McLeod River - Early Season Woes

James fishing a bend in the McLeod River.

The title of this post is probably a bit misleading. First off, we knew before heading out for the weekend that we were likely going to be subject to some wet weather. That being said, we had no idea that the area we planned on fishing and setting up camp in would be covered in 15 cm of snow. But part of being an angler is persevering through tough circumstances like inclement weather, steep hikes or long drives. So we decided to stick around. Camp was set up and wood was processed with extreme prejudice and efficiency - out of necessity, it was pouring rain.      

James' truck majestically overlooking a campsite. 

So despite the rain and snow we were set up for a pretty good camp. Using a tarp to reflect the heat of the fire and using the psychological heat of beer and whiskey, we managed to have a couple good nights by the river. Long, philosophical, and engaging discussions about anything and everything, are always welcome around the fire.  

McLeod River, May 2013

The McLeod was running high and fast, and as a result of the early season runoff, was very murky so catching anything on the fly was unsuccessful. We tried heading upriver closer to the headwaters west of Cadomin, we tried finding any curve in the river that might be a bit slower, calmer or more visible, but had no luck catching anything. All that being said, I rarely see any outdoor adventure as a complete loss. First of all, as I mentioned above, we still had some great night by the fire and some fun days exploring the river from the headwaters down to our campsite. Second, any chance to get out of town, spend time with angling companions and get some fresh air is welcome in my books.  

The rail bridge adjacent our camp on the shores of the McLeod River