We struggled with whether we wanted to push past the Broughton’s. After six years cruising these waters, we are now comfortable about where to fish and our preferred anchorages. We have local knowledge.
The waters North of Rivers Inlet are unchartered for us. To gain local knowledge takes time or money, or luck that a fellow boater will cough up their secrets.
Tessa was lucky to have struck up a conversation with a Captain aboard the boat stern to stern with us in Port McNeill. She was able to receive twenty five years of local knowledge- their favorite anchorages and fishing holes- along the Northern BC coast. This information is invaluable.
We were both excited about anchoring off the Hakai Institute. Visitors are welcome ashore, and there is good fishing in Hackai Pass. Tessa noted both fishing lodges that had boats at the entrance to Hakai Institute were not using downriggers. We were not expecting this. We have the gear to go downriggerless, but our rods are not ideal.
There are so many nooks and crannies around Hakai Institute, we saw lodge boats fishing in a variety of places. Back to ways to gain local knowledge: time or money or luck. We both thought of going to one of the lodges and seeking advice in exchange for money. Local knowledge is key.
There is a short walk from Hakai Institute to what is acclaimed in Waggoner’s Cruising Guide as a down right tropical beach in sunny weather. Tom scoffed as Tessa read this, a beach in Northern BC that is comparable to a tropical beach??
Sure enough, we discovered it by running around trying to find fishing holes. We’ve never seen as fine of sand while cruising the Inside Passage. Waggoner’s was right, it was almost a down right tropical beach. On the Northern BC Coast.
The other Mother Earth feature we’ve only experienced cruising here by Hakai Institute is the rocks. The lines vertical and so definitive but smooth edged, and then one large rock stacked like is should roll from its sitting position. To Tessa it reminded her of Joshua Tree National Park. Both showcasing the beauty and awe of what Mother Earth is capable of.
We “knew” two boats anchored nearby. One was a friend of a friend who said to look out for said friend, and the other was a fellow yacht club member we had seen at Cortes Outstation. We said hello to the friend of a friend, looking for local knowledge. It was either a) his first time fishing here, too, or b) not willing to be of help on how to fish (downriggers?) and where.
As we were going out to fish the beginning of the flood tide the next morning, we ran into our fellow yacht club member just coming back in from fishing. He told us where to go, if we could fish with downriggers, and what they were biting. Along with places near Shearwater to anchor and fish. Exactly the information we needed. We got lucky, again.
And boy did we have fish on. We had about ninety minutes where we could barely keep our rods in the water. Tom would have a fish on, Tessa would pull hers up, a fish would hit her lure on the surface. A fish would spit the lure, another would pick it up. Double headers. Releasing fish, keeping select few. Exhilarating. THIS was fishing. Northern BC Coast, this might be our first date, but it may be the beginning of a long relationship.