A short series of clips from a recent steelhead trip. This amazing fish keeps pulling us back to northern BC, no matter how long the drive or how bad the roads.
Steelhead aren't just a fish, they are truly an obsession.
Showing posts with label Fly Fishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fly Fishing. Show all posts
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
New Arrivals
Some great new arrivals for spring 2011!
Redesign on the Simms Freestone Boot. More durable, same great price!
Redesign for 2011! Simms Guide Jacket offers wet weather for protection
for an amazingly low price.
for an amazingly low price.
Headwaters Tackle Wallet keeps your gear and flies organized meaning you are one step closer to a successful day on the water.
Headwaters Travel Organizer keeps your passport, itinerary and other travel essentials in a convenient and secure place. 
Alumi Bite studs offer a new level of traction.
New Sun gear including Sungloves and Sungaiter
hat, Hats, HATS... we have a ton of styles!Including ladies hats for smaller heads and shorter brims!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Twelve Days Of Christmas - Eleven Pipers Piping
Buy any style 2011 Fishing Calendar, get a second style FREE!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Pirates of the Flats
Trailer for the upcoming "Pirates of the Flats" on ESPN2 in January.
Thomas McGuane, Tom Brokaw, Michael Keaton, Lefty Kreh, and several
others fish in the episode.
Thomas McGuane, Tom Brokaw, Michael Keaton, Lefty Kreh, and several
others fish in the episode.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Some favorite photos
Here's some favorite photos from the last year that weren't featured on our blog until now.
Brent Piche Photo
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Brent Piche Photo
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Brent Piche Photo
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Brent Piche Photo
Brent Piche Photo
Brent Piche PhotoThursday, September 10, 2009
Alberta River Report Roundup and Sage Xi3's Available Online
As promised, we have just added the Sage Xi3's to our online store. Be sure to grab one quickly, they're selling fast!
http://www.countrypleasures.com/store
We haven't done a river report lately, so here's a quick roundup of what is going on with our rivers.
The Bow:
The Bow is fishing mediocre to good. Some days the hopper fishing is unbelievable, while others it definitly leaves you wanting more. Best bet to do 'ok' no matter what is a hopper-dropper rig. You'll find fish eating hoppers and the bead, and the bead fishing has gotten better in the last week or so. Streamer fishing has been so-so, with the deeper throughs holding more fish. This is the time of year to hit the pre-spawn browns, so be ready for fat fish!
The flows are hovering around 80, so you can run into some weed problems, and makes nymphing a lot fun. Hopefully we'll get a massive runoff next year to clean up our river again.
With the colder weather, we're seeing Psuedo's around, and the BWO's should be imminent. All we need is a nice drizzly day, and you should be able to find some fish sipping.
The High Country:
Most of the High Country streams are running clear, but a little cold for the time of the year. Some of the areas have had close to freezing temperatures at night, and the rivers are running a bit high for the time of year. The water temps are quite cold in the mornings, and the afternoons are fishing much better due to this. Ants, BWOS and smaller hoppers are all fishing well.
The Crowsnest:
The Crow is fishing quite typical for this time of year. Fish are easily to spook with the clear water, but you should be able to fool them with thin tippet and a small bug. BWO's are present, and will become more present with a bit of overcast. Hopper fishing can still be quite good, and is worth doing with a mayfly nymph as the dropper. Don't forget your ants!
http://www.countrypleasures.com/store
We haven't done a river report lately, so here's a quick roundup of what is going on with our rivers.
The Bow:
The Bow is fishing mediocre to good. Some days the hopper fishing is unbelievable, while others it definitly leaves you wanting more. Best bet to do 'ok' no matter what is a hopper-dropper rig. You'll find fish eating hoppers and the bead, and the bead fishing has gotten better in the last week or so. Streamer fishing has been so-so, with the deeper throughs holding more fish. This is the time of year to hit the pre-spawn browns, so be ready for fat fish!
