Planning a trip to Canada’s West Coast
During the winter of 2019, I was booked to shoot an episode of Fishing the Wild West TV with Queen Charlotte Safaris, out of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. The trip was originally to take place during the summer of 2020. Unfortunately, during the winter months of 2020, the world was put on hold due to COVID-19 and we couldn’t make it to Queen Charlotte Safaris. Two years later, we finally made it and I must say, it was one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever fished.
GETTING THERE
From the time you book your trip with Valerie, (one of the owners of Queen Charlotte Safaris) you are taken care of from that point on. Including your hotel in Vancouver, (if needed), which is only 15-minutes from the Vancouver airport. We boarded a plane to Sandspit, BC on the island of Haida Gwaii. Here a staff member picked us and a few other guests up, loaded our luggage. He then took us on a scenic tour to the lodge, one of only two on the entire island. Within a few minutes, you got the feeling of being amongst family and friends.
DAY ONE
The first morning, after a hearty breakfast, we met our guide at the boat launch and within a few minutes, we were pulling out of the marina and heading for what was locally called the Wall. I was pleasantly surprised, that a great deal of fishing at (QCS) is done in coves, around or near islands, and through channels and canals that only the specially designed shallow-running boats of (QCS) can get to during low tide.
If you are prone to seasickness, or just don’t like being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, (QCS) is the perfect saltwater fishing adventure for you. And you’re surrounded by amazing scenery. After a 45-minute boat ride, which included stopping to view coastal black bears and black-tailed deer along the shoreline, we were setting up the mooching rods and reels to troll the rock islands that sharply protruded out of the depths of the Pacific Ocean.
We had a rod rigged to each side of the boat running at different depths on the downriggers. One side was set at 55 feet and the other 70 feet. It didn’t take long before a rod was triggered. When a salmon bites, things happen fast on the deck of the boat. The line pulled from the quick release of the downrigger as the Chinook salmon began to spool line. I grabbed the rod and reel and set the hook. I was instantly in a fight with a Chinook salmon. The salmon peeled line, and I reeled it back in. It took about 15 minutes to catch the first salmon of the day and the fishing was consistent all day. We caught and released a mixed bag of Chinook and Coho salmon. They came from a variety of depths including several Chinook salmon tipping the scales past the 20-pound mark.
SCHOOLING SALMON
After several salmon were caught and released, and a few put into the cooler, we made a large turn. The guide wanted to move the boat back through a school of salmon that we marked on the fish finder. Right away the outside rod went off.
As line began to disappear of the reel, my guide hit the button on the downrigger to bring the cannonball back to the surface. While that was coming up, he reeled in the second rod to clear the way for the battle ahead!
The fight seemed to last forever as line spooled from my reel at incredible speeds. My guide would run the boat towards the salmon to help me gain some line back on the reel. It was a team effort as excitement grew on the spacious deck of the boat and our hearts would stop with every run the salmon would take. The large runs and sheer weight of the fish told us it was a large Chinook salmon. After a long team effort and battle, I was able to maneuver the salmon into the net.
A huge smile came across my face as I knew I had caught my first Tyee (30lb Chinook Salmon) even before we measured and weighed the fish. He was exactly 31-pounds, and I couldn’t have been happier. Countless other Chinook and Coho salmon were caught and released that day including a couple of more large Chinook salmon that tipped the scales at 28, 27, and several 25-pound Chinook salmon. Coho salmon were also abundant, and we went home with our limits of both Chinook and Coho.
A VARIETY OF SPECIES
It wasn’t only salmon that we were fishing for at (QCS), our days were also filled with a variety of rockfish, ling cod, and halibut fishing. I caught and released a halibut that was well past the legal keep measurement and much too big to bring into the boat for a photograph. My guide guessed the halibut to be 80 to 85 pounds. As exciting as it was to catch the monster flatfish, it was equally exciting to release it and watch it swim back into the depths. In the morning on the way to our fishing spots, we would set crab traps and pull them on the way back into the lodge in the late afternoon and enjoy fresh Dungeness crab for supper.
As I mentioned above. Valerie runs a first-class operation with all the comforts of home and the feeling of being surrounded by family only minutes after arriving at the lodge. From the moment you arrive at the Sandspit airport, you’re in good hands and everything is taken care of including the fish processing. You’re welcome to bring your own fishing gear, but it is all provided, and I highly recommend using their tackle.
NECESSARY CLOTHING SUPPLIED
The fishing at Queen Charlotte Safaris will take care of itself, however, nobody can control the weather. So, you’re welcome to bring your own rain gear, but Valerie also provides rain suits and rubber boots to keep you dry and comfortable on the boat.
All the boats have heated cabs so you can stay warm in-between fighting and landing fish. And after fighting and landing fish all day, you will return to the lodge and all the comforts of home and after a hot shower, you will be fed like a king or queen before returning to your room for a good night’s sleep so you can do it all again the next day.
Queen Charlotte Safaris is couple and family friendly. Book your trip of a lifetime with family and friends at Queen Charlotte Safaris, in Haida Gwaii, British Columbia today.