All Work and No Play Makes...
By John F. Comes
Editor, NorthWestTrout.com

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The daily grind. The 9-to-5. Working for the man. Getting a fluorescent tan. Call it what you will, but studies show Americans work, on average, more than most of their European counterparts. A group highlighting the problem states the work difference for US workers at 9 weeks more a year than the European average. One can only therefore assume the Europeans excel at double-hauling, nail knots, in-air line mends and deftly perform one-handed, no-tool whip finishes at the vice – all thanks to the extra time available to pursue fly fishing.

On this side of the pond, we love our free time even though some days it seems to be in low supply. To that end, any true fly fishing junkie will usually keep the tools of the trade close at hand, ready to hit the water when time allows. This is especially true for work related travel.

My current daily “real” job requires a small amount of travel. Not overly excessive but it seems to occur during the prime summer months of river trout fishing. I’ve learned over time its much more enjoyable to be standing belly deep in a new river versus bellying up to the hotel bar with other weary travelers. Sometimes the wading is solo, other times with a good friend or two from the local office. Such was the case recently in Edmonton, Alberta.

After nearly a week of 10 to 15 hour days wrestling upstart computers, inventorying systems, server work and security meetings, a two plus hour drive south of Edmonton to fly fish sounded perfect. My local connection, George, had the water picked out. Last year we ended up two and half hours north Edmonton on Pine Creek. This year our destination was south of the city -  the North Raven River or, as it is commonly referred to, Stauffer Creek. Delayed slightly by traffic, a petrol fill up, the required fishing license pickup at Canadian Tire, and a dinner pit stop, we parked near a bridge crossing Stauffer Creek around 6PM.

Stauffer Creek is one of the few creeks in Alberta open year round. A small, narrow spring-fed creek, it winds its way near the eastern foothills of the Canadian Rockies across the wide-open prairie east of Red Deer. Primarily home to brown and brook trout, it receives constant angling pressure. The fish are smart and wary. With willows lining the banks for most its length, tight upstream casts and a stealthy approach is standard operating procedure. It is nearly impossible for two anglers to work the water at the same time. The willows and streamside growth mandate middle stream wading. If one angler would try to work higher up the river, the movement would stir clouds of silt and debris putting the fish on alert and running for cover. 

George and I would take turns for most of the evening, occasionally both waiting to spot rises, discussing which seams would be good targets and quenching our thirst with a cold beverage. The willows dictated who was up by occasionally snagging the other’s back cast. While one untangled their line from the branches, the other dead drifted offerings upstream. Ever the gracious host, George hung back and I had a fly on the water more often than not.

With a width typically around 5 meters, it is surprising the size of some of fish it holds. However, undercut banks dominate certain stretches and provide excellent cover for the big browns.  I wish I could say we brought the big ones to hand, but truth be told of the fish landed, most were in the 16 to 23 centimeter range (6 to 8 inch range for those non-metric folks).

On such a beautiful evening, we were determined to coax fish to the top of the water column with well placed dries. Most of the bigger fish are typically landed when employing a larger dry with a nymph dropper. We would see a few big risers up stream but the twisting nature of the creek made long distance approaches and casts difficult. On one section, a beaver dam ran across most of the creek, creating a fine pool of slow water. As we approached, large browns were rising. Even staying below and casting carefully over the dam, the fish moved for cover as we neared. Add in a poor cast with the front taper landing hard and the trout were sufficiently spooked. We moved on.

Stauffer ended up yielding eight beautiful brown trout and a gorgeous brook trout that night – all to dry flies. Our offerings were fairly standard: size 14 elk hair caddis, size 16 green drake parachute emergers, size 12 parachute adams and a few size 14 polypro scaddis. The low riding parachute flies elicited the most takes.

Since 9/11, travel restrictions can cause issues for anglers traveling via airlines with their gear. After a number of trips, you’ll learn to travel light, carrying only the bare essentials when the trip is primarily focused on business with maybe a day to test the waters. To that end a few tips:

• Water – Preplan for the areas you’ll likely fish. Check out on-line topo maps.
• License - Buy one. The small fee far offsets the penalty.
• Flies – Preplan for what the hatches will be and try to pare down to one box. Also plan a lunch break trip to the local fly shop for their homegrown varieties and the intel on what’s hot.
• Full Size Vest – Leave it home if possible or if space is tight. Too often a vest carries far more than you’ll ever use. Opt for a waist/fanny pack or web-belt vest.
• Lanyard – Go sans-vest with a well tooled lanyard equipped with floatant, hemostats, fly box/patch, tippet holder, nippers and one or two other items
• Waders – Ditch the bulky neoprene. Breathable waders take up much less space or if the conditions call for it, just wet wade.
• Wading footwear – Opt of lighter weight boots or even sandals like the ones offered by Bite Footwear and Orvis.
• Rod – Today’s 4 and 5-piece rods rival 2-piece rods in performance. Spend the extra dollars for one. Some makers even offer 7 piece rods that will fit in briefcase.
• Security – Be prepared for questions, and sadly confiscation. Letting the screener know what’s coming through can help. Soon after 9/11, I had a pair of small needle nose pliers taken. The reason was the wire stripper/cutter on the inside of the jaws. “A cutting weapon” was the response when asked why.  Also, if targeting bigger fish with big flies, you might want to check your fly box. I was grilled over a few salmon flies (size 2) that were in a vest pocket.

The last tip is your expense report. While some companies think nothing of a big dinner, a bottle of wine and big tip for the waiter showing up on an expense report, a fishing license and a dozen flies will raise red flags. Don’t get yourself in a pickle over a few hours of dry fly bliss on a remote spring creek in the middle of nowhere.