Haida Gwaii Archives - Page 2 of 20 - Queen Charlotte Lodge

Chinook salmon continue to be elusive but are growing larger each week. Recent updates to the regulations now allow for two Chinook per day and a total of four. Our last trip yielded several impressive Tyees, including a notable 39-pounder that was successfully released at Green Point.

For those heading offshore, Coho salmon are available and active. Fishing in deeper waters with inline flashers has been the go to this season for many anglers.

The halibut fishing has been exceptional lately. Last trip, we had numerous large halibut, including a massive 260-pounder. It’s been a fantastic time for halibut enthusiasts!

Weather this past week featured calm waters and numerous whale sightings, creating a picturesque fishing environment. However, we are prepared for a change as this week is expected to bring strong Northwest winds, which hopefully push more bait and fish into our grounds!

Tight lines, we’ll see you on the water!

QCL Guide, Alex Walker

While you might come to QCL for the fishing, you’ll find that every additional aspect of your experience is unlike any other. And when it comes to our dining programs, there is an option for everyone.

Between the Main Lodge, Hook Bar, Bell Ringer, The Buoy and our Private Houses – our hospitality team creates dishes and experiences that leave you with just as many lifelong memories as your fishing will.

The Main Lodge offers an exceptional and unique dining program, featuring both buffet and a la carte style services, morning and night. Featuring globally inspired flavours and dishes, the QCL Chefs has created menus and treats that will have you asking for the recipe.

Not only do we have an exceptional dining program within the Main Lodge, but we also offer semi-private dining opportunities that allow you to experience something different.

The Bell Ringer

For those that are looking for something quintessentially QCL, we offer the Bell Ringer Seafood Boil. Introduced to the program some years ago, this dinner is by reservation only and always a crowd pleaser. Available at an additional cost per guest, this semi-private Bell Ringer Seafood Boil dinner is served on the Dock, an experience unlike any other. Casual, vibrant and mouth-watering.

The Buoy – A Japanese Experience.

In collaboration between several QCL departments one off-season, The Buoy emerged and swiftly became what it is today – a Japanese Inspired Experience. Offering an intimate and personalized experience, the Buoy is by reservation only, at an additional cost per guest. This venue can accommodate up to 8 guests, per seating, with seating’s offered at 7:00pm and 9:00pm exclusively. Contact the QCL Concierge Team to book your seat!

Aside from our evening dining programs, you can anticipate to indulge at multiple other venues throughout your stay! Enjoy some lunch onboard the Hook Bar Grill located on the M.V. Driftwood anchored in the middle of our fishing grounds. Or, when you return from fishing take advantage of our Après Peche programs including snacks at the Bell Ringer and a Sushi cart that is located at the front of the Main Lodge.

For those looking for the next level of hospitality offered at QCL, inquire about our private houses. Totem and Charlotte House are the perfect venue for a truly curated experience.

Although you might come to QCL for the fishing, you’ll leave knowing that it’s so much more.

Midway through the season, and there’s lots of fun to be had just outside of Naden Harbour!

Cohos are plentiful at the Pinnacles, eating hoochies 30-50 feet deep. The Halibut fishing has been fantastic, with plenty of “overs” being released. Lingcod fishing has seen the effects of many anglers harvesting trip in and trip out, but this trip alone saw 14 pin-worthy fish, largest coming in at 38lbs. Chinook fishing has been slow, but for those willing to put in the time, some anglers have been rewarded with fish in the Tyee class. The big story yesterday was a 58lbs Chinook caught at B2 after an hour long fight.

The wind has laid right down for us this past week, and should continue for this next trip. The sun has been come and go, along with some rain and fog but that doesn’t bother us. So long as the wind keeps down, we’ve got a shot at a huge Chinook salmon!

Lead Guide, Liam Longacre

The past few days we have seen light winds and the weather is supposed to remain consistent well into the week. Beautiful sunny skies, mixed with some rain are forecasted – After all, it is Haida Gwaii.

Coho numbers are up offshore and tend to be hitting up higher (37, 51) with a small spoon being most productive. Larger Chinooks have been found inshore all across the grounds, as well as many medium 10-15ib Chinooks being caught offshore deeper than the Cohos.

We were also very lucky to see the two largest Chinook salmon of the season, so far, weighing in at 39 and 41lbs. Seeing salmon like this brings an excitement to the Bell Ringer like no other fish. These two Tyees were found inshore using anchovies! It’s not always the herring bringing home the hogs.

