Sometimes work....works out!

As I stated in my previous post, I have been spending considerably more time at work lately due in large part to added responsibilities.  I received the usual construction promotion; more responsibility, more hours, more stress, and same pay.  It does come with quite a few pats on the back and congratulations from your peers, which is nice, but it also comes with more than one "don't screw it up" from the elder superintendant's and construction managers.  There is, however, an added bonus with this new project...it's 500m from the bow river, on private land with no public access points in the near vicinity, and I will be there all summer and fall if things go well.  I have already let the wife know that I will be "working" late most nights as we try to accelerate the already tight schedule on this project.  Evening fishing on the bow river can be exceptional in the summer time with caddis hatches most nights as well as numerous mayfly and stonefly hatches.  The only unfortunate thing is, I will have to wait several weeks before the river drops enough to become fishable.

 Runoff in full effect

These pictures were taken just behind the job site, and this is where I will be spending some "productive" hours "working" late.  It's not often that work helps me get more time on the water, but it sure is nice when it does.

Gettin the skunk off

Productive bank on the 'Bow'

 Well, it's been a while since I have posted anything on the blog, due to the fact that I've been down in the salt mines slaving away.  It's nice to have work, and one shouldn't complain when there are so many people who don't have a job these days, but man does it get in the way of fishing sometimes.  I did manage to sneak out two weekends ago to try and wash off the smell of skunk that had been permeating my house since my previous trip down to the river, and I was successful.  The river was in perfect shape, which is hard to hit this time of year.  The window to fish is quite small as the river rises and muddies with the first few warm days of spring, when the low lying snow melts.  Then there is always the rain that falls in early spring to further swell the rush of early snow melt.  But, if your lucky and you hit it right, there is a brief period of respite that comes as the rains abate and the snow at lower elevations has melted, and before the majority of the high elevation snowpack begins to thaw.  The river will drop (but not too much), and it will clear up just enough so that the fish can see your fly, but not you (about 2 feet of visibilty).  This is the best time of year to be on the river, as most people still assume that it's runoff and don't bother to fish, leaving the river to just yourself and the few other die-hards who know what's what.  Oh ya, and the fish are hungry and aggressive.  I caught several nice rainbows as the afternoon turned into evening, unfortunately I have no pictures of the fish.  I'm still trying to figure out how to preset the autofocus on my camera when using a remote to take a picture, I was by myself you see so no one to take the picture of me and my lovely fish.

 Guide and clients working the far bank

Wrong Turn

It was a beautiful day, and there were lots of geese and their goslings to keep me company as I worked my way upriver catching fish in all the likely places.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate for the next week or so and leave this window of fish catching heaven open before all hell breaks loose and the rivers all blow out until the end of june or so.  

Takin the kids for a stroll

Spring thunderhead

 Time to go home