Just returned from Bamfield on Saturday after a week trip. Just one of those trips where nothing goes right. Blew a bearing on the boat trailer just off the ferry in Nanaimo, and the wheel literally fell of as we pulled into a mechanic. Luckily there was no damage to the axle and they had us back on the road by midafternoon. Was able to get to the cabin in grappler last Friday night.
Fishing was slow on the inside. We had a group of nine licenses (3 boats). Two boats were able to limit on springs inside by Wednesday and a few bonus coho. Almost entirely on anchovies (green hoods long leaders). Fishing seemed to be most productive at Whittlestone, Little Beale, and Beale. A few picked up on the wall.
Myself, I lost nearly every fish I hooked. A few went to the seal at Whittlestone, but other than that just bad luck. Wasn’t able to get fish to stay on the hooks. Only pulled in 4 springs the entire week between 3 licenses. The most exciting being a 22 that I hooked from a 14 ft Livingston that I like to fish out of when everyone wants to go out fishing from the big boats. Besides the poor fishing, we ran into more bad luck.
Being from Washington we only make the trip up once or twice a year. Typically ferry onto the island, and put the boat in the water in Alberni for the run to Bamfield. Park the rig near the ford dealership while we are gone. Well on Wednesday I got a call from the girlfriend’s mother while we were out fishing, she said that the sheriffs were at her place of work asking her about a missing vehicle of ours. The RCP in Alberni had called the sheriffs back home, who went to our home to find all our vehicles, but nobody home. They ran my girlfriends plates, which lead them to her mother. She called us up and put the sheriffs on the line letting us know that our truck had been stolen in Alberni. This really put a damper on the trip. RCP informed us that the truck was found broken into, door panel smashed, ignition punched out, and batteries stripped. We asked about the trailer and camper that were connected and they had no idea they were involved. Still no sign of either. My father hitchhiked from Bamfield to Alberni to get the truck out of the impound to a mechanic, and set up things with breaker marine for the boat to be dry docked on return to Alberni. He then hitched all the way back to Bamfield.
Anyway, all in all a fun trip and beautiful weather, but slow fishing and unfortunate events took the wind out of our sails. Everyone was safe so that is something to be thankful for. Just goes to show there are sleaze balls everywhere that could use a bullet.
Any information on a neighbor in the Alberni area showing up with a new camper or boat trailer would be greatly appreciated. Camper is a white/crimson 8 footer with a WSU courgar decal on the back. trailer fits a 23ft bay boat.