Thunder 1 Salmon Fishing and Cruising

Port Hardy to Campbell River

2011-10-05T14:23:00.000-07:00

Away at 0730 we left Port Hardy under a high overcast and calm winds. Good tides helped us along as we slid by the colorful village of Sointula and Alert Bay into Johnstone Straight. Lots of fish boats on the move as the Gillnet fleet worked their nets for late season Chums. Planning on Port Neville for the night we made good time and dicided to push on to Forward harbour. Arriving with a stiff NW wind on our stern we entered the placid waters of Forward Harbour at 1800 and dropped the hook for a quiet night on the hook.

October 1st, definetly fall on the north coast as we left for a date with slack tide at Seymour Narrows. Once the most dangerous reef on the coast Ripple Rock is not the hazard it was however big tides meant currents in excess of 13 kts and lots of whirlpools so the Thuneder with it's 8 kt max needs slack water to navigate through. At least 30 sport fishing boats hugged the point just north of the narrows as we slid by on a changing tide and made our way into Discovery Marina for the night.

Fish Egg to Port Hardy via Cape Caution

2011-10-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

0800 and the weather report was a go for crossing Queen Charlotte Sound. Light winds forecast but a good lump, 2.5 meter seas left over from the previous blow meant a sunny day but some good swells to contend with. Making our 15th crossing we have found our best routes to mitigate the roll and taking a long SW course after Cape Calvert we bobbed our way under sunny skies towards Cape Caution. At 1330 we passed the Cape and made a slight course change for Port Hardy. A good day the swell continued to fall throughout the day and we reached the calm waters of Port Hardy Harbour with nary a glass broken. Alongside the Quarter Deck marina for the night and a layover day the next day as the SE winds were forecast to kick up again. Nice to be back on the south coast!!

The next day proved windy but mostly sunny and warm. We took the time for provisioning, an oil change on the main and hooked up a new sounder on the bridge. Nice to be tied up for the day and catch up on a few loose ends. The following day looked good and we would shove off early for a trip down Johnstone Str.

South Bound Day 14, Kimsquit to Fish Egg Inlet.

2011-10-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

Our first night on the hook in the upper Dean Channel proved to be a long night. Although it looked well protected Carlson inlet with its towering peaks and narrow channel proved a windy and sleepless night for the Captain. The anchor held but it daylight was a welcome site so that we could get on our way. What a minefield the Dean and Bourke Channels proved to be. A week of heavey rain had washed tons of trees big and small into our path and the day was filled with lots of dodging, dekeing and sneaking around all the debris. A little hard on the eyes we managed to miss most of debris and pushed our way into Fitz Hugh Sound with our eye on Fish Egg inlet for the night. 1800 saw us drop the hook in the still waters of Fish Egg and the crew was happy to call it a day and enjoy a glass of wine before turning our thoughts to the next days crossing. A window was open but not for long so a quick listen to the weather in the morning would determine our course of action for the day.

A week at the Dean River

2011-10-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

Sept 20th.
Awoke to sunshine and light winds. Left the Thunder on the hook in the Bay and stayed in Deb's brothers cabin at the Dean. No roughing it here as the gen provides lots of juice for the big screen TV, internet and hot tub. We donned our waders and headed to the river. Beautiful morning, sockey, pinks and coho all spawning in the crystal clear waters of the Lower Dean River. Up to the cedar hole with a few whistles to let the Grizzly Bears know we were here to fish also. A magic morning with no one in sight we hooked up a few Northern Coho and some Sockeye as well. As the day drew to a close the rain started and a quick look at the forecast did not bode well for the next few days. The forecast proved to be correct as the next week brought rain, rain, wind, more rain and wind. Relatively protected from the wind we were not spared from the rain and the river washed out the following morning and the crystal clear waters of the first day turned into a milky torrent of trees and boulders bouncing down the canyon. With a watchful eye on the Thunder every day we spent the time visiting, playing cards, and eating, no lack of fresh crab , prawns and salmon at the Dean. We kept wathcing the long range forecast for a window to continue our journey south but day after day the wind raged on the outside with winds reaching hurricane force one day and seas of up to 12 meters forecast. Happy to be far from that we still were getting a little anxious to get on our way. Finally a break showed a couple of days off and with a hurried departure we bid quick goodbye to family and friends and set course down the milky upper Dean channel for our date with the open water and Cape Caution.

