Lodge News Archives - Page 3 of 8 - Queen Charlotte Lodge

It’s hard to believe we’re already 2 weeks into the season! The crew has settled in nicely and we’re so pleased with the great job they’re doing! Ryan and Rob have assembled a crack team down on the dock to look after all things “fishing.” The guide team, all 35 of them, really have it going on the water! The Bell Ringer is a happening place with the RBT (Red Boot Team) ensuring that everybody loves weigh-in time! Up at the lodge Bre has the front-of-house crew working up a storm with both F&B and housekeeping. Executive Chef Ryan MacKay has returned “home” and teamed up with Jin to take our culinary program to a whole new level with a talented brigade of enthusiastic cooks. John and his operations crew have all systems GO and the property looking sharp! Mike “Bosko” Boscovich has returned to skipper the Driftwood with an excellent crew and Natalie and Joanne are super busy in the spa. We’re all tuned in for a banner 26^th year in Naden Harbour!

The fishing so far this summer has been about on par with past seasons. The volume of feeder Springs – 14 to 18 pound Chinooks – at this point may be down a bit from last summer’s exceptional numbers but we’re seeing more fish in the 18-25 pound class. But guests are able to tangle with a few every day and get lots of nice salmon to take home. The Tyee count is on track with several fish in the 30’s and a couple of 40-plus fish coming to the boat in the past week. We always expect halibut fishing to be great in early June as many large fish come inshore to feed on needlefish emerging from the gravel and this season is no different! Many anglers have been able to get their 2 halibut while trolling for salmon. Those who love to go offshore to deeper water and hunt for a big one are not disappointed. Lots of stunning “overs” (halibut 20-60 lb.) have some to the scale. Already we’ve recorded 14 fish in the 100 lb. plus class including 2 fish over 200! Monte K tagged a 206 pounder in the first week of June and last week Denis C hauled up a giant that measured 78 inches in length for a calculated weight of 255 pounds! So no complaints about the fishing!

This week we’ve got very moderate tides with northwest winds to 20 knots but that’s to settle back to light variable winds for Thursday thru the weekend. Look for lots more news before then!

We’ve just completed our first week of the new season and the atmosphere at the Bell Ringer has been anything but dull! From slinky lingcod to silver tails, many guests are arriving at the dock with a fish box full of oceanic goodies! Guests are being selective about the salmon they bring in, choosing to keep Chinook averaging 10-12 lbs, as well as a great variety of bottom-dwelling creatures including rockfish and some medium-sized halibut. A great 6-pound Black Rockfish (Bomber) arrived at the dock yesterday – stay tuned to find out why this is an amazing catch!

Guests come to QCL because they want to fish, but the excitement doesn’t end when the fishing day is done! Bell Ringer chef Brad has been sizzling up some crispy appetizers for the onrush of arriving guests, who can be seen with a cold drink in hand, swapping fish stories (let’s be honest – we’ve all caught the biggest salmon in Haida Gwaii), and relaxing after a full day’s work. From the comfort of the heated patio, guests have been enjoying the scenic views of the harbour and its many inhabitants – mainly otters, seals, and eagles!

The Red Boot Team has been full of energy this week, excited to start the season off well and working hard to accommodate all guests’ personal and fishing needs! Have you tried Candied Salmon? Sablefish? Ask a Red Boot Team member (that’s me!) about how you can try Haida Gwaii seafood with “A Taste of B-Sea” – you’ve never had Albacore tuna this fresh!

There’s no doubt that the Bell Ringer has got all of your “apres peche” (after fishing) excitement and amenities, come and check out the fishiest Bar in Haida Gwaii for yourself! We can’t wait to see you here!

Jessica – Fish Services Supervisor

With just over two weeks until we open the doors for our 26th season, “rig up” is in full gear in Naden Harbour. The winter tarps have all been removed from the log buildings and “Mike the Painter” has the wood refinishing almost complete. The new set of Mercury outboards traveled north to the lodge weeks ago – Johnny C and the marine mechanical crew have everything bolted on and are just completing the rigging of our fleet of aluminum boats. Now that the docks and the breakwater are all in place, they’ll start floating them and the marina will begin to fill up! The Grady Whites are ready to come home from their winter storage in Sandspit over the next week or so. John S and his operations team have been busy through the winter with updates and upgrades to facilities – both on land and on the floating equipment. Advance groups of summer crew are starting to arrive to set up their various departments and prepare for the major staff arrival on May 22nd, when final training sessions will get under way!

It’s shaping up to be an incredible season and everybody here is so pumped up about it! We’re looking forward to welcoming you very soon!

With only 71 days remaining before opening all is deceptively calm in beautiful Naden Harbour, Haida Gwaii. A whole team of devoted QCL staff are busy preparing for our 26th season at Queen Charlotte Lodge! We’ll be ready to welcome you for our biggest season ever! Can’t wait!

Click on the thumb for the full view! Thanks to John Sedo for this morning’s stunning view!

With opening day just 78 days out we’re getting pretty excited around here! Looking forward to a fantastic season at QCL Haida Gwaii! Here’s the first of a new series of quick vids to remind you of why we love going to The Lodge!

