QCL Archives - Page 5 of 25 - Queen Charlotte Lodge

The mid-summer stretch is treating QCL guests to some really excellent fishing adventure these days! Very favourable weather conditions have added some icing on the cake – some of us are wearing t-shirts! We even had 3 guests go for a dip off the lodge beach before enjoying the hot tub! Life is good!

It was especially good for veteran anglers Joe H & Brad R as they first set their gear at Green Point Tuesday morning. Joe’s rod had the twitch before Brad even managed to get his in the water! But together these fellows would share an epic battle with a massive salmon that they’ll remember for a long time. Brad finally slipped the net below the big beauty and when they lifted it aboard, they were super thrilled! Finally returning to the dock last night, the scale at the Bell Ringer revealed a weight of 52 pounds! Cause for celebration for sure! Nice fish boys!

While big Tyees over 50 pounds aren’t as common as they used to be, we’ve certainly seen a nice bump in the big fish department recently with several Tyees kept or released. Jeff W released a 33-pounder on the weekend and Jason N boated a 38 on Saturday, followed by a 30 on Sunday! Zack J followed up with nice 31-pounder and Ryan O returned to the Bell Ringer with a stunning 14 lb Coho, the largest of the season so far! When we have the right tide and wind conditions the halibut grounds are a wonderland! On Saturday we saw lots of nice keepers land back on the dock but the Tyee Bell was ringing big-time with released giant halibut reports! Richard K released an 87-pounder, Janet B recorded a 69-inch halibut that scored 168 lb and Clint C turned back a full-on barn door that measured 75-inches to score 220 pounds! Amazing! Coho catches remain very strong with the average size creeping up around 8-pounds now so everyone is enjoying the awesome salmon action on the water.

Light to moderate winds wavering from southwest to northwest are to continue right into next week with very little precipitation and the odd sunny period – so we have pretty perfect conditions to look forward to. Peak tides will return around the 12th when we’ll see 17-foot swings, so hold on for that one! Stay tuned!

Light winds and light tides were the norm over the past week, providing optimal conditions for anglers testing the waters of Haida Gwaii. QCL guests made the most of it by exploring the offshore slopes and pinnacles for halibut and lingcod, trolling the 120-foot line for Coho and cruising inshore along points and kelp beds in search of those big Chinook!

Their efforts were rewarded with nice full fish boxes coming back to the Bell Ringer! Coho salmon have quickly displaced Chum and Pinks in the box with huge numbers of 6 to 8 pounders feeding heavily right now. We’ll see the average size increase steadily over the coming weeks! The large quantity of smaller “feeder Chinooks” that dominated our catch earlier in the season have given way to fewer, but certainly larger salmon. The proportion of fish over 20-pounds has come up quite nicely through July and most anglers are finding some real beauties to take home. The Tyee count is still lower than what we’d call “normal”but the Tyee Bell is getting a few good cracks every day.

Big celebrations on Friday night at the Bell Ringer marked the catch & release of a marvellous giant Chinook landed by Petr P at Cape Naden. It was taped out to 54-pounds before being skilfully released by veteran QCL guide Kylie T, captured beautifully on iPhone by fellow guides! Congratulations Petr and thanks for choosing to let that amazing fish carry on with its journey to the river! Petr’s efforts were echoed on Sunday with C&R Tyees for Tasha S who turned back a 34-pounder with guide Rob C and Matt M releasing a 37 with his guide Brett T. Well done!

It’s hard to believe but we are officially at the halfway point for the 2022 season up here at QCL! After an unseasonably late start to “summer” in June, the past 2-3 weeks have been pretty awesome! Lots of fish, better than average weather and so much fun on the water and back at the lodge. We’ve enjoyed very healthy numbers of what we’d call “feeder salmon” in recent weeks. Lots of Chinook salmon in the low-mid-teens and hungry Coho in the 6-8 pound class are keeping anglers busy throughout most of the fishing grounds. The presence of larger Chinook has been increasing steadily with regular catches of those stunning twenty-somethings, and the Tyee Bell is ringing every night now in celebration of Tyee-class fish either kept or released. Everything is feeling more like a “normal” fishing season, just a little later this year.

We started off this week’s trip with a bang on Monday night at the Bell Ringer with David H cracking the bell four times after releasing a big beautiful Tyee that taped out to 43-pounds before guide Alex K carefully returned it to the water. Roger P celebrated releasing a 30-pounder with his partner and their guide Colton M and Dan B was turning heads with an impressive 42 lb Chinook that came back to the dock with guide Dan R. We’ve been very fortunate to find solid salmon fishing off most every point of the fishing grounds, at the right stage of the tide, which have been especially large this week with ranges up to 18 feet!

However, nice calm seas on Monday thru Wednesday provided perfect conditions for any angler’s preference! Halibut fishing is very reliable on most days and this week was no different with many anglers finding impressive fish over 30-pounds and some tangling with the proverbial “barn doors” out on the grounds. Finding that magic number where it’s “not too little but not too big” is a challenge that definitely comes with fishing and Dan S pretty much maxed out his opportunity, bringing a 55-pounder back to the Bell Ringer! Lionel W turned back a 5-foot-long halibut that scored over 100 pounds and Matt C hauled up a 75-incher which scored 230-pounds! But the big catch this week went to Josh P who battled an 87-inch behemoth that would weigh about 273 pounds if you could get it in the boat! While not every angler wants to work that hard, there are endless possibilities out there for those who dream of catching a fish larger than themselves! Up here we seem to do that every week.

