FlyfishAlberta operater-guide Dave Jensen, left, and fisherman Grant Hopkins of Ottawa, with a 60-cm brone trout caught by Hopkins.

RED DEER, Alta. -- Fusion -- the conjuring of often strange bedfellows into a successful blend -- is hot.

Just ask Toronto super-chef Susur Lee and other masters of the dark art. But gastronomes don't get to have all the fun. Mixing and matching works on many levels.

How about horses and trout fishing? How about a totally different vacation with as much, or as little, activity as you want?

These two disparate passions come together beautifully in the rolling, sparsely populated countryside outside this busy city of 80,000 midway between Calgary and Edmonton.

The game plan is simple: Stay at the Lazy M Ranch at Caroline, west of here, in as relaxed and friendly a setting as it's possible to find, surrounded by the trappings of equestrian life including, of course, many, many horses.

By day, float the Red Deer River in a large inflatable boat with an experienced guide and cast to large brown trout rising to whatever bugs are currently hatching. Or engage in a stealthy stalk of fish in Stauffer Creek, which actually runs right by the ranch house.

The fishing end of this melange is the business of Dave Jensen and his wife Amelia, two young and highly competent operators who for 10 years have comprised FlyfishAlberta.

The Lazy M is the domain of Lane Moore, a life-long rancher and horse behaviour expert, and his wife Margie.

Lane knows horses like few others do. Margie could teach many professional chefs a thing or two.

On a visit to the ranch this June I had the comfortable sensation of 'coming home'.

I had driven in past three or four dozen horses, including some examples of the Canadian horse, the continued revival of which breed the ranch actively promotes. Two dogs strolled casually out to greet me, and Margie and Lane's easy manner made me welcome.

There were guests from England, Scotland and Germany, plus two sisters from Grande Prairie (the northern Alberta boom town that isn't Fort McMurray).

Warm wood and light

The ranch house is full of warm wood and light, with a massive harvest table. There's even a resident artist-cum-gardener who paints lovely landscape oils.

Guests can learn to ride and be comfortable around horses, attend seminars or bring a horse of their own for training. There are also trail rides and the option of outpost and mountain camps in spectacular surroundings.

I sat with excellent company on the sweeping veranda on the final evening, after a satisfying day's fishing, looking out over Stauffer Creek as the soft, slow Alberta twilight descended. Coyotes yip-yip-yipped in the willows lining the creek and a white tail doe meandered in a facing pasture. Rarely has a nightcap tasted so complete.

That day on the river topped three outings I savoured with Dave Jensen, who worked extremely hard to put me and a fellow writer onto fish in windy conditions, fairly high water and a plague of soggy "cotton" shed onto the water by Alberta's ubiquitous poplar trees.

There are several river possibilities within reach of the ranch, but the big brown trout of the Red Deer got my attention and that's where I devoted my time.

The fish run between 50 cm and 70 cm (at the top end they nudge 3.5 kilos), spectacular golden-brown beauties that make their presence obvious as they surface-feed.

The river is a gem, especially the stretch below Dickson Dam, with lots of birdlife, the chance of a moose sighting and minimal human presence.

Dave's built like an all-pro athlete, arms and shoulders honed by hours of plying the oars in swift waters while clients cast to fish or climb out and wade. He'll stand patiently at your shoulder in waist-deep water calmly analyzing the hatch and switching tactics until a large brown snout inhales the fly.

Both FlyfishAlberta and the Lazy M have an enviable record of clients returning year after year. Either operation is flexible and willing to work with a guest in tailoring a dream visit. And naturally both have programs for guests who want horses or trout but not both. Ask Dave and Amelia about helicoptering into the Rockies for a seriously remote adventure.