Happy New Year!
New Year’s Resolution – Is Fishing Good For Your Health?
We hope that you had a fabulous time with friends & family over the holiday season. With the coming of the New Year most of us are back to work & reflecting on the year that was. Of course, as tradition would have it, naturally we are all curious as to what type of “resolutions” our friends & family have made? Mine was to try & work smarter so that I could spend more time enjoying life & doing things like going fishing! What was your New Year’s resolution? So what is the secret to a better, happier more satisfying life? It seems that one theme keeps re-surfacing as the key to health & happiness, & this is simply activity. Our bodies were not designed to sit all day in front of a screen. In this day & age, with so much information at our finger tips, it is not surprising there is now statistical evidence to support the health benefits of fishing.
Fishing is a unique sport in that it can be both exciting & relaxing at the same time. It can also challenge you physically & mentally. You don’t have to be avid, or even have any experience to get the “benefits” from fishing. It is about keeping your mind & body engaged & all about being in the moment. Like most of us, I had heard of mindfulness, but didn’t really know what the fuss was about so I thought I would look it up. “Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment”. Upon reflection, it seems that unbeknownst to me that we were actually quite “Zen” growing up in a small BC lumber town where most people fished. Maybe the key to a longer happier healthy life is to simply go fishing? If you are looking for a way to de-stress, stay fit, & simply just enjoy being outside, head out to the great outdoors & go & catch your dinner. It is good for the mind, body & soul! If you have not already done so, contact your friends, family, clients & plan your trip with us today! www.riversinlet.com 1-800-663-2644
Fishing Technique – Luck vs. Skill.
Fishing is a unique sport in that there is a delicate balance of luck & skill. The more effort you put into the details the “luckier” you get. Growing up salmon fishing on Vancouver Island involved fishing from larger boats where we all took a turn on the rod. This meant that during the fishing session, one of the rods would be yours for a period of time. Sure enough, usually minutes after the rod was designated as mine, the line would start screaming out with a FISH ON! So, this established I had luck on my side! All I had to do in my early career as a guide was fine-tune the other variable of skill. In fishing, this is knowledge of the area to fish & at what depth. There is also the technique involved using the equipment & choice of bait or lure. However, the MOST important & perhaps the simplest skill, is the preparation & maintenance of your gear. I was lucky to be trained by one of the best guides on the BC coast & it all boils down to one word, DISCIPLINE. Back in the day, we exclusively used 20 lb. test line & were mooching (slow trolling) with herring. There was so much less room for error. You had to be so diligent with the integrity of your line & strength of your knots, as well as the sharpness of your hooks. There was no “this is good enough” EVER.
During the summer at the Lodge in our morning motivational guides meeting, we always remind each other that fishing in Rivers Inlet is like being in the “World Series of Salmon Fishing”. In the back of your mind you always have to remember the largest salmon ever recorded (126 lbs.) was caught only a few minutes from our Lodge. At any moment, while fishing in Rivers Inlet, the tiniest nibble on your rod tip that it could be a 5 pounder or a 55 pounder. You just never know from the bite so you have to be prepared! You only have to learn this lesson once & I learned the hard way. I can still remember the morning that I was feeling a bit unenthusiastic & threw down some gear that was “good enough”. It was about 15 minutes before heading in for lunch so I was done & then suddenly BAM. We had a giant fish on, screaming out line. After nearly an hour-long battle with long dives, surface runs & jumps, we finally got this monster alongside the boat. It was a behemoth of a fish, likely well over 50 lbs. As I went to net it, the fish flicked its head, & in an instant the line broke & it was gone. It was not angler error in any way, as my guest fought it flawlessly keeping his eyes glued to the rod tip & perfect pressure on the fish. It was complete guide error. I had put down a leader that had a slight burr in it & we paid the ultimate price.
We always say you will remember the one that got away more than the ones you put in the boat, but it is nice to have the choice to release & not the emotion of that lost opportunity. I can still hear that distinctive sound of the line snapping & look of horror & dismay on my guest’s face. Always remember, before you ever leave the dock at the Sportsman’s Club, double check your gear & pull those knots as hard as you can to test their strength. At our welcome orientation & daily seminars we will remind you & so will our diligent dock hosts as you prep your boat. I might even personally jump in your boat & do my “Knot Ninja” routine on you before you head out on the water. You will breathe a sigh of relief when you get that big one on & you know that your gear is perfect. It is a nice feeling of confidence & you always fish better if you are running a tight ship out there & maximizing your chances of successfully landing a Rivers Inlet trophy salmon!
