Fishing License

Michael and I needed fishing licenses for our fishing adventure. The licenses indicate specific regulations on fish size and how much chinook salmon, lingcod and halibut we could catch.

This first round of our fishing adventure, was all about halibut!

The limit of halibut, per person, per license is six. Every halibut that is caught has to be recorded on the license, as well as the fishing area and length of the fish.

For each fishing trip, a person can catch one halibut measuring 90 cm to 126 cm or two halibut measuring under 90 cm. If the halibut is greater than 126 cm, it has to be thrown back in the water.

Our zone or area of fishing was 127.

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Photo Credit: Island Fisherman Magazine

Quatsino Sound & Hecate Cove

Michael and I’s fishing adventure happened because we were invited to join fishing enthusiast friends, Don and Denise for a getaway fishing adventure! We rented a friend of a friend’s fishing cabin in Hecate Cove, within the Quatsino Sound.

We arrived mid-day to the rustic cabin, by boat from Rumble Beach Marina, Port Alice.

We unloaded the boat of our belongings into the cabin, and readied for fishing! With water conditions perfect, we were off to the open waters of the Pacific Ocean!

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Vancouver Island Photo Credit: Researchgate

Heading to Open Waters

We headed out of Quatsino Sound to the open waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Don and Denise have been fishing together for many years. Don is especially enthusiastic about fishing. He had specific coordinates we were heading to, from a fellow fishing enthusiast who claimed it to be a fishing hot spot!

The boat ride out was beautiful! The weather and water conditions were perfect!

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First Catch of the Day – The Biggest Haul!

Don and Denise caught the first fish! It was a halibut just over 90 cm!

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Michael’s Halibut!

Suddenly all hell broke loose on the boat as I then caught a 12 lbs halibut at 82 cm and Michael caught a 10 lbs halibut at 73 cm – at the same time! My fish was brought in first – allowing me time to take photos of Michael’s catch!

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Trolling for Salmon

After a successful stint at halibut fishing, we switched to trolling for salmon! We followed the seagulls who congregated where the herring surfaced to escape bigger fish below – the bigger fish be salmon! This didn’t result in any fish, as we later found out salmon were very scarce this season.

West Coast Swell

Typically, I’m not prone to sea sickness. However, I found myself nauseous after an hour or so on the boat. I took a gravel, that helped. While the conditions were perfect, there was a rolling swell. These West Coast “rollers” are known to be higher than the swells on the East Coast, where I’m from. Perhaps that was why I was nauseous? Or maybe not. It had been close to 40 years since I had been out fishing on the ocean. Perhaps my body wasn’t used to it? Probably a whole lot of both!

Mud Shark – Pacific Spiny Dogfish

A mud shark made an appearance! His dorsal fin popped up a few times as we trolled for salmon!

Done for the Day!

Some random pictures during the boat ride back to the cabin.

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Holy Halibut!

A total of 6 halibut were caught! Michael caught the 10 lbs and 4 lbs halibut, I caught a 12 lbs halibut, Don and Denise caught the biggest and another fair sized halibut! It was a successful run!

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More Work to be Done!

Don filleted the fish. Denise washed and dried the fillets. Michael vacuumed packed and labeled the individual fillets. I watched as I am rather OCD when it comes to my getting my hands dirty.

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Fresh Halibut for Supper!

Denise cooked up Michael’s 4 lbs halibut for supper! It was super tasty!

What a successful first day of fishing!! It was time for bed, to be up early and out on the water for another day of fishing!

S, 🐟

Fishing Trip Part I – Port Alice, Vancouver Island, British Columbia – The Wild West Coast of Canada – Launch from Rumble Beach Marina

Fishing Trip Part II – Hecate Cove, Vancouver Island, British Columbia – The Wild West Coast of Canada – The Fishing Cabin

Fishing Trip Part III – Quatsino Sound, Vancouver Island, British Columbia – The Wild West Coast of Canada – Holy Halibut!

Fishing Trip Part IV – Quatsino Sound, Vancouver Island, British Columbia – The Wild West Coast of Canada – Winter Harbour, Pacific Rockfish & Red Rock Crab

Fishing Trip Part V – Quatsino Sound, Vancouver Island, British Columbia – The Wild West Coast of Canada – A Sea Cucumber Kinda Day!

Fishing Trip Part VI – Hecate Cove, Vancouver Island, British Columbia – The Wild West Coast of Canada – Black Bear in the Apple Trees

Fishing Trip Part VII – Quatsino Sound, Vancouver Island, British Columbia – The Wild West Coast of Canada – Sea Otters & Harbour Seals

Fishing Trip Part VIII – Vancouver Island, British Columbia – The Wild West Coast of Canada – Smoke From United States Wildfires