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Come on Carl - share with the class! Regail us with tales of mighty salmonoids at QCL and a few pics to whet the appetite before you swan off again!

FINALLY online!

Still no pics of the charlottes. But I'm assured the CD is on its way. My camera died up there so I've got a compilation coming of all those who were with me.

Anyhoot. Lets commense the updates for Canada 2008 with the first week. Mick and mark were gems and I don't think I've seen anyone laugh at the prospect of being eaten by bears so well. And take the P*** out of each other.. and me as much, ever.

So it's been a busy recce week. Several new rivers. Lots of new experiences and lots of broken gear.

So far, the fatalities are four broken rods, a split float tube, a drowned camera and a flattened tackle box. The car isn't fairing up much better with an alteration to a bumper and a few scratches underneath. However, we have proved that you can get a people carrier anywhere you can get a Jeep It just suffers a bit on the way.

Day one saw us hitting the shops for "supplies" and then off to the Quinsum for some Pinks and Coho action. As usual the river was completely different and after finding some suitable pools we were quickly into the sport. Dozens of pinks and a few small coho later, procedings were halted by a bear wandering up behind me not 4 yards away before letting me know he was there. An interesting situation It was to be the first of quite a few. "Bears" turned out to be the theme of the trips this year. The first rod died soon after on a killer pink.

Day two we were in the sea after Coho in the sea but despite covering probably 500 fish we went biteless. So an arly start was called for. The next morning we were out and on the water for 7 an and the fishing was much better. Within a few casts Mark was into a fish just under double figures which decided torelease itself from the net after landing before the trophy shot but it was in the bag. I was up next with a fish of about 11lbs which scrapped really well in the kelp beds.





Then Mick hooked a bright silver 30lb plus chinook just off the kelp and at the end of his rod!
It them spooled him and he was only using an 8 weight with 300 yards of backing without even slowing down!! Thats a alot of winding back in
We then headed up to the Campbell and fished the bridge pool where we managed to hook but not even get close to landing anything





At least twice we had to catch the line below the bridge and lob the rod into the river to continue the fight as a whopper ripped off 200 yards downstream.

continued in next post...

Day three saw us on the Stamp in torrential rain. Despite the river being busting with fish we didn't get a single fish take. Amazing given the numbers of fish but that's why they call it fishing and not catching A mother bear and two cubs was happily searching the far bank for dinner before she decided that OUR side was going to hold better prospects. She waded in and swam across to join us and certainly was an awsome sight! having fished the lower, middle and upper reaches, we called it a day and headed for a fantastic dinner before driving home.

The Stamp... Got fish?


Day five saw us back on the campbell but fishing the Islands pool and it was positively bursting with fish. But is seemed that these too were under the weather and proved difficult to tempt. With another 18" of water in the river it seemed tot he change wasn't for the good. Then the Coho came through. hundreds of bright, fresh fish that were just as difficult to catch.




But persistence pays off and Mick finally hooked into a fish that ripped off 250 yards downstream and was a spec in the rapids in the distance. Letting the line go slack and the fly line belly below him amazingly got the fish to swim all the way back up to where it was hooked! After another 30 minutes it was finally landed and a coloured 20lber was the first fish on the landed List! A little, coloured 20lber had taken 45 minutes and ran over 250 yards before swimming back up the rapids with a full spey line and 100 yards of backing behind it before being landed 30 minutes later! Is it any wonder we get addicted to this? That's power!




Oh and the bears came to visit again too!

Continued in next post...

Day 6 and what a way to end the week!
The dudes headed to the sea with the tubes at 7am and had a VERY close encounter with a bull sea lion which came up at the end of their rods just to check them out For size purposesa bull sea lion is bigger than a grizzly bear!

We then headed over to a new river on the west coast called the Conuma.

Beautiful? Oh yes!



Absolutely breathtaking!

We found a pool with over 2000 fish in it!!! and boy were they up for a nibble. I lost count of the number of tripple hookups we had! Trying to wed out the fresher fish proved impossible and it was just the first salmon to grab the lure that was played!!