Overall, the fishing seems to have picked up across the grounds and if you put in your time you might leave with a great story and the fish off a lifetime!

Safe travels and tight lines, looking forward to seeing you up here!

QCL Guide, Cor Van Stolk

There are days in a guide’s life that stand out, and today was one of those days.

The sun rose over a flat calm sea, casting a golden glow on the water’s surface, promising perfect conditions for a memorable day of fishing.

I decided to head to Yatze Bay, drawn by the big ebb tide that always seems to bring in the fish. The anticipation was palpable as I set up our gear. I stripped out my back rod, carefully placing the bait in the water. Before I even had the chance to get another bait ready, the reel started screaming!

The sound of the line peeling off the reel is music to any angler’s ears, and today it was especially thrilling. I quickly handed the rod to my 13-year-old guest, his eyes wide with excitement and a hint of nervousness. This was his first ever salmon, and the battle was on.

He handled the rod like a pro, despite it being his first time. The salmon put up a good fight, darting and diving in an attempt to shake the hook. But my young guest was determined. After a tense few minutes, he finally brought the fish to the boat – a beautiful 21-pounder.

QCL Guide, Darian Mant

We left at first light, heading out of the harbour with the morning sunrise peering up over the horizon.

A bit of fog laid over the fishing grounds as we ran out to the lighthouse to begin fishing for Chinook. We drop lines, begin to troll with the wind at our back and I turn on some tunes to set the vibe for the day. The first bite of the morning is a good one, taking line which then got everyone on the boat involved. I’ve got one guest holding the net and recording the fight on my GoPro while the other plays the fish. When we get it into the boat, high fives are shared all around. It’s a mid teener, a great start but we’re now looking for something bigger.

A few missed bites and some small fish released conclude the morning as we head to the Driftwood for lunch. I take the time while my guests are eating on the DW to clean the boat and plan the afternoon – We’re going bottom fishing for Halibut, Lingcod and Rockfish at the Pinnacles, where the fleet has had success recently. After getting the radio call that my guests are ready for pick up at the Driftwood, I swing by and we continue with our day!

We drop in and get a keeper Halibut right away, along with a ping pong paddle sized one we throw back. A couple of drifts later we have our two Halibut and are now focusing on Ling/Rockfish on the rocky shelf nearby.

The first drop doesn’t go as planned, with both guests hooking the rock I have to cut one of the lines while snapping the other. After a quick pep talk about what bottom feels like and how important it is to keep the lures off bottom when fishing a rocky outcropping, we start to have success. One Rockfish and a medium sized Ling were the result of some coaching and now my guests have a feel for it. We rinse and repeat 4 or 5 drifts and limit out on Lingcod, with a few Rockfish mixed in.

It’s time to finish the day offshore to find some Coho or Chum for the bonus salmon species but after two hours we’ve had enough and head in. Heads are held high knowing that we’re bringing an assortment of species back!

QCL Guide, Tommy G

Tides have been turning on the top side of Haida Gwaii.

With salmon migrating into our fishing grounds, whales and large pods of orcas have been spotted frequently. Life is becoming prevalent below the surface, signaling good things to come! Many boats have found some more sizeable Chinooks inshore with many coming off of quick snap bites. Things seem to be shaping up.

Coho are also starting to move inshore along with the very large tides we’ve been experiencing. Reports of many bites have come off the top portion of the water column in the past week. An example of this would be some boats finding fish along Green Point at the start of a flood tide, 75 ft of water, 37/47 on the riggers.

Whales have been feeding and are now giving off what seems to be a bit of a show at times. With both Humpbacks and Orcas around, you’re in for an incredible wildlife experience.

Bottom fishing at times this past week has been difficult due to the strong and large tides but large Halibut are definitely around.

Keep ’em tight, let ’em fight!

QCL Guide, Ryan Green

Located in the heart of the beautiful islands known as Haida Gwaii, find yourself surrounded by the beauty of the living rainforest – Our little slice of paradise.

While you may be here to experience fishing first class, you should make a point of exploring the surrounding Lodge environment. Naden Harbour hosts particularly rich ecosystems with several salmon streams, productive estuarine habitat and some impressive lowland coastal forest. The streams flowing into the harbour provide spawning grounds for 4 salmon species plus coastal cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden char.

