Trunk Road Questions

[Rabdo]

Last year I came across the forestry trunk road. I turned south just after Nordegg. I only spent 1 day exploring out there on my quad.

I'm curious how the fishing is out on the stretch south of Nordegg. Maybe from Nordegg up to 100 km south. Are a lot of the streams easily accessible? I am hoping to buy a little 12 foot aluminum boat and I'm curious if I'd be able to get use out of it on the trunk road. Or are the streams/rivers, too rapid? too shallow? I don't want to get into fly fishing this summer, since I'm new to fishing, I'd like to keep it simple lol Is it harder to catch fish for non-fly fishers on the trunk road?

I'm not asking to find your honey hole, just more curious about what I can expect. From my short experience out there, it's some beautiful country.

Any tips on good places to camp or trails to ride as well?

I am considering buying this book too.
TROUT HIGHWAY-FOREST TRUNK RD by Barry Mitchell
Is it way too outdated? or will I find useful information in it?

Thanks guys!!!

[Dust1n]

it is a bit harder to catch trout in the streams with out the finnese of the little dry or nymph. but not impossibe.if your not gonna fly fihi recomend spin fishing on te pothole lakes. example peppers for the hog brookie in there.
for the streams elk creek thers lots of nice ctties under the bridge along with a couple small browns just dont make too mch noise or theyll hide. try using small spinners or tiny soft plastics difted through the curret. or rip a spinner throught the pools. i recommend pick a sream and hike up till u find a pool or even beter a waterfall. and use some plugs to intice a bull trout.countdowns in size5,7,9 all work in natural colors. but i strongly recommend fl fishing there itmakes your exerance that much better if you spend like 200 bucks you can get a mid qualilty rod with reel line. a good selection of flies and asseries. and you can pratice in your backyard untill u get better.
you can PM me if u want a hand on picking stuff/loactons to the trunk road

[Bigtoad]

Originally Posted by Rabdo

I am considering buying this book too.
TROUT HIGHWAY-FOREST TRUNK RD by Barry Mitchell
Is it way too outdated? or will I find useful information in it?

Thanks guys!!!

Yes, buy that book, it will save you A LOT of time. Also, pick up the Alberta fishing guide when it comes out. Great info and good maps. Check your regs as well, most streams don't open up until June 16th or so and many have C&R regs.

Cheers.

[duffy4]

BUY THE BOOK! The "big mouth" tells everybody about all the best fishin' holes

It is full of great information about access and fly hatch timing. It is also very entertaining.

When fishing streams with spinning gear I most often use small "Panther Martin" spinners. Small rubber jigs (white or black) also work.

[sheepguide]

The fishing south on the trunk road is very good. Pretty much every sizable stream that crosses the road has trout.I dont fly fish but still catch a ton of fish around that area. Silver Mepps Agila works the best. Lots of trout in the 12-18" sizes with a few larger. Also lots of good whitefish in many of the streams. The North Sask. , North Ram, South Ram and Clearwater are the bigger rivers and have some good size fish in them but tend to be slower fishing than some of the streams. Best thing is to get out and just try a bunch of them. You for sure wont be disapointed.

SG

[mikeym]

the only river that you could use your boat is probably the North Sask river, and even then you better be experianced at handelling a boat on a river cause it can get nasty in spots. all the other rivers are not really safe to use an aluminum boat in. they are either too small and shallow or have a lot of rapids and falls on them that make it downright dangerous to use a boat on. i would not recommned taking an aluminum boat on any of these rivers.

that being said there are quite a few nice lakes in the area for a boat. Peppers lake is one. Fish/Shunda Lake is just pass the FTR on HWy 11 and so is Goldeye. there is also a lot of small trout lakes around Rocky that have some nice fish in them.

also the FTR north of Nordegg is also a very good section to explore. in my opinion there is a lot better water to fish north of Nordegg then there is south, not that the south part is bad, just i like the streams north a bit better. either way you will not be disappointed at all. also a couple of nice lakes up that way (Fairfax is one)

rgds
Mike

[Daceminnow]

Originally Posted by duffy4

BUY THE BOOK! The "big mouth" tells everybody about all the best fishin' holes

It is full of great information about access and fly hatch timing. It is also very entertaining.

