Langara Bound

[Foghorn]

Needed the "Mission Impossible" theme in the background while Ham was hustling thru the airport.

[Ham]

So Today started for me at 0400. Showered through gear together and headed downstairs. Grabbed a cab and got to the South Terminal before they opened. Over correcting for yesterday. 
chartered Jet Service to Masset. from Masset you take a Jet Helicopter to the Lodge. the helicopter ride is interesting. After a delicious lunch and Orientation/Safety Meeting, I set out.

here’s my boat for the week.I started out really struggling. I could see Pink and Silver Salmon feeding on the surface, but wind, boat control issues, and ignorance held me back.

I stayed the course. Switched fly line and flys. Decided to get a Black Rockfish to settle my nerves. the Z Man Swimbait gets eaten. I was missing a bunch though. Got whacked by this Dude. They are delicious, but I can only keep 3 and I want them to be at least 10 lbs.

I finally settled down and started mooching for Salmon. I missed several bites or lost the fish, but my first Salmon was an 8 1/2 lb Silver Salmon.  They have been running 6/7 lbs so I kept this one. I returned to the lodge and took meds for a headache. And back out again.

I picked a spot and started a mooching drift. I caught a nice Black Rockfish. Rerigged and got hammered.

I thought I had a halibut. The fish was very strong and stayed down. Finally I caught sight of it and saw it was a salmon. There is only one salmon that gets that large. KING! That fish fought so hard and so long. Very difficult to Net it by myself. I was I had @FishnDave to net him, but I persisted. 34 plus Inches to the fork. 19 inch girth. 20 lbs. I thought it might have been bigger, but I’ll take it. 
well, You are only allowed to keep one King a day and I wasn’t going to take the chance of deep hooking a king so back to the fly rod.

it is a baby, but I got my Flyfer Black Rockfish.a lot more to say, but I’m too tired to do it. Tomorrow is another early start, but I’m on the board with a few species, a few keepers, and a Flyfer.

[Quillback]

Nice King!  They are strong fish, I miss fishing for them.  

[FishnDave]

9 hours ago, Ham said:

I was I had @FishnDave to net him, but I persisted. 

I offer high entertainment value, but only about a 50% chance of successfully netting your fish.  To be fair though, if the jousting and stabbing motions I make at the fish with the net manage to dislodge it...it probably wasn't hooked very well in the first place.  😅

[kjackson]

I envy you the trip,  Haven't done one that remote in that part of the world; the closest was to Nootka Sound. Like Quill, I really miss kings and blackmouth--feeder kings--for eating as well as the fishing. I expect you to catch a greenling or two to add to the list as well as a cabezon and at least a couple more species of rockfish. And then there are some really weird fish--like ratfish... I'm looking forward to your next post.

[Ham]

Quick Morning Update. I deep hooked a couple of smaller Coho (5 and 7 lb). I didn’t want to keep them, but I wasn’t gonna throw them back to die.

so I got my Lifer Pink Salmon. and followed that up with a Flyfer Pink Salmon. The Photos are crap. Wet hands/wet phone. Trying not to kill the fish 
I moved closer to shore and got some larger Black Rockfish on fly made me glad I had a 9 weight. And then moved to a different point and caught this sea monster.thing was croaking at me and had zero good places to hold him. Strong fish. I think it’s a Cabezon. Lifer whatever it is. Tweaking clothing and headed back out. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

2 hours ago, Ham said:

Photos are crap. Wet hands/wet phone. Trying not to kill the fish 

No they aren’t.   I always struggle when fishing alone for pictures.   Or as I call them.    Evidence photos 😂

[Ham]

I had to come back to unload fish.

Ive been putting the Big Z man Swimbaits to work. Even the salmon won’t leave them alone. 
did some deep drops. I tried to have a Salmon rod out too. Bad idea. I had fish on both rods.

i have two of the three Ling Cod I allowed to take home. And an 80 CM Halibut. I am allowed one more halibut 89 cm or less. I also caught a couple of Quillback.

[Quillback]

Believe it or not, cabezon are good to eat.  

[Ham]

Well, I had a Great Day. No more fish were kept in the afternoon session. I caught a lot, but not the size I wanted. Lingcod love a swimbait. I caught some Cooper Rockfish.

This massive Quillback.

The Black Rockfish were out of control. They made me catch some on a surface fly. Lots of Lingcod but I wanted one over 10 lb. I got a visit from the Taxman. I have not lost a fish to them this trip. and watched the Humpback feed. Really hard to fish and get a good pic of a whale. I’m here to fish.one of the guys working the dock was nice enough to tell me about the juvi Pacific Cod around the dock. Lifer/Flyfer on the tenkara from the dock after Supper. 
fingers crossed, I’m going to have a guide tomorrow. Maybe I can get a Coho on fly. Maybe I can get a lifer Rockfish. Maybe I can finish my limit on Lingcod or Halibut. Stay tuned!