Guest Testimonial
Love British Columbia & Rivers Inlet!
My third visit to Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club & I still have not been let down, just a great place to go! Great fishing is only part of what Simon & Stephanie have to offer, BC is a great place in the summer & the wildlife & scenery is unbelievable. Their staff & hospitality is amazing, especially when you consider your on a self contained floating camp, everything from the lodging to the food (which is never ending) to the hot water bottles is fantastic. If you want to go salmon & halibut fishing this is the place, it really is!!
Scott H., New York USA
Garlic Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon
Ingredients
– 2 pounds salmon
– 2 Tablespoons olive oil
– ¼ cup brown sugar
– ¼ cup soy sauce
– 3 garlic cloves, minced
– juice of one lemon
– 1 teaspoon salt
– ½ teaspoon pepper
– garnish with sliced lemons & chopped parsley if desired
Instructions
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay the salmon on top & sprinkle with salt & pepper. Fold up the sides of the aluminum foil around the salmon.
-In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, lemon juice, salt, & pepper.
Pour the glaze over the salmon. Top the salmon with aluminum foil & seal.
-Bake for 20-25 minutes or until salmon is cooked throughout. Take the foil off of the top & baste the salmon with the sauce in the foil. Broil for 3-5 minutes or until brown & caramelized. Garnish with lemon slices & chopped parsley if desired.
The All Night Fight – The Best Fishing Story EVER!
It was a gorgeous sunny evening as the sun set over Calvert Island. Typically once the sun has dipped below the horizon there is the last bite of the day & then it is time to head back to the “ranch”. As a keen young guide I was always first on & last off the water. At the end of the day (excuse the pun) more time on the water means more fish. I am not an actuary (although I have fished with many over the years), but it really is a numbers game when it comes to fishing. Time on the water is one of the reasons why our guests at the Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club are so successful. We are located right on the fishing grounds with world-class salmon fishing spots literally minutes away from our docks. Less running time means more fishing time. Unlike many other operations where you are done fishing for the day in the late afternoon, our guests go fishing after dinner until 9:00 PM. Anyway, back to the story …
It was on one of those evenings when my guests wanted to pack it in for the day & I convinced them to do “one more pass” & then it hit. A “no brainer” that buried the rod tip in the water when it hit & went screaming straight down. By the time it hit, it was already so dark that we could barely see the rod tip so the guest was very much fighting by feel from the get-go. It was a classic trophy Chinook/King salmon fight with long deep dives, surface runs & many jumps. A couple of hours into the battle in the pitch dark it became evident that something was amiss. The fish just wasn’t tiring in typical fashion, it was still running strong & hard despite putting the maximum pressure on the gear. At this point it was either a REALLY big fish or it was foul hooked. After 3 hours of battling this fish my guest was exhausted & handed the rod to his fishing partner. After another 3 hours of continuous runs & jumps & his fishing partner was done. At this point I said we could try & horse it in & risk breaking the line or just cut it off? Neither was an option, & the guests both agreed that as we were already 6 hours into the battle that we were not giving up. We were all determined to get this fish!
Then it was my turn. For the next 2 hours I increased the pressure to the max & ever so slowly the fish came closer & closer to the surface. Right around daybreak, with both guests nearly asleep in their seats, I finally managed to get the head up close enough & I one-hand netted it. I basically took a stab at it while it was still swimming full stride over the back of the boat right near the engine! Not a textbook net job, or what I train our guests to do by any means but it was certainly effective & I had it in the bag. I hoisted it up over the gunwale & it landed with a giant thud on the floor of the boat! This woke the guests from their slumber. Hooting & hollering with joy & with BIG smiles on our faces we all stared at this classic chrome bright beauty that lay before us. As I had surmised, it was foul hooked in the gill plate about 5 inches back from the mouth, which gave it the power to fight hard all night. As we ran back to the Lodge, we passed the fleet of boats that was just heading out for the morning fishing. When we did get it up on the scale it was a whopping 56 lbs. Not the biggest fish I have ever guided, but certainly the most memorable fight in my 30 + years of guiding. It was the kind of experience that defines Rivers Inlet as the consummate world-class fishing destination. Book your trip today & make your own legendary Rivers Inlet fishing story & create lifelong memories.
