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| A FISHING TRIP WITH REEL OBSESSIONS |
| Island Fisherman Magazine |
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| On 1 September 2007, I left Campbell River at 11:15 a.m. with my brother-in law, Don Ritter, and drove north on Highway 19. We arrived at the Zeballos, BC turnoff at 2:45 p.m., then it was a 45-minute trip into Zeballos, where we met Adrian O’Connor at the dock. Two anglers from Fort McMurray, Larry Smith and Noel Swanton, travelled with us to Pacific Safari, a two-story floating lodge located on the north side of Nootka Island in McBride Bay. Once there, we had a tour of Pacific Safari, which is run by John Murray and Donna Seymour, then enjoyed drinks and a dinner of ribs, fresh vegetables, potatoes, and a great desert. |
 As Pacific Safari was fully booked we went to Ceepeecee Lodge in Newton Cove to spend the night. We stayed in one of the original cabins, which was quite a treat in itself. Had a wee drop with Don and talked fishing until 11, then turned in.
We were up at 5:30, and then Adrian picked us up and we headed back to the lodge for a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs. We finished in plenty of time to depart at 7 for the fishing grounds at Ferrer Point in Esperanza Inlet.
Adrian fishes with Shimano Convergence rods and Islander MR3 reels spooled with Berkley Big Game fluorescent green line. He said the best setup at that time was an anchovy in a Rhys Davis Anchovy Special, with Red/Chrome and Clear/Green Scale the two hot colours. He attaches a short length of wire to each teaser, which allows him to bend an anchovy’s tail for increased action.
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 The Clear/Green Scale was trailed behind an O’Ki Green and Gold Big Shooter Flasher; the Red/Chrome on its own, but with a similar “false flasher” about 10 feet behind the downrigger cable, so it was above and slightly ahead of the bait.
We started trolling at 40-50 feet, and within minutes the false flasher line popped off the downrigger. Don had first dibs, but quickly lost what would have been his first Chinook. The next take was mine — a 20-pound Chinook on the same setup. It was like fly fishing — just me and the fish, and that Chinook had more than enough backbone to make it a true tug of war.
With my fish safely in the net, a fresh anchovy was quickly back in the water. Don was soon back in business, and played a good-sized Chinook all the way to the boat like he had been doing it all his life. Once beside the boat, however, the Chinook went crazy — rolling and twisting wildly — and finally spit the hook.
My next fish was a 21-pound Chinook that fought so hard I thought it was much larger.
The Clear/Green Scale was trailed behind an O’Ki Green and Gold Big Shooter Flasher; the Red/Chrome on its own, but with a similar “false flasher” about 10 feet behind the downrigger cable, so it was above and slightly ahead of the bait.
We started trolling at 40-50 feet, and within minutes the false flasher line popped off the downrigger. Don had first dibs, but quickly lost what would have been his first Chinook. The next take was mine — a 20-pound Chinook on the same setup. It was like fly fishing — just me and the fish, and that Chinook had more than enough backbone to make it a true tug of war.
With my fish safely in the net, a fresh anchovy was quickly back in the water. Don was soon back in business, and played a good-sized Chinook all the way to the boat like he had been doing it all his life. Once beside the boat, however, the Chinook went crazy — rolling and twisting wildly — and finally spit the hook.
My next fish was a 21-pound Chinook that fought so hard I thought it was much larger.
We were up at 5:30, showered, had breakfast, and headed back to Ferrer, where we picked up two more Chinooks before striking out offshore for halibut. We quickly landed our limit of chicken halibut and, as the sea was starting to pick up, wisely headed back to Pacific Safari. After Adrian finished processing our morning’s catch, we said out goodbyes to the lodge staff and headed back to Zeballos. |
Based on experience I can state that this was a typical experience when fishing with Adrian O’Connor, who I consider one of the best guides on the West Coast. He fishes out of a 27-foot Sea Ray with a 250 h.p. Suzuki Four Stroke outboard, has the beat of electronics, and uses some of the finest gear available. He guides out of Victoria for most of the winter, and then heads to Zeballos to fish Nootka Sound from May to September.
