How many of us were or are commercial fisherman
- Thread starter Capt_Ed
- Start date
I trolled for salmon on the westcoast from 1979-2009. The last 10 years was mostly chasing Tuna from the California border to the top end of the island with a bit of salmon fishing mixed in. The two fisheries I miss the most are trolling for sockeye ( loved fishing the cape and the west side of the charlottes ) and I really enjoyed Tuna fishing.
Tuna fishing is old school fishing. Untie from the wharf and the hunt begins. No stinkin DFO rules or closed areas or marine protected areas. Just you and the ocean, and it is a mighty big ocean to find Tuna in. When Tuna fishing there is no byecatch. You either catch Tuna to put in the boat, or seaweed. It is a very clean fishery. My tuna days came to an end when the majority of the Canadian boats were no longer able to fish the coast of Washington, Oregon and California. This makes for a very short season in Canadian waters.
I still know a few guys pounding away trying to make a living. It is a bureaucratic nightmare dealing with DFO. My buddies that troll on the north coast still don't know when the season starts, what they are allowed to catch and where they are allowed to fish this season.
I miss fishing every summer, I miss nothing about DFO and the BS they make everybody endure.
Tuna fishing is old school fishing. Untie from the wharf and the hunt begins. No stinkin DFO rules or closed areas or marine protected areas. Just you and the ocean, and it is a mighty big ocean to find Tuna in. When Tuna fishing there is no byecatch. You either catch Tuna to put in the boat, or seaweed. It is a very clean fishery. My tuna days came to an end when the majority of the Canadian boats were no longer able to fish the coast of Washington, Oregon and California. This makes for a very short season in Canadian waters.
I still know a few guys pounding away trying to make a living. It is a bureaucratic nightmare dealing with DFO. My buddies that troll on the north coast still don't know when the season starts, what they are allowed to catch and where they are allowed to fish this season.
I miss fishing every summer, I miss nothing about DFO and the BS they make everybody endure.
lemmy
Well-Known Member
Yup, I was a 3rd generation troller/longliner Started troll deckhanding in 78 at 15. Bought my first boat at 22. Got out in 96. Lots of different boats in the family over the years! Sadly , no one fishing anymore. I started guiding 7 years ago just to get back up to HG on someone else's dime! Lol.
I'm looking forward to others chiming in on this thread!
Thanks
I'm looking forward to others chiming in on this thread!
Thanks
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
Been an Area G Troller since I "retired" and we moved down from the Arctic.
Still hanging on, while DFO does their absolute damnest to get us off the water once and for all.
Nog
Still hanging on, while DFO does their absolute damnest to get us off the water once and for all.
Nog
Gong Show
Well-Known Member
Been 'working' on sockeye gillnetters since I was small enough to fit into a wooden Canada Dry box, tied to the boat.
Skippered sockeye gillnetters for sixteen years. Was a director of the Pacific Gillnetters Association when I was 17. Occupied the DFO office on Hastings Street. Good times!
Got out/forced out after first year law school.
I really miss it this time of year, when the boat and nets are getting sorted out before heading north. I fool myself that I miss fishing the mighty Fraser with 900 other gillnetters, rail ferries, ro-ro's, tugs with barges, and the worst, recreational boaters!
Miss the people and the culture. Both were amazing. Nothing is too good for a fisherman!
Skippered sockeye gillnetters for sixteen years. Was a director of the Pacific Gillnetters Association when I was 17. Occupied the DFO office on Hastings Street. Good times!
Got out/forced out after first year law school.
I really miss it this time of year, when the boat and nets are getting sorted out before heading north. I fool myself that I miss fishing the mighty Fraser with 900 other gillnetters, rail ferries, ro-ro's, tugs with barges, and the worst, recreational boaters!
Miss the people and the culture. Both were amazing. Nothing is too good for a fisherman!
daddystoy
Well-Known Member
Worked as a deckhand on an ice troller in 77 78 79 and 80. Back when I was a young buck from 14 years old to 18. Still great fishing then. Fished out of Winter Harbour and Ucluelet.