This weekend the large tides will start to diminish and we’re enjoying light winds and a comfortable mix of cloud and sunshine… with the occasional shower tossed in for good measure!

What Does Guiding Mean to Me?

Now in my early 60’s, I can honestly say I have almost seen it all on the water. Starting as a guide in Campbell River when I was 13 in the early 70’s until today guiding at QCL when I get the chance, I can see how much things have changed. And for the better I might add!!

As a guide you are a jack of all trades. First, but not most importantly, you know how to fish. The mechanics, the theories, and the techniques. When I was a young guide, that was all there was. Use your skill to catch as many, and as big a fish as possible. Make yourself look good and beware to the guest that lost the big one or could not learn how to set the hook! Looking back now, it was all about the guide and not the guest.

Thankfully that is changing. A great guide asks more and talks less. He finds out what a guest wants out of their experience and then strives to match that expectation. A guide becomes a teacher and instructs as much or as little as the guest wants. A guide does not yell at or intimidate his guests. If he does, he leaves the rest of the day with the guest feeling uneasy, inadequate, paranoid or just sad or angry. None of these emotions are conducive to a fun environment on the boat. The magic is quickly lost and it is oh so difficult to find again.

If the highlight of the trip is to see a Humpback or Killer Whale and the guide ignores the Fishmaster or another guide when they see whales, and doesn’t offer to take the guests to catch a glimpse, then the guide is not doing his job. There is lots of time to fish and to miss maybe that one chance is almost unforgiveable. The great guides know what is important and how to deliver. Throughout the day the guide effortlessly applies his fishing skills and simultaneously looks for any and all things that he can add to the day to increase guest’s enjoyment. It could be a bit of Haida history and culture, pointing out a jellyfish, or explaining how a halibut’s eye moves across their body as they grow. (They really do!) Each one is a little thing, but taken as a whole, so much is added to the day.

To work at QCL as Vice President Sales is extremely rewarding. But to spend a few days on the water and have the opportunity to reconnect to my guiding roots is the highlight each summer. You can never get too much of watching a person catch their first or biggest salmon, see something that Mother Nature has on display each day in Haida Gwaii, or simply know that you have made someone’s day. As a guide you get to do that. I guess I have the best job in the world. Fun to think of one’s self as the Old Man and the Sea and watch the guiding profession at QCL transitioning to what guiding should all be about.

Brian Clive

Two weeks of steady, moderate and predictable northwesterly weather has been an unusual treat up here! Looking ahead, it appears that we’ll see light variable winds start on Tuesday and carry on towards the weekend. The good weather has provided consistent fishing throughout the grounds with abundant salmon in a mix of all 5 species. Anglers are enjoying lots of action, often provided by scrappy 10-12 pound Chinooks, 5-9 pound Cohos and Chum, and large, hungry Pink salmon! The larger Chinooks are there and we’re getting the occasional Tyee but anglers are thrilled to see one of those 20-plus beauties alongside the boat! Productive Chinook fishing has been around the usual haunts between Cape Naden, Parker Point, Bird 2, Yatze and Green Point. We’ve been able to fish the east side comfortably on the morning flood tides and Cape Edenshaw has produced its share of nice Spring salmon on most mornings.

The offshore jigging action has been equally reliable with great results for both halibut and lingcod. Many anglers are enjoying the ability to retain two halibut in one day; a couple of teen-sized fish provide lots of beautiful 1-pound portion-pacs to enjoy with friends and family. But quite a few guests are finding one of those “overs” (20-70 lb) and happily settle for just one. Our portion packing service sure comes in handy to preserve all of your precious catch right through to next year. (if you can resist eating it all up sooner!)And while you’re out there on the hunt for your big catch, you just never know who you might bump into! QCL guests especially enjoy the almost constant presence of so much wildlife in the area. Humpback whales, in particular, are feeding constantly in the same waters where we fish and frequently come around the boats, bringing thrills and chills to excited anglers!

It’s hard to believe… but June is almost over! It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, with full house trips right off the bat and a “green but keen” new crew to bring up to speed in a hurry. But we have to say, it’s been a great start to the season with tons of memorable experiences and stories being created.

We’ve seen an unusually solid streak of moderate northwesterly weather in the latter half of this month, bringing lots of sunshine, but still cool temperatures. Fishing in general had a slower start with delayed spring runoff from the mainland river systems and cold water, but by mid-June the migratory salmon were showing up in numbers and we’ve been catching all 5 salmon species ever since. Lots of teen-sized Chinooks have dominated the catch and we’re seeing more 20-plus fish and Tyees reported every day. Mark N boated a nice 32-pounder on the weekend with guide Nick R and Daniel T had an awesome trip, combining a 30-pound Chinook with a 32-pound lingcod! Most anglers are going home with several “other” salmon, mostly a tasty combination of Coho and Pinks these days.