South Bound Day 6 Ocean Falls to Kimsquit Bay

2011-10-05T13:27:00.000-07:00

Sept 18th.
Not always sunny in Ocean Falls we remained on the Dock as the wind and rain revealed what the inlet is more known for. Wow what a rain fall. Little did we know that this was the begining a pattern that would follow us for the next 10 days.

Sept 19th.
Our last nice day for awhile we set course for the upper Dean Channel and Kimsquit Bay to visit Deb's Brother and wife at our property on the Dean River. A first for the Thunder we enjoyed a beautiful day as we wound our way up the inlet deep into the coastal mountains and out of radio communication with just about everyone. Our voyage took us by the historic landmark and cairn that marks where Alexander Mckenzie made the first overland crossing of Canada, July 22nd, 1793. As we reached Kimsquit Bay and hailed our family at the camp the sun was warm and we were excited about a day of fishing for northern Coho on the fabled Dean River.

South Bound Day 5 Ocean Falls

2011-10-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

Sept 17th
Clearing skies and calm winds as we pulled anchor and set course for the Ghost town of Ocean Falls. Winding our way through the narrow and beautiful Troup Narrows we drank our coffee on the top deck and soaked up the glassy waters and sunrise over the towering coastal peaks in Fischer Channel. Always a favourite we tied up at the Ocean Falls dock under sunny skies and warm temps. Our walk through the old townsite and along the road to Martin Valley was both beautiful and sad. Once a vibrant town on the north coast every visit shows how nature is taking the last remains over and soon little will be left to reveal the town that once lived there. There are some sparks of life as the power plant is still operating and viable and some new charter and eco operations are starting up. Always our favourtite spot on a sunny day.

South Bound Day 4

2011-10-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sept 16th.
Away at 0700 with no fixed stop in mind we wandered through the inside passage at a liesurely 7.5 knots. Through the narrow Jackson pass and Reid pass we picked a new spot in Troup narrows for the night. A mixed bag of showers and sun, we motored under a beautiful rainbow in Seaforth Channel and set the hook in a deserted bay out of the wind. Unnamed on the charts it provided

a well protected and peaceful night while winds on the outside gained in strength.

South Bound Day 3

2011-10-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

Sept 15th
Day 3 and we set course at 0745 with a short day in mind. Entering Princess Royal Reach we planned on an early stop at the head of Khutz inlet. A beautiful inlet with a waterfall and wide river esturary at the head it is one of our favourite spots on the north coast. On the hook at 1330 we took the dinghy and explored the base of the waterfall. Then it was up the estuary as far as the dinghy would take us in search of bears and other wildlife. While we didn't spot any bears we had wonderful eagle sightings as well as many seals and accompanied by spawning salmon. Great day on the beautiful north coast!!

South Bound Day 2

2011-10-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

Sept 14th
Away at a liesurely 0800 we set course for Bishop Bay Hotsprings and a relaxing soak in the pool. A beautiful day again we wound our way into the steepening coastal range accompanied by the occasional blow of a humpback whale and some friendly dolphins riding the bow. We passed the usual group of Spirit Bear watching boats the frequent this area however when we dropped the hook we were all alone in Bishop Bay. Off in the skiff we slipped into the hot clear water of the hotsprings and soaked off some of the summer kinks and knots. Another great day as we grilled up some fish for dinner and slept soundly on a quiet hook in the bay.

Southward Bound

2011-10-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

September 13th
Season number 6 in the books Deb and I fired up the Thunder and pointed the bow towards the south coast. Calm seas and sunny skies accompanied us out of the harbour and we made way for our first anchorage in Grenville Channel. We reflected on another busy year and felt fortunate to be able to live the lifestyle we have and share it with our many guests and friends. With just the two of us aboard and no fixed schedule it was almost hard to relax as you become so used to being on the go all summer. It would take a few days for the off season to sink in. At 18:40 we dropped anchor in Klunuggett inlet for a quiet night on the hook.

Out for the Day

2011-10-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome aboard Travis and family for a one day excursion out of Prince Rupert. We would have liked to have you aboard for a longer excursion but we were happy that the weather and the whales cooperated for your short stay with us. A few late springs, some northern Coho, and humpback whales putting on a show all made for a memorable day. With the sun at our backs and the crew all on the top deck enjoying the view we set sail for home port happy that our season ended on such a beautiful day. Thanks again Travis we hope the remainder of your trip back to Calgary was safe and enjoyable. Perhaps we can lure you out for a longer trip next time. Cheers.

