anorthernhunter
Active Member
Going back up to North Island Lodge at the end of August ... anyone go up there that late? Went end of June and it was good.
2018 Haida Gwaii Reports
- Thread starter SFBC
- Start date
scott craven
Well-Known Member
They were offering a 35% discount for Aug 29- Sept 02
check it out !
check it out !
bigdogeh
Well-Known Member
We need to to import a few great white sharks to our area's also... They've been coming up north on our east coast...
Did a recent trip to Naden Harbour organized by a longtime friend from my school days back in Southern Alberta. We stayed at Peregrine Lodge and, for the first time ever, my buddy suggested we take our wives along for the trip! (Will try to write more about that in a separate post). There were 5 couples in total and of the 10 of us there, only 4 had previously caught a Salmon so it was a great experience for all. The weather ran the spectrum from rain to sunshine and flat calm to winds pushing 20 knots!
Day 1 saw us fishing in a monsoon rain. My buddy and I hit the water with our guide Kai, who happens to be the grandson of the legendary Charlie White. Kai had been on a bit of a hot streak landing released 46 and 38 pound Chinooks the day before we arrived. Of course you all know the stories about being a day late or a day early! We fished the rocks hard with cut plugs all day with only a couple of soft bites and a Coho, that hit the box, to show for it. As Terry and I were only interested in targeting big fish we knew the odds were not in our favour, so we were not disappointed in the results and enjoyed our day fishing with Kai in spite of the rain. Most of the other boats managed to catch fish including a few nice Coho about a mile offshore and some smaller Halibut for the freezer.
My wife fighting a fish and the elements on day 1.
My buddy assuming the position and taking a reprieve from the rain...until I gave his line a good yank of course!
Day 2 brought glorious sunshine and calm seas which made for much more enjoyable fishing conditions. Our guide for the day was Jake and I quickly put 2 and 2 together to realize we were fishing with a young man whose family has a long history of guiding on the west coast. There were more Chinooks to be had this day and everyone managed to get into a few including an all girls boat, where all three managed to land a fish between 20 and 23 pounds as well as make their guide blush a few times! Our boat had a couple rookies on board so our landing to hook up ratio on the day was not great but it reminded me that no matter how many fish you have caught, there is nothing quite like the first time you hook into a Chinook that is close to Tyee status. What was a good day could have been a great day, in terms of fish caught, had I not got sealed on a decent fish and my newcomer buddy hadn't lost three while he figured out how quickly these magnificent beasts can school you with their speed, strength and agility! He finally landed one that made him feel better about his day. We took an hour away from Chinook fishing to head a mile or so offshore and got into a nice school of Coho landing five all around the 12 pound mark, including one on a fly rod, within 45 minutes or so.
The one that didn't get away!
The all girl boat kicked our asses that day!
Day 3 was filled with more sunshine but the wind kicked up big time. We were out with Jake once again and this time my buddy Terry and I had our wives on board. Fishing four to a boat sounded like it may be a challenge but we had a great day even though the girls decided napping was important during the slow fishing stretches. Early on, the fish seemed to be hungry and myself and the ladies each landed a Chinook, but the wind forced a number of boats into a small area that offered protection, which made conditions a bit more challenging. I managed to connect with a 24 that turned out to be the big fish of the day and won me the lodge pool. Now, that wouldn't have happened if my good friend Terry hadn't lost a nice one right at the boat in the final minutes of fishing. Due to the wind we were forced to head back toward the lodge and the only piece of protected water left to fish before heading into Naden Harbour isn't exactly known to produce many. With the sun shining we decided to give it a go for the last 45 minutes and enjoy the calm waters. Due to the weather there were a number of commercial trollers anchored, as well as lots of kelp floating about, so we set to fishing without a whole lot of expectations. After a few minutes had passed, and we had nothing but interactions with kelp, I suggested to my buddy that I thought it would be poetic justice if the Fish Gods offered us up a Tyee class fish, given the amount of time we had put in hunting the nooks and crannies looking for a hog, in some crazy conditions. Within a couple minutes a rod starts the soft tap of a possible Salmon. Terry grabs the rod, does the cut plug dance and a few seconds later sets the hook. The fish starts to run and Jake does a great job of maneuvering the boat to avoid the various anchor ropes around us. In his spare time he also manged to cut three different kelp clusters from Terry's line all the while staying on top of the fish. Everything was working beautifully until that fateful moment when, upon seeing the fish up close for the first time, Jake declared it might go over 30 which prompted Terry to pronounce that the pool money was all but his to share with Jake and that he would take the lead in a bet he had, for a nice bottle of red wine, with one of the gals on a different boat. The Salmon had put up a great fight and was looking like it was ready to concede. Terry had good pressure on the line and was ready to start backing up for Jake to net the fish when inexplicably, and without any real hard last kick, the line went slack and we watched it swim away, proving once again that you should never open your mouth and mess with the Fish Gods!
