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05-13-2019, 10:34 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,303
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Report - Red Deer, James, Raven, Tay, North Raven, and Fiesta Lake
On Saturday, I took a drive down to the Snake Head Natural Area, just outside of Sundre. The river was little murky with limited visibility. A long hike between pools but still a nice place to fish. I had fished this stretch 30 years ago and forgot about it until I pulled up on the gravel bars on the East side. I will be back later this summer, in the fall for sure.
Checked out the James and a few different locations, pretty muddy, fast and un-fishable in my opinion. Checked out Fiesta lake, and dam I wish I had brought the inflatable along. I will be back to fish the QSTF. I poked around the Raven for a bit, didn't see anything. Booted it down the road to the Tay, it too was high and mucky. Decided I'd go and give the NRR a try.
Went to the old buck for wild life site, one group just leaving another pulling in and two more already fishing the stretch. Headed over to Coulson's and there was 3 more vehicles parked there. Grabbed the rod and head to fish a few holes that have held fish before, but it was obvious they had been fished hard this day.
Headed home from there. 650Km day, no fish, my dog got to be a dog for the day, beautiful weather, beautiful country...priceless.
I'll be heading to the potholes with the inflatable now until late June!
BW
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05-13-2019, 12:46 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 4,444
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman
On Saturday, I took a drive down to the Snake Head Natural Area, just outside of Sundre. The river was little murky with limited visibility. A long hike between pools but still a nice place to fish. I had fished this stretch 30 years ago and forgot about it until I pulled up on the gravel bars on the East side. I will be back later this summer, in the fall for sure.
Checked out the James and a few different locations, pretty muddy, fast and un-fishable in my opinion. Checked out Fiesta lake, and dam I wish I had brought the inflatable along. I will be back to fish the QSTF. I poked around the Raven for a bit, didn't see anything. Booted it down the road to the Tay, it too was high and mucky. Decided I'd go and give the NRR a try.
Went to the old buck for wild life site, one group just leaving another pulling in and two more already fishing the stretch. Headed over to Coulson's and there was 3 more vehicles parked there. Grabbed the rod and head to fish a few holes that have held fish before, but it was obvious they had been fished hard this day.
Headed home from there. 650Km day, no fish, my dog got to be a dog for the day, beautiful weather, beautiful country...priceless.
I'll be heading to the potholes with the inflatable now until late June!
BW
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Nice! I had a similar Saturday with a buddy. We went to the Big Horn dam to check out the NSR there and before the hordes show starting the long weekend. Nice looking water for sure. Didn't get a sniff and didn't see any activity. Decided to head to Ironside Pond by Rocky after that. Didn't catch anything but stockers about 6-8 inches. But, did get them on the dry so my buddy and I had fun at least that way. Put on close to 650 kms for the day.
We did think hard about the Stauffer including the buck for wildlife area so we came close to crossing paths
I echo the same sentiments about the trip. Good to just be out there. The mountains in the Nordegg area look amazing with all the new snow. Here comes the run off!
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05-13-2019, 01:30 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,303
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SNAPFisher
Nice! I had a similar Saturday with a buddy. We went to the Big Horn dam to check out the NSR there and before the hordes show starting the long weekend. Nice looking water for sure. Didn't get a sniff and didn't see any activity. Decided to head to Ironside Pond by Rocky after that. Didn't catch anything but stockers about 6-8 inches. But, did get them on the dry so my buddy and I had fun at least that way. Put on close to 650 kms for the day.
We did think hard about the Stauffer including the buck for wildlife area so we came close to crossing paths
I echo the same sentiments about the trip. Good to just be out there. The mountains in the Nordegg area look amazing with all the new snow. Here comes the run off!
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Forgot to mention, the NRR has signs of Otters, saw lots of tracks in the mud, and a few scat piles with fish bones and scales and such. I'll head back to this stream once more in mid June and then again in the fall before freeze up.
Glad to hear you had a great day as well.
BW
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05-13-2019, 06:40 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 101
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Went to try prairie creek today, milk chocolate colour, so tried north raven river at buck for wildlife, walked between 2 to 3 km downstream, then fish on way back, fished what I thought would be holding fish, obviously got a lot to learn about this place, tried a small streamer and then a pheasant tail nymph, no success, didn’t see any rising fish, then fell down a beaver run and snapped my rod, so not a good day, think I’ll pay for a guide
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05-18-2019, 09:22 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Whitecourt
Posts: 661
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Thanks for the update BWM. I've never had luck on the James. Maybe I didn't get far enough from the easy access.
