Fishing with kids (and an ogre!!!)

BobLoblaw · #1 08-21-2013, 01:27 AM

Hey, y'all...
Hope everyone's weekend was at least as good as mine; mine was lotsa fun!
A friend at work mentioned a while ago that he'd like to take his 8 & 10 year old kids fishing. He hasn't fished in many years, & was looking for some ideas where to take 'em. Adding to the karma bank is always a good idea, so I offered to meet them at Pine Coulee so the kids could actually catch some fish on their first time out. I picked up some smelts on Thursday & tossed 'em in some coarse salt to toughen 'em up some. My buddy & I worked the night shift last week. We left work at 7am on Friday; he headed home to get the kids, & I headed straight to the lake.
By the time they got there, I had picked up a couple walleye. I fished a marabou micro-jig under an indicator...

When they arrived, I put the fly rod away & started rigging up their rods with pickeral rigs. I finished the first one, put a chunk of smelt on the hook & cast it out. I handed the rod to my friend's daughter & explained what to do. Didn't even get the next pickeral rig tied on before she had her first fish, ever!!!

She was excited, but she was having no part of holding it for a pic. I couldn't even get a high five from her; of course, the fact that the walleye dropped a big ol' poop in my hand may have had something to do with that...

Her brother got his first fish soon after...

It wasn't long before they were both doing their own casting, baiting, etc.
The little lady started showing off, landing two fish at once...

That's my buddy in the pic above; he had fun watching his kids catch a bunch of fish- they both ended up with more than a dozen each. He caught a bunch as well. We may have created a future fisherman in his boy; he was fully concentrated on catching fish & had tons of questions. I'd call it a successful day!

This little guy landed on my glasses at the dock. I think he wanted to remind me that there are trout waiting to be caught on the fly. Who am I to argue with a bug?

So, bright & early Saturday morning, I met up with my good pal, Ogre, & headed to Kananaskis to chase trout...

(To be continued...)

BobLoblaw · #2 08-21-2013, 01:48 AM

Ogre & I headed to K-country. Our plan was to hike up to Rawson Lake in the morning to chase cutthroat trout with our fly rods, maybe fish a little at Upper K Lake on the way out in the evening.

We saw this momma & baby at the turn-off to Upper K; pics are a bit crappy, 'cuz it wasn't full light yet...

We made the trek up to Rawson in the cool of the morning. We still made quite a few welcome rest stops (Ogre was at the tail end of a bad flu, and I'm old & fat).

Ogre takes a break...

Even if we never caught a fish, it's worth the 2.7km climb as soon as the lake comes into view; so spectacular!!!

As we stepped out of the trees to take the path up around the lake, we heard someone hollering. It was a fella in a float tube, way up the lake. All I heard was, "...coming right towards you!!!"
I expected to see a bear ambling down the path, but saw this instead...

This moose was feeding in the meadow at the far end of the lake. When she was done eating, she walked into the lake & swam nearly the full length of the lake before exiting straight across from us. Mooses is fast swimmers!!!

Looking back towards where the trail comes up to the lake...

Ogre taking it all in...

(more to come...)

BobLoblaw · #3 08-21-2013, 02:06 AM

We were seeing some rising trout, so we started out fishing dries. Ogre missed a few as he tried for his first ever cutthroat trout...

We hiked to the far end of the lake, where I've had pretty good luck on previous trips; checked out the flora along the way...

Be careful, kids; there's an Ogre lurking in the bushes!!!

I picked up a couple cutts on dry flies...

The wind really started to pick up & it began to rain. I decide to put away my 2wt rod & try nymphing with my 5wt. When I pulled out my 5wt, I saw that I still had a green marabou micro-jig attached to my tippet, from walleye fishing the day prior. What the heck, right? I dropped that jig in the lake under an indy, just as the heavens opened up & the rain came down in buckets. It barely hit the water before I was hooked up...

The action was fast & furious for a while...

(still more to come...)

BobLoblaw · #4 08-21-2013, 02:14 AM

Purty fish!

Ogre switched to a streamer & soon had his first cutthroat trout...

The streamer he was tossing was candy to those cutties, and he got a bunch more...

My li'l jig continued to get eaten...

(cont'd...)

BobLoblaw · #5 08-21-2013, 02:21 AM

I'm not sure which is prettier at Rawson...

...the fish???

...or, the view???

I think I'll score it a draw???

(Just a few more pics...)

Kokanee9 · #6 08-21-2013, 02:36 AM

Wow!

Looks fantastic up there.

Never made it up there to see it or fish it yet. The fish look great!

huntsfurfish · #7 08-21-2013, 02:46 AM

Wow totally awesome pics!

Looks like everyone had fun.

