Catch of the Day

So to put this all in context, Langara is a very small island just north of the Haida Gwai islands. We are staying in the Chinoook lodge which sleeps about 20 and there is one enormous table which we sit at together to tell fishing tales and eat a delicious 4 course dinner each evening.





The only access to the lodge is via a funicular lift, with the most spectacular views.

















We headed off at 6am this morning, Ross was delighted that we had a 5.30 wake up as he spends his life getting hassled to sleep later and for once he had to be woken up. It was chilly and drizzly but with our red suits we huddled down and carried on.





The best thing of all is that at 9am a tender boat called the Hercules comes out with hot breakfast baps and flasks of coffee and hot chocolate and makes you forget the cold and rain.
A few salmon and then just when we had decided to pack it in for lunch time, Trevor struck gold at 220 feet down. He was using a salmon rod with 25lb line and hooked a 71lb halibut. What a fight, must have taken a good 15 minutes of strain to slowly haul him off the bottom. Duncan then expertly gaffed him and he was hauled aboard. Enough fish for a year of dinners! Trevor was shaking and swears he now has 1 arm longer than the other after heaving up that weight.











A great day for wildlife although with the persistent drizzle we did not manage to get any pictures. We saw 3 lots of humpback whales, awesome to watch for their spray and then see their majestic backs arch as they plough through the water and then up flicks their tail. With a cheeky wave of their white lined pectoral fin, they dive dive dive.
Bald eagles aplenty and we tried to tempt them by throwing bait into the water.






My big catch of the day was kindly donated to a hungry bull of a sea lion. Sad to lose the fish but even more disappointed that I did not have my camera as he surged out of the water, tossed the salmon in the air and chomped on it with his almighty jaws. All that was left was a head!

This afternoon was really quiet with Ross having the only keeper of the afternoon with a 21lb chinook which gave him a good long fight and he will have a sore arm tomorrow.

So settling down to a dinner of:
1. duck spring roll
2. Spinach and fennel salad
3. Mains the choice of grilled beef tenderloin with foie GRAS and truffle sauce, or pheasant dinner or baked sable fish
4. Raspberry sorbet and almond and brown butter torte

So as you can we see we are starving.

posted by the Krige family