The flows are hovering around 80, so you can run into some weed problems, and makes nymphing a lot fun. Hopefully we'll get a massive runoff next year to clean up our river again.
With the colder weather, we're seeing Psuedo's around, and the BWO's should be imminent. All we need is a nice drizzly day, and you should be able to find some fish sipping.
The High Country:
Most of the High Country streams are running clear, but a little cold for the time of the year. Some of the areas have had close to freezing temperatures at night, and the rivers are running a bit high for the time of year. The water temps are quite cold in the mornings, and the afternoons are fishing much better due to this. Ants, BWOS and smaller hoppers are all fishing well.
The Crowsnest:
The Crow is fishing quite typical for this time of year. Fish are easily to spook with the clear water, but you should be able to fool them with thin tippet and a small bug. BWO's are present, and will become more present with a bit of overcast. Hopper fishing can still be quite good, and is worth doing with a mayfly nymph as the dropper. Don't forget your ants!
Monday, August 17, 2009
A few item highlights - Simplifying your fishing
There's some products in the shop that we feel deserve some highlighting.
Here's a few of them, we'll focus on 'gear simplifying' today:
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Simms Sling Pack:
The sling pack will certainly become a favourite for steelheaders and anglers trying to simplify. It's a no-nonsense pack that gives you quick access to flies and tippets, then swing out of your way. No more tangling running line on that 100 foot cast, and it is built to last (and a price that can't be beat).
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Sage Double Rod/Reel Case:
We sell a ton of these to anglers that are looking to simplify access to their rods. Keep your rods fully rigged up for your next day on the river. Bring the case in a drift boat and you have instant access to your foam-bug rod when the streamer fishing slows.
-Brent
Here's a few of them, we'll focus on 'gear simplifying' today:
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Simms Sling Pack:
The sling pack will certainly become a favourite for steelheaders and anglers trying to simplify. It's a no-nonsense pack that gives you quick access to flies and tippets, then swing out of your way. No more tangling running line on that 100 foot cast, and it is built to last (and a price that can't be beat).
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Sage Double Rod/Reel Case:
We sell a ton of these to anglers that are looking to simplify access to their rods. Keep your rods fully rigged up for your next day on the river. Bring the case in a drift boat and you have instant access to your foam-bug rod when the streamer fishing slows.
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Cliff's Super Day's Worth Fly Box:
Midges, Meat, and Mayflies - Oh My! The triple layer design allows you to effectively hold a ton of different sized flies. One of the cooler features is the Magnetic Compartment. Perfect for holding all your small nymphs (or when you're rushing through your box as a 26" brown is refusing your latest creation). It's also a nearly indesructible box.
This box was awarded the Ka-Ching award at the Fly Fishing Retailer World Trade Expo
-Brent
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Alberta River Fishing Report Roundup
Heres a report from most of the rivers that we frequent for the last few days.
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Bow River Report:
The Bow is fishing better again, especially on overcast days. The elbow is finally starting to clear up, so we're seeing better visibility each day. All stretches of the river are fishing quite well, and you can still be fishing big foam bugs to great success. Caddis fishing continues to be great, especially with the diminishing PMDs. Look for fish sipping caddis on grassy banks and in foam lines. We should continue to have good caddis fishing and the tricos are starting to show down on the lower end. Should be good fishing for a long time (we hope anyway)
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High Country Report:
The cutty's are finally looking up consistently. The water temps have increased dramatically since the big rain, so the fish are finally happy to be eating on top.Green drakes, Stimulators, Humpies and anything with rubber legs seems to be working extremely well. A caddis tossed over a tough fish usually gets an eat when presented with a solid drift.Be on the look out for bullys, they'll be on the move and killing whitefish like it's their jobs (oh wait, it is!).