Fall is in the Air

2011-10-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

Hello September. Where did the summer go? Seems to be like a train that you hear coming and then it is gone in a flash. The good part about September is we get to fish with our good friends and guests Jason and his Dad, Dave. Accompanied by new guests, Ryan and Neil ( alias Sudsy )we embarked from Prince Rupert on Sept 2nd looking for some northern Coho in the W

ork channel area. Faced with some SE wind we worked the Coho on the North end of Hogan island and were rewarded with some nice fish. Tucked away in the back inlets we avoided much of the wind on the outside and as was the pattern the weather broke to give us a nice finish to our trip. The last morning saw some nice halibut caught with Ryan atop the leader board with a solid 35 lber. After many laughs and great stories we bid adieu to our friends once again. Thanks Jason and Dave, we hope to have you aboard for many seasons to come.

August Draws to a Close

2011-09-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Ray and his new group, Dave, Daren, and Al. Some new faces to the salmon fishing we were hoping to show the gang some great action on the reels. A beautiful cruise up to Dundas and some awesome Humpback whale shows gave us a great start for the trip. Next morn

ing brought some challenging weather but the gang stuck it out on the rods and were rewarded with some nice Coho. Playing hide and seek from wind and rain once again mother nature relented on the last two days and we were free to pick our spots for halibut. What luck as the last morning we had an awesome bite with all the guests hooking up, well almost all as Daren did his best to weed out the dog fish so the other guest could land the hali's. Nice job Daren, and way to go Ray for your 36 lber!!! Enjoy your halibut this winter.

Arnolds turns 60

2011-09-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome aboard to Arnold , his wife Janie, Randy and wife Irene. Referred by our friend Kerry we were anxious to make a good impression with our new guests. A present to Arnold from his wife for his birthday we were quick to put Arnold onto a few nice birthday Coho at the Gnarled islands. Wind and rain could not dampen their spirits and our patience paid off as the grey skies gave way to beautiful sunny skies and calm seas for the last two days. Taking advantage of the weather we enjoyed some great hali fishing with Randy hooking up a hard fighting 65 lber and his wife Irene not far behind with a 35. We couldn't hook up Arnold with the big one but we are hoping he returns to give us another chance. A thourghly enjoyable trip we hope to see our new guests again.

Off Shore Conference

2011-09-01T09:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Ron and Miles!! Joined by new friends Brian and George we embarked on our 16th voyage of the season. Weather resulted in our first weather delay of the year however the crew and guests enjoyed a crab feast tied firmly to the dock awaiting the early morning departure when the winds would abate. Under way early we quickly hooked up a nice coho and ling cod and then set the hook for some hali fishing on smooth seas and sunny skies. Lots of action on the rods and we soon had our limit. Steaming up to Dundas we found where the Coho were hiding the rods sang, and the fish jumped both on and off the lines over the next couple of days. With shorts on and sunscreen applied we had some of the nicest weather of the summer. Thanks again Ron for bringing your gang as well as your unyielding optimisum to the Thunder 1.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Sports Show in Edmonton.

No shame in folding

2011-08-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome Paul, Andrew, Jason and Jordy. First time salmon fishing for some of the group so the learning curve was steep however after some patient coaching, and a little barking, keep the tip up , face the fish etc. the fellas started to make some headway. By day three the anglers were winning more than they were losing

and some great northern Coho started filling up the box. With a last minute halibut flurry under sunny skies we almost filled out the limit, some good ones that got away for next time. Looks like the BBQ's in Alberta will be grilling some more fine Coho this fall and winter. Enjoy!!

New to the Thunder

2011-08-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome aboard Rick, Drew, Brian and Greg for their first adventure aboard the Thunder 1. Not new to the area but new to us we were anxious to show our new guests a great time aboard the Thunder 1. With some decent weather, good fishing and Deb's cooking how could we go wrong. The fellas seemed to have a great time and landed a full boat of salmon and some halibut as well. We are looking forward to having them back aboard soon. Safe travels guys, enjoy your fish.

Hello August

2011-08-16T08:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome the Nechako Group. Pairing up with the yacht Striker III we embarked on whirlwind back to back two day trips. With beautiful weather and the Coho biting we did our best to hook our guests into both halibut and salmon on their short two day adventures

. Great guys and good fishing, thanks to John , Debbie and Phil for rafting up and and enjoying some fantastic sunsets on the north Coast.