As you walk the trails along these forest streams, it’s fascinating to consider the intricate web of life that you’ve entered. While these aren’t large rivers, most provide habitat for salmon to spawn in the fall, laying their eggs in the clean gravel. Salmon spawn only once and then they die right there in the river, providing a feast of nutrition for bears, martens, eagles, ravens, crows, gulls and many species on down to the plants. Spawning salmon actually bring back marine-derived nutrients (including Nitrogen 15) to the streams, from where all of these animals distribute the carcasses to become fertilizer. Trees benefit greatly from these nutrients – the marker for N15 is identifiable in core samples of large trees and can quantify historical cycles of feast and famine over hundreds of years!

Along the stream banks you’ll find wonderful examples of Red Cedar, Sitka Spruce and Western Hemlock that grow to massive proportions on Haida Gwaii. Red Alder is the prominent local deciduous tree that often establishes in openings cleared by fallen trees, providing a nursery environment for the giant conifers, particularly by fixing nitrogen in nodules in their root systems, which ultimately become available to all plants in the ecosystem. Growing in the moss-covered bark of these trees you’ll find the licorice fern, whose rhizomes (roots) are sweet-tasting and are widely valued by coastal peoples, including Haida, as medicine for colds and sore throats. The list of useful plant species in this forest is long and varied – best addressed in a separate post!

Along the streams you’ll also discover several bird species, some that stay year around and others that migrate with the seasons. While the eagles and ravens are prominent, look for charming songbirds like the Winter Wren, the Varied Thrush, Canada Warbler and the Golden-Crowned Kinglet! Explorers of the island forests are never bored!

For a month now guests have been arriving for the first class fishing adventure of their dreams – The 2024 season is in full swing! If you have joined us at the Lodge before, we can’t wait to see you again, and if it’s your first time, we’re excited to introduce you to the QCL experience!

In anticipation of your trip, our Concierge team will be, or has been, in contact with you to plan the finer details of your stay.

UNIQUE DINING EXPERIENCES

There will be no shortage of food during your trip, but we do have two optional dining hot spots available for our guests this summer, both available by reservation only. Don’t miss out and be sure to book your spot in advance! For those of you who have joined us before, don’t worry our chef’s have worked hard to reimagine these unique dinners.

{Reimagined!} The Buoy, a Japanese-Inspired Experience | This space is a perfect opportunity for guests looking for a one-of-a-kind special experience. Sit back and enjoy not only amazing eats and first-class service, but amazing forest views. Inspired by Teppanyaki, this semi-private dinner features our chef’s take on the traditional Teppanyaki meal with a West Coast twist.

The Bell Ringer Seafood Boil | Where East and West coast mix, the Bell Ringer Seafood Boil is our popular social dining experience on the dock. Indulge in an abundance of seafood including Lobster Tail and Dungeness Crab accompanied by our Prime Rib Bones and all the fixings. Enjoy dinner with a backdrop of the Lodge and Naden Harbour with a upbeat, lively atmosphere.

TWIN CREEK SPA + FITNESS CENTRE

Did you know that fishing can be relaxing to the mind and soul, but taxing on the body? Treat yourself, or your guest, to a relaxing treatment at our Twin Creek Spa; the perfect way to complete your fishing and adventure package!

Twin Creek Spa has limited availability each day and books quickly. We strongly urge that you book an appointment prior to your arrival. You can do so online at QCL Twin Creek Spa.

Should a visit to our Fitness Centre for a quick workout or our hot tub and sauna be top of mind – don’t forget your running shoes and swimsuit to take advantage of these amazing amenities.

PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCE

Whether you are visiting with family, friends or treating employees or clients to a fishing adventure, there are many opportunities offered to go above and beyond for them. From meeting spaces, private dinners and events, fishing derbies, celebrations, to custom apparel, our hospitality team looks forward to adding these details into your stay.

Don’t hesitate to contact us today to review your trip and any special requests that you might have.

The northwest winds are finally here!

After a long couple of trips filled with southeasts, salmon fishing is slowly but surely starting to improve. We have been seeing Chinooks from offshore pinnacles, down deep, anywhere from 120ft to 150ft on the downrigger. Pink and Coho are seen more shallow using spoons, hoochies and plugs. Of course, the boats that are fishing inshore have seen some success, though not as action packed as the offshore troll but as the NW winds continue for the next few days that should shift.

Bottom fishing has been steady, with many nice Halibut and other bottom dwellers in the mix. Proof that if you work hard and jig hard, you’ll be rewarded!

Wildlife has been plentiful – Humpbacks, orcas and of course those pesky sealions. Black bears have been seen roaming the beaches regularly, so guests have been keeping their eyes peeled between bites!

Good luck to those coming these next few trips, let’s all do a fish dance!

QCL Guide, Max Hadrich

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