Whale Channel

Ryan and his dad went fishing again in British Columbia, Canada.  This time the lodge was docked in Whale Channel.  True to the name, they saw lots of humpback whales.  They even got to see them bubble netting.  Here they are suited up and ready to fish. 

Frank caught a prize winning fish on the very first day!  This salmon weighed over thirty pounds making it a tyee.  It was fairly early in the season for salmon so this was a big deal to catch such a big one.  The tall guy on the left was their guide Clint, who's nickname was Bumpneck (after a rare type of salmon).

Ryan tells me the scenery is unbelievable, that pictures really don't do it justice.  Maybe someday I will see Canada, cold places just aren't very high on my list.  But, this sunset is beautiful.  I think Ryan said the sun didn't set until after 10pm.

Each morning they set out fishing with the sunrise at 5am.  They fished as many hours as they possibly could, stopping only to eat and sleep.  The lodge provided plenty of gourmet food for all the hardworking fishermen, from prime rib to lobster and lots of fish in between.  Even though Ryan packed big lunches each day, a snack boat would swing by with more food just in case someone was still hungry and didn't want to stop fishing.  Here you can see the morning fog just starting to lift.  

And wow does it look gorgeous once the fog lifts.  Ryan says the water is clear and very deep even this close to land.    

Ryan and Frank caught plenty of fish.  I now have over thirty pounds of cleaned, cut and packaged fish in my freezer, and Frank went home with even more.  There was halibut, black cod, lingcod, and of course, salmon.

Here's a picture of the fishing lodge, where it is docked against the shore.  It gets moved later in the season as the salmon run closer to the river inlets.

This was their fourth trip, and it is always a real treat.