Fish head Kerry

2011-08-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

Joined by guest and friend Kerry, his wife Sue, along with friends Terry and wife Maxine we set out in late July for what is always an enjoyable trip with our return guests. Always a rain and wind magnet we hoped for better weather this year as it was Kerry's turn. Well the rain didn't quite stop, but the wind abated and the fish decided to reward us. Starting every morning with Terry's baratone singing and yodelling we proceeded to tie into the best fishing of the year. Although the guys were ever vigilant it was the gals who shone. Congrat

ulations Sue for hooking and landing not 1 but two Tyee salmon. Wear your pins proudly, you deserve them. A great trip, have a great summer looking forward to your next visit.

Father and Sons

2011-08-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Barry, and thanks for bringing out your son Mike and good friend Cam and his son Ben. Once again with fly rods in hand we set out to show the young fellas what fishing on the north coast was all about. ~~Hopeing~~ to ease into it, the first Coho hit 3 minutes after the rods hit the water and the action didn't stop for the entire trip. With some great fights by both Springs and Coho, father and sons spun out the light gear and battled some awesome fish. From the herring jigging festival to the halibut fishing truly one of the most enjoyable trips of the year. It was great to watch the young fellas get hooked on salmon fishing. Hope to see you all back soon and thanks to the young fellas for rating it the best 5 days of their lives. Right On!!!

Larry, Barrie, Kerry and Terry

2011-07-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

Larry his wife Vicky

, Murray and his wife Noranda joined us for a first experience aboard the Thunder 1. They are the first in a long line of Guests whose names rhyme, hope I don't mix them up. As the rain stopped and the skies cleared we set course for the Moffats and a chance to wet some lines. Using 10 wt fly rods Larry builds himself and some islander reels it looked like this trip was going to be a lot of fun for the anglers. It did not dissapoint as one after another the Coho and S

prings jumped, ran, porpoised and bent the fly rods in all directions. Big Coho, and some nice springs were plentiful as well as a crazy hali session that saw some good tuggers and even a Coho smack the cut plug dangling off the back. Perhaps the best fish of the trip was played and landed by Noranda on her first salmon trip. A 25 lb spring that took 45 minutes to tire out and was played beautifully by Noranda from start to finish. Bravo!!! We hope to see you again soon with those beautiful rods and reels in hand.

The Gals Rock

2011-07-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

The Husbands decided it was time to bring the Gals and show them what fishing was like aboard the Thunder 1. Add great fishing with gourmet dining and I think the gals are hooked. First time out for Chantal on the Pacific northwest and she caught on quick. Fighting and landing more fish than the guys she looked better on the rod every fish and soon looked like a seasoned fisherwoman. Great weather again, with an awesome mix of Spring and Coho on the lines the trip went all to quickly. To finish it off Chantel hooked a 30 lb Hali on the salmon rod, wth flasher and Hoochy,

for a fitting end to four great days of angling on the North Coast. Thanks to Neil and Dave for bringing Irene and Chantal, looks like you better keep bringing them if your looking to fill the fish box. Remember Dave, tip up, face the fish and hang on.

Hello Sunshine

2011-07-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Paul, Phil, Gord and Ruben. If the last group struggle with the weather this group made good use of the sun screen left behind. Calm seas and the full on arrival of the the Coho kept the crew hopping at all times. Traps full of prawns and the lines snapping out of the clips, action was the topic of the day. With Spring salmon imbedded the crew fought off over 50 fish, landing 32 beautiful salmon and a full compliment of halibut to take home for the BBQ in Alberta. Well done guys, even the eagles approved. Have a great summer back in Alberta.

Are we sure it's Summer?

2011-07-15T10:55:00.000-07:00

July longweekend saw the return of Jeff , Wayne, Pete and Gary, guests who always bring the sun and the fish out on the long weekend in July. OOOPS. Not sure all the sun screen was required but their spirits could not be dampened by the weather. With the rain gear firmly in place and the music turned up they braved the elements and showed the fish who was not afraid of Mother Nature. Although not what they have experienced in the past they made the most of every strike and landed some nice fish, both springs and coho salmon. Jeff topped the board with a 26 lb spring and the Captain topped the board by skimming their money in cards. The one thing I can guarantee for next year when they come is better weather. Thanks for keeping your tips and your spirits up.

