Placido Flamingo and Dirty Harry
Placido Flamingo and Dirty Harry (or spending time on the water again)
While I'm visiting my friend Russ and his wife Rose in Campbell River, British Columbia one of the the weekend conversations turned to seafood and fishing. Russ doesn't like eating seafood or fishing for that matter but it was decided we (Rose and & I) would make a seafood dinner for supper and Russ would eat one of his favorites, spaghetti. Our meal consisted of fresh live dungeness crab and salmon, scallops, prawns with potatoes, onion, corn, rice, and Cajun seasoning. It turned into a very nice meal for all and Russ decided that coming from the north hinterland of Alaska where fishing is a big pastime that I should go fishing in Campbell River the "Salmon Capitol of the World". He booked us a half day charter on the boat "Dirty Harry" and it's captain, Harry. The trip was set up for Monday morning to arrive at the dock at eight A.M. which we arrived a few minutes early to bring our gear down the gangway to the dock slip where the boat was moored.
We put our cooler of food and beer in the roll cart as well as a bag with our weather gear if needed. The gangway leading down to the boats drops about thirty feet due to the tide changes of about fifteen feet in this area. It was before low tide so the water in the boat harbor and inside passage were dropping for another two hours till low tide. We make our way to the boat and drop off the gear and can see the captain Harry preparing the fishing gear on the rear deck of the boat. We do our greetings and introductions and start to pull the gear out of the cart and Harry sees this pink flamingo with a red Christmas hat and green scarf and you could tell by the look on his face what are these two idiots doing bringing along this flamingo on a fishing trip.
I explained my "walkabout" and the international "Where's the Flamingo Tour" which Harry thought was a hoot and was happy to take photos and allow on board his vessel. We took a couple photos at the dock, loaded everything and we cast off in search of Chinook salmon or "winter kings" as they are commonly called. The main fishing season has not quite started yet but the winter kings are still around along with halibut and a couple other fish. The main season starts in about three weeks when there will be a variety of species to catch. Harry talked with several other captains on where everyone was fishing and who was having any luck. Three other boat captains had chosen to ride out about an hour and half from the docks and had no luck while Harry decided to stay closer and try an area close to a local lighthouse on the ebb tide occurring.
We were trolling for the king salmon with two lines in the water at a depth of two hundred to two hundred twenty feet. We used a down rigger with a ten pound weight to pull and hold the line with the lure about five to ten feet above the bottom. Salmon or even halibut may see, smell, hear the line vibrating as it goes by so they head after the lure as it goes by them catching up and taking the bait in their mouth. Once hooked the line comes out of the down rigger the fight is on to land the fish.
Russ was the first to make a catch, a double "rock fish" where he hooked two small sea anemone which had attached themselves each to a rock. Everyone laughed, a beer was broken out in celebration and we through them back in to "grow bigger". As our line trolled over a rise in the sea floor our lures touched the bottom so he hooked the rock as it went over the rocks.
Shortly I hooked my first fish at about 200 feet depth as the rod tip pulled down and the down rigger released the line. The hook was set so it was time to start reeling in the fish. After several turns away from the boat the fish started swimming toward the surface and eventually jumped out of the water much like a silver salmon does when it is fighting. It went back under and several minutes later jumped out of the water again. Nice looking fish was on the line.
The fish was a twelve pound Chinook salmon (winter king) and it turned out to be a white Chinook which is not as common but runs during the winter months. Had it fresh for dinner that night by the way. We re-positioned the boat for the next trolling pass and once again put out our lines in the water and about forty five minutes after catching the first fish I hooked into another one which had more fight but turned out to be a litter smaller, ten pound king salmon.
We fished the changing tide but did not catch anything other than Russ hooked another "rock fish" with this one being a triple with three rocks attached to the sea anemones. The weather was perfect with high clouds in the early morning giving way to sun by the time the tide shifted. The mountains around Campbell River were beautiful and inviting for a hike maybe later in the week.
It was a great day on the water, enjoying natures best, and the fellowship and stories of old and new friends. I left latitude 62° and am now at latitude 50° so I guess there are some attitude changes going on. I'm missing the normalcy and routines of Anchorage and the people there but trying to adapt to these changes now. Good days and bad days but nothing quite seems to remain the same so this adventure continues.
