Jump to content

      



























Photo

Fishing


  • Please log in to reply
456 replies to this topic

#61 AllseeingEye

AllseeingEye

    AllSeeingEye

  • Member
  • 6,543 posts

Posted 29 September 2017 - 05:22 PM

Heading to Pt. Renfrew and the San Juan River estuary on Sunday hoping to tie into some winter coho......

Attached Images

  • SJRiver.jpg

  • Mike K. and todd like this

#62 AllseeingEye

AllseeingEye

    AllSeeingEye

  • Member
  • 6,543 posts

Posted 29 October 2017 - 02:12 PM

For any anglers in the crowd the big chum are back in force in the Cowichan ecosystem; we were up there above Skutz Falls early this morning and bagged 6 lunkers (all catch and release as is our custom) between the three of us all within the first hour. Get there at the right time and they are practically jumping onto your hook.....



#63 AllseeingEye

AllseeingEye

    AllSeeingEye

  • Member
  • 6,543 posts

Posted 08 April 2018 - 12:05 PM

So our fishing cadre braved the challenging elements yesterday and spent more time doing the recon thing than actual fishing but we did manage to confirm for those interested in the holy grail of fish - steelhead - that right now they are showing up in healthy numbers in both the Gordon River (thankfully as all steelhead fisheries are under extreme pressure in BC and this one is historically a renowned steelie fishery) - and Harris Creek-Lower Harris Creek.

 

Best way to access the latter is head through Lake Cowichan and take the circle route to Port Renfrew from there. You literally drive right by some of the best steelhead sections of Harris Creek both before and after the Harris Creek bridge. Be prepared and by that I mean be ready for some serious physical work climbing down into and out of the gorge sections of that creek. The reward is worth the effort but its not for the faint of heart. Also well worth while heading (way) off the beaten track with a 4 wheel drive - nothing less will suffice, we had 3 SUV's in our group and in 4-wheel mode all the way - on some of the older fire access roads which parallel many of the rivers and creeks in the area. You have be prepared to work to find and catch these fish. Well worth the exertion as the old growth parts of the forest are almost primordial; not an environment you'll see every day.

 

Purely coincidentally at a gas station owned and run by his First Nation we ran into and met Pacheedaht Chief Jeff Jones. Super nice guy who was an invaluable source of information in terms of the "where" to look particularly for steelhead.


  • todd likes this

#64 Mike K.

Mike K.
  • Administrator
  • 83,184 posts

Posted 09 April 2018 - 05:05 AM

Are you referring to Gordon River Main?

Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.


#65 AllseeingEye

AllseeingEye

    AllSeeingEye

  • Member
  • 6,543 posts

Posted 09 April 2018 - 04:35 PM

I have never heard it referred to as such; the more common, correct references are respectively the Upper, Middle and Lower Gordon River - any or all of which can be construed as the 'main' river. Typically the best fishing is limited to the Middle-Lower sections as the wilder falls above that point are reached by only a few fish. 

 

The Gordon has its origins in the hills south of the West Basin of Cowichan Lake. It’s very steep for the first kilometre then levels off for about twelve kilometres (we re-set my trip odometer to accurately measure the sections we were especially interested in) where it flows through an area logged mainly before WWII. The terrain is best described as "mature, re-planted old growth forest". Trekking in takes effort but its well worth it not only because it allows access to remote, less fished sections of the river but also because of the sheer beauty of the place.

 

In general only small rainbow and dolly varden trout live in that stretch of the river. Below it the Gordon runs through Little Canyon then plunges over Cable Car Falls, which is usually considered the upper limit of summer steelhead passage. The river is pretty wild for the next twenty+ kilometres as it races past Gordon River Camp, which has been operating since the 1940’s, and picks up a series of tributaries like the East and West Forks, McBain, Lookout, and Loup.

 

For most of this distance the Gordon is a torrent raging between very narrow canyon walls. Major waterfalls are present below Loup and above Bugaboo Creeks and there are numerous smaller falls and cascades. Below Bugaboo Falls, canyon country persists for another five kilometres before the river finally starts to level out. Knowledgeable locals will tell you that Bugaboo Falls is the upper limit of salmon and winter steelhead migration.


  • lanforod likes this

#66 Mike K.