My pool winning fish! @Fishtofino , do you recognize the young man holding the fish?
Day 4 was a typical Haida Gwaii day with a mix of sun and cloud and a steady breeze. Our boat manged to hook into 4 or 5 fish early on but nothing of any real size. This was the case with most of the boats, but once again the all girls boat managed to land a couple decent fish and create a lot of laughter on the fishing grounds. Their guide declared he had never had so much fun on a charter and when the girls decided to pull out all the stops and provide their own style of "flasher," it was official! The fishing overall was certainly not similar to some of the experiences I have had in the past in sheer numbers and the lack of bigger fish on the board this year is sad to see. However, the experience was once again phenomenal and the ladies coming along only enhanced the fun and memories of another fantastic fishing adventure in one of the many beautiful spots we are blessed with in BC.
The official flasher of the all girls team!
Brian
Day 1 saw us fishing in a monsoon rain. My buddy and I hit the water with our guide Kai, who happens to be the grandson of the legendary Charlie White. Kai had been on a bit of a hot streak landing released 46 and 38 pound Chinooks the day before we arrived. Of course you all know the stories about being a day late or a day early! We fished the rocks hard with cut plugs all day with only a couple of soft bites and a Coho, that hit the box, to show for it. As Terry and I were only interested in targeting big fish we knew the odds were not in our favour, so we were not disappointed in the results and enjoyed our day fishing with Kai in spite of the rain. Most of the other boats managed to catch fish including a few nice Coho about a mile offshore and some smaller Halibut for the freezer.
My wife fighting a fish and the elements on day 1.
My buddy assuming the position and taking a reprieve from the rain...until I gave his line a good yank of course!
Day 2 brought glorious sunshine and calm seas which made for much more enjoyable fishing conditions. Our guide for the day was Jake and I quickly put 2 and 2 together to realize we were fishing with a young man whose family has a long history of guiding on the west coast. There were more Chinooks to be had this day and everyone managed to get into a few including an all girls boat, where all three managed to land a fish between 20 and 23 pounds as well as make their guide blush a few times! Our boat had a couple rookies on board so our landing to hook up ratio on the day was not great but it reminded me that no matter how many fish you have caught, there is nothing quite like the first time you hook into a Chinook that is close to Tyee status. What was a good day could have been a great day, in terms of fish caught, had I not got sealed on a decent fish and my newcomer buddy hadn't lost three while he figured out how quickly these magnificent beasts can school you with their speed, strength and agility! He finally landed one that made him feel better about his day. We took an hour away from Chinook fishing to head a mile or so offshore and got into a nice school of Coho landing five all around the 12 pound mark, including one on a fly rod, within 45 minutes or so.
The one that didn't get away!
The all girl boat kicked our asses that day!
Day 3 was filled with more sunshine but the wind kicked up big time. We were out with Jake once again and this time my buddy Terry and I had our wives on board. Fishing four to a boat sounded like it may be a challenge but we had a great day even though the girls decided napping was important during the slow fishing stretches. Early on, the fish seemed to be hungry and myself and the ladies each landed a Chinook, but the wind forced a number of boats into a small area that offered protection, which made conditions a bit more challenging. I managed to connect with a 24 that turned out to be the big fish of the day and won me the lodge pool. Now, that wouldn't have happened if my good friend Terry hadn't lost a nice one right at the boat in the final minutes of fishing. Due to the wind we were forced to head back toward the lodge and the only piece of protected water left to fish before heading into Naden Harbour isn't exactly known to produce many. With the sun shining we decided to give it a go for the last 45 minutes and enjoy the calm waters. Due to the weather there were a number of commercial trollers anchored, as well as lots of kelp floating about, so we set to fishing without a whole lot of expectations. After a few minutes had passed, and we had nothing but interactions with kelp, I suggested to my buddy that I thought it would be poetic justice if the Fish Gods offered us up a Tyee class fish, given the amount of time we had put in hunting the nooks and crannies looking for a hog, in some crazy conditions. Within a couple minutes a rod starts the soft tap of a possible Salmon. Terry grabs the rod, does the cut plug dance and a few seconds later sets the hook. The fish starts to run and Jake does a great job of maneuvering the boat to avoid the various anchor ropes around us. In his spare time he also manged to cut three different kelp clusters from Terry's line all the while staying on top of the fish. Everything was working beautifully until that fateful moment when, upon seeing the fish up close for the first time, Jake declared it might go over 30 which prompted Terry to pronounce that the pool money was all but his to share with Jake and that he would take the lead in a bet he had, for a nice bottle of red wine, with one of the gals on a different boat. The Salmon had put up a great fight and was looking like it was ready to concede. Terry had good pressure on the line and was ready to start backing up for Jake to net the fish when inexplicably, and without any real hard last kick, the line went slack and we watched it swim away, proving once again that you should never open your mouth and mess with the Fish Gods!
