As most of you know, Brian and Frank recently went on a fishing trip to Vancouver Island, Canada. Here is a brief accounting of their trip. Don't miss our next meeting, September 6th, so you can see their pictures.

Vancouver Island Fishing Trip:

Brian Hudson, Frank Stout and John Staats (Brian's cousin) fished Esperanza Inlet about halfway up the West Coast of Vancouver Island. We stayed at Rodgers Fishing Lodge, a floating camp in Port Eliza Inlet just a couple miles from the Pacific. It was a "bring your own boat package for 4 days/nights. The group left Sat, 8/25, overnited at the Everett, WA Navy Inn, made the ferry from Tsawassen to Namaimo the next morning, spent another night at Campbell River, then drove to Tahsis where the boat was launched. We had a 21 mile run to the lodge through spectacular fjiord-like scenery, and were put up three to a room at the lodge. Day one we fished a couple different areas, lost one big chinook and caught a couple small ones, learned to run the downriggers,and learned a little about boat handling and keeping things upright on the way back through some 8-9 ft swells. John was relaxing in the back while Frank and I white-knuckled our way home! The next day it rained, we fished, and it rained, and we fished, and it rained - nothing stayed dry. Day three we had issues with downrigger wire and lost some equipment, Frank caught another salmon and rock fish and we hired a guide for half-day to see if we could improve our luck. Day 4 we made a high speed (well as fast as the boat will go) run back to Tahsis for some more anchovie helmets and down rigger clips) and John immediately picked up a 17lb Chinook when we got back. All in all the fishing didn't turn out as productive as we hoped, but the traveling up and back went extremely well, timing turned out to be about right for motels, ferries, boat travel, etc., and the scenery is second to none - absolutely spectacular. More about the trip at the next meeting - Frank has pics.

Brian