When fishing streams with spinning gear I most often use small "Panther Martin" spinners. Small rubber jigs (white or black) also work.

yes buy the book. if you're referring to Barry as the "big mouth" why? that's not cool. you wrote anything lately worth reading?

[mikeym]

i am pretty sure he meant it tongue in cheek. if you read his book he has a chapter on people calling him names for revealing all the great fishing streams in his book and magazine that people wanted hush hush.

[tbosch]

Originally Posted by mikeym

i am pretty sure he meant it tongue in cheek. if you read his book he has a chapter on people calling him names for revealing all the great fishing streams in his book and magazine that people wanted hush hush.

X2. Barry is one of the legends of western canadian fly fishing IMO. He also happens to live across the street from me so I get the odd fishing tip right from the "BIG MOUTH" itself...:

The man has a good sense of humor, theres no doubt about it..

[Daceminnow]

Originally Posted by mikeym

i am pretty sure he meant it tongue in cheek. if you read his book he has a chapter on people calling him names for revealing all the great fishing streams in his book and magazine that people wanted hush hush.

if that's the case so be it. i have to respect a man that has dedicated so much time to the pastime, the fishing in alberta, and the willingness to share and publish his knowledge for other to enjoy.

[Rabdo]

Thanks for all the info guys! Appreciate it

[greylynx]

A nice side trip north of Nordegg will take you along the Cardinal River just on the boundries of Jasper Park.

There are some really nice people you can talk to on the way.

[flyfisherman]

I plan on trying the North Ram this summer, me and my brother just started fly fishing last year and had a great time learning a bit about it. I fished the Blackstone which is north of Nordegg and had great luck there.
I picked up Alberta's Trout Highway this winter and have read it a few times so far. Pick up that book as soon as you can.

I was wondering what anyone thinks:
Is the North Ram a good river to try for a couple of novice fly fisherman? If you don't think so what would be good spot nearby to try instead?

[Dust1n]

north ram IMO is better for numbers but i like the south ram cause there a bit bigger average. theres bulls bellow the falls if you want to hook into them.
being a bigginer i would still recomend it.
i like 9foot 4wt for that streem on floating line.
flies.
summer or fall- yellow humpys or whatever is hatchign but they wont hessatate to take a dry thats not being hatched.

[mikeym]

the N Ram is a great river to try out, but it gets hit hard and therefore the cutts are pretty wise to most flies and can be hard to catch at times. the best time to hit the N Ram is mid week when the pressure is less.

if you are having no luck on the N Ram, try one of the many feeder creeks, they won't have any huge cutts in them, but they are usually chock full of little 4-8" cutts that are more then willing to grab anything that floats by. it can be a real blast catching them.

lots of great water in that area, just need to explore and get away from the crowds sometimes to get into the fish.

Rgds
Mike

[duffy4]

Originally Posted by Daceminnow

yes buy the book. if you're referring to Barry as the "big mouth" why? that's not cool. you wrote anything lately worth reading?

Sorry I guess I should have put a bunch of

I'm sure if Barry read it he would have had a chuckle. I know Barry a bit too.

If you had read the rest of mu post you may have figured it out.

I do write a bit as a matter of fact. I write a weekly outdoor column in the local paper and have done some hunting bits in a couple mags.

[Dust1n]

Originally Posted by mikeym

the N Ram is a great river to try out, but it gets hit hard and therefore the cutts are pretty wise to most flies and can be hard to catch at times. the best time to hit the N Ram is mid week when the pressure is less.

if you are having no luck on the N Ram, try one of the many feeder creeks, they won't have any huge cutts in them, but they are usually chock full of little 4-8" cutts that are more then willing to grab anything that floats by. it can be a real blast catching them.

lots of great water in that area, just need to explore and get away from the crowds sometimes to get into the fish.

Rgds
Mike

Presentaton is key on the ram. you most likly were not presentaing your fly as good as you could have by sloppy casting smll leaders.too heavey of a leader or spooking it. or bassicly from spooking from a prevuius angler ahead of you. iv havent had too many cuts refuse a fly drifted past them and no cutty wants to refuse a red and yellow humpy!