Kanadian Kings...eh.

[stam]

I was recently invited up to the Queen Charlottes with a buddy I'd never fished with before, he's pretty much hit all the lodges up there and seems to be hooked up on last minute deals after cancellations...anyway I get the call on thursday that it *could happen* Friday it's on, we hit the road on Sunday, normally if I get an opportunity I take it....this time I was super stoked as all reports said it was "en fuego", get up at 4:00 am for a drive to Vancouver Canada, then a turboprop ride to Sand Spit and a helocopter ride to Hippa Island just in time to watch the clouds part and the sea go flat.....flat.

How do you start this thing? first time in a helocpter was a good one.



Had to fly around this storm, so we got the scenic route.



Saw blue skies and the ocean at the same time, perfect....




Hit the lodge in the early afternoon, they threw us the keys to a boat and we were gone.





We rolled out just outside the island and started in, I'd brought my sage296 and tekota LC 'cause you never know what they are going to give ya', glad I did because it's a downriggin' center pin show up there, and I don't dig the 'riggers, started with whole herring and began the mooch Robbo style, the boats were perfect center console style so you could run the boat and fish no problem, it didn't take long....so many fish, crazy.

first fish..



Local bear population seemed.....high.

[stam]

Our pet puffin kept us entertained diving around the boat.....I'd feed him chuck of herring to keep him close, cool bird.



The lodge had a good photog buzzing around taking pics of all the action, pretty cool to get something other than the standard glory shots..







He seemed fascinated by my lightish gear, and it was the perfect setup for what I was doing, spot a fish on the sounder, drop to the depth and work it in its face.....super high percentage of "fish on"

waded through many, many.....many kings in the 15 to 25 range to find this guy who weighed in at a sweet 35lbs.



Some of the other guys at the lodge chased hali and ling too, but I was obsessed with kings, and couldn't tear myself away from the action, though did end up getting a 30 plus ling while mooching along with some nice teeners, even picked up a few hali, though they were not too big



The flat water was a treat, and it sounded like it was over about the time we left with 30mph winds predicted for the afternoon....sometimes timing is everything.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CE4QqwMoATAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.westcoastresorts.com%2Fsalmon_fishing_lodge_bc_hippa_island.shtml&rct=j&q=west%20coast%20resort&ei=47w-TqqGKZLbiALvx5TDBg&usg=AFQjCNFkWJYx-117NxrMo9Z5hnYYLkGgFQ&cad=rja

[cobble cruiser]

Meadow and I just checked this out and thought WOW, what an incredible trip and pictures. The bear pic rocks! Nice show as usual Stam!

[Robbo]

Sounds like that mass of king salmon that we had here in Craig are now down in the Queenys. Looks like a great trip Stam. Did they frown on your levelwind setup

Looks like I'll have to get me a helicopter and fancy up Man Town a bit to get you to fish here now that you're a high fa'lootin lodgy guy

[stam]

Didn't give 'em the chance to frown on anything, in the end I felt a bit sorry for the guide assigned to us......'cause we never let him in the boat. ...an
no need for that heliochopper in Man Town, the Polar Bear is the perfect ride.

[Robbo]

Good stuff. Nothing quite like mooching for king salmon. Once you get it in your blood it's hard to fish for them any other way. Would love to fish the Charlottes someday. Sounds pretty cool!

[Nelly]

Ok, now I understand why you haven't been using your downriggers this summer

Stam, you my friend, are a fishing mo-sheen!!!

[Bucket]

Good show Stam, you again make me jealous asshat.

[Canyon Man]

Ditto to what Bucket said....asshat !

CM