Mike K.
  • Administrator
  • 83,184 posts

Posted 09 April 2018 - 09:08 PM

Oh yeah, but I meant Gordon River logging road main, is that what you drove up to access your fishing spots?


Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.


#67 AllseeingEye

AllseeingEye

    AllSeeingEye

  • Member
  • 6,543 posts

Posted 10 April 2018 - 05:24 PM

No we took one of the smaller fire access "roads" (I used the term loosely; pothole-festooned half century gravel trail is closer to the reality) just south of the Lower Harris Bridge. Drove about eight kilometers in and then hiked another 3-4 clicks with our gear..


  • Mike K. likes this

#68 Mike K.

Mike K.
  • Administrator
  • 83,184 posts

Posted 11 April 2018 - 08:27 AM

Beautiful, beautiful country out there. You're making me backroad hungry.


  • AllseeingEye and todd like this

Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.


#69 Mattjvd

Mattjvd
  • Member
  • 1,046 posts

Posted 11 April 2018 - 09:55 AM

I just finalized some plans with my father to head up to Kyuquot for a week in late August! Excellent salmon and halibut fishing there, even if it's a pain to get to.
  • Mike K., AllseeingEye and todd like this

#70 AllseeingEye

AllseeingEye

    AllSeeingEye

  • Member
  • 6,543 posts

Posted 11 April 2018 - 03:28 PM

I just finalized some plans with my father to head up to Kyuquot for a week in late August! Excellent salmon and halibut fishing there, even if it's a pain to get to.

The bigger the "pain" i.e. the harder it is to get to the fish, the greater the reward..... :)


  • todd and Mattjvd like this

#71 AllseeingEye

AllseeingEye

    AllSeeingEye

  • Member
  • 6,543 posts

Posted 19 May 2018 - 09:08 PM

So I did my penance today by working in the garden !all day! with Mrs ASE; my reward is to head out on this baby tomorrow (pic was taken looking astern from her transom on a trip last year off the west coast of the island) to Otter Point in search of the elusive sockeye salmon - 

 

 

Attached Images

  • VI fishing.jpg

  • jonny, lanforod and todd like this

#72 tjv

tjv
  • Member
  • 2,403 posts

Posted 20 May 2018 - 07:26 AM

I've got to get out on the boat and do some serious halibut fishing soon.  Nothing beats hooking into a $1500 fish for free*

 

*ignoring the cost of the boat, the fuel, maintenance, moorage, bait, rods, tackle (yup free, lalala I can't hear you lol)


  • AllseeingEye and todd like this

#73 AllseeingEye

AllseeingEye

    AllSeeingEye

  • Member
  • 6,543 posts

Posted 20 May 2018 - 04:29 PM

I've got to get out on the boat and do some serious halibut fishing soon.  Nothing beats hooking into a $1500 fish for free*

 

*ignoring the cost of the boat, the fuel, maintenance, moorage, bait, rods, tackle (yup free, lalala I can't hear you lol)

The boat from the pic above is an aluminum hull 12-meter commercial diving boat that sleeps four - more if the weather is nice and you want to bunk on the deck or roof of the bridge - with a 12-cylinder inboard Volvo engine.

 

Cost of the boat when new including custom items such as the dive winch and prop, electronic, nav and sonar gear was about $100K; to fuel the tanks from empty will set you back about $1400, an oil change is $400, moorage for a prime spot by the main float plane base on the inner harbour is approximately $1000/mo, the fishing tackle and gear currently in use cost in the neighborhood of about $10 g's. Good news is that "bait" is rarely used other than baby octopus if you're going for halibut - so your costs there would be minimal :)


  • todd likes this

#74 tjv

tjv
  • Member
  • 2,403 posts

Posted 21 May 2018 - 10:44 AM

^oh I'm well aware what the bills are although the price of the boat sounds extremely cheap (I would peg that boat new at 300-350k) although the moorage sounds expensive but maybe its a lot more for a commercial operation vs private use, I'm about half of that at Oak Bay Marina

 

anyway, hope you got something, I'm trying to get out next weekend



#75 On the Level

On the Level
  • Member
  • 2,891 posts

Posted 21 May 2018 - 06:37 PM

^ That boat is a dream!  I ended up with a 13 lb spring yesterday, my brother a 10 lb...someone else (not associated with us) pulled up a 28.5 lbs....nice!  Crazy amount of Porpoises moving around the area.  Nice to see. 