As we button up the lodge for the long wet winter months ahead, it’s time to take stock of our 25^th season in Naden Harbour. It was indeed exceptional in many ways. Several weeks of warm dry weather from mid-May thru late June was cause for some concern as much of the province was under water restrictions and fire watch. It was a reminder that even up here in the “misty isles” we can’t take anything for granted. While the staff were thrilled at the beautiful summer conditions, the return to “normal” in July provided welcome relief for the operations department.

June fishing is distinguished by feisty feeder Chinooks but this year the numbers were outstanding! Lots of anglers had their butts kicked by 15-pound Chinooks and loved every minute of it! When you can catch & release 40 or 50 fish like that in a day, you’ve got some stories to tell!

Halibut… never have we seen better halibut fishing. There were no shortage of nice chickens for the fish box and for those seeking something heavier to haul up, we were always finding new bumps and ridges out in 220 to 330 feet that provided those larger fish in the 30-60 pound class. As for barn doors, best year ever by far! Fifty-two fish over 100 pounds, 10 of them over 200! The QCL record was broken twice this year with a 277 pounder for Dave Bossons and of course, we won’t forget the massive fish hauled up by Bruce, George and Kraig that taped out to 405!

While the early season Coho fishing was pretty standard we didn’t see the usual abundance of Coho in July & August. Whether that was a migration thing or some other issue, we’ll be anxious to hear from the DFO scientists’ reports this fall.

Chinook fishing, on the other hand, was pretty reliable. Adapting to tides and weather, we were always able to find them. The Tyee count was up noticeably from last year and so was the “big fish” count for those over 40. We saw more new members of the 50 Pounder Club this year, eight of these coming in August! Two fish over 60 were landed this summer and one beautiful giant was released by Trevor Malley on July 30^th that measured to 78 pounds! All in all, an incredible fishing season.

Sending out a huge THANK YOU to our QCL crew who did an outstanding job this year! It was our busiest season ever and this great team not only succeeded in sending our guests home happy… they flourished! What an awesome group of people to spend the summer with, it was truly a pleasure to share every day with you!

And to our guests, we hope you enjoyed it at least as much as we did! This is such an incredible part of the world and we’re blessed to be here. Sharing in your excitement and enthusiasm is why we’re here.

Thank you for choosing Queen Charlotte Lodge. We hope you came away with wonderful memories and amazing stories to share with friends and family as you enjoy those tasty meals of fish that you caught yourself! Of course we’ve already started preparing for next season so we’d like nothing better than to have you come back again! Until then, keep an eye on our website and social media for updates and all the latest news of what’s happening at QCL!

A very fortunate few here at the Lodge were up late enough to witness the rare appearance of the northern lights on Wednesday night.

QCL bartender (and avid photographer) Cole Yakimchuk captured the moment and assembled this absolutely stunning image to share with the rest of us! Thank you Cole!

Click on the small version to see the full panorama!

Have you ever seen an ivory salmon and wondered why that fish is different than the rest?

There have been many theories as to how or why this happens; some stories about how their diets are different, that they are bad to eat or that they are a completely different species. However, the Ivory gene only occurs in Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). They are exactly the same fish as the red Chinook. They feed on the same food, swim in the same water and look exactly the same…on the outside. The difference between an ivory and a red salmon is actually the result of an active enzyme that breaks down carotene. Carotene is what makes red salmon red and shrimp or flamingoes pink. Carotene is stored in the meat of normal salmon instead of being broken down. Ivory salmon has an enzyme that breaks down carotene resulting in a white coloured meat. To my knowledge, there is no way of telling whether you have a white or red on your line until you fillet the fish and see the flesh. Ivory or white fleshed salmon occurs naturally and affects about 1 in 20 fish. Some river systems are known to produce more ivory salmon than others but there hasn’t been much research on this. Years ago, many people thought that ivory salon tasted bad or that it is sub-par to red salmon. The meat of an ivory salmon actually contains more oils and has less of a ‘fish taste’. This salmon is becoming more popular in restaurants as a luxury item due to its unique look and taste. If you are so lucky to go home with an ivory salmon, take pride in knowing that you caught one of the best eating and most unique Chinook salmon.

FishMaster Chelsea

Can you say 78 pounds! What a fish!
Getting up early to fish that 6:30 tide paid off big time for Trevor and Brad, out with Robbie C this morning at Parker Point. A beautiful fish, well played and carefully released, is a joy to behold! Well done guys! and Congratulations Trevor!
It’s a great day for fishing… at QCL Haida Gwaii!

So what is it with fishermen? Why do we always want to catch the biggest fish out there? Especially on the incredible halibut fishing waters of Haida Gwaii.

We don’t have the answer to that question but over the years we sure have come to know a few of these fanatical anglers! They are on a perpetual quest, ever hoping to outdo their best catch. Some of these characters become fishing guides and take their quest to the next level – hoping to produce a better result every time they go on the water.

