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Ernie Fedoruk is Vice President of the
Outdoor Writers of Canada and former B.C. Director with
the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association. Winner of
26 awards in the last 16 years, the sports/outdoors
columnist retired from a 48-year newspaper career in
1996.
Messages can be faxed to him at (250) 592-7090, or emailed
to efedoruk@islandnet.com
"A man's passion for fishing should not allow it
to interfere with his love of family. But if the glue
binds, then please consider the angler's passion also
a love for family." |
FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE
Since part of my life deals with the state of fishing in
my province, let me assure you it is not bad. Perhaps A-0kay.
Maybe better.
I haven’t been much into fishing this year. Devotion to a
convention for the Outdoor Writers of Canada had great priority.
Even after the gathering’s overwhelming success (blush!),
things didn’t change. My wife suggested Whoinheck must cut
the grass. I never met Whoinheck so had to tell her I was
separating apples from oranges, as amateur accounting dictates,
but the bananas kept falling into the equation.
Finally . . . I realized, on Sept. 13, that I had not registered
one single chinook salmon (or any other, for that matter)
on my 1998 tidal-water fish licence. Drastic action was required.
Instantly.
On Sept. 14 I hooked up with Rob Waters. He is a friend,
fellow fishing writer and a dedicated enhancement servant
who has give great service to the Sport Fishing Advisory Board,
the Salmon Foundation, the Sport Fishing Institute of British
Columbia and a variety of several other good-meaning groups.
Smart, too, because Rob appreciated my suggestion.
In mid-September, the big chinook population thins. The spawners
at that time move to play parenthood in the waters of origin.
Some linger, and we heard about many stragglers off Port Renfrew,
on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.
Port Renfrew is a little pocket of Fishing Heaven that is
best known by locals and a few others. The area’s only marina
is owned by Rex Coburn. He volunteered to lead Twiddle-de-dee
and De-dum to the magic spot, had a change of heart and handed
the nasty assignment to Rem Radsma, a nice young man who owns
and operates West Coast Fishing Adventures.
Radsma is not your typical guide. The little button above
his lips reminds me of James Dean’s nose. His beard is so
trim I felt we stumbled into a Hollywood shoot. Radsma is
endowed with a pleasant personality, but worst of all: his
does NOT feel like a fish boat. It is squeaky clean ,with
no clutter and does not smell like a fish boat.
As Rem was quick to prove, it is a fish boat. Radsma knows
his business and the area. Happily, his guests quickly got
into fish. Not to overdo the bragging, Fedoruk caught two
chinook (or kings, if you’re not one of us "eh" persons).
The first was a 30-pounder, the second a 19. Partner Waters
pulled in a 29-pounder, released a mid-teener because he expected
heavier. They were there, but my partner had to confess he
was guilty of some "long releases." Long releases are a polite
way of saying: "Jeez . . . you lost that one buddy!"
Understand, too, my government has ordered us to fish salmon
only with barbless hooks, a protection measure intended to
help coho (or silvers). We kept the three chinook and "short-released"
several coho, the salmon species that our Department of Fisheries
and Oceans feels is suffering. We didn’t tie into any chum
but some of the neighbors did get into that species of salmon.
It was nice to rediscover fishing. Greater delight was confirmation
of things others have been saying—the Pacific salmon, including
coho, seem to be in good health.
Excellent chinook action has been experienced and reported
by dependable snitches from the shadows of Alaska to the borders
of Washington. I trust the people who confide in me, and suggest
some runs of coho are healthier than my government tells me.
Mike Gallant, highly successful as grocer-store operator
in Campbell River, two decades ago took some of his earnings
to launch Sonora Lodge. He has helped enhancement and hatcheries
in the areas at the mouth of Bute Inlet while maintaining
a very classy resort.
A few days before my Port Renfrew visit, Gallant told me
coho were plentiful, and big. "I haven’t seen 20-pound coho
in this area in more than 20 years. They’re here now," he
said in casual conversation.
Late-season coho were very evident off Campbell River, and
Tim Cyr, past president of the Sport Fishing Institute who
operates Nootka Sound Lodge, says "they were everywhere" in
his region on the Island’s west side. Reports from other areas,
including Juan de Fuca Strait, were similar.
Recreational industry spokesmen have harped on one theme—the
concerns are for only a few coho runs, and not the entire
population. DFO, however, can not or will not manage with
regional plans. The department must appease the commercial
fleet and therefore penalizes all resource users, including
the recreational anglers who take a very small percentage
of the resource. The department needs to be informed there
is no need to shut down the entire coast. Particularly, I
submit, Port Renfrew.
Trust me.
Copyright ©
Ernie Fedoruk retired in 1996 after a 47-year journalism career as an outdoors and sports columnist, has just completed
14 years as director/officer of the Outdoor Writers of Canada,
also was director of the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association
for 11 years. His passion is fishing – to find and to
protect – and insists his greatest contribution as a
conservationist is incompetence.
Ernie Fedoruk Freelance Journalist
1867 Neil Street Victoria, BC, V8R 3C6, Canada
phone:(250)592-4438 fax:(250)592-7090
e-mail: efedoruk@islandnet.com
To purchase Ernie Fedoruk's column for publication, please
contact efedoruk@islandnet.com
For previous articles by Ernie Fedoruk, click on the links
below:
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