Posts tagged 'British Columbia'

There’s something inspiring to step outside and stretch the boundaries of your fishing and outdoor experiences. 

We all have them. Road trips to see family and friends, for work, or for going on a road trip for the sake of being on a road trip. And while the focus of the road trip may be the destination, if you have just a little time, there’s a real chance to ...

Two years ago, 2015, was probably one of southern BC’s banner years for pink salmon, and I was there.

On odd numbered years such as this year, 2017, Southern BC rivers and streams fill to capacity with spawning pink salmon. They start showing up around ...

Salmon fishing in many BC rivers is a community event, where often times dozens of anglers will string out in a long line 20 or 30 feet apart for their shot at a salmon. 

I had always imagined the Fraser as a huge river with a very swift current, rapids, waterfalls and drop offs. Actually the river itself is quite similar to our North Saskatchewan River in northern Alberta in many respects. It's the scenery that really sets the two rivers apart. The mountains, hundreds of bald eagles, and the salmon jumping at this time of year, make this boat ride an adventure in it itself. Although I have fished lots of lakes over the years and drifted the Bow and Red Deer Rivers in a drift boat, I gained a whole new respect for the guides who are navigating jet boats in this ever-changing river.

A fishing life usually starts like this. A new angler decides to go fishing and to begin with any species or fishing opportunity will do. The real goal is simply getting out and catching a fish, never mind what type or how many. A bend on the end of the rod is the measure of a good day. That's how I started and I can't count how many days I spent fishing the banks of the Fraser River near Chilliwack, BC. I caught suckers, bullheads, pike minnows, carp and on very rare occasion, trout. My experiences were very typical of a new angler.

I've been going back and forth to the coast for many years and it's always a thrill to look down into the water and see the mottled brown diamond shape twisting and turning on my line. Halibut are sought after and with a little perseverance, they can be caught. The hardest thing about catching halibut is locating them and sometimes this requires a lengthy boat ride out into the pacific. Big halibut are often deep dwellers that make forays into the shallows to feed.

That was the great mystery. I talked my dad, who lives in Prince George to give up his beloved BC fishing to come over to the flat lands and tangle with what's locally known as pickerel. My choice was obvious, Calling Lake. For the entire summer I'd been making regular pilgrimages to this well-known hot spot and I was never disappointed. Every day I could count on catching big, beautiful plump walleye by the dozens and I had several days where we broke a 100.