IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
As many of you will recall, as many of you helped so much with the effort (MANY MANY THANKS!), Port Alberni was named as the WFN's "Ultimate Fishing Town" last year! It was cause for Great Celebration around this Town, and we've all been right looking forward to their return to capture the Spirit this little town can offer! That all came together last week, as Mariko Izumi and her sidekick producer "BJ" rolled in for a week of fine hospitality here.
I was lucky enough to be chosen as their guide for the salt-water fishing component of their excursion, so madly raced home from Fishaholic's most excellent wedding, then up to Ukee to launch the new and Beautiful Rig I'll be running for charter work this year...
The run over from Ukee was Fun! Dragged along Brad J and dropped the gear in several spots to ensure we would see fish the next morning. A single sweep of 1/2 hour at Austin produced 5 fine springs, and amazingly enough, I wandered off of that after the first tack!! Couple more sweeps at different spots along our way informed us that the fish were indeed around, and around in rather good numbers!!
Here's a quick shot of the new Grady White "Sailfish" upon arrival in Port Alberni:
This one is a Real Sweetie! 28 feet long, with twin 225 four-strokes, and all of the latest and greatest as far as electronics and gear go!! She is so stable out there it is just like fishing from your living room sofa, and certainly cuts the water in style!! Very much a "Cadillac Ride!!"
Proving they are indeed FisherFolk at heart, there were no grumbles from the Crew about meeting me at Clutesie Marina at the chosen time of 5:00 am! Excellent! The Crew Of The Day consisted of Mariko, BJ, Brad and Shauna Jasken. A quick run-down of the safety gear and amenities on-board, and we raced off for the grounds.
Along the way we passed a couple hundred boats fishing the Famous Alberni Sockeye Run, and a great many of them were engaged in fish proving this year's run is once again in most excellent numbers!!
It was a tad chilly as the weather was cool and drizzly on the ride out, so The Ladies snuggled right in to one of the huge high-end comforters we have aboard for just such occasions:
Upon arrival at our chosen spot, we dropped the gear and began our search. The sounder noted that the bait was very much still there, and so were the springs collected just below those baits balls! After a pass or two though it was obvious that the "Feed Bag" wasn't quite on as of yet, so we took advantage of that to collect a handful of pictures of a nearby Humpback Whale that was feeding in the same area. Shortly thereafter, the first rod of the day went off, and Mariko handled that fish like a PRO! Certainly can tell that Gal has been around a fish or two!!
Just after that a good Buddy radioed me (Thanks Rabbi!) to inform us he was tagging a few just around the corner, so we trolled over to that area and began to work between there and where we had seen the fish the day before. Over the course of the next couple of hours, the fish increased their appetite, and the rods began to go off on a regular basis! We released most of the springs, a few coho, a few lings, and even a dreaded dogfish (which of course was duly captured on camera!). Most of the fish were handled by either Mariko or her sidekick Shauna, and these two Ladies put on a show that would rival the most experienced out there! Certainly was a LOT of FUN getting them into them, and watching the antics as they played those fish!!
Here's The Gals with the first we decided to keep for an impending barbeque, methinks the Smiles say it ALL!
More to come...
I was lucky enough to be chosen as their guide for the salt-water fishing component of their excursion, so madly raced home from Fishaholic's most excellent wedding, then up to Ukee to launch the new and Beautiful Rig I'll be running for charter work this year...
The run over from Ukee was Fun! Dragged along Brad J and dropped the gear in several spots to ensure we would see fish the next morning. A single sweep of 1/2 hour at Austin produced 5 fine springs, and amazingly enough, I wandered off of that after the first tack!! Couple more sweeps at different spots along our way informed us that the fish were indeed around, and around in rather good numbers!!
Here's a quick shot of the new Grady White "Sailfish" upon arrival in Port Alberni:
This one is a Real Sweetie! 28 feet long, with twin 225 four-strokes, and all of the latest and greatest as far as electronics and gear go!! She is so stable out there it is just like fishing from your living room sofa, and certainly cuts the water in style!! Very much a "Cadillac Ride!!"
Proving they are indeed FisherFolk at heart, there were no grumbles from the Crew about meeting me at Clutesie Marina at the chosen time of 5:00 am! Excellent! The Crew Of The Day consisted of Mariko, BJ, Brad and Shauna Jasken. A quick run-down of the safety gear and amenities on-board, and we raced off for the grounds.
Along the way we passed a couple hundred boats fishing the Famous Alberni Sockeye Run, and a great many of them were engaged in fish proving this year's run is once again in most excellent numbers!!
It was a tad chilly as the weather was cool and drizzly on the ride out, so The Ladies snuggled right in to one of the huge high-end comforters we have aboard for just such occasions:
Upon arrival at our chosen spot, we dropped the gear and began our search. The sounder noted that the bait was very much still there, and so were the springs collected just below those baits balls! After a pass or two though it was obvious that the "Feed Bag" wasn't quite on as of yet, so we took advantage of that to collect a handful of pictures of a nearby Humpback Whale that was feeding in the same area. Shortly thereafter, the first rod of the day went off, and Mariko handled that fish like a PRO! Certainly can tell that Gal has been around a fish or two!!
Just after that a good Buddy radioed me (Thanks Rabbi!) to inform us he was tagging a few just around the corner, so we trolled over to that area and began to work between there and where we had seen the fish the day before. Over the course of the next couple of hours, the fish increased their appetite, and the rods began to go off on a regular basis! We released most of the springs, a few coho, a few lings, and even a dreaded dogfish (which of course was duly captured on camera!). Most of the fish were handled by either Mariko or her sidekick Shauna, and these two Ladies put on a show that would rival the most experienced out there! Certainly was a LOT of FUN getting them into them, and watching the antics as they played those fish!!
Here's The Gals with the first we decided to keep for an impending barbeque, methinks the Smiles say it ALL!
More to come...
