Feb 16

Ask Mike- Tips & Advice

Catch and Release Information

Here at the Bow River Blog I always practice catch and release. I do not eat fish on a regular basis so for me there is no reason to keep my catch. I would like to provide you with some important guidelines on how to properly release trout after they have been hooked and somewhat tired out. After I have landed the fish I will do several things to prevent the fish from dying.

The first thing I do is keep the fish in the water at all times if possible and remove the hook from its mouth without ever removing the fish from the water using hemostats or pliers. If that is not possible than, I will first wet my hands making sure to keep the trout’s protective coating intact. I hold the fish with two hands so the fish doesn’t flop out of my hands and land hard onto the ground.

After I have gently removed the hook with the push back and turn method. I gently place the fish back into the water. When handling the fish, be sure you keep your hands well clear of the Trout’s gills. Now gently face the fish upstream with its nose pointing upriver and not downstream. I then very slowly move the fish a little back and forth to get the water to flow through its gills again. As I start to feel the fish’s tail kick, I will then let go of the fish and let it swim away.

Remember to never let a fish flop around on the ground as this may very well kill the fish. Also remember to never squeeze a fish to hard either, this adds extra stress to the fish and can also be fatal. And lastly, never throw a fish back into the water like an old boot, gently lower the fish into the water and give it enough time to properly get its breath. If you wish to add to this list please leave a comment as I might have missed something here. Good luck on your next fishing trip. Mike.

Feb 14

General Info

The 2007 Boat and Sportsman’s Show

It is that time of year again here in Calgary when the annual boat and sportsman show rolls into town. This is truly a fisherman’s paradise with all sorts of new products for the upcoming fishing season. This show has everything under the sun from new fishing boats to all the latest fishing tackle and so much more. I love to go to these fishing shows to learn about what’s new and also to learn some new tips from the pros’s who are there doing demonstrations.  

This year I will be looking for a new fishing boat. The boat I use now is awesome but I will need something a little bigger for the upcoming years. I am looking to upsize to an 8-10 man boat so I can put together some corporate fishing packages. If your are from Calgary there is a complete list of information on the show at this address http://www.sportsmensshows.com/Calgary/  This link will give you a detailed list of all exhibitors at this years fishing show along with all their website address. I hope you have a good time at this years show and I will see you all down at the Round up Centre. I will be there Friday handing out business cards and talking to all my fishing friends.

Feb 13

Ice Fishing Hot Spots

Ice Fishing Hot Spots.

Another ice fishing location I like to frequent is up in the mountains just outside of Canmore. Spray Lakes has some very good Lake Trout fishing. Spray Lakes is located just south west of Canmore. Take highway #1 west to the Canmore turn off. Go through the town till you get to Spray Lakes Trail, then make your way up the steep hill 10 Km past the Nordic centre and you will see this large lake on your right hand side. The Lake Trout that are caught here are delicious to eat as the water here is very clean and cold all year long. You will love the scenery here also as you are right in the mountains. You will need a little sled to pull out onto the ice and sometimes snow shoes need to be worn here as the snow can be deep in places.

Feb 12

Ice Fishing Hot Spots

Ice Fishing Hot Spots.

Here is another Walleye fishery that I love to fish not only in the summer but in the winter as well. This place is Crawling Valley Reservoir. This excellent fishery is located 90 minutes east of Calgary and 10 minutes north of Bassano. There are many spots to fish here with some of my favorites spots being near the inlet canal, just off the island in the middle of the reservoir and on the south east corner of the reservoir. It’s hard to not catch fish here with some real sizeable Walleye being caught. Not only is the Walleye fishing good here, the Burbot and Pike fishing can be equally as good.