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Crowsnest Report:
From the reports we've been getting from the Pass, the crow is fishing extremely well right now. The water has receded and cleaned up at last.Caddis, stoneflies, hoppers and green drakes continue making the fish rise. Using a hopper dropper setup will certaintly have some success on both top and bottom. Don't forget PMDs as they have been fishing well in the evenings as well.
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Join our facebook page for consistent updates on our rivers!
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Friday, July 24, 2009
More Favourite Fly Fishing Setups
We understand that not everyone is a gear junkie but deep down there is a bit of it in all of us. This is our second blog "article" is our series of staff favourite setups, this week's is Caitlin's favourite setups.
Dry Fly- 376-4 ZXL, Litespeed 1 & Wonderline G3 WF-3-F
This seven foot six inch three weight is my new baby, it's been on a fewadventures with me and so far I couldn't say anything negative. The ZXL is the new medium acton rod from Sage, available in two to six weights and a variety of lengths. I love it's light weight, smooth action and ultra delicate-ness. From high country cutties to Bow River risers, it seems to mold itself into whatever rod I need it to be. The Litespeed 1 is the perfect match to this rod, it weighs 3.55 oz and utilizes the same sealed conical drag system in their high end, big game reels. Waterworks/Lamson has created one of the lightest, prettiest and toughest large arbor reels on the market. The Hard Alox coating on the reel gives it durability while keeping weight low.The Wonderline Generation Three line claims to be the slickest trout line on the market and I wouldn't disagree. I mostly use this line for short, accurate casts and it definitely produces.
Overall Trout- 590 Z-Axis, 4540 CF & Sharkskin Trout WF-5-F
The Z-Axis is the favourite among many anglers, me included, making it one of Sage's best selling rods. It's light weight and fast action, allowing me to throw small PMD's and size six hoppers alike.
The 4500 series from Sage is new for 2009 and is available in a Carbon Fibre spool. Some anglers are thrown off by its black finish and near weightlessness (the whole reel weighs only three and seven eighths of an once) but trust me this thing is tough. The spools are interchangeable with the regular 4500 series reels as well as the original 2500 series reels.
Oh, the Sharkskin. For those that haven't heard the Sharkskin is a new line from Scientific Anglers utilizing a textured surface which decreases friction allowing greater shooting distance, higher "floatability" and increased ease of line manipulation.
Streamer- 690 Z-Axis, Battenkill Large Arbor & 200 grain Streamer Express.
Do I need to say more on the Z-Axis? Check out our online store for more info http://www.countrypleasures.com/store/contents/en-ca/d8.html I use a Orvis Battenkill Large and spare spool system for my streamer rod allowing me to easily change between a floating line and a sink tip line. The large arbor design comes in handy for reducing line coils on the mono core streamer express. A heavy duty drag system adds even more to this reel, allowing me to use in the salt. The Scientific Anglers Streamer Express gets my flies down and fast, it has a extra long sink tip that I cut down to make casting and line manipulation easier. The only down side is it utilizes a mono core which on cold days can coil and be a bit difficult to straighten.
Thats my favourite trout set-ups, stay tuned for Mike's, Mark's, Dee's and Zach's!
(check out Brent's fav's from earlier this month.)
Dry Fly- 376-4 ZXL, Litespeed 1 & Wonderline G3 WF-3-F
This seven foot six inch three weight is my new baby, it's been on a fewadventures with me and so far I couldn't say anything negative. The ZXL is the new medium acton rod from Sage, available in two to six weights and a variety of lengths. I love it's light weight, smooth action and ultra delicate-ness. From high country cutties to Bow River risers, it seems to mold itself into whatever rod I need it to be. The Litespeed 1 is the perfect match to this rod, it weighs 3.55 oz and utilizes the same sealed conical drag system in their high end, big game reels. Waterworks/Lamson has created one of the lightest, prettiest and toughest large arbor reels on the market. The Hard Alox coating on the reel gives it durability while keeping weight low.The Wonderline Generation Three line claims to be the slickest trout line on the market and I wouldn't disagree. I mostly use this line for short, accurate casts and it definitely produces.
