An afternoon of Fly-fishing in Kananaskis Country

For several years now, I've listened to my sister talk about her and her partner's fly-fishing adventures in the Kananaskis back-country and have admired her photos from afar on social media.  When she came home for a visit last year, I got a chance to go fishing with her but one of the things I knew I wanted to do during my visit to Alberta was to go fly-fishing in one of her favorite spots in the mountains. 

On my third day in Kananaskis Country, I got to do that.  We got up early, packed up some gear and headed to a nearby trail where one of her favorite fishing spots was located.  I, unfortunately, ended up with a bad cold and was sick as a dog that day but after popping some Advil Cold and Flu, I felt ready to hike the relatively short distance to this fishing hole. 

We hiked for about 40 minutes through thick forest with stunning views of the river and surrounding mountains.  It was a relaxing hike except for when the thought of grizzly bears crossed my mind.  At home, I don't have to worry about anything eating me while I'm hiking but in Alberta, you have cougars, wolves, black bears and grizzly bears to worry about.  I had seen a number of bears in the area the previous day so, naturally, I was checking behind me more frequently than normal. 

When we reached our destination, I stood in awe at the view and knew immediately why my sister had chosen this spot as one of her favorites.  I could sit there all day just taking in that fresh mountain air.  There were no other people around, the only sound was the sound of the leaves rustling in the trees and the river flowing.  My kind of place. 

I tried a little bit of fishing but was mostly content to just sit on a nearby rock and watch my sister do her thing.  We didn't get any bites that day but neither of us cared.  We just wanted to get away in the wilderness and enjoy the peace and quiet of the natural surroundings.