Getting the Band back together!

2011-06-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

Trip 7 saw the return of long time Thunder 1 fishers, Doug, Nick, Phil and Andrew. With Andrew planning the work, Phil working the plan, and Nick ever vigilant we headed off on what was sure to be a trip full of laughter and great comradery. Picking up a couple of nice springs the first night we jumped on our weather window to head off shore for some hali fishing. What a day it was with constant action on the rods, sometimes three on at once. Releasing the smaller ones we selected some fat chickens for the cooler and left the hali fishing with some sore arms. The best was yet to come after we anchored up for dinner out came the jigging rods and just when you least expect it wham! a fifty pound halibut whacks the jig in 30 ft of water. A great fight on a light rod and a perfect end to a great day, good job Phil.
With a nice brace of Springs, and some shiney Coho as well we reluctantly said goodbye to one of our favourtie groups. Tight lines guys, hope to see you again soon.

Sunny June

2011-06-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

June 20th and we depart on trip # six under sunny skies and light west winds. Joined by a new group , Greg, Mark and father Jim as well as their friends and fishing partners Gary and Ken we set course with high hopes for a great trip. With Deb giving the demo the first rod had not been in for 5 secs when the line tripped and we were into our first spring. Almost too good to be true we landed another 20 lb beauty shortly after and anchored up with a great start to the trip already in the box. Not quite so easy the next day we still hit some nice fish and landed a few small hali's. Sunny skies prevailed and we stuck to the salmon fishing for most of the trip returning to Rupert with a nice catch in the cooler. Thanks to Greg for getting his gang aboard the Thunder 1, hope to see you down the road sometime!!!

23 years and still going strong

2011-06-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

If our last group enjoyed their first outing aboard the Thunder one the next group was as seasoned as they come. Russ, Ed, George, Len have been fishing together for 23 years and have been aboard the Thunder 1 since it's first year on the north coast in 1989. Wow! thats a lot of fishing stories. Georges' son inlaw Ken rounded out the group and we left in perfect weather for the top of Dundas Island. After a feed of fresh crab the gang strung out the gear looking for that first Spring bite. Didn't take long before Lenny set the hook on a beautiful 26 lb Chinook. Sorry he didn't make the Tyee ranks Len but he sure fought like it!! Seas were like glass for the next two days so we wandered off shore looking for that big hali. No luck but lots of nice fish in the 20 to 30 lb range as we rounded out the halibut catch with some beauties. With a great brace of fish in the box we motored home with some new stories for the boys to put in their fishing box. We hope you enjoy another 23 years of good health and great fishing, thanks guys.

The Chinooks are Coming!!

2011-06-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

After a few sunny days in port it was definetly time to put down the paint brushes and go fishing. Guests, Doran, Stacey, Alan and Paul joined us for their first experience fishing aboard the Thunder 1. Beautiful weather accompanied our departure and we worked the rods hard the first evening. No salmon but the morning saw us pull up an awesome bucket of hard fighting jumbo spotted prawns, mmm mmm. The second day the fish remained elusive but the wild life show was stellar, with seals, sealions, humpbacks, dolpins and orcas all making an appearance. Patience is a virtue and day three out by Zayas island the fun began. Wham, zzzzzzz zzzzzz off went the islander reels and a 30 lb Tyee followed by a number of hard fighting fish in the 20 plus lb range. Congrats to Stacey on her first Chinook as well as Doran for making that 20 lber look like a 50 lber with a tail hook fight that was spectacular. The halibut did not dissapoint either and we finished the last morning after the 2 minute warning

with Alan hooking into a beautiful 26 lb Chinook. Into port with a satisfied crew that we hope to see again, thanks gang it was a pleasure having you aboard.

First Strike

2011-06-10T12:02:00.000-07:00

Joined by my brother Brian, Deb's son Mike and his friend Paul we shoved off on June 2nd in search of our first salmon of the year. A late start had

us in our anchorage at 10:30 pm still enjoying the last light of the wonderful long days on the north coast. The morning saw us fishing early and it wasn't long before the first fish hit. Quick on his feet Mike set the hook and working his islander reel to perfection he expertly fought and landed our first salmon of the year, 30 lbs of bright shiney hard fighting Chinook. Well done Mike!! Paul was next in line but some crafty maneuvering by Brian had Paul cleaning weeds while Brian set the hook on the next fish. Dirty pool indeed but a 22lb Spring put up a great fight to make number two. Some work was required to hook Paul up but late the next day he got his chance and did not dissapoint. With some nice rod work and good hands on the reel Paul landed a beauty 25 lber. Although we couldn't find the big one lots of nice eating halibut were landed as well as some tasty black rock fish. Good weather, good comradery and some good laughs. Thanks guys for joining us it was a blast.