My pool winning fish! @Fishtofino , do you recognize the young man holding the fish?
Day 4 was a typical Haida Gwaii day with a mix of sun and cloud and a steady breeze. Our boat manged to hook into 4 or 5 fish early on but nothing of any real size. This was the case with most of the boats, but once again the all girls boat managed to land a couple decent fish and create a lot of laughter on the fishing grounds. Their guide declared he had never had so much fun on a charter and when the girls decided to pull out all the stops and provide their own style of "flasher," it was official! The fishing overall was certainly not similar to some of the experiences I have had in the past in sheer numbers and the lack of bigger fish on the board this year is sad to see. However, the experience was once again phenomenal and the ladies coming along only enhanced the fun and memories of another fantastic fishing adventure in one of the many beautiful spots we are blessed with in BC.
The official flasher of the all girls team!
Brian
Last edited:
Aces
Well-Known Member
Did a recent trip to Naden Harbour organized by a longtime friend from my school days back in Southern Alberta. We stayed at Peregrine Lodge and, for the first time ever, my buddy suggested we take our wives along for the trip! (Will try to write more about that in a separate post). There were 5 couples in total and of the 10 of us there, only 4 had previously caught a Salmon so it was a great experience for all. The weather ran the spectrum from rain to sunshine and flat calm to winds pushing 20 knots!
Day 1 saw us fishing in a monsoon rain. My buddy and I hit the water with our guide Kai, who happens to be the grandson of the legendary Charlie White. Kai had been on a bit of a hot streak landing released 46 and 38 pound Chinooks the day before we arrived. Of course you all know the stories about being a day late or a day early! We fished the rocks hard with cut plugs all day with only a couple of soft bites and a Coho, that hit the box, to show for it. As Terry and I were only interested in targeting big fish we knew the odds were not in our favour, so we were not disappointed in the results and enjoyed our day fishing with Kai in spite of the rain. Most of the other boats managed to catch fish including a few nice Coho about a mile offshore and some smaller Halibut for the freezer.
View attachment 39620
My wife fighting a fish and the elements on day 1.
View attachment 39621
My buddy assuming the position and taking a reprieve from the rain...until I gave his line a good yank of course!
Day 2 brought glorious sunshine and calm seas which made for much more enjoyable fishing conditions. Our guide for the day was Jake and I quickly put 2 and 2 together to realize we were fishing with a young man whose family has a long history of guiding on the west coast. There were more Chinooks to be had this day and everyone managed to get into a few including an all girls boat, where all three managed to land a fish between 20 and 23 pounds as well as make their guide blush a few times! Our boat had a couple rookies on board so our landing to hook up ratio on the day was not great but it reminded me that no matter how many fish you have caught, there is nothing quite like the first time you hook into a Chinook that is close to Tyee status. What was a good day could have been a great day, in terms of fish caught, had I not got sealed on a decent fish and my newcomer buddy hadn't lost three while he figured out how quickly these magnificent beasts can school you with their speed, strength and agility! He finally landed one that made him feel better about his day. We took an hour away from Chinook fishing to head a mile or so offshore and got into a nice school of Coho landing five all around the 12 pound mark, including one on a fly rod, within 45 minutes or so.
View attachment 39632
The one that didn't get way!
View attachment 39633
View attachment 39634
View attachment 39635
The all girl boat kicked our asses that day!
