Put The Grin In Perrigrine
The guests of trip six arrived poised for a three day fishing adventure in the best waters of the Pacific ocean, complete with talented guides that are very knowledgeable about this part of our oceanic paradise. We suspect everyone discovered that eating the gourmet cuisine prepared by our talented kitchen staff was only one part (maybe the best part) of a great epic adventure they were about to embark on. The morning breakfast and evening dinner are well planned by our great chefs Barry, Colin, Hayden, and cousins Joel and Jeff. They don’t blink an eye when cooking up 1000 pounds of food delivered to the lodge just for each and every guests’ trip. Special shout out to Monsour – who bakes fresh pastries and breads everyday, including 10 different doughnuts as well as the best croissants one will find. After all it is our 30th Anniversary.
After a hearty breakfast the guests are ready to rock and the boats head out at 7 AM. An evening weigh in and cocktails are on the receiving end when they return for a well-deserved end-of-the-day happy hour at 445 PM. Some significant swell and wind waves were on deck for Day One, as waves reached two meters high in some places and the westerly seas sure showed the guests and guides who is boss. Through the the morning low tide, Peregrine Lodge fishing boats found shelter on the leeward side of Snake Rock and Parker Point. Ron and his guide Craig made contact early. On their first tack trolling the shoreline they quickly reeled in a 20 pound Chinook Salmon. Shortly after, Ron and Craig successfully boated their first Chinook of the day and Bret and his guide Johnny had a bouncing rod on their starboard side which was a hooked 25 pound Chinook. Bret kept his Salmon as a take-home, as did Ron. Later in the day at the height of the high tide our Guide Ryan used the flooding current and the counter directional wind to his advantage. Taking hard with their enticing baited gear spinning under them, Ryan and Todd had a hit and a fight on their hands. Todd reeled in a 26 pound Chinook which gave them a few runs of line before they were able to see it splashing the surface. Todd kept the Chinook and with the help of Ryan had the catch of the day! Eight other Chinook, a Sockeye, and a Chum were caught on Day One. Adding to the total were nine Coho and two Halibut. Michael and Ron both caught and released two Chinook to finish a excellent start to the first day out of the gate. Our group were not the least shy about catching more fish….rain or shine.
Day 2 turned out to be much nicer on the water and the forecasted severe wind never pickedup. Instead, our group got some serious sun, and it shined in all its glory, giving our Haida Gwaii visitors a taste of some northern warmth. 14 Chinook were retained, 2 of which were Tyees. The first Tyees of the trip were caught with Johnny as guide and kept by Bret, and Kelsey refused to be outdone as she also joined in as an inductee to the Tyee Club-which was guided by Craig. Cody added to his Chinook count with 2 Coho, along with Norman, Michael, Roy, Robert, and Ron. Charles, Reagan, Lee and John also caught a Chinook and 1 Coho. Bret added to his Tyee with a 44 pound Halibut. Michael brought in 4 Rock Cod and Sean kept is 11 pound Ling Cod from his Boston Whaler Montauk, guided by Ryan. 8 Chinook were released, 3 of which were 20 pounds. It’s hard to believe that we were on the same ocean from Day One.
The last day was absolutely beautiful. The waters were clear and only a calm ocean breeze rippled through the fleet. Everyone took advantage of the weather and moved offshore to fish–and to play and release as many as possible. Times of frenzied action on all the boats made the day a sensation. Talk about multiple double and triple headers all day long! The ocean teamed with Coho and were being caught anywhere from just at the surface to up to 40 feet. Quite the spectacle. There wasn’t a disappointed guest at the dock. A jovial atmosphere ensued, as they all knew they had come to the best fishing grounds and secured their Salmon, Halibut, and Cod they came to fish for. In three days there was a bit of everything…making the trip even more enriching. They all felt blessed to have come to Haida Gwaii and get the treatment Peregrine Lodge provides and the sensation mother nature delivers. The staff of Peregrine Lodge wish Ron and our staff member Tyler a happy birthday. We all enjoyed a fantastic fireworks display to celebrate on their behalf. We wish farewell to our new found friends. We’re glad you all came on this 30th anniversary and feel sure you will return in the future as the seasoned anglers you’ve all become!