Then the first bear arrived! and he was a Bruiser! He definitely was king of the pool and nothing was going to phase him. We had to cross the river to the other side as he ambled in towards us. Mess with the big boys at your peril!
Mick, who was busy playing a fish, didn;t miss a beat and played the fish from the other bank... until the bear came over to our bank and we had to go back over again... Still playing the fish!









Fish landed and released this continued again and again for most of the afternoon. We were all into fish and the bears kept on coming. at one point there were bears fishing IN the pool WITH US!! gobsmacking! The biggest fish landed was about 35lbs and we lost dozens (literally).
One of the most surreal days fishing I've ever had. We even fed a bear a salmon so we could make out exit.





We even fed a bear a salmon so we could make our exit.



Ever fished 5 yards from a bear before?

A Tee-bone dinner on the way home finished it all off perfectly and the trip was done.

The guys headed back to the airport today with big smiles and plenty of stories.

And we get to do it all over again this week! If I can get the Video camera working, there'll be video!

Tight lines.
Carl

We had a change of shift on Saturday as Mick and Mark headed home and Ken and Ron took the battern.

First day was a great success with Ron hooking up first in glorious sunshine and 20 degrees in the islands pool... and it was a BIG fish!!



It ran downstream 250 yards and back THREE times! Ron played it like a trooper for 45 minutes and hadn't started to slow it down when the leader parted. What a fight! It easily went over 40 and was probably closer to 45lb. Well get it tomorrow

After lunch we headed to the Bridge pool where it was Ken's turn. He was quickly into a whopper of his own and after a magnificent fight where the fish headed almost 300 yards downstream before coming back up and then running 200 yards upstream under the bridge! We managed to land it in the tyee pool 250 meters downstream from where it was hooked! ... and it was a tyee too!





We managed to land it in the Tyee pool 250 meters downstream from where it was hooked! ... and it was a tyee too!




We fished on through the afternoon but the takes slowed down again until Ken finally had another one on. This again ran 250 yards down stream to the tyee pool but turned out to be a little 10lber! Why can't 10lb atlantic salmon do 250 yard runs against a full drag on a 15 ft double handed 10 weight?



We're off float tubing in the morning and then back on the rivers tomorrow. Should be a good old day


Tight lines,
Carl

<Dribble> .....must .....keep....pulse-rate....under....control.....

I have dreams like that too?

Alan

Carl, cracking report and photo`s, some stunning fish were had. i am dribbbbbling as i write.

Dave

48hr hours to gooooooo......better go and pack my stuff tonight! (let me see.....wrist supports, deep-heat, girdle, bear repellant.........)

Sorry I didn't get a chance to update yesterday. We've been fishing

So, we spent a full day in the float tubes followed by a late hour on the Campbell. To say the weather was good was an understatement. BC is having record temeratures for the time of year and we ain't complaining!



We didn't catch a whole lot but then when youre fishing in the most beautiful spot on the entire plannet, it doesn't matter. the fish were jumping, but we were too busy enjoying the moment.



These boys are both in their 70's and tried float tubing for the first time. They had a hoot!





Yesterday we headed over to the Stamp river and again the weather was stunning. While the sun was high in the sky the fishing was slow but we found the odd one in the shadows.



Once the sun started to go down the fish started running and the action improved. A fine dinner in the Clam Bucket in Port Albernie finished the day off very nicely.



Today it was all change and a lot of new rivers opened and the retention of salmon was allowed on others. We headed to the Puntledge where the action was thick and fast for most of the day with a very high percentage of fish hooked actually landed





Dinner...









I managed to fall in twice, in the same place, on the same rock and in the same way. I'm crap I am! we kept a brighter chinook and had it tonight, cooked on the fire with mashed potatoes and broccoli. It was the best salmon I've ever had!





Off to bed becasue we've got the boys above showing up tomorrow and we're of tubing again.
More soon!

Tight lines,
Carl

Carl,
I collected two knackered smiling anglers from london Victoria sunday am .
Could'nt get them to shut up ,they had a blinding time .Mick is still raving about his trip .
Glad you have worked out who the cocktail cabinet is !

ahhhhhhh to think it only takes me 3 hours to get there via the ferry, and thats just the island. Iam blessed living in the most beautiful place on the planet.......... leave me some fish please carl, see you next week carl .....