BobLoblaw · #8 08-21-2013, 02:46 AM

Anyone who thinks hiking down a mountain is easier than hiking up obviously doesn't have bad knees. Ogre's old war wound was giving him a lot of grief on the way down; my knees weren't sorry to get to the bottom of the hike, either!
We stopped and chatted with two guys who were fishing where the creek hits Upper K Lake. Turns out, they were Manitobans & really nice dudes. The wind was howling pretty hard by this time, and kinda limiting where we could effectively fly fish. These guys realized that & invited us to fish with them. When I thanked them, one guy responded, "That's why it says 'Friendly Manitoba' on our license plates!"

Before I wet a line, I got a couple pics of this Police Car Moth...

Within a couple minutes, I had a nice cutty on that li'l jig; he didn't want his picture taken. Then, Ogre got one on the streamer...

I ended the day with a small bull trout...

All in all, a very fun day.
Always fun hanging with my buddy, Ogre, of course.
The fella who was in a float tube at Rawson came ashore for a visit; we had grabbed his vest from the tree where he'd hung it during a bathroom break. He'd gone completely around the lake, and didn't know he'd left it behind until we hollered at him. Super friendly gentleman who gave me a few ideas on places to fish in the near future.
The dudes from Manitoba were a lot of fun to fish with & shoot the bull with, as well.
You meet the nicest people in the great outdoors!

Until next time...

slivers86 · #9 08-21-2013, 04:56 AM

droooool

WayneChristie · #10 08-21-2013, 05:23 AM

great pics and story my friend, glad to see you passed on the addiction to more kids, way to go!

Fishfinder · #11 08-21-2013, 06:30 AM

A lot of boring threads lately.
A lot of bickering threads lately.

THIS WAS REFRESHING!

Thx Bob! Wonderful

Now...time to go fishing

burbotman · #12 08-21-2013, 06:43 AM

Great photos!!!!!!
A special place for sure, I was up there last Friday and your photos just took me back right now

I agree with your comment on the hike, I may huff and sweat allot on the way up but the knees kill on the way down.

BeeGuy · #13 08-21-2013, 06:46 AM

deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeecent!

Pixel Shooter · #14 08-21-2013, 09:10 AM

Thoroughly enjoyed the pics and the stories, as someone said, refreshing

azn_rice_man · #15 08-21-2013, 09:16 AM

Great pics and sounds like a couple awesome trips! Way to go, guys!

MoFugger21 · #16 08-21-2013, 09:29 AM

That place doesn't even look real..... One of these days! Great pics as always!

jacenbeers · #17 08-21-2013, 09:35 AM

Well done boys. I haven't been to Rawson in some time since I usually hit Chester Lake when I am in the area. Maybe I will hike in next weekend. Great photos.

BobLoblaw · #18 08-22-2013, 12:08 AM

Thanks, guys!
It was a fun weekend, for sure.
If you haven't made the trip up to Rawson, I highly recommend it.
Pics just don't do justice to that spot!

waterninja · #19 08-22-2013, 02:18 AM

beautifull pics. thanks for sharing.

goldscud · #20 08-22-2013, 08:04 AM

Great pics Steve. Thanks for sharing with us.
Looks the Cutts in Rawson are getting pretty thin again. Looks like the population needs to get thinned out a bit. Years ago when it was catch and release they all started to look like snakes. It was decided to open up a 2 fish limit to cull some fish for a period of time.

epicangler · #21 08-22-2013, 11:35 AM

awesome cutties, good job

BobLoblaw · #22 08-22-2013, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldscud

Great pics Steve. Thanks for sharing with us.
Looks the Cutts in Rawson are getting pretty thin again. Looks like the population needs to get thinned out a bit. Years ago when it was catch and release they all started to look like snakes. It was decided to open up a 2 fish limit to cull some fish for a period of time.

Yeah, I got a couple up there last year that were kinda nasty; big head, slinky body, & just felt mushy. Too bad they aren't built more like the ones in Upper K.

kevinhits · #23 08-22-2013, 12:13 PM

Excellent pics as usual Steve.....You are the man...

the local angler · #24 08-22-2013, 04:59 PM

lov it guys awsome pics

TMLhammy · #25 08-22-2013, 04:59 PM

Great post as always! i love it when you're on the trout 'cause they are my fave and your posts never disappoint.
Good luck

fish gunner · #26 08-22-2013, 06:59 PM

Great thread as always Bll, big O making good on the fly rod. Some nice fish for certain.

Secret coulee · #27 08-22-2013, 08:07 PM

Unbelievable pics and passion with the camera,great to see People take time aside from there own adventure agendas and take new kids on an adventure to last a lifetime good job

mooseknuckle · #28 08-22-2013, 09:14 PM

Once again stunning photos, great story! Thanks for sharing.

BobLoblaw · #29 08-23-2013, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fish gunner

Great thread as always Bll, big O making good on the fly rod. Some nice fish for certain.

A little birdie told me that our Mr. Ogre was taking advantage of The Fishin' Hole's wall-to-wall sale to stock up on half-price flies yesterday. Looks like someone's coming over to the dark side...

Mike_W · #30 08-23-2013, 07:52 AM

Another great picture thread Bob!!
Your pictures always seem to catch the beauty and essence of fishing!!

Thanks for posting.
Mike