  • AllseeingEye and lanforod like this

#76 AllseeingEye

AllseeingEye

    AllSeeingEye

  • Member
  • 6,543 posts

Posted 21 May 2018 - 08:55 PM

^ That boat is a dream!  I ended up with a 13 lb spring yesterday, my brother a 10 lb...someone else (not associated with us) pulled up a 28.5 lbs....nice!  Crazy amount of Porpoises moving around the area.  Nice to see. 

Nice work OTL, fishing was indeed spotty yesterday as our good friends at Island Outfitters told us the previous day, so your party did well; we lost two springs literally as they were coming over the side mainly due to an inexperienced person on the net. Otherwise we only saw one other boat bring anything aboard.

 

Kuroshio is a dream and fun as hell to drive especially when you get a chance to open up the throttle and let her do some broken field running :)...

 

This is a shot of her from a recent maintenance gig in Sidney: 

Attached Images

  • Kuroshio.jpg

  • lanforod and On the Level like this

#77 AllseeingEye

AllseeingEye

    AllSeeingEye

  • Member
  • 6,543 posts

Posted 29 July 2018 - 08:11 PM

Well after about a decade of talking about it our cohort *finally* took the plunge, put on our collective big boy pants and booked a fishing trip of a lifetime for October; we're headed for Skeena country starting approximately where the Bulkley River enters the Skeena and points west for five glorious days. Costing an arm and a leg but well worth the money. We've talked until we're blue in the face about everything from fishing Alaska, the Yukon and even the Sea of Cortez so I'm pretty stoked we finally "bucked up" and booked this trip. Naturally I had to celebrate by going out and adding to my fly fishing rod and reel arsenal today. Now I just have to pick the appropriate time to tell Mrs ASE.... :thumbsup:


  • LJ, Matt R., Bingo and 3 others like this

#78 Mike K.

Mike K.
  • Administrator
  • 83,184 posts

Posted 30 July 2018 - 09:05 AM

Fantastic! Can’t wait for the pictures, ASE!

Know it all.
Citified.ca is Victoria's most comprehensive research resource for new-build homes and commercial spaces.


#79 AllseeingEye

AllseeingEye

    AllSeeingEye

  • Member
  • 6,543 posts

Posted 25 August 2018 - 06:39 PM

Have to admit my enthusiasm for Bass Pro took a big hit this past week; Mrs ASE was in YVR on business and as its my birthday later this week insisted she stop by BP to pick me up a new fly rod/reel (yes she spoils me rotten).

 

I texted her the ideal rod + reel manufacturer and specs that I wanted and which fit the budget - stuff any novice fisherman should understand and especially someone in the industry who sells the gear. Well no such luck. The guy at BP had no idea what rod weight meant (no it has nothing to do with the physical weight of the rod you knucklehead), wasn't certain about the difference between dry and wet flies - huh???? - and "didn't think" they had the specific reel make I wanted in stock - nor did he offer to go look, a Customer Service 101 Fail in my book. That would never have happened at the better local retail fishing outlets such as Island Outfitters or Robinson's Sporting Goods who almost always hit it out of the park in terms of both their knowledge of fishing (salt or fresh water, trolling, spin cast or fly fishing), and especially service. I think I'll stick with the local guys.....


  • Langford Rat and todd like this

#80 Langford Rat

Langford Rat
  • Member
  • 405 posts

Posted 28 August 2018 - 10:33 AM

I'm not surprised. When we went, I don't think I saw any staff that didn't appear to be fresh from their high school graduation. BP is like the Walmart of sporting good stores. They are running an ad right now for a sales associate. No indication of any requirement to know anything about hunting, fishing, hiking, etc. Send in your resume indicating which department you prefer. Must be 18, a high school grad, good communication and reasoning ability. Oh, they do require "other knowledge, skills and abilities"...that'll sure come in handy.


  • AllseeingEye likes this

You're not quite at the end of this discussion topic!

Use the page links at the lower-left to go to the next page to read additional posts.
 



0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users