Overall Trout- 590 Z-Axis, 4540 CF & Sharkskin Trout WF-5-F
The Z-Axis is the favourite among many anglers, me included, making it one of Sage's best selling rods. It's light weight and fast action, allowing me to throw small PMD's and size six hoppers alike.
The 4500 series from Sage is new for 2009 and is available in a Carbon Fibre spool. Some anglers are thrown off by its black finish and near weightlessness (the whole reel weighs only three and seven eighths of an once) but trust me this thing is tough. The spools are interchangeable with the regular 4500 series reels as well as the original 2500 series reels.
Oh, the Sharkskin. For those that haven't heard the Sharkskin is a new line from Scientific Anglers utilizing a textured surface which decreases friction allowing greater shooting distance, higher "floatability" and increased ease of line manipulation.
Streamer- 690 Z-Axis, Battenkill Large Arbor & 200 grain Streamer Express.
Do I need to say more on the Z-Axis? Check out our online store for more info http://www.countrypleasures.com/store/contents/en-ca/d8.html I use a Orvis Battenkill Large and spare spool system for my streamer rod allowing me to easily change between a floating line and a sink tip line. The large arbor design comes in handy for reducing line coils on the mono core streamer express. A heavy duty drag system adds even more to this reel, allowing me to use in the salt. The Scientific Anglers Streamer Express gets my flies down and fast, it has a extra long sink tip that I cut down to make casting and line manipulation easier. The only down side is it utilizes a mono core which on cold days can coil and be a bit difficult to straighten.
Thats my favourite trout set-ups, stay tuned for Mike's, Mark's, Dee's and Zach's!(check out Brent's fav's from earlier this month.)
-Caitlin
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The Fishin' Life
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I grew up with the river; from the Elk to the Crow and eventually the Bow along with everything in between. I started fishing around age six and when I hit thirteen a switch was flipped; I started working in the shop and fishing went from a hobby to being my whole life. I'm not alone in this, it seems somebody is walking around flipping switches on alot of anglers!
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I'd love to say it's easy, that anyone can do it but it's simply not true. It takes a special person to fly fish, they have to have a certain quality, something that can't be put into words. It's like a magnet, it draws them to fly fishing and never lets them go. Maybe it can be developed or maybe your born with it, this I may never know. One thing is for sure, I've got it.
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Working in a fly shop is pretty much the best job in the world (arguably of course.) It may not pay the best or make me rich but there certainly are some serious perks. Really how many fisherman wouldn't love being able to talk fishing all day, and when R&D is needed, I've got one of the world's best textbooks a hop, skip and a jump from my front door. Actually, I spend more time reading the water than I spend reading my biology textbook. The river can teach you a lot, more than any lecture or book about science, faith and life.
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..I grew up with the river; from the Elk to the Crow and eventually the Bow along with everything in between. I started fishing around age six and when I hit thirteen a switch was flipped; I started working in the shop and fishing went from a hobby to being my whole life. I'm not alone in this, it seems somebody is walking around flipping switches on alot of anglers!
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This sport attracts men and women, young and old, it's truly amazing how big the demographics are. It's the only sport that I am aware of that attracts both 90 year olds and ten year olds equally.
This sport attracts men and women, young and old, it's truly amazing how big the demographics are. It's the only sport that I am aware of that attracts both 90 year olds and ten year olds equally.
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A perfect example is Robbie (seen below) who went on a fishing trip with guide Jennifer Buck and caught this huge Rainbow out of the Bow River. A fish this big would get anyone hooked on fly fishing!
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..I'd love to say it's easy, that anyone can do it but it's simply not true. It takes a special person to fly fish, they have to have a certain quality, something that can't be put into words. It's like a magnet, it draws them to fly fishing and never lets them go. Maybe it can be developed or maybe your born with it, this I may never know. One thing is for sure, I've got it.
-C.
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