Off we go!

2011-05-31T08:27:00.000-07:00

May 25th, 2011. Deb's brother Dennis, wife Francine and their friends Bob and Sue joined us for our first charter of the 2011 summer. Beautiful weather greeted us as we headed for Stephens island to try some trolling before anchoring up for the night. Our five day trip took us all around Chatham sound with a new anchorage and sunset view to greet us every evening. We focused mainly on ground fishing and our efforts paid off when Sue hooked and landed a monster Ling Cod tipping the scales at 40 lbs. He was not alone down there as one equally as big chased Deb's lure to the top but did not latch on. With prawns, crabs, halibut and lings we enjoyed some great action, outstanding weather and the best company with many laughs. Thanks to Den and Fran for their help and Bob and Sue for joining us. In port til Thursday and then away we go. This time in search of the first Tyee of the season.

May 21 and 22, 2011

2011-05-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

Great to be back in Prince Rupert! Weather has been excellent and we have caught up inside and out on the boat. In fact we are so ready that we had to go fishing ourselves. Out at noon and off to the Moffat Islands in search of a halibut. Smooth seas and sunny skies. Of course the halibut Queen strikes first however she decides to let it go in search of a more worth candidate to start the season. No luck the first night after letting a few chickens go to get a little fatter for next year. We drop the prawn traps and set the hook in our favourite anchorage. A little jigging and we produce some food for our pet eagle. He does not dissapoint and provides some geat photo ops.
Up in the morning to pull the traps. Yahooo, prawns for dinner. Off to a new halibut spot, two nice keepers for the Captain and Deb,plus a few rockies and a nice red snapper. Great start, back to port and two more days until we are out with Dennis and Fran, Bob and Sue. Can't wait!!

May 12th. 2011

2011-05-17T10:29:00.001-07:00

0810 and we depart for Prince Rupert. No weather reception at the head of the inlet so we will wait to get to the outside. Turns out to be a following south east and good tides again as we set course for our summer home. A great day as we motor past the towering cranes of the new container port and enter Rupert Harbour. The cell phone rings, we are back in civilisation, it’s a call from our friend Jack he has seen us from his window and wants to be the first to welcome us back. Nice!! 1330 and we are on the dock at the Prince Rupert Yacht Club. A great trip and we look forward to catching up with all our friends in Rupert over the next few days. We have to fly down to Vancouver and drive our car north on Sunday and then we will have a few days to get ready for our first charter on the 25th of May. Can’t wait. Standby for the first picture of a big chimook salmon!!

May 11th, 2011

2011-05-17T10:28:00.001-07:00

A day on the hook. Bit of a sleep in, coffee and then what else. Fishing of course, as we set the skiff up for trolling and look for a spring that are known to inhibit the inlet. A mixed bag of sun, rain warm and cool but still a marvellous day. Some big black bears wander out to the mud flats at low tide and we watch them ear grass through the binoculars. No salmon but some nice crabs. Nice to take a day off.

May 10th, 2011

2011-05-17T10:27:00.001-07:00

Raining, cool and misty, we are clearly on the north coast. 0600 and we are underway for Baker Inlet. A long day but we are ahead of schedule and if we make Baker we can spend a day on the hook hanging out before our final push into Prince Rupert. Turns out to be an awesome day as we are greeted by our first Humpback whales welcoming us back. Entering Grenville Channel we get another treat as we encounter a pod of resident northern Killer Whales. They put on a great show, breaching and tail slapping as they feed and play with their young. Needing a break we anchor at Lowe Inlet for lunch and head out in the skiff for some more fishing. We hook some nice bottom fish but the real treat is the pod of Killer whales comes by us in the skiff following the tide. Always more spectacular to see them up close in a small boat, wow!! On our way we follow the whales and reach Baker Inlet at 1800. A long narrow entrance we sound the horn and ride the flood tide through the narrows and into the long sheltered inlet. Again new to us Baker is a popular spot for many boaters including day trips from Prince Rupert. We anchor at the head with three boats to keep us Company. To our surprise a local Prawn boat out of Prince Rupert and friend of ours arrives and offers us some fresh prawns for the evening. Too easy, what a treat. Tired and satisfied we again enjoy towering mountains and calm waters as we fall asleep just a short day from our home port.