Carl, an other good report, cracking looking place, and timachka you lucky sod

Dave

Hi Andy,
He's now called Medicine Cabinet.

Update coming later today...

Bu--er there goes my swift nip from the Hipflask monday morning .
Still sounds better than bearpoo Campbell

good pics carl wish i could be ther

I will be in 4 days, not that its a long journey..........

Sorry for the lack of reports! We've doing everything faster than I can keep up!
Over 1000 photos from this week alone.

I'll try and get it done this weekend.

The tally for gear is getting ridiculous!

So far we've bust
1 digital camera.
1 camcorder
7 rods!
3 sets of wading boots.
1 waist pack
2 wading jackets
and the list is still growing!

If ANY tackle companies want to see if their gear is fit for market. Just use if for a week here!



C

Well, we're back! Knackered, naturally, but pleased as punch; what an excellent week! Challenging, funny, exhausting, wet, informative....and fishy! Thanks to Carl for being a cracking host and for imparting so much information. What a country Canada is. I will hardly be able to view fishing here in the same way again, and I'm now trying to persuade the family that Vancouver Island would be an Excellent place for a holiday! I can't believe the size of the fish we landed (30lb+ on 8wt gear!) and the power of those that got away....and man, there were alot of those! And as for the bears, well next time someone asks the rhetorical question "does a bear poo in the woods?", I will be able to answer that with some authority.....

Nice one Joe. Glad you enjoyed it.

The last week was so frantic I'm just going to post the photos and a brief description. Needless to say therwe were epic battels each day, close encounters with bears and a whole load of other stuff that you'll encounter if you come along next year

carrying on from above. We went chum bashing...



and guess what fly they took? Is there anything it can't catch?!





and we finally headed up river to bash some final chinooks...



There was an overlap of Joe and Steve arriving and before they had even unpacked they were into fish...



not only that, Steve managed to get a sea run cuthroat which is a bit of a special fish around here!



Then it started raining. And it rained and rained and the fish came into the rivers in their thousands. Sadly this put and end to this years Salt water fishing as the fish headed upstream. But then it's no loss when there are thousands of new salmon in the rivers.

A quick rip to the hatchery showed how many fresh fish there were...



We then headed to the Campbell to wet a line and hook some monsters and we hooked monsters Unfortunately, landing monsters isn't all that easy so we don't have many trophy shots However, we did have huge 300 yard runs and jumping leviathons. And many lines were hooked below the bridge and rods throw in above the bridge to carry on the fight.





The boys were very unlucky not to land the fish they played.

Next day we headed west and met up with the bears again.

The river had completely changed from the previous visit and was running high and coloured. Didn't stop big fish being landed though and what a stunning place to fish...



Steve into his first "biggie"...



Then Joe hooks into a serious fish that promplty spools him with 300 yards of backing...



Despite chasing it downstream, it was too big, too powerful and too quick to even slow down.

Both the buys were into fish again soon after and the fun continued...



and then Steve finally lands a whopper! He had no idea just how big it was!



And what a set of knashers!


Next it was the turn of Ronelle and Peter (our new friends). Ronelle landed her very first salmon!



Joe was next..





and then it was my turn...



as the day drew to a close, we'd found gold at the end of the rainbow...



and the bears came to visit right on cue. We watched a Mother bear feeding her cub of a 50lber just 20 yards across the river. She knew we were there but quite happily got on with it.

Bear Movie...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ2c86GLyng

we also had a HUGE guy walk across the road in front of is as we left in the car.

We stopped and had a big Teebone dinner for peters 71st Birthday on the way home. Happy Birthday peter!



Continued...

Next day we headed to the Campbell again and fished the bridge pool and then the islands.
Despite the river being stuffed with fish they were not in the mood and we only had a few takes.
Joe lost a fish that headed off downstream like a freight train and wrapped the line round a rock in the rapids below.


The weather day made a turn for the better and and surroundings were stunning in the autumn colours.

There was a hatch of stoneflies in the afternoon and the rainbows and cuthroats were taking them kamikazi style in between the Salmon. I grabbed the opportunity to have a go at them with a dry sedge and they loved it.



