# Salmon, Hali's and a surprise Blue Shark out of Tahsis



## Jack Hexter (Oct 2, 2007)

I took off for 10 days on Vancouver Island a couple weeks ago. I landed in Vancouver and was picked up by Vern from Calgary who is a friend of our host Joe, who had already picked up Emery from Phoenix who landed a couple hours prior to my arrival. Joe and I went to school together and have maintained contact and fished and hunted together both in Vancouver and in Florida over the years. Emery also went to the same school in Nebraska and neither Joe nor I had seen him in over 40 years, so it was quite a reunion, recalling many embarrassing college stories. After riding the ferry to Vancouver Island, we drove to Joe's house in Parksville where we spent the night, then took off in the morning for the 5 hour, very scenic drive thru Campbell River and Gold River, to the fishing village named Tahsis, where Joe has a condo rented for the summer. He has fished this area each summer every year for the last 16 years, inviting friends and doing some chartering between friends and relatives visiting. After stopping for groceries and fishing licenses in Campbell River, we arrived and met Joe on the dock where he and other friends, who had fished the previous week, were cleaning fish and the boat. After these former occupants vacated the condo, we unloaded Vern's truck and went to the marina/restaurant for dinner.

The next AM we were up at 6:30 and after coffee, left the marina at 7:15 for the 45 minute run out Tahsis, past the town of CeePeeCee to Esperanza Inlet where we fished some close in rocks. In previous years, Joe has usually found fish in the "highway," about 10 miles offshore in about 300', but the fish had not moved into this area this year and we had to fish "inside." The plus of this was the savings in gas, but the downside was that in this area, all king salmon over 30 1/2" have to be released. By 1:30, we had our limit of 6 "unders" and close to our limit of Coho salmon, and had released anothe half dozen "overs."









Myself, Emery and Vern

We then took Emery on a local cruise to show him some of the area. This is where we saw our first bear, a common sight on the island. 










The next day we decided to go offshore and fish for Halibut, which we found surprisingly absent. Emery did manage one that eventually weighed in at 67 pounds, great eating size, and he was very proud of it, but became humbled when we returned to the dock and another boat had landed a 172# and a 110# flatfish.








Vern & Emery with emery's halibut

Shortly after Emery landed his Halibut, I got a bite and brought a Blue Shark to the surface. This got exciting, as when it saw the boat, it went under it and peeled off @ 300 yards of line. As many of you know, I've caught many sailfish, dolphin, wahoo and even a swordfish and this blue shark would equal any of them in speed and stamina. I had quite a time getting it around the engines, but finally brought it back to the boat and it was gaffed and dropped on the deck, as Joe wanted the jaws for a trophy. We gutted it to avoid the uric acid from tainting the flesh and tied it on the engine bracket. Back at the dock it weighed 67# without the guts.








Vern & myself with the Blue Shark

We cooked and sampled a piece of the shark for dinner but all decided it was not edible. The taste was not bad, but the texture was like eating mush

The next couple days we again fished for salmon, closing in on our 2 day possession limit of fish to bring home and releasing many "overs," some 35# plus fish. The last day of fishing we again stayed "inside" and fished for salmon, but dropped the downriggers close to the bottom in hopes of picking up a halibut on the troll. We did not get a halibut, but did manage 3 legal Ling Cod, a very ugly but very tasty bottom fish.

On Saturday, we planned a shore day and were going to take Emery to see several sights in the area, but Vancouver weather, being as it is, rained hard on us all day so we spent the day in the condo. Sunday we made the trip back to Joe's home in Parksville and after a very short night, arose at 3:00 AM to make the ferry ride back to the mainland and out flights home. 

I'm often asked how I transport the fish home. First, we vacuum pack and freeze the fish. The transportation is actually done in styrofoam coolers, made for this purpose. These coolers fit into waxed cardboard boxes and are approved for airline travel, checked as luggage. We loaded the fish into these coolers at 9:00 AM PDT (12:00 EDT) on Sunday morning. I arrived home at 1:30 AM, Tuesday morning and the fish was still rock hard after 40 1/2 hours. No Dry Ice is involved. The key is the tight fitting lid and not opening the cooler after it's packed.


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## SHunter (Jun 19, 2009)

Sounds like a wonderful reunion. Vancouver is on my bucket list.


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