May 9th, 2011

2011-05-17T10:26:00.001-07:00

Away at 05:35 another day where tides dictate your start. Taking the back way we nip into Percival Narrows on the slack tide and set out sights on a lunch stop at Swanson Bay. Once an active logging mill in the early 1900’s we always try and stop to collect some old beach glass and try some fishing at the point. Dropping the hook in Swanson at noon we dash off in the skiff to catch slack tide and some fishing. Deb strikes again with two nice lingcod and I add some nice rock fish to the catch. Off to the beach while the tide is low for a look around. Some great beach glass treasures and the best find is a totally intact medicine bottle from 1912 lodged under a rock. Cool!! Away we go with our treasure and dinner, we decide on Khutz Inlet for our next stop. A new discovery we anchor at the end near the river mouth. A truly Magic place with towering snow capped mountains and a magnificent waterfall out our window. The world is truly a spectacular place.

May 08, 2011

2011-05-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

07:40 and we are away. High overcast, light winds and smooth seas greeted us as we set course up Fitz Hugh Sound. Taking it as we go no destination set for today, we will see where we end up. So calm we stopped just south

of Shearwater to do some fishing off the big boat. A few small cod that we released, we will have to wait for this evening. We decide to stop at Shearwater for a stretch and to see what is going on. Store is closed on Sunday and place is pretty deserted so we decide to press on. It can be a bit lumpy in Seaforth Channel but today proves to be the exception and we make the passage is calm waters. Into the narrow Reid Pass we elect to stop in Oliver Marine Park. Alone at anchor we watch the eagles teaching their young to fish and the sea lions chasing the herring in the bay. A fantastic sunset and another magic day fades to dark.

May 07, 2011

2011-05-17T10:12:00.001-07:00

It’s a go!! Good reports from West Sea Otter weather buoy, and Egg Island light house so its off across the sound and Cape Caution. I love it when the forecast is right, low west swell and light south east behind us. Tides helping too as we motored into the open water with only a slight roll on the ship. Tides and swell held and we were soon past Cape Caution and heading up Fitz Hugh Sound. Abeam Rivers Inlet and the rest is all down hill. Nicest north bound crossing we could have hoped for. Tonight’s new anchorage is at the mouth of Fish Egg Inlet just north of Rivers Inlet. Narrow entrance but well protected it was the perfect spot to toast our smooth crossing and watch the sunset from the top deck.

May 06, 2011

2011-05-17T10:11:00.001-07:00

0720 Farewell to Farewell Harbour. With a light south east at our back we entered Queen Charlotte Straight and set course for Allison Harbour on the mainland side. A deep well protected anchorage it would put us in position to wait for our chance to cross the open water. A group of 7 kayaks crossed behind us heading from Port McNeil to somewhere on the mainland side around Shelter Bay. They looked quite small out there, like a bunch of baby geese all following their mother guide. A good day with tides in our favour again and we dropped the hook in Allison Harbour at 13:10. Alone at first we were eventually joined by two sailboats and one trawler for the evening. We set the crab pots and were rewarded with 7 nice Dungeness for dinner, Alright!! Weather looks like it might work for the morning so time to make everything is secure and wait for the morning forecast.

May 05, 2011

2011-05-17T10:10:00.001-07:00

On our way north!!! 05:30 am and we are off the dock in Campbell River. Trying to catch the ebb tide for its help down Johnstone Strait. Slack at Seymour Narrows, the home of the deadly Ripple Rock is at 0640 so timing is everything as tides can reach up to 12 knots in the Narrows. Not good for a boat that only does 8 knts. The tides rule your days as we plan our next few days to get their help through the narrow passages ahead. Good push all day and we made much better distance that anticipated. Trying something different this year we vowed to stop at a different anchorage every night over past years. Day one took us almost to the end of Johnstone St and into Farewell Harbour behind Hanson Island. Off in the skiff we fished the point and scored some nice rock cod for the next day’s lunch. Only one other sailboat in the anchorage we spent a quiet night. Always keeping one eye on the weather we looked ahead to our crossing of Cape Caution and the out day on the open Pacific. Looks like a weather window in a couple of days so we will position for that.

