What was your highlight of the year?

[Redfisher]

Best day of the year was mid August fishing around Ivory Island in Milbanke Sound. Fished my Trophy 9' light action rods with old school Diawa 175 reels with 15lb test mainline. Fished these with bare 3" spoons. Hooked and released many coho between 8-15 pounds and as a bonus landed a 26 and 32 pound spring.

 

[Ugly Betty]

Best highlight of the year was heading to Bamfield with @RiverBoy . And learning the Salmo lassie.

 

[fish brain]

The best day of the year for me was taking my nephew and his new partner from Saskatawatch out fishing. She has lived on the coast foe a few years now, but has never been on the ocean in a boat smaller than a ferry. We left in the early am from Cowichan Bay and cruised up through Samsun Narrows headed for Porilier Pass. It was a perfect May morning, and the sun came up as we cruised through The Narrows into Stuart Channel. The look on her face as she took in the beauty of of being on the water as the sun came up would have been enough for me . But the day held more in store for her. We were the Second boat at Porilier Pass, the day was clear and the water was calm. Perfect conditions. As my nephew hasn't done much ocean fishing and his GF had never been I got the kicker going, showed Owen the contour line on the GPS and told him to follow it while I set up the gear. Gear set, I turn around to take the helm, and fish on! The rule on my boat is the fish virgin gets the first fish. So I told Kristen to grab the rod, and helped her set the hook, from there it was her rod. She is a fast learner and figured out the tip up let it pull when it want's to in no time. First fish of the day to the boat about seven pounds, it's coming home with us. Since there was blood on the deck I showed her how to set up the gear and operate the downrigger and told her it was her job for the rest of the day. And what a day it was, there were times when we couldn't keep the gear in the water. It was just fish after fish. Man I love those days, and they don't happen very often for me. I mean I do pretty well, and can usually scratch up a fish or two, but this I what I dream about. I let Owen an Kris bring in most of the fish, Kristen had the biggest smile the whole time, and I only brought a couple to the boat when Owen insisted that it was my turn, but I was having way more fun watching them. About eleven am Kris asks if I am hungry? Yeah! The kids brought lunch, and in the lunch was a beer for everyone. Turns out Kris not only drinks beer, she likes IPA's! I'm liking this girl more and more. At about 1 pm after who knows how many fish to the boat, we had our limit. Time to go home I say. But as I had the boat moored at the Shipyard there was no cleaning table, so I decided to clean the fish on the water before we headed home. Kristen says what are you doing ? show me. So I showed her how to use the washdown hose to remove the scales, and then how to clean the fish. She was in like a dirty shirt. And I remember looking up at my nephew and thinking that if I wasn't already married , I would push his skinny butt overboard and take his woman. It's her first time out, she can operate the downrigger like a pro, didn't lose a fish all day, she likes to clean fish, AND she drinks IPA's. If she isn't a keeper, than I don't know who is! Anyhoo we will head out again this spring, who knows if we can replicate that day? I doubt it, and that's why I will remember it for a long time!
Here is Kristen with her two fish of the day

 

[tinboatrobb]

Highlight for wife and I was a double header in late August in 100 feet of water off McCauley point, twin 10 lb fish netted at the same time. I netted hers and passed her the net to scoop mine. this has not happened to us before and she thought I was nuts for wanting to get the second fish in the net while the first was still in it. We had a good laugh. Second cool thing was taking my sister in law who was visiting from Ontario out in early September, again off the harbour mouth and within 10 mins of dropping the lines we get a hit and she plays a 8 lb spring to the boat.As I was putting that line back in the water with her watching what I was doing a guy in a passing boat starts yelling that the other rod is going off. she grabs it and reels in a nice 11 lb spring. 2 fish in 15 mins. she was impressed. All this while trying to stay clear of a cruise ship that was coming in to dock.

 

[Drink]

This was few years back and one of my best times ever was a buddy had is father from Winnipeg out for a vacation and desperately wanted me to take him salmon fishing in the lower Howe Sound. His father was absolutely delighted with the Vancouver skyline and was really taken taken back of what the West Coast truly offers. We fished for a while around the Bell Buoy and to our amazement 2 Killer Whales suddenly started frolicking almost our fishing lines. Was awesome to experience ,actually scary at first. We fished a while longer as I wasn't expected too much with the whales in the vicinity but both rods went off, father and son were ecstatic, doing the high 5 , you name it. Great day to remember but what was really cool,the aircraft carrier USS Ranger was in the outer harbour steaming beside us with all hands on deck giving us a clap with all the chaos going on. Thought it was great until I realized how big that carrier actually is and how small we really are and then we faced the wake unprepared. I don't think this would happen in Winnipeg. LOL.

 

[pelican]

Last week.of Sept, it was a noKeeper wild coho day for my prairie friend, who said I'd never get her out on my boat. Four wilds were returned, no net no touch. She says I'm the meanest skipper ever for making her throw all her fish back