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05-18-2019, 11:29 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Cochrane AB
Posts: 894
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Great thread folk! This will be my first season fishing North of Calgary and it seems info is limited. Always interested in how others are fishing new to me areas.
Cheers
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05-19-2019, 10:03 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: central Alberta
Posts: 12,628
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Thanks you for the great info on conditions.
When the water is dirty in these streams and rivers I have caught fish using black rubbertails. Instead of getting skunked with flies take along some hardware tackle when the water is dirty.
__________________
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This country was started by voyagers whose young lives were swept away by the currents of the rivers for ten cents a day... just for the vanity of the European's beaver hats. ~ Red Bullets
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It is when you walk alone in nature that you discover your strengths and weaknesses. ~ Red Bullets
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05-20-2019, 12:15 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 133
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Goggin Stauffer can be very frustrating. I have had several days like you described. No fish, hung up in brush, fell in a run, beaver dams wreaking havoc on the stream. Yep I feel your pain.
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05-23-2019, 04:47 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 101
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Whenever I see the word “ stauffer “ I start dribbling and develop a nasty tic in my left eye, but am going to stick at it, must be a masochist lol
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05-23-2019, 06:19 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,303
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goggin
Whenever I see the word “ stauffer “ I start dribbling and develop a nasty tic in my left eye, but am going to stick at it, must be a masochist lol
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Yes and I have a 3 hour trip just to get to this stream! It envelopes you into it’s willow arms and sucks you into it’s muddy bottom. The abuse one takes but what if that 20 plus inch brown slurps my offering. What if......
BW
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06-01-2019, 07:27 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sylvan Lake
Posts: 251
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Great thread guys.
Does anyone have an update in the Sundre area? Was thinking about maybe trying the Fallentimber tomorrow. Any info is appreciated.
Thanks
DR
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06-01-2019, 10:13 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,303
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dangerranger5143
Great thread guys.
Does anyone have an update in the Sundre area? Was thinking about maybe trying the Fallentimber tomorrow. Any info is appreciated.
Thanks
DR
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Nothing recent. Was down that way last Sunday and Red Deer was blown out near Sundre.
BW
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06-03-2019, 12:20 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 4,444
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman
Nothing recent. Was down that way last Sunday and Red Deer was blown out near Sundre.
BW
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Thanks for the update. It sounded blown our from the AB Rivers app so it is nice to hear that you are seeing what the app is telling.
Made it to Jasper this weekend. Lots of snow yet in general to melt onto the slopes. AthB was as dirty as I can recall. Normally it is bad but this is something else. The flood plain by Talbot is high and muddy. I think even some of the old trees in the middle have been moved out.
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06-03-2019, 12:47 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sylvan Lake
Posts: 251
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Made it out to Sundre yesterday. The James and the Red Deer we’re both blown out. We spent a couple hours fishing FallenTimber. It was a little dirty but fishable. Didn’t have any luck but it was still good to get out.
Drove over the Stauffer creek on the way home. It looked nice and clear. Contemplated trying it but decided to save the frustration for another day.
DR
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06-03-2019, 01:41 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,303
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dangerranger5143
Made it out to Sundre yesterday. The James and the Red Deer we’re both blown out. We spent a couple hours fishing FallenTimber. It was a little dirty but fishable. Didn’t have any luck but it was still good to get out.
Drove over the Stauffer creek on the way home. It looked nice and clear. Contemplated trying it but decided to save the frustration for another day.
DR
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You'll find Stauffer will usually be clear, and always frustrating! Thanks for the report!
BW
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06-16-2019, 08:07 AM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Falun
Posts: 465
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Drove over the Clearwater at Rocky & Caroline crossing yesterday, high & dirty.
Fished the Prairie, fairly high and a little coloured but still fishable ish.
Spent the afternoon fishing Stauffer
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06-17-2019, 11:21 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: St Eh
Posts: 562
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Just back from a couple nights camping beside the James River straight north of Sundre. Water was somewhat high and visibility was less than a foot so never got my gear out. More rain coming.
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06-18-2019, 07:35 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 133
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Spoiler, how was Stauffer? Is it still in rough shape from all the beaverdams?
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06-18-2019, 12:26 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,303
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ecsuplander
Spoiler, how was Stauffer? Is it still in rough shape from all the beaverdams?
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I've been on Stauffer a few times at Coulson and the old buck for wildlife site.
Haven't seen a beaver dam.
BW
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06-19-2019, 07:37 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 133
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Wow, last year there was a huge dam upstream from the Buck for Wildlife parking lot just downstream of the big deep bend. Flooded water high up in the willows. It was a real mess. Maybe it has been dealt with.
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