside Linebacker position, also with the Calgary Stampeders. The Sam linebacker is often converted from defensive scheme to defensive scheme, as the player may have different roles or responsibilities based on their assignments. The Sam linebacker is the strongside linebacker, meaning they will to the strong side of the offensive formation.

Last year, Titus came out with Reggie and I and struggled, with only two fish caught despite our best efforts. It definitely was not for lack of trying! I wanted to get Titus a boat load of fish this trip and make up for the lack of trout last go-round.

We launched the jet boat at McKinnon Flats early morning. Reggie is an early bird, but Titus went out the night before our trip and had to saw some logs in the back of my truck on the way to the boat launch.

Reggie and I rigged up the rods with the Robertson Tackle while we let Titus get his beauty sleep in the back seat. We got the boat prepped and woke sleeping beauty before putting the boat into the river. I told Titus I was gonna get him fish right at the boat launch, and he kinda laughed at me as we drove up the river a short distance. No more than five casts and Titus had a beauty Rainbow in my awaiting net. We both were laughing as I gleefully blurted out “told ya so”. He crushed a few more a short distance downriver from the boat launch. I think that woke him up!

Then it was Reggie’s turn. Not long after netting Mr. Wall’s third fish, Reggie hooked up and was reeling one in. That’s how you write up the perfect start to the day. Sometimes as a guide, there is extra pressure on one’s self to perform when VIP clints are onboard, but I keep it fun and never put too much pressure on myself. There is no reason to stress about the things we cant control, such as when the fish will bite and how many fish we will put in the net. I am confident in my abilities and keep it fun when under pressure. I go there with no expectations, because I was told “expectations are resentments waiting to happen”.

Shortly down river after many fish in the net, with lots of laughs along the way, Reggie hooked into a monsta trophy brown trout. He battled that beast with precise skill and fought the fish perfectly. I always say, “its one thing to hook a big brown, but its two to get it in the net”. Reggie made it look like childs play and we both freaked out after he landed his trophy trout.

I guess that’s one of the reasons I love fishing so much. It brings out the kid in us grown men.

We smashed them all day and it was another killer trip with my friends. I sincerly appreciate you both coming out fishing with me again this season. I am super glad we got Titus those redemption fish, and “Bagles” landed his beast brownie.

Atta boy Reggie, atta boy.

Until next time my friends.

Thank ya so much.

Jun 05

Friends, fishing and the beautiful Bow River

I have known George since we were in Jr High school together, growing up here in Calgary! We both share the love and passion for fishing but have never got the chance to fish together until this past weekend. George has stated several times that he would love to fish from the jet boat, but with my busy schedule, it’s tough for me to even get out and fish. We finally got the chance to get out on the Bow River and toss some lures for both Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout.

This was George’s first-time fishing from a jet boat on the Bow River, so I made extra sure he was going to have a stellar day. We launched from McKinnon Flats and headed upriver. The first stop we made; George had his first four fish in the net. One of the perks of using a jet boat is you can run a stretch of the river multiple times and produce several fish in a productive spot. Power¬-fishing at its finest.

I don’t want to ramble on about the day we had, but George put many amazing fish in my net. I was blessed to catch several amazing fish as well. The Robertson Tackle getting the job done out there as always. If you have not seen my brand of lures, please head over to Robertson Tackle and check them out. I would sincerely appreciate your support!

It was fantastic to reconnect with George and share the day sport fishing the mighty Bow River. Thank you so much for coming out with me and I sure hope we can do that again soon my friend.

~Mike

May 21

May Madness and early run off!

It’s been a great month here on the Bow River. After receiving my new custom 3D Dreamsicle lure a few weeks ago, I have been at the river often, catching both amazing browns, and scrappy rainbows. The color of lure is a cross between a brown trout, and a Cutthroat trout pattern.

I have had many complements on the design and action of the lure, combined with its consistent catching ability. Everyone who has made purchases has caught many amazing species of fish including Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Bull Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Walleye, Northern Pike, Pike Minnow, Red Horse sucker, white sucker, Longnose sucker, and Rocky Mountain Whitefish. This list will grow exponentially as lure sales broaden.