Have an Nice Day!
While I'm visiting my friend Russ and his wife Rose in Campbell River, British Columbia one of the the weekend conversations turned to seafood and fishing. Russ doesn't like eating seafood or fishing for that matter but it was decided we (Rose and & I) would make a seafood dinner for supper and Russ would eat one of his favorites, spaghetti. Our meal consisted of fresh live dungeness crab and salmon, scallops, prawns with potatoes, onion, corn, rice, and Cajun seasoning. It turned into a very nice meal for all and Russ decided that coming from the north hinterland of Alaska where fishing is a big pastime that I should go fishing in Campbell River the "Salmon Capitol of the World". He booked us a half day charter on the boat "Dirty Harry" and it's captain, Harry. The trip was set up for Monday morning to arrive at the dock at eight A.M. which we arrived a few minutes early to bring our gear down the gangway to the dock slip where the boat was moored.
We put our cooler of food and beer in the roll cart as well as a bag with our weather gear if needed. The gangway leading down to the boats drops about thirty feet due to the tide changes of about fifteen feet in this area. It was before low tide so the water in the boat harbor and inside passage were dropping for another two hours till low tide. We make our way to the boat and drop off the gear and can see the captain Harry preparing the fishing gear on the rear deck of the boat. We do our greetings and introductions and start to pull the gear out of the cart and Harry sees this pink flamingo with a red Christmas hat and green scarf and you could tell by the look on his face what are these two idiots doing bringing along this flamingo on a fishing trip.
I explained my "walkabout" and the international "Where's the Flamingo Tour" which Harry thought was a hoot and was happy to take photos and allow on board his vessel. We took a couple photos at the dock, loaded everything and we cast off in search of Chinook salmon or "winter kings" as they are commonly called. The main fishing season has not quite started yet but the winter kings are still around along with halibut and a couple other fish. The main season starts in about three weeks when there will be a variety of species to catch. Harry talked with several other captains on where everyone was fishing and who was having any luck. Three other boat captains had chosen to ride out about an hour and half from the docks and had no luck while Harry decided to stay closer and try an area close to a local lighthouse on the ebb tide occurring.
We were trolling for the king salmon with two lines in the water at a depth of two hundred to two hundred twenty feet. We used a down rigger with a ten pound weight to pull and hold the line with the lure about five to ten feet above the bottom. Salmon or even halibut may see, smell, hear the line vibrating as it goes by so they head after the lure as it goes by them catching up and taking the bait in their mouth. Once hooked the line comes out of the down rigger the fight is on to land the fish.
Russ was the first to make a catch, a double "rock fish" where he hooked two small sea anemone which had attached themselves each to a rock. Everyone laughed, a beer was broken out in celebration and we through them back in to "grow bigger". As our line trolled over a rise in the sea floor our lures touched the bottom so he hooked the rock as it went over the rocks.
Shortly I hooked my first fish at about 200 feet depth as the rod tip pulled down and the down rigger released the line. The hook was set so it was time to start reeling in the fish. After several turns away from the boat the fish started swimming toward the surface and eventually jumped out of the water much like a silver salmon does when it is fighting. It went back under and several minutes later jumped out of the water again. Nice looking fish was on the line.
The fish was a twelve pound Chinook salmon (winter king) and it turned out to be a white Chinook which is not as common but runs during the winter months. Had it fresh for dinner that night by the way. We re-positioned the boat for the next trolling pass and once again put out our lines in the water and about forty five minutes after catching the first fish I hooked into another one which had more fight but turned out to be a litter smaller, ten pound king salmon.
We fished the changing tide but did not catch anything other than Russ hooked another "rock fish" with this one being a triple with three rocks attached to the sea anemones. The weather was perfect with high clouds in the early morning giving way to sun by the time the tide shifted. The mountains around Campbell River were beautiful and inviting for a hike maybe later in the week.
It was a great day on the water, enjoying natures best, and the fellowship and stories of old and new friends. I left latitude 62° and am now at latitude 50° so I guess there are some attitude changes going on. I'm missing the normalcy and routines of Anchorage and the people there but trying to adapt to these changes now. Good days and bad days but nothing quite seems to remain the same so this adventure continues.
Have an Nice Day!
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