Day 3 was filled with more sunshine but the wind kicked up big time. We were out with Jake once again and this time my buddy Terry and I had our wives on board. Fishing four to a boat sounded like it my be a challenge but we had a great day even though the girls decided napping was important during the slow fishing stretches. Early on, the fish seemed to be hungry and myself and the ladies each landed a Chinook, but the wind forced a number of boats into a small area that offered protection, which made conditions a bit more challenging. I managed to connect with a 24 that turned out to be the big fish of the day and won me the lodge pool. Now, that wouldn't have happened if my good friend Terry had lost a nice one right at the boat in the final minutes of fishing. Due to the wind we were forced to head back toward the lodge and the only piece of protected water left to fish before heading into Naden Harbour isn't exactly known to produce many. With the sun shining we decided to give it a go for the last 45 minutes and enjoy the calm waters. Due to the weather there were a number of commercial trollers anchored, as well as lots of kelp floating about, so we set to fishing without a whole lot of expectations. After a few minutes had passed, and we had nothing but interactions with kelp, I suggested to my buddy that I thought it would be poetic justice if the Fish Gods offered us up a Tyee class fish, given the amount of time we had put in hunting the nooks and crannies looking for a hog, in some crazy conditions. Within a couple minutes a rod starts the soft tap of a possible Salmon. Terry grabs the rod, does the cut plug dance and a few seconds later sets the hook. The fish starts to run and Jake does a great job of maneuvering the boat to avoid the various anchor ropes around us. In his spare time he also manged to cut three different kelp clusters from Terry's line all the while staying on top of the fish. Everything was working beautifully until that fateful moment when, upon seeing the fish up close for the first time, Jake declared it might go over 30 which prompted Terry to pronounce that the pool money was all but his to share with Jake and that he would take the lead in a bet he had, for a nice bottle of red wine, with one of the gals on a different boat. The Salmon had put up a great fight and was looking like it was ready to concede. Terry had good pressure on the line and was ready to start backing up for Jake to net the fish when inexplicably, and without any real hard last kick, the line went slack and we watched it swim away, proving once again that you should never open your mouth and mess with the Fish Gods!
View attachment 39638
My pool winning fish! @Fishtofino , do you recognize the young man holding the fish?
Day 4 was a typical Haida Gwaii day with a mix of sun and cloud and a steady breeze. Our boat manged to hook into 4 or 5 fish early on but nothing of any real size. This was the case with most of the boats, but once again the all girls boat managed to land a couple decent fish and create a lot of laughter on the fishing grounds. Their guide declared he had never had so much fun on a charter and when the girls decided to pull out all the stops and provide their own style of "flasher," it was official! The fishing overall was certainly not similar to some of the experiences I have had in the past in sheer numbers and the lack of bigger fish on the board this year is sad to see. However, the experience was once again phenomenal and the ladies coming along only enhanced the fun and memories of another fantastic fishing adventure in one of the many beautiful spots we are blessed with in BC.
View attachment 39639
View attachment 39640
The official flasher of the all girls team!
Brian
It's a wonder you got any at all with that whipper snapper!
It's a wonder you got any at all with that whipper snapper!
He obviously picked up a lot of knowledge from you and his Dad or it is just part of the gene pool!
Stizzla
Crew Member
You Haida Gwaii folk know how to type up a report! Wow, thanks for the detail and all the pics. I’m working on getting up there next season myself. Now I won’t be able to sleep tonight...Did a recent trip to Naden Harbour organized by a longtime friend from my school days back in Southern Alberta. We stayed at Peregrine Lodge and, for the first time ever, my buddy suggested we take our wives along for the trip! (Will try to write more about that in a separate post). There were 5 couples in total and of the 10 of us there, only 4 had previously caught a Salmon so it was a great experience for all. The weather ran the spectrum from rain to sunshine and flat calm to winds pushing 20 knots!
Day 1 saw us fishing in a monsoon rain. My buddy and I hit the water with our guide Kai, who happens to be the grandson of the legendary Charlie White. Kai had been on a bit of a hot streak landing released 46 and 38 pound Chinooks the day before we arrived. Of course you all know the stories about being a day late or a day early! We fished the rocks hard with cut plugs all day with only a couple of soft bites and a Coho, that hit the box, to show for it. As Terry and I were only interested in targeting big fish we knew the odds were not in our favour, so we were not disappointed in the results and enjoyed our day fishing with Kai in spite of the rain. Most of the other boats managed to catch fish including a few nice Coho about a mile offshore and some smaller Halibut for the freezer.