For more information on a trip with Reel Obsession Sport Fishing call 1-888-855-7335 or visit the www.reelobsession.ca
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Article |
Topics |
Date |
| 1. |
TKO ing Big Springs |
Salmon |
Jun 2013 |
| 2. |
Spring Fishery Updates 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Mar 2013 |
| 3. |
Fly Epoxy Chum Fry |
Flys |
Feb 2013 |
| 4. |
Best Fishing Story of 2012 |
|
Feb 2013 |
| 5. |
Salmon fishing outlook for 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon |
Jan 2013 |
| 6. |
Fly Tadpoles |
Flys |
Jan 2013 |
| 7. |
Fishing Outlook for 2013 |
Fishing Area Outlook, Salmon, Sturgeon |
Dec 2012 |
| 8. |
Fly Steelhead Muddler |
Flys, Steelhead |
Dec 2012 |
| 9. |
Fly Bacon n eggers |
Flyfishing, Salmon |
Dec 2012 |
| 10. |
Keeping a journal |
Technique |
Dec 2012 |
| 11. |
Fly Egg-sukin leech |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Oct 2012 |
| 12. |
Fly Steelhead Madness |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Oct 2012 |
| 13. |
White Lake |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Aug 2012 |
| 14. |
Fly Orangesicle |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Jul 2012 |
| 15. |
Fly Blue Morrison baitfish |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Jul 2012 |
| 16. |
Fly fishing the Estuary (Amundson Thompson Chaser Fly Rod Review) |
Flyfishing, Tackle |
Jul 2012 |
| 17. |
Sockeye Strategies |
Salmon |
Jul 2012 |
| 18. |
Ultimate Squid TUBE |
Flys |
Jun 2012 |
| 19. |
Roche Lake |
Flyfishing |
Jun 2012 |
| 20. |
Fly Coho Blue-zer |
Flys, Salmon |
Jun 2012 |
| 21. |
Flies Webflyzers |
Flys |
Jun 2012 |
| 22. |
Vancouver Island's Esperanza Inlet |
Halibut, Salmon, Vancouver Island |
May 2012 |
| 23. |
Fly Purple Peril |
Flys |
May 2012 |
| 24. |
Trolling for trout |
Trolling, Trout |
Apr 2012 |
| 25. |
Fly Blue Note |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 26. |
Fly Kalumlow |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 27. |
Fly Skeena Scar |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 28. |
Fly Polar Express |
Flyfishing, Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 29. |
Sturgeon fishing in Vancouver British Columbia |
Sturgeon |
Mar 2012 |
| 30. |
Strategies for Catching Sturgeon |
Sturgeon |
Mar 2012 |
| 31. |
Fly Copper Gammarus |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 32. |
Fly Alley Alevin |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 33. |
Fly Hilton Boss |
Flys |
Mar 2012 |
| 34. |
A Guided Steelhead Trip on the River |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 35. |
Fly Polar UV shrimp |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 36. |
Egg-sukin Beaver Leech |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 37. |
Fly Chardolas Bait |
Flys |
Feb 2012 |
| 38. |
Don't be afraid to try anything |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 39. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 Ryan Spannier |
|
Feb 2012 |
| 40. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 by Bob Waldhaus |
Steelhead |
Feb 2012 |
| 41. |
Best Fishing Story of 2011 David Sandquist |
Kids, Salmon |
Feb 2012 |
| 42. |
Fly Reeds Spey |
Flyfishing |
Feb 2012 |
| 43. |
Jet Boat Maintenance |
Boats |
Dec 2011 |
| 44. |
Smoked Salmon Recipe BBQ and Honey |
Recipes, Salmon |
Dec 2011 |
| 45. |
Poached Italian Cod |
Recipes |
Dec 2011 |
| 46. |
Fly Blue Charmer |
Flys |
Nov 2011 |
| 47. |
Fly Muddy Waters |
Flys |
Nov 2011 |
| 48. |
Fly - The Excursion Leech |
Flyfishing |
Nov 2011 |
| 49. |
Herb and Garlic Crusted Halibut with oven roasted ratatouille |
Halibut, Recipes |
Oct 2011 |
| 50. |
The Banner Season |
Fishing Area Outlook |
Jun 2011 |
| 51. |
voteforsalmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 52. |
Votesalmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 53. |
Rivers Inlet Hatchery Program |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Apr 2011 |
| 54. |
Mayday for Wild Salmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Mar 2011 |
| 55. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story David Sandquist |
Flyfishing, Steelhead |
Feb 2011 |
| 56. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Honourary mention Ron Gibson |
|
Feb 2011 |
| 57. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Bog Waldhaus |
Steelhead |
Feb 2011 |
| 58. |
Contest 2011 Fishing Story Brian Wong |
Salmon |
Feb 2011 |
| 59. |
Does Fish Cooking Techniques Matter |
