Cypress Hills

[Slough Shark]

I have been in Cypress Hills for the past week and a half. My absence may have been a blessing for some (that's a fact), but regardless, the trip was really awesome! We were able to bring along our dogs, which was really great because the Prairie is just not the Prairie without a big, old dog. I was born and rasied in Saskatchewan and my dad was a park ranger on the Alberta side before joining the RCMP, so the prairies are a familiar place to me, actually it's more home to me than the house that I sleep in.

It was a great trip aside from dropping my trusty Camera in Loch Leven (the main lake in the Center block). I have many, many pictures, some good, some bad, I've posted some here. I was very enthused to go fishing in the area witch supposedly has some of saskatchewan's "Best Trout Angling Streams and Lakes", I caught no trout. Likely because I don't know what I'm doing, and any time when i was fishing, the trout were surface feeding for flies (I don't fly fish), plus the fact that none of the fish are large enough to take my Rapalas and maybe not even my jigs.

Anyways, here are a few pics (hopefully enough to inspire some members to make their way over there during the course of the summer holidays):

We stopped at a Farm owned by some friends of the family. This is a flower in their garden, can anyone put a name to it's petals?

A look at the stunning prairie sunset on the short hike up the Bald Butte

One of the many Brook Sticklebacks that I caight while dip-netting at Loch Leven (caught lots of Fathead Minnows too, males were in their spawning suits- nuptial tubercules and all)

One of two groups of geese and one of many groups of bird species in the area of Loch Leven

Another flower, this is one of many of this type found along the trailside, don't know what it is either?

And finally, my best pictures often come from my own solo wanderings, this one stays true to this rule. I took it while meandering along Boiler Creek- the creek that flows out of Loch Leven which suppossedly is home to "nice pan sized brookies" I saw none, nor did I catch any

That's all I can show you without getting carried away, but, as I said, I hope this is enough to inspire you to see for yourself, my Photographs do not do it justice.

Taylor

[Sam Chicklets]

Sounds like a great trip to a great park

[Toirtis]

It was a great trip aside from dropping my trusty Camera in Loch Leven (the main lake in the Center block). I have many, many pictures, some good, some bad, I've posted some here. I was very enthused to go fishing in the area witch supposedly has some of saskatchewan's "Best Trout Angling Streams and Lakes", I caught no trout. Likely because I don't know what I'm doing, and any time when i was fishing, the trout were surface feeding for flies (I don't fly fish), plus the fact that none of the fish are large enough to take my Rapalas and maybe not even my jigs.

That damned name...Loch bloody Leven! I spent a week there, and fished a good hour-three daily using everything in my not insignificant tackle boxes....from fly-fishing to hardbaits to even softbaits...nothing all week. My friend (who has a reptile zoo near there) and I started joking that the official bit was "we love our Loch Leven fish...if you catch him, please put him back".

[Qattarra]

first flower , delphinium

second is a cranesbill, geranium

[Slough Shark]

Nick- Indeed, it's a great place to take the family if you get the time

Sue- Thankyou, great to have some plant people around here

Christian- That sounds good to me, might as well be in their brochure! I talked to a local guy who saw me fishing away my time and he shouted "There's no fish in this lake!" I took it as a joke and kept on a'castin'. He came around a second time on his bike and told me again, I said "There's two right here!" so he stopped and came to have a look, I knew they were Carp, but I just wanted to push his Buttons. I was trying to catch them with a bit of corn on a snelled hook, as I know they are vegans, no luck. He told me that they stock the lake every year and every year the Pelicans and Cormorants eat them all up before the anglers can have a go.

It truly sucks and it gets my brain boiling because they talk about the streams and ponds around Loch Leven having bountiful supplies of trout, when there's really nothing there at all. I fished quite a few of my hours while there, looks like there's no more Pike in Harris Reservoir just down the road as well, I did see many carcasses and remains along the rocky shoreline, as well as fishing junk all over the place, signs that there are un-sporting outdoorsmen about- filthy people!

Anyways, I try not to think about the fishing I did there, I always get down when I catch nothing. Though I do know there are at least some fish there. I saw one Brookie jump out of the water beside my Kayak and found another's carcass floating by the shore, both were juveniles.

[CalgaryFan]

Haha you get like me when I don't catch any fish, I get all ashamed, then go back the next couple of days and attempt to 'put a hurtin' on the fish.

[Slough Shark]

Exactly!