The plan was to go up to Campbell River, fish, and come back all in the same day. It was quite ambitious. The day started at 4:00 am so we could get packed and catch the 6:20 am ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay in Nanaimo. We landed in Nanaimo around 8:00 am and headed to Campbell River (after grabbing a quick bite from the McDonald's drive thru).
The inland highway from Parksville to Campbell River is sweet! I had never travelled on it and it sure makes it a quick drive! We arrived at the dock in Campbell River at 10:15 am (after stopping to pick up our fishing licenses) and our boat was ready to go! We loaded up and headed out!
Our guide, Rick, took us to where the salmon had been biting and we were optimistic. The first hour of trolling went by and NOTHING! I was a little concerned as we only had 3 more hours at this spot before we had to head back. I told the boys that this pass we were going to catch something. The pass ended and ... NOTHING! I guess the fish didn't get the memo! So I said, "On THIS pass we are going to catch one" and just as we were nearing the end of the pass - BAM! everybody started pulling in the fish! Let the games begin!
Over the next 3 hours, we brought in 14 salmon! 10 Pinks and 4 Sockeyes! We also had 9 others on the line that managed to wiggle loose before we could net them and 1 wild Coho that we needed to let go as you aren't allowed to keep wild Coho. Only hatchery Coho can be kept (they are identified by the fact that their fin has been clipped).
So our time was up and we needed to head back to the dock and as we were getting ready to bring in our lines, we hooked our last salmon! What a way to end the day!
When we got back to the dock, we had our picture taken with our bounty and then proceeded to prepare them for travel (I won't get into the details here!) When all was said and done, we had about 80 - 90 lbs of salmon and BIG smiles on our faces! This was an experience worth every penny!
Rick, our guide, was fabulous and Gary runs a great and reputable business. I would go back to him in a heart beat! I enjoyed the experience so much that I thought some of you might as well, so that's why I arranged with Gary to give all our clients and anyone you know a discount! Check out the coupon and if you are interested in an experience like this, give Gary a call!
Check out their website at: www.coastalislandfishing.com
Click on the coupon for a printer friendly version:
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