Fantastic summer job for a kid back in the day.
Good money. Put in long hours. Got screamed at by the Skipper every now and then. It was a buddy I went to school with that got me the job.
His old man was the Skipper and me and buddy would work together.
Great experience. I'm glad I had the opportunity to do it.
Fantastic summer job for a kid back in the day.
Good money. Put in long hours. Got screamed at by the Skipper every now and then. It was a buddy I went to school with that got me the job.
His old man was the Skipper and me and buddy would work together.
Great experience. I'm glad I had the opportunity to do it.
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Aquaholic
Crew Member
I was going to do this exact same thread, thanks @Capt_Ed. Post the boat you were on if you have a photo.
Never On Sunday, I fished on this out of Prince Rupert in the mid 70's. It was a salmon troller but we rigger her for Tuna one late season and did a few trips that way. Salting gills and shoveling ice, man that was hard work for them. Using a drift anchor was not fun, especially near shipping lanes. We couldn't get a right and left hand tuna puller, so mine was reverse to my inclination, and I smacked the skipper in the face with large tuna a few times until I got used to the backwards lever on my side of the boat.
Built by Cape Lazo Boat Yards, Vancouver Island. We were always told it was a 38 or 40' fiberglass troller, at one time the claim to fame was it was the largest fiberglass fishing vessel in Canada. The vessel registry shows a smaller length. Owned by Allan Lambert when I was a deckhand, it was owned by his dad and then brother Stan beforehand. The family lived in Chemainus in the off season. The newer photos are from the government dock at Courtenay. It appears to have had a nose job.
I also worked on finishing the Northern Rider with Phil Burgess for a few months, a steel hulled seiner I believe, but did not end up fishing on her. Phil had it at the famous Wahl's boatyard in Vancouver to get the wood interior done. My daughter is a Wahl.
Never On Sunday, I fished on this out of Prince Rupert in the mid 70's. It was a salmon troller but we rigger her for Tuna one late season and did a few trips that way. Salting gills and shoveling ice, man that was hard work for them. Using a drift anchor was not fun, especially near shipping lanes. We couldn't get a right and left hand tuna puller, so mine was reverse to my inclination, and I smacked the skipper in the face with large tuna a few times until I got used to the backwards lever on my side of the boat.
Built by Cape Lazo Boat Yards, Vancouver Island. We were always told it was a 38 or 40' fiberglass troller, at one time the claim to fame was it was the largest fiberglass fishing vessel in Canada. The vessel registry shows a smaller length. Owned by Allan Lambert when I was a deckhand, it was owned by his dad and then brother Stan beforehand. The family lived in Chemainus in the off season. The newer photos are from the government dock at Courtenay. It appears to have had a nose job.
I also worked on finishing the Northern Rider with Phil Burgess for a few months, a steel hulled seiner I believe, but did not end up fishing on her. Phil had it at the famous Wahl's boatyard in Vancouver to get the wood interior done. My daughter is a Wahl.
Aquaholic
Crew Member
Was the Venturous a Wahl hull?
Capt_Ed
Crew Member
Yes ,Ernie and his 3 sons built it in the Annieville slough , my home port, in 1979 .
Aquaholic
Crew Member
Really, that's a big one, was it lengthened? Did you read the book Legacy In Wood about the Wahl boat building family? Your boat might be in it.
tubber
Well-Known Member
After being part of the build crew in 79, we got a few weeks of salmon seining in before I headed back to school. Then 80-85, 88, 93, and 94. One herring season in 85 and one halibut season in 94.
We also did 2 packing trips into Bristol Bay in May-June of 80 and 81, and juvenile salmon research for OSU off the Wa and Ore coasts in springs of 82?3?-85. Gouldrup boat.
We also did 2 packing trips into Bristol Bay in May-June of 80 and 81, and juvenile salmon research for OSU off the Wa and Ore coasts in springs of 82?3?-85. Gouldrup boat.