Such is the case with QCL guide Kraig (KoneZone) Coulter, a seasoned professional guide with years of experience fishing in northern Ontario, Alberta and here in Haida Gwaii. And when matched up with guests of a similar mindset, a perfect storm of fishing effort erupts! They are always the first on the water and the last boat in. The weather is not a factor and the sea conditions only make them more determined.

On the weekend Kraig was fishing with a couple of fellows from Montana; Bruce Severson and George Best are two great guys that have been up here to see us several times. They’ve shared some fabulous days on the water together. It’s no coincidence that Bruce (and Kraig) landed the largest salmon at QCL last year, a stunning chrome Chinook that taped out to 68 pounds!) Saturday afternoon was blustery, winds out of the northwest at around 15 knots and the air just a little misty. Four kilometers offshore at Kraig’s favourite halibut hole, the sea was rolling slightly with a bit of chop on top. High tide had passed and the ebb was underway. They had dropped down 295 feet on either side of the boat, a traditional jig on one side and a 16/0 circle hook baited with the head of a pink salmon on the other. While Kraig back-trolled to hold the boat in position, Bruce and George bounced the bait just off the bottom.

Bruce’s salmon head setup hooked up first, the rod dipping sharply as something far below took hold and tried to take off with it. The take was so strong that he had to rest the grip of the 6-foot heavy action rod on the gunwale of the boat so he didn’t get hauled overboard! Halibut tend to inhale their food, sucking it into their mouth for a taste before actually biting on. The salmon head passed the taste test and Bruce was holding on tight as the 80 pound Tuffline surged off of the reel. Adjusting the drag to slow it down only confirmed that they were messing with a serious fish down there! The rod arched over the side and Bruce’s back was already feeling the strain of what was going to be a long battle! After 15 minutes of give and take, it was time to share the load and Kraig took the rod to give Bruce a break. He was able to get some line up but the fish was still far from the surface. George took his turn and after reeling through the 3-man roster a few times, they finally saw a huge dark shadow begin to appear below the boat. Kraig called the Fishmaster to standby in case they needed assistance. After 90 minutes of a hard fought tug-of-war the massive green-brown head of a giant halibut broke the surface. The first thing they noticed was the precarious state of the big circle hook, looped through the fish’s lip like the boldest piercing. They had no idea how that little strip of skin, perhaps a half inch thick, could hold up against the strain they put on that fishing line! Once they’d seen the fish Kraig called on Shooter to get out there for some photos to capture the event. During the 15 minute wait the halibut began to descend and they decided not to test it too much for fear of breaking it off. With Shooter on the scene with the camera, it took them another 30 minutes of tough pulling to bring it back to the surface.

Kraig has a bit of a reputation for catching big “butts” but this fish was extraordinary. The head was absolutely huge and it’s wide open mouth looked like it could swallow a football! It rolled over to its white side and suddenly the enormity of this halibut was plain to see. As he carefully led the giant alongside the 24-foot aluminum boat, he knew that this fish was well beyond the size of any halibut he’d ever seen before. Of course, every fisherman wants to know how big his fish is and these guys were especially curious. How do you describe a catch like this? Fortunately there is a chart published by the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC), formulated from logged commercial halibut catches, that gives us an indication of the weight of a halibut based on it’s length.

The obvious challenge… how to measure a barn-door-sized fish, held on the surface by only a little hook through a thin strip of skin? At any moment this fish could easily break off with a twist of its giant body in the water. Amazingly, this particular giant was extremely well behaved. Eventually they were able to get it horizontal alongside the boat and, after inconclusive attempts with the harpoon shaft, and the net handle, they decided to put a line on its tail and hopefully hold it flat. That took some doing but finally they managed to get a rope over the tail, which was 22 inches across! While Bruce held its tail just under the water and Kraig (with fingers crossed) managed the head with the circle hook, George used a salmon rod as a measuring stick. Flexing the rod to follow the curve of the fish, they marked the spot on the rod and then measured with the tape.

The number they got was “off the chart” that is stocked in QCL boats so they measured again to double check. Stretched alongside them was a halibut 90 inches in length! Seven and a half feet! That was a full 10 inches longer than the current lodge record fish, landed just a month earlier. They had no idea what the weight would be but the 80-inch fish was 277 pounds. Not until they arrived back at the lodge would the internet tell them their halibut would weigh approximately 405 pounds!

With measurements and photos completed it was time to let this big female return to the depths. She could produce about 4 million eggs when she spawns next winter! With Bruce on the tail line Kraig easily removed the circle hook from the halibut’s lip. There was a moment of hesitation but once that great head pointed toward the deep there was no stopping this fish! Like a giant spring the fish’s body flexed and Bruce’s grip on the rope let go. The tail slapped the surface like a humpback whale, splashing water everywhere, and the rope briefly followed, singing over the gunwale as this gentle giant made her way towards the bottom. What a fabulous moment to share on the water! The three exhausted anglers sat back and reflected on what they had just experienced. It was the stuff of dreams, a fish they could not have imagined crossing paths with! And yet it was over, the halibut returned to her place down below and the men left with memories and a story to share for the rest of their days. I guess that’s what it is with fishermen.