Freeman River report anyone? For the kids...

smitty9 · #1 06-11-2012, 05:37 PM

I have a bunch of students lined up to go fishing the Freeman river this Saturday (opening day).

Naturally I am worried about weather and river flows, and yes, I am definitely using the AB Enviro Water Basin website to help judge the stream flows.

However, nothing is more helpful than a visual check.

So if anyone at all lives up in Whitecourt or Swan Hills or will be travelling the next few days using hwy 32 that crosses over the Freeman between those 2 towns, I would be eternally grateful for a water report.

I am ok with high water by itself, but high water the color of chocolate milk or a Timmies double-double will wreck the trip.

Need that beautiful, Earl-Grey tea-stained (but still clear) color, if you know what I mean.

Anyways, I'll bump the thread periodically, but if someone is in the know and can help out, the kids in the Flyfishing Club and I would appreciate it!

Cheers!
Smitty

Mr.goldeye · #2 06-11-2012, 05:40 PM

Was going to ask the same thing myself haha, going on Saturday with my oldest maybe I'll see you there

simmered · #3 06-11-2012, 05:46 PM

Should be going for a drive tonight, I will look for you

simmered · #4 06-11-2012, 11:58 PM

The river, with all the recent rainfall is a little higher and faster than normal but is still its nice clear tea stained colour! Ill post the couple pics I took in the AM for ya!

Cal · #5 06-12-2012, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simmered

The river, with all the recent rainfall is a little higher and faster than normal but is still its nice clear tea stained colour! Ill post the couple pics I took in the AM for ya!

Right on, I was out there last tuesday and it was pretty dirty. Hope she stays clear for you guys, let us know how your students make out. I'll be working out there for a day or two next week and plan on fishing it then.

simmered · #6 06-12-2012, 07:38 AM

Here are a couple pics from last night. Not taken from the hwy bridge, but the highway is the same conditions.

smitty9 · #7 06-12-2012, 12:37 PM

Simmered:

Thanks again! The pics were very helpful!

For now, fingers crossed, weather remains half-decent and if we don't get much precipitation, we'll be good to go.

Mr. Goldeye, while I don't know what you look like, we'll be hard to miss, lol; just look for the group of 5 adults and probably, 10 kids!

Thanks everyone.

(If anyone ends up getting more info, say, closer to or on Friday, I'd love to hear an update again if anything has changed...)

Smitty

smitty9 · #8 06-15-2012, 04:44 PM

Just bumping this up in case there was anymore up to date info to share. I checked the stream monitoring and the weather; looks a little dicey, but I have 4 kids rarin' to go, so we'll give it shot.

Back-up plan is to head to Carson lake; we'll see if this works out.

In the meantime, if anyone has crossed the Freeman today on hwy 32 between Whitecourt and Swan Hills, and sees anything substantially different from Simmered's earlier post, I 'd appreciate it!

Cheers,
Smitty

BGSH · #9 06-15-2012, 05:19 PM

Hey, how far is the drive to the freeman river? other then grayling, are there pike and walleye in there?

TheLegend · #10 06-15-2012, 05:20 PM

nope ^^

uplander · #11 06-15-2012, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BGSH

Hey, how far is the drive to the freeman river? other then grayling, are there pike and walleye in there?

ya there's pike in it without a doubt.

leeaspell · #12 06-15-2012, 09:16 PM

I drove past it around 4, it was pretty much exactly like in the pics above, maybe a little lower water level

Xiph0id · #13 06-16-2012, 10:09 AM

I'm camped at 32 and the Freeman now.
It's beautiful out!
Just got back from tossing the fly.
Only 2 of us here, nice and quiet.

TyreeUM · #14 06-16-2012, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiph0id

I'm camped at 32 and the Freeman now.
It's beautiful out!
Just got back from tossing the fly.
Only 2 of us here, nice and quiet.

Awesome, did you guys catch anything?

Xiph0id · #15 06-16-2012, 10:12 AM

No, but I only fished a little.
I'll be doing more later and some other spots.
We've mostly been shooting guns!

TyreeUM · #16 06-16-2012, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xiph0id

No, but I only fished a little.
I'll be doing more later and some other spots.
We've mostly been shooting guns!

Sounds like a great way to spend the weekend! Good luck and post some pics when you get back.

Xiph0id · #17 06-16-2012, 10:53 AM

Perfect weekend for the old man and me.
I'll try to post pics when I get back.

Xiph0id · #18 06-16-2012, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by uplander

ya there's pike in it without a doubt.

In the lower reaches there is supposed to be some good walleye and pike fishing.

Xiph0id · #19 06-16-2012, 02:11 PM

Into about 25 so far.
Only landed about 10.
Feisty buggers and amazing tint of purple on them.

smitty9 · #20 06-17-2012, 08:41 AM

Just wanted to thank everyone - especially Simmered and leeaspell - who did some scouting for this trip.

I think I ran into some of you yesterday. Good times were had by all; some kids caught some fish, everyone learned a lot on their first ever stream-flyfishing trip!

Mother Nature cooperated and the flows were more than acceptable for opening day, especially given the rain we've had the past 2 weeks.

Cheers!
Mike

Doc · #21 06-17-2012, 11:54 AM

Here's a couple of pics. Smitty, I'll send you these and a few more if you want them.

Cheers,
Doc

Xiph0id · #22 06-17-2012, 06:02 PM

I was the truck/camper parked a few spots down.
Figured it was your group and I wanted to say hi and such but we had just finished packing and were headed to another spot for grayling.

simmered · #23 06-17-2012, 11:26 PM

Glad you guys had a good weekend. I got out tonight for a hour or so untill the thunder and lightning ended my fun. Caught a bunch of healthy ones and then this one. Anyone have an idea what that is? Never seen that on the grayling in the little creek I was at.

Couple pics of the stream