Our bottom fishing has always been outstanding out on the grounds with anglers’ favourite spots marked at depths from 175 to 325 feet! But some know there are places where, at the right stage of the tide, large halibut are regularly caught in as little as 30-feet of water! Just ask Brian M who boated a 49-pounder just a few minutes from the lodge or Desmond F who pulled a 55-pound halibut right out from beneath the Driftwood at Bird 2! Sometimes in life, an in fishing, it helps to think outside the box! Good work guys!

There are a lot of important qualities involved in being a successful angler, and among some of the most important are patience and positivity. I maintain the belief that fish will only bite hooks that are attached to a vessel with positive attitudes on board, and if you ever fish with me then you will probably hear me say that at least once or twice throughout the trip.

Fishing isn’t always easy; it can often test us. We all love those days where you can barely even sink a line to 45 feet without a Chinook ripping it off the clip on the way down! On those days positivity is easily achieved! The thing is, in order to reach those action-packed days an angler may need to work through some days that are not so action-packed. Fishing can be slow, but to be successful on those slower days patience and positivity are needed. There could be torrential rain, big winds, and kelp as far as the eye can see, but if you possess a positive mindset and believe that if you keep working your tacks effectively and roll some tight ‘chovies or mean cut-plugs then results will eventually come your way.

A bite can turn on like a flick of a switch. One simple switch from an ebb to a flood, or a slight change in water depth, gear colours, or maybe even a switch from country radio to classic rock. Sometimes just cracking open an ice-cold silver bullet could bring an angler the bite they’ve been searching for all morning! They just have to believe that it will happen. Hope, visualize, and work hard to make it a reality. Patience will be rewarded in some way, shape, or form and positivity will help those rewards flourish. I guarantee it.

Tight lines and good luck out there!

Braeden “Bhard” Hardie

Light winds from the west and a generous dose of sunshine really delivered some summer vibes for our guests this week. It certainly helped that the fish were around, and everybody had their chances at some really nice salmon and groundfish. The average Chinooks are still in the low to mid-teens but we’re definitely seeing more fish in the twenty-plus class and the Tyee Bell gets to sing most every night for some of those larger salmon, halibut and lingcod. This week we saw all five salmon species on the dock which is always a good sign of things to come. Some of the outstanding catches were 33-pound Chinooks for Andy B (guide Alex) and Paul C (with guide Anton) last trip. While there were no giant halibut released last week, QCL anglers managed to find lots of keepers in both the “under” (<90 cm) and “over” (90-133 cm) classes. Several anglers found impressive fish between 30 and 46 pounds, which always draw some attention at the Bell Ringer.

The weekend saw some blustery northwesterlies on Saturday but the salmon really seemed to like it… because the action from Klashwun Point down to Parker was very good on the ebb tide. Solid numbers of teen-sized Chinooks were taken, with a surprising number of Coho, Chum and Pink salmon mixed in. Curtis L landed a fine 31-pound Tyee with his buds and veteran QCL guide Derek P in those lumpy seas on Saturday so he’s got a great story to tell! Sunday flattened right out to pancake seas for Father’s Day and we scattered over the whole fishing grounds to pick up limits of halibut and lingcod. Jim M released a big halibut that taped out to 180-pounds & Brian H turned back a 92. First time angler Erin R battled her first halibut, which just happened to be an 82-pounder (Wow!) and veteran QCL guest Dana B released a 77. This week is shaping up nicely with a busy Bell Ringer last night, celebrating several nice halibut and lingcod in the 25 to 40-pound class. While we didn’t see a Tyee Chinook yesterday there were several in the mid-twenties so we’ll see what today’s effort brings! We’ve got light to moderate northwesterlies all week with daily doses of sunshine, so everyone is enjoying beautiful Haida Gwaii weather through the weekend.

One of the more common questions I get asked by my guests during trips is how I got into fishing and more so, how I got into guiding. For me it’s a two-part answer that blends into one.

From a very early age, before I can remember, my parents always spent time taking my two older brothers and myself on camping and outdoor trips that always had river, lake or ocean fishing involved. This set me on a course to always have a passion and love for the outdoors, nature, fishing, and everything in between.

My Dad spent a lot of his life ocean fishing around Vancouver Island and as I got older, into my late teens, I knew I wanted to spend a lot more of my time ocean fishing as well. In a way I was following in his footsteps but in a more professional and serious manner. That’s what led me to be a fishing guide in Haida Gwaii at QCL.

This past week I was fortunate enough to have my Mom and Dad visit QCL for the first time for a fishing trip, a 4-day trip guided by me! I was able to show them, more than ever before, my passion for the outdoors and for fishing, as they had done for me in my early years.

Fishing has a unique way to create a bond between fathers and sons, mothers, daughters, grandparents, siblings, friends and really, everyone. I hope all of you who enjoy fishing, regardless of type or level of ability, are able to spend time with someone that you care about this Father’s Day weekend, enjoying the outdoors, as I was able to do this past week.

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and father figures out there. Happy Father’s Day Dad…Thank you. Love you always.

Jeff “Smirf” Smirfitt