I have been very happy with the way the 3.5-inch crankbait is performing for both myself, and my friends that fish with me in the jet boat. You can shop my online store and get your 3D Dreamsicles here at www.robertsontackle.com

Tight lines and happy fishin’

~Mike

Apr 23

Tackle Organization

Every professional angler has his gear, and tackle organized, and ready for action before he even walks out the front door to the river. Sometimes many hours are spent making sure his or her gear is properly stowed away, and ready for use, when he arrives at the river to fish. There is no wasted time and energy looking for lures, or any gear once he steps foot into the boat or walks the bank. Fortunately, there are great tackle companies on the market to help you maximize your time on the river.

TACKLE STORAGE

One of the tools of the trade is tackle storage. There are many types of storage units on the market, including and not limited to a tackle box. There are also many types of individual storage units and bags available if you prefer not to use a tackle box. The fishing organization business has come a long way since the old days, and fortunately now, there are many units available on the market. When fishing a river from the banks, I personally steer away from tackle boxes and here is why!

  1. Tackle boxes are plastic and have a handle to carry them around. Picking them up and putting them down wastes time and energy when walking the bank. You are constantly picking the tackle box up and putting it down every time you move into your next “10 yard swath”. This is a total time waster and unnecessary in today’s fishing applications.
  2. They are made from cheap plastics and usually break down often, causing you to spend more money. Money that can be better spent on more lures or spinners.
  3. It’s difficult to fit all the tackle you need into one small box. Tackle boxes do not hold all the baits I bring with me; therefore I do not use tackle boxes any longer, and have not for many years now for these reasons.

SO WHAT SHOULD I USE?

In place of the outdated tackle box, I prefer to use a backpack for all my storage needs. A backpack is far more versatile and lets you have it on your back as you walk up and down the river. You do not waste time picking up and putting down a backpack every time you move to your next “10 yard swath” of river. You move along and keep casting your lure, or spinner along the way, maximizing your time each outing. Your main goal is to make as many casts as possible in any given location of the river! Picking up and putting down a tackle box reduces the number of casts made every single trip, therefore reducing the amount of potential fish landed! You can also put additional items in the pockets of the backpack such as pliers, weights, sunglasses, hooks, and split rings which are all essential when fishing. Each piece of tackle, or tool, can be put in its own place for ease of access.

TACKLE TRAY’S

The effective tackle solution comes in the form of tackle trays, added into the main section of the backpack, and can be labeled with a black permanent marker to easily identify each and every tray. It is best to write on each tackle tray in bold writing, what the contents are in each tray. For example, you will place each Rapala Countdown lure in its single space within the tray, and then label the tray in bold lettering, (Robertson Tackle Raunchy Rainbows). Going one step further, you will add only Rainbow Trout patterns into one tray and then label that tray Robertson Tackle RT or RAINBOW TROUT. The next tray will hold ONLY Robertson Tackle in the brown trout pattern and are labeled as such. For your spinner baits you will use a larger tackle organizer that has smaller compartments to accommodate each single spinner you add to the box. These will separate each spinner into its on square space and help with the spinners hooking onto each other, creating a big mess in the tackle organizer. You will label these the same way as your lure boxes. Your BLUE FOX spinners will only be placed in one box and labeled accordingly, and then your PANTHER MARTIN spinners will all go into another separate box and labeled. You can also take your organized backpack with you in the boat. I simply remove a few of the trays, and tie hooks onto two rods that I am using to fish that day. The rest of the tackle organizers stay stowed away in the backpack and placed out of the way. I remove my pliers out of the pocket and place them close to me for easy removal of hooks once I land the fish in the net. The backpack solution is the one that works for both fishing the banks, and fishing from a boat!

LESS TIME WASTED EQUALS MORE FISH!

Remember, organization will always lead to less frustration while fishing your Local River or stream. The more time spent making casts and not fumbling with gear, the more successful you will be on the water. Have your gear ready to go before heading out the door on your next adventure including sharp hooks, re-spooled reels, extra split rings, pliers and a great selection of baits. Have your gear placed strategically for ease of access according to your fishing plan for the day. Clean off any line from your lures before you take a step into the boat, or onto the banks. You can burn the old line off, or use line clippers at home. These small organization tips will save you time, save you unnecessary frustration and maximize your fishing day each and every time. Remembering to do these things BEFORE heading out fishing is crucial.

Tight lines,

Mike Robertson.