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kaelc
Well-Known Member
Great tales, you guys must have had some amazing seasons!
Trolled on the Titanium a yellow wooden double ender out of the Courtenay slew/Ukee. Tim Noot the skipper was a part of the Num Nuts group of boats, always loved the end of day count of the fish caught by each boat and the radio BS. Hearing a female skippers voice on the radio was like seeing Pam Andersen after a few days at sea. Loved all of it from the Fraser up to QC. Early 90’s. Did one Tuna trip and it was a blast, no hydraulics just plugs on hand lines, tips of our fingers if I remember correctly but maybe I’m just getting old.
In 2005 ish I did one commercial Hali trip with Dave Boyes who is still at it, with his daughter fishing to this day and they sell Hali and ling at the Comox dock every year. His boat name escapes me, he had a 40+ wooden scooner and then up graded. Someone will remember Daves boat name he and Tim were both UBC biology grads and had sailed to the South Pacific in a converted life boat that was donated to the sea cadets. I had just quit my job on the mainland and before moving back to the island permanently, guess the Hali trip was my last job. Started my own business afterwards.
Was looking a prawn/tuna boat with a prawn license today as part of the research for my YouTube channel. Family and friends are running to their Prawn spots for the opening. Killed me to skip opening day of ling cod, this weekend, and I’ll be thinking of the men and women setting strings on a real opening day Thursday.
Hats off to you few who owned boats and fished so many crazy fisheries!
Trolled on the Titanium a yellow wooden double ender out of the Courtenay slew/Ukee. Tim Noot the skipper was a part of the Num Nuts group of boats, always loved the end of day count of the fish caught by each boat and the radio BS. Hearing a female skippers voice on the radio was like seeing Pam Andersen after a few days at sea. Loved all of it from the Fraser up to QC. Early 90’s. Did one Tuna trip and it was a blast, no hydraulics just plugs on hand lines, tips of our fingers if I remember correctly but maybe I’m just getting old.
In 2005 ish I did one commercial Hali trip with Dave Boyes who is still at it, with his daughter fishing to this day and they sell Hali and ling at the Comox dock every year. His boat name escapes me, he had a 40+ wooden scooner and then up graded. Someone will remember Daves boat name he and Tim were both UBC biology grads and had sailed to the South Pacific in a converted life boat that was donated to the sea cadets. I had just quit my job on the mainland and before moving back to the island permanently, guess the Hali trip was my last job. Started my own business afterwards.
Was looking a prawn/tuna boat with a prawn license today as part of the research for my YouTube channel. Family and friends are running to their Prawn spots for the opening. Killed me to skip opening day of ling cod, this weekend, and I’ll be thinking of the men and women setting strings on a real opening day Thursday.
Hats off to you few who owned boats and fished so many crazy fisheries!
Capt_Ed
Crew Member
It wasn't lengthened ,it was the last Seine boat Wahls built. Ernies son Brian is a friend of mine and was my engineer on the Aluminum boat
cuttlefish
Well-Known Member
This was my mistress for twenty-seven years. One year as deckhand, three years leasing and the remainder as owner.
I know Tim and Dave From back in the day. Dave now has the Borealis I and his wooden schooner was/is named Fearless. I trolled near them from time to time but wasn’t in their group. I was one of the Almost All Americans groupies.
I know Tim and Dave From back in the day. Dave now has the Borealis I and his wooden schooner was/is named Fearless. I trolled near them from time to time but wasn’t in their group. I was one of the Almost All Americans groupies.
kaelc
Well-Known Member
@cuttlefish I knew someone would know. Looks like a great boat, 27 years is longer than most marriages. Where did you fish out of?
I always thought there should be more rec fishing groups like commercial fishermen working together. How we find fish trolling two lures, vs double or triple or more sharing what depth and more is a miracle to me.
I always thought there should be more rec fishing groups like commercial fishermen working together. How we find fish trolling two lures, vs double or triple or more sharing what depth and more is a miracle to me.
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