Divert
11-07-2010, 04:03 PM
Well i'm finally getting my pics uploaded on here, been a while but better late then never right.
Well me and three buddies went out for a trip to the island to hike the West Coast Trail as well as do some surfing and get some fishing in, after much research we decided to go with Jay's Clayoquot Ventures.
We left Calgary on the 27th and drove all night finally making it to the Burnaby Wal-Mart at around 0500 and had a bit of a sleep. Managed to salvage some of the day by tourning around Van, for dinner went to a place in North Van called Salmon House On The Hill. Absolutely AMAZING food, would highly recomend to anyone passing through the area, and the prices wern't that bad either. We made the ferry that night and found a nice cozy parking spot in the Port Alberni Wal-Mart.
On the 29th we leisurely made it to Tofino and checked in at the fly and tackle shop for the charter the following day. I have to say there shop was easily the nicest tackle shop i have ever been in. So liscences bought and fee's paid we were all ready for the following morning, to kill some time we rented surf boards and gave it an honest go, all i have to say from that is, Now I know why all surfers are skinny! Ended the night by watching the sunset over the ocean while sitting around a fire on Chesterman Beach, it was one of those times when everything seemed right in the world.
Woke up on the 30th after what seemed like many hours of lying awake waiting for sleep to come but unable to get the thought of salmon out of my head. Went down to the docks and met up with our guide Bren, It was a beautiful morning so far a little bit of fog but for all we cared it could have been raining as we were looking forward to the fishing so much. We set out the fog disapated just as we cleared the harbour and found the swell to be almost non-existant, I heard on the radio all the guides saying it was probabaly the nicest morning of the year so far. The feeling on the boat grew with the long ride out to the area we were going to fish for the day, 13 miles off of the coast in about 150ft of water.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0786.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0790.jpg
It didnt take long for the first hit of the morning, I took the third fish. I remember thinking wow doesnt even compare to the slough shark of the praries. A great morning was had by all three of us. We eventually limited out on chinook and even brought in a coho before deciding to go for the halibut. The biggest chinook we landed was a 23lb beauty.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0801.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0804.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0873.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0809.jpg
We decided to head out for some halibut in the early afternoon, we were jigging 6" white grubs, the same that I was using for walleye a week earlier although these ones were about 20 times bigger. After about 15min of jigging we landed our first halibut around the 18lb range shortly after we landed one about 27lbs, I unfortunately caught a little rockfish, I let my hook down as soon as I could but by the time I was set up it seemed that the bite was over. After a couple of hours trying we decided to head in and set some crab traps while our guide cleaned the fish.
We ended up with three crab for that nights meal.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0876.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0888.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN1036.jpg
That evening we relaxed and talked about the adventures of the day while eating our crab in a parking lot behind our camper, I have to say it was the best crab I have ever had, although we did have to get inventive with a coleman lantern and pot to melt the butter, but everything worked out for us.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN1042.jpg
I just want to say thanks to Bren, it was the first time for me fishing with a guide and it was great to have one who seemed like he enjoyed being out fishing as much as us. And thanks to Jay for having such a great outfit in Tofino, we will defenitely be back.
Well me and three buddies went out for a trip to the island to hike the West Coast Trail as well as do some surfing and get some fishing in, after much research we decided to go with Jay's Clayoquot Ventures.
We left Calgary on the 27th and drove all night finally making it to the Burnaby Wal-Mart at around 0500 and had a bit of a sleep. Managed to salvage some of the day by tourning around Van, for dinner went to a place in North Van called Salmon House On The Hill. Absolutely AMAZING food, would highly recomend to anyone passing through the area, and the prices wern't that bad either. We made the ferry that night and found a nice cozy parking spot in the Port Alberni Wal-Mart.
On the 29th we leisurely made it to Tofino and checked in at the fly and tackle shop for the charter the following day. I have to say there shop was easily the nicest tackle shop i have ever been in. So liscences bought and fee's paid we were all ready for the following morning, to kill some time we rented surf boards and gave it an honest go, all i have to say from that is, Now I know why all surfers are skinny! Ended the night by watching the sunset over the ocean while sitting around a fire on Chesterman Beach, it was one of those times when everything seemed right in the world.
Woke up on the 30th after what seemed like many hours of lying awake waiting for sleep to come but unable to get the thought of salmon out of my head. Went down to the docks and met up with our guide Bren, It was a beautiful morning so far a little bit of fog but for all we cared it could have been raining as we were looking forward to the fishing so much. We set out the fog disapated just as we cleared the harbour and found the swell to be almost non-existant, I heard on the radio all the guides saying it was probabaly the nicest morning of the year so far. The feeling on the boat grew with the long ride out to the area we were going to fish for the day, 13 miles off of the coast in about 150ft of water.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0786.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0790.jpg
It didnt take long for the first hit of the morning, I took the third fish. I remember thinking wow doesnt even compare to the slough shark of the praries. A great morning was had by all three of us. We eventually limited out on chinook and even brought in a coho before deciding to go for the halibut. The biggest chinook we landed was a 23lb beauty.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0801.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0804.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0873.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0809.jpg
We decided to head out for some halibut in the early afternoon, we were jigging 6" white grubs, the same that I was using for walleye a week earlier although these ones were about 20 times bigger. After about 15min of jigging we landed our first halibut around the 18lb range shortly after we landed one about 27lbs, I unfortunately caught a little rockfish, I let my hook down as soon as I could but by the time I was set up it seemed that the bite was over. After a couple of hours trying we decided to head in and set some crab traps while our guide cleaned the fish.
We ended up with three crab for that nights meal.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0876.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN0888.jpg
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN1036.jpg
That evening we relaxed and talked about the adventures of the day while eating our crab in a parking lot behind our camper, I have to say it was the best crab I have ever had, although we did have to get inventive with a coleman lantern and pot to melt the butter, but everything worked out for us.
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f190/nate3402/van%20trip/DSCN1042.jpg
I just want to say thanks to Bren, it was the first time for me fishing with a guide and it was great to have one who seemed like he enjoyed being out fishing as much as us. And thanks to Jay for having such a great outfit in Tofino, we will defenitely be back.