As the tide turns

I’m home from salmon fishing and the jinx of the one-day loosing streak was broken. As I discovered last

Thursday the real skill in catching salmon is in reeling them in. Many are caught, but only about half actually make it into the boat. Slow and steady reeling and let ‘em run if they want to, is the approach.  Fortunately Thursday I figured out the technique and got four in close enough to be netted and later subdued.

On this second day of fishing in Johnstone Straight off Campbell River, B.C. both myself and Thursday’s fishing partner Matt Dertinger reached our daily quota which is four. Guide Tom Shea, kept a calm and steady approach as we trolled waters off Plumper’s Point. “There are fish here boys and they will bite,” he said and they did. It wasn’t a fishing frenzy, but busy enough to get me the four I needed to save face among my fishing companions, family and friends.

I brought home about 20 pounds of pink salmon, which is fine, although less than my colleagues who averaged between 30 and 40 pounds. Jon Weinmaster who I fished with Wednesday actually had the heaviest haul. He landed one 20-pound Chinook salmon and along with five other pinks over the two days, he carted home several good “salmon feeds”, for the coming weeks.

In the accompanying photos is yours truly with two pinks, Tom Shea guide, cleaning the catch of the day, and on the dock, cleaned salmon ready for the cooler.

Salmon fishing on the inside passage of Vancouver Island is great fun. Apparently you can fish the ocean on the west side of the Island, but it is considerably more expensive, you’re about 10 miles off shore and according to our guide, “is not for the faint of heart” as albeit larger boats are tossed around by 10 and 12 foot swells. I’m not sure if I love fish well enough for that.

UK BOUND

I feel somewhat guilty (wait…I’m over it now), to admit I am not heading back to work this coming week. Instead, I am actually heading east Tuesday, all the way to London, England. I am not normally a world traveler, but this was a trip planned with family for several months, to visit the Hart homeland. My grandparents and dad were born and raised in a small town in eastern England. Most of the older generation on my grandparent’s side is gone, but there are a few cousins my age who I keep in touch with and have never met. So along with having a quick look through England, Scotland and Ireland, we will visit my dad’s hometown and see what is left of the Hart farming empire. 

It is just by coincidence, I booked a bed and breakfast place for a few

 nights in the village of Whittlesey and later learned the house with the B & B was actually the home of my great, grandfather on my grandmother’s side of the family. Who knew that 100 years later a descendent of the Cox family would be back spending 85 pounds per night to sleep in the one-time family home.

I will keep my eyes peeled for any agricultural news on this trip, and report my findings here as we go.