| Port Renfrew is a small Canadian town
| |
| | suspended in the air
|
| with a major fishing
| |
| | far above us.Captain Quigley tells us
|
| problem. The problem is the sport
| |
| | we're sure to catch some big ones
|
| fishing is great and only
| |
| | today. Swiftsure Bank, where Juan de
|
| a few people know that.We arrive in Port
| |
| | Fuca Strait drops off
|
| Renfrew in late afternoon. Captain
| |
| | into the deep blue Pacific, is where
|
| Quigley greets us at the entrance to
| |
| | halibut and salmon are
|
| Osprey Cabins. Quigley and his family
| |
| | most plentiful. It's hard to believe
|
| provide these comfortable cabins in a
| |
| | we're fishing on the
|
| beautiful rural setting - and there's an
| |
| | edge of the open Pacific Ocean.The first
|
| outdoor hot tub to
| |
| | one I catch is a screamer! They call it
|
| boot! Their place is one of the most
| |
| | that
|
| popular accommodations in Port Renfrew,
| |
| | because it grabs the bait and takes off.
|
| and their rates are very
| |
| | The line literally
|
| reasonable.Captain Quigley is one of the
| |
| | 'screams' as the fish runs. Quigley
|
| most skilled and knowledgeable guides
| |
| | knows what to do. He
|
| we've ever met. We've been out with the
| |
| | puts the boat in gear and chases the
|
| affable "Capt'n Quigs" before, at his
| |
| | fish. My eyes almost
|
| other fishing operation in Sooke, BC. (45
| |
| | pop when I look down at the reel and
|
| minutes west of Victoria), so we know
| |
| | there are only about 3 wraps of line
|
| we're in good hands!The alarm shatters
| |
| | left! In seconds, the fish has run almost
|
| our solid sleep at 5 a.m. We're on the
| |
| | 300
|
| water by 6:00. The sun is just coming up
| |
| | yards of line. I reel as fast as I can
|
| behind us as we
| |
| | until the line's
|
| speed westward, heading towards the
| |
| | tight again and the fight's back
|
| mouth of the San Juan Inlet. Quigley's
| |
| | on.Non-stop excitement, boats all around
|
| boat is fast and powerful. We hang on
| |
| | us are getting strike
|
| to our seats as we bounce over the big
| |
| | after strike. On Quigley's radio, we can
|
| waves!We stop just off Camper's Bay,
| |
| | hear the guides
|
| where the West Coast Trail
| |
| | sharing information about their catches
|
| from Port Renfrew meets the "Pacific
| |
| | - "Double strike, 40
|
| Ocean" for the first
| |
| | feet down!" They all share their success
|
| time. The shoreline cliffs were
| |
| | so everyone else
|
| spectacular and carved into
| |
| | can succeed too.Even when there's a
|
| numerous huge dark caves.Captain Quigley
| |
| | lull, and the fish aren't biting,
|
| points over the port side towards the
| |
| | Captain Quigley is entertaining us. He
|
| open Pacific. "Next stop Hawaii, and that
| |
| | teaches us his latest
|
| way, Japan!"The water is as calm as it
| |
| | fish-luring chant and the accompanying
|
| ever gets out here, but the
| |
| | dance: "Chinook,
|
| rolling swells are huge. The sun is
| |
| | Chinook - Bite on my hook, my hook!"
|
| shining brightly now,
| |
| | There's never a dull
|
| but cool dark fog is already rising from
| |
| | moment on board.And when the fish are
|
| the water, cloaking
| |
| | biting, Quigley is a very patient
|
| the cliffs. It looks like the trees are
| |
| | teacher: "Let him run!
|