On The Brink The Westslope Cutthroat Trout is a favourite for many anglers in Southern Alberta, me being one of them. They aggressively eat dry flies, are relatively easy to fool, and inhabit some of the prettiest streams in the province. They have a distinctive red slash under their jaw, a trait which gives them their name. They are a unique fish, and a major attraction for anglers across the west. However, they are presently listed as threatened under the provincial Wildlife act and by COSEWIC. SPECIES AT RISK What are the threats facing these trout? What is their status…
Author: Kevin Rossi
Kevin Rossi
Kevin is a 26-year-old fly-fishing fanatic, with over a decade of fly-fishing experience in the wilderness of Alberta and BC. He has been writing about fly-fishing for 7 years and has taught many friends, family, and clients to fly-fish. His passion for the sport led him to start Bushwhackers Fly-Fishing, an online resource and guiding service dedicated to educating and inspiring anglers from around the world and bringing awareness to trout conservation issues in western Canada. He has a fish and wildlife diploma from Selkirk College and is pursuing a career as a professional fisheries biologist at University of Northern British Columbia. He lives seasonally between Calgary, AB and Prince George, BC. He can be reached at bushwhackersflyfish@gmail.com or on his website www.bushwhackersflyfish.com.
FLY-FISHING THE STELLAKO RIVER There aren’t many rivers in Western Canada that come with a resume as impressive as the fabled Stellako River, situated smack dab in the middle of BC, 2 hours west of Prince George. Sure, the Skeena River, two hours further to the west, may be the creme-de-la-creme when it comes to steelhead fishing, but that is a different game altogether. When it comes to the purists dream- that is, small stream fishing for large trout using just a few simple dry flies- the Stellako is often mentioned on the list with the best of the best.…
THE MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL ALBERTA It was mid June in Alberta, and the provinces high-country streams had just opened for the season. Not accidently, my cousin Garret and I had booked time off work, and had our sites set on the diverse waters to be found in the central part of Alberta’s front ranges. On our early season ‘to-do’ list were a couple tributaries of the Red Deer River— our sights set on both brown trout and bull trout. We also planned to spend a day in the legendary Ram River Canyon, home to some of the most scenic cutthroat…
Central Alberta is host to a variety of small, spring fed streams that bubble out of the foothills and meander their way through beautiful mixed forests, into peaceful meadows and cow pastures. Most anglers simply pass them by without a second glance, headed for more famous streams such as the Bow River or the Red Deer River. Do not let these small streams fool you! They are home to some truly monster brown trout and provide an angling experience unlike any other found in the region, so long as you don’t mind being consistently humbled. EARLY SUCCESS During my first…
THE CASTLE RIVER “Rain, rain, and more rain….” I said to my brother in dismay as I looked up from the weather app on my smartphone. My brother, Mark, was loading up the car with the last things we would need for three days of camping and fishing for native cutthroat and bull trout in the newly minted Castle Provincial Park in southern Alberta. UNSTABLE WEATHER It was early September, and the first blast of fall weather was on its way; the forecast showed temperatures near zero, rain everyday, and blustery conditions. However, both of us had taken time off…