Spring weather lifts the burden of old man winter off southern Alberta and coaxes fly fishers from their vices onto open rivers. As some of the only open water around, early migrants bring the river to life. Franklin’s gulls break the silence of winter, ducks are flashing their breeding plumage, and soon swallows will fill the sky in a frenzy. Itching to just get back on the river, expectations are tempered with shaking the dust off your cast and soaking some rays in mind. Low water temperatures hold fish from being active early, but quality trout still show themselves.
For the entry-level, first-timer flyfisher, dipping the toe of his/her wading boot tentatively into the water, the learning curve can be steep and intimidating. Gear, knots, casting, where to go, how to read the water when you arrive streamside, the challenges seem endless at times. And nothing is more bewildering when you arrive at the well-stocked fly shop and are confronted with dozens in not hundreds of bins on the fly table.