View attachment 39620
My wife fighting a fish and the elements on day 1.
View attachment 39621
My buddy assuming the position and taking a reprieve from the rain...until I gave his line a good yank of course!
Day 2 brought glorious sunshine and calm seas which made for much more enjoyable fishing conditions. Our guide for the day was Jake and I quickly put 2 and 2 together to realize we were fishing with a young man whose family has a long history of guiding on the west coast. There were more Chinooks to be had this day and everyone managed to get into a few including an all girls boat, where all three managed to land a fish between 20 and 23 pounds as well as make their guide blush a few times! Our boat had a couple rookies on board so our landing to hook up ratio on the day was not great but it reminded me that no matter how many fish you have caught, there is nothing quite like the first time you hook into a Chinook that is close to Tyee status. What was a good day could have been a great day, in terms of fish caught, had I not got sealed on a decent fish and my newcomer buddy hadn't lost three while he figured out how quickly these magnificent beasts can school you with their speed, strength and agility! He finally landed one that made him feel better about his day. We took an hour away from Chinook fishing to head a mile or so offshore and got into a nice school of Coho landing five all around the 12 pound mark, including one on a fly rod, within 45 minutes or so.
View attachment 39632
The one that didn't get way!
View attachment 39633
View attachment 39634
View attachment 39635
The all girl boat kicked our asses that day!
Day 3 was filled with more sunshine but the wind kicked up big time. We were out with Jake once again and this time my buddy Terry and I had our wives on board. Fishing four to a boat sounded like it my be a challenge but we had a great day even though the girls decided napping was important during the slow fishing stretches. Early on, the fish seemed to be hungry and myself and the ladies each landed a Chinook, but the wind forced a number of boats into a small area that offered protection, which made conditions a bit more challenging. I managed to connect with a 24 that turned out to be the big fish of the day and won me the lodge pool. Now, that wouldn't have happened if my good friend Terry had lost a nice one right at the boat in the final minutes of fishing. Due to the wind we were forced to head back toward the lodge and the only piece of protected water left to fish before heading into Naden Harbour isn't exactly known to produce many. With the sun shining we decided to give it a go for the last 45 minutes and enjoy the calm waters. Due to the weather there were a number of commercial trollers anchored, as well as lots of kelp floating about, so we set to fishing without a whole lot of expectations. After a few minutes had passed, and we had nothing but interactions with kelp, I suggested to my buddy that I thought it would be poetic justice if the Fish Gods offered us up a Tyee class fish, given the amount of time we had put in hunting the nooks and crannies looking for a hog, in some crazy conditions. Within a couple minutes a rod starts the soft tap of a possible Salmon. Terry grabs the rod, does the cut plug dance and a few seconds later sets the hook. The fish starts to run and Jake does a great job of maneuvering the boat to avoid the various anchor ropes around us. In his spare time he also manged to cut three different kelp clusters from Terry's line all the while staying on top of the fish. Everything was working beautifully until that fateful moment when, upon seeing the fish up close for the first time, Jake declared it might go over 30 which prompted Terry to pronounce that the pool money was all but his to share with Jake and that he would take the lead in a bet he had, for a nice bottle of red wine, with one of the gals on a different boat. The Salmon had put up a great fight and was looking like it was ready to concede. Terry had good pressure on the line and was ready to start backing up for Jake to net the fish when inexplicably, and without any real hard last kick, the line went slack and we watched it swim away, proving once again that you should never open your mouth and mess with the Fish Gods!
View attachment 39638
My pool winning fish! @Fishtofino , do you recognize the young man holding the fish?
Day 4 was a typical Haida Gwaii day with a mix of sun and cloud and a steady breeze. Our boat manged to hook into 4 or 5 fish early on but nothing of any real size. This was the case with most of the boats, but once again the all girls boat managed to land a couple decent fish and create a lot of laughter on the fishing grounds. Their guide declared he had never had so much fun on a charter and when the girls decided to pull out all the stops and provide their own style of "flasher," it was official! The fishing overall was certainly not similar to some of the experiences I have had in the past in sheer numbers and the lack of bigger fish on the board this year is sad to see. However, the experience was once again phenomenal and the ladies coming along only enhanced the fun and memories of another fantastic fishing adventure in one of the many beautiful spots we are blessed with in BC.
View attachment 39639
View attachment 39640
The official flasher of the all girls team!
Brian
Thanks Stizzla! I hope your trip works out so you can have great stories to tell too.