.

After a day of travelling around the rivers looking for salmon in the taking mood we headed to the Quinsum and they Obliged



Joe was on fire and had several fish in succession...



Not bad on an 8 weight!

and Steve eventually joined in

The day culminated in a double header at dusk which was a laugh when the fish started passing each other in a small stream on 8 weights.

We headed home for a campfire, good craik and a few whistlewetters.



Both fish were eventually lost after epic battles and it was probably a good thing as it was well past "Bear O'clock" and we had a hike through the woods to the car.

last day we headed west again to Mystery Place X Which is so stunning it takes your breath away.



Myself and Tim went on a recce and I hooked into fresh run chums in the sea pool of the river before the fish drifted off until the next tide.



The boys didn't hear the signal to come down and were still playing up in the main river.



The salmon didn't seem to like the fab weather and were incredibley hard to fish for being spookier than I've ever seen. Even landing a fly gently within 15 ft of them saw them panic in the gin clear water.

But it was still a faboulous day and there were some very happy fishermen at the end of the trip.



The boys have (literally) thousands of other photos so they may put some others up that I've ommited and there's definitely some more bear videos to come.

All in all, canada 2008 was a blast, even though the theme of this years trip was fussy fish with them being far harder to hook than in any previous years but everyone landed tyeees and had a great time!

I need a month off now just to recover

As I sit here writing this at a friends house, I have a view of the mainland across the sea. There are two sea lions floating 30 yards offshore and there's an eagle watching them from the tree next door.
What a place!

So that's it. canada 2008, Over and Out

I wanna go baaaaaaaack.....blub.....

Carl, this has got to be the best on going report i have ever read, but have to say it is a fantastic looking place. wish i was out there with you.


Dai

Ah, so many anecdotes there are. One nice Coho I hooked on the lower Puntledge was particularly tricky. After 20 minutes and several stubborn turns and runs both upstream and down, it decided it had had enough and was leaving the party. With astonishing speed it ran back down the river leaving me stumbling through the fast flowing knee-deep water after it. Following the fish intently downstream, I became aware of yelling and realised that I was walking straight into deeper water, and lo and behold, the traction of my boot-soles diminished rapidly. This was a new and novel experience, as I now had an extremely uncooperative fish to contend with as well as the imminent prospect of being swept away, something I wanted to avoid on account of not having any spare pants with me. Oh soooooo gingerly I edged back across the flow into the shallows on the far side and, releasing the clutch entirely the fish dropped into the pool below the rapids, and feeling the pressure come off, turned and held position in the fast water. Excellent thought I, as I steadied my stance and retrieved about 100m of line, getting back into contact. Another standoff ensued, with an interested audience of fellow anglers looking on. At this point my chum Steve said something like "oooooo....loook, there's seals down there...", and sure enough, 150m downstream, two large black heads bobbed around, watching with opportunistic zeal. Time slowed, and the dread grip of unpleasant certainty settled like a lead kebab in my stomach. Just a bit more tension.....need to steer this fish into the shallows...bit more....biiiiit more....little bit OHCRAP! The Coho took umbrage to my attentions once more, turned and screamed off downstream again. 10...20...50...70....100yards.....This time, even slackening the clutch right off did not fool the silver torpedo into turning upstream again. The seals suddenly looked perky and alert...like overweight american kids arriving at a McDonalds Drive-thru. In desperation, I clamped down on the clutch as much as possible, but 'twas to no avail, such is the staggering power of these fish. In the slo-mo action, I watched the backing scythe out, and the seals lock-on like surface to air missile batteries.....then they submerged. The bearded, lumberjack-shirted canadian standing across from me spoke - his words seeping into my brain as through treacle...."oooh no.....NOW you're buggered...!". There was a terrible breath-stifling pause...then the line went REALLLLLY heavy......and then - it wasn't! Seals 1, joe and Coho 0. After wretchedly retrieving miles of backing and line, I finally looked forlornly upon my sadly deformed little Christmas Tree fly, brutally bent out by several hundred pounds of peckish blubber. Nuts. No nice silver salmon, which meant Chinese for dinner again.