Recipes |
Jan 2011 |
| 60. |
Mediterranean Fish Fillets |
Recipes |
Jan 2011 |
| 61. |
Virus Killing Fraser Sockeye |
Conservaton, Fish, Salmon |
Jan 2011 |
| 62. |
Halibut Fishery |
Conservaton, Hallibut |
Dec 2010 |
| 63. |
Salmon Virus watch |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Nov 2010 |
| 64. |
Disease Information |
Conservaton |
May 2010 |
| 65. |
Sea lice kept secret |
Conservaton |
May 2010 |
| 66. |
Catch the Dream |
Halibut, Salmon, Trolling |
May 2010 |
| 67. |
Oak Bay Marine Group Newsletter |
Salmon |
Mar 2010 |
| 68. |
Quesnel Lake |
Trout |
Jan 2010 |
| 69. |
Art of Curing and Smoking Fish |
Smoking |
Jan 2010 |
| 70. |
Bradley's Famous Hot Smoked Salmon |
Smoking |
Jan 2010 |
| 71. |
Salmon fishery action suit |
Salmon |
Nov 2009 |
| 72. |
Save B.C. Salmon |
Conservaton, Salmon |
Nov 2009 |
| 73. |
Winner of the Giver on the River Free Charter |
Fish |
Sep 2009 |
| 74. |
Oven bbq salmon |
Recipes, Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 75. |
Poached Italian Cod |
Recipes |
Aug 2009 |
| 76. |
Salmon Creole |
Recipes, Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 77. |
Australia Fishing |
Salmon |
Aug 2009 |
| 78. |
Horseradish and Dill Butter Salmon Steaks |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jul 2009 |
| 79. |
Navigating a boat purchase |
Boats |
Jul 2009 |
| 80. |
Salmon with a Homemade Grain Mustard Crust |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jul 2009 |
| 81. |
Halibut with Fennel Broth |
Halibut, Recipes |
Jul 2009 |
| 82. |
Cedar Plank Salmon |
Recipes, Salmon |
Jun 2009 |
| 83. |
Islander Winner 2009 |
Tackle |
Jun 2009 |
| 84. |
Just Get In the Water |
Technique |
Jun 2009 |
| 85. |
Saltwater Night Fishing for Salmon |
Salmon, Technique |
Jun 2009 |
| 86. |
Steelhead & Salmon Warfare |
Salmon, Steelhead |
Jun 2009 |
| 87. |
Deep Running Giant Salmon |
Salmon |
May 2009 |
| 88. |
Salmon Scampi |
Recipes |
Apr 2009 |
| 89. |
Dandelion Stuffed Chaunigan Trout |
Recipes, Trout |
Apr 2009 |
| 90. |
Living Rivers - Georgia Basin and Vancouver Island |
Conservaton |
Apr 2009 |
| 91. |
Salmon steak recipe |
Recipes, Salmon |
Mar 2009 |
| 92. |
Chaunigan Trout Recipe |
Recipes, Trout |
Mar 2009 |
| 93. |
Best catch of 2008 |
Flyfishing, Kids, Salmon, Steelhead, Trout |
Feb 2009 |
| 94. |
The Great Chilko Bear Adventure |
Bears |
Feb 2009 |
| 95. |
Seasonal Outlook for 2010 |
Salmon, Seasons, Steelhead, Sturgeon, Trout |
Jan 2009 |
| 96. |
A Fishing Trip with REEL OBSESSIONS Vancouver Island. |
Salmon, Trolling |
Jan 2009 |
| 97. |
Carp fishing from a different angle |
Carp |
Sep 2008 |
| 98. |
Fish British Columbia With a Timeshare |
Accommodation |
Apr 2008 |
| 99. |
Hurt by aquaculture industry |
Salmon |
Nov 2007 |
| 100. |
BC wild salmon endangered by failure to contain sea lice from salmon farms |
Conservaton |
Sep 2007 |
| 101. |
Go Fish |
|
Aug 2007 |
| 102. |
Studies show harmful impact of BC coast salmon farms on wild Pacific salmon |
Salmon |
Aug 2007 |
| 103. |
Lynn's Fishing Adventure |
Sturgeon, Trout |
Jul 2007 |
| 104. |
Chilliwack River Action Committee |
Conservaton |
Apr 2007 |
| 105. |
Indian Candy Recipe |
Recipes, Salmon, Smoking |
Mar 2007 |
| 106. |
Fishing Articles and archived fishing posts |
|
Mar 2007 |
| 107. |
Curing Eggs |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 108. |
Fishing for Chum Salmon |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 109. |
Salmon Eating - After They Change Colour |
Salmon |
Mar 2007 |
| 110. |
A guides Perspective - The Fraser River |
Salmon, Seasons, Sturgeon, Trout |
Aug 2005 |
| 111. |
Smoked Salmon Recipe |
Recipes, Salmon, Smoking |
Dec 2004 |
| 112. |
Fishing in Harrison Hot Springs |
|
Aug 2004 |
| 113. |
Jet vs. Outboard |
Boats |
Aug 2004 |
| 114. |
Helpful Hints, Tips and Tricks |
Tackle |
Mar 2004 |
| 115. |
Uncle Wes - Farewell Old Friend |
|
Dec 2003 |
| 116. |
Cow Paddy Pond |
Trout |
Oct 2003 |
| 117. |
12 Seasons of Fishing the Kitimat |
Flyfishing, Salmon, Seasons, Trout |
Apr 2003 |
| 118. |
Sara, Guardian of the Lake |
|
Jul 2002 |
| 119. |
Portrait of a Mountain Man |
|
May 2002 |
| 120. |
Carving the Salmon Pie |
Salmon |
May 2001 |
| 121. |
Spoon Fishing Lakes From The Bank |
Tackle, Trout |
Mar 2001 |
| 122. |
Vedder River Fishing “Fall options” |
Salmon, Seasons |
Mar 2001 |
| 123. |
Slippery Spotted Owls |
Salmon |
Jul 1998 |
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