May 02, 2011

2011-05-17T10:07:00.001-07:00

Enjoying a lazy morning after visiting we shoved off at 11 am for Campbell River. South East 20 knts greeted us as we rounded Cape Lazo. A good ride on the following sea as we slid by Cape Mudge and into Discovery Harbour. A few last details to complete in the next few days before our departure for the north coast, including our annual inspection by Transport Canada. Deb is finishing up the provisioning and I will try and get the last touches of paint on the boat. We also got a chance to have dinner with out good Friends Heidi and Henry as well as Steve and Denise. Both couples were part of our early boating lives when we dashed around in our 25 ft Campion and tied up with the big yachts at Dent Island.

May 01, 2011

2011-05-14T09:13:00.001-07:00

Sunny again as we slipped out of Nanaimo harbour and pointed the bow towards Comox. We always look forward to returning to the Comox Harbour for a visit with our friends and my son Mike and his gal Cassidy. A beautiful day on the Straights as we cruised by Parksville, into Baynes Sound and into the Comox Harbour. Tying up on the Commercial side we were met by Stowaway Bev, Ally and Leah from the Fern Road Yacht Club. Unfortunately Bev’s husband John had already left to fight fires in Alaska as a pilot for Con Air and we will have to see him in the fall. Mike my son and his partner Cassidy joined us later returning from their gold panning day on the Oyster River. A great visit with all. Great to visit, sad to leave, looking forward to returning, Life is Good.

Northward Bound 2011

2011-05-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

April 30th, 2011
Northward Bound! After leaving Victoria Harbour behind we motored to Genoa Bay for our annual sand, paint and fix session which has become a ritual for us. We would spend three weeks getting the Thunder Ship Shape for the coming season. A new hard top for the rear, new toilets, shower redo in the front and as much painting as the weather will permit.

Sunny and calm as we cast off from Genoa Bay, where does the time go!!

The Boat is running great and we had a busy stay in the Bay where several renos were completed on the boat. New shower in the guest quarters as well as a new electric head in the Captains quarters. Most noticeable for our guest will be the new aluminum hard top over the rear deck. This will help keep the rain off on those rare days where the sun is not out on the north coast. We had a nice transit through Dodd’s narrows and cruised into Nanaimo Harbour at 4 pm. Time for a walk around town, some sushi and off to bed in preparation for the run up Georgia Straight and on to Comox.

Victoria Harbour

2010-11-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

The Thunder 1 and crew arrived safely in Victoria inner Harbour Oct 25th after another busy and exciting summer on BC's beautiful coast. Thanks to all of our guests who joined us for fishing, whale watching, and just plain relaxing on board the Thunder 1. We hope all of you had a satisfying vacation and hope to see many of you in the summers to come. Although looking forward to a little down time there is still lots to do for the crew. Website updates, Sport shows, new advertising campaigns and some exciting new spring cruising packages have kept us busy. Lots of family in Victoria to catch up with as well as getting into a steady exercise routine to stretch out those summer sea legs. We are planning to spend Christmas aboard in Victoria Harbour and are offering some daytime sightseeing excursions for visitors and locals alike who are looking for a chance to get out on the water for awhile over the holidays.

Please visit our website www.thunder1.ca to view our new cruising specials.

We will post an update of the Thunder 1 in her Christmas lights soon.

Remember our motto on the Thunder 1, "Life is Good"

The Inside Passage South

2010-10-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

With our 2010 fishing season over we prepared for our trip south back to Vancouver Island. We kept busy with year end oil and filter changes, cleaning, provisioning and farewells to our many friends in Prince Rupert who we would not see until the following season. Our last three weeks in September had seen some beautiful weather, probably the best of the year, however if you are from Prince Rupert that always makes you nervous. Sure enough arriving the same time as our guests and friends. Dwight, and Anne was forecast one of the biggest storms of the year. With a careful eye on the weather and the possibility that we might have to delay we awoke on the morning of Sept 23rd to brisk SE winds however not enough to keep us tied to the dock. Sliding out of the harbour we bade farewell to Prince Rupert and motored our way towards the south coast.

Our first night found us in Lowe inlet, a very well protected marine park in Grenville Channel. And well protected it had to be as the next mornings weather left us no choice but to remain on the hook while the weather on the outside raged. On a secure hook we read and relaxed while hurricane force winds blew on Hecate Straight.
The following morning the weather abated and we left for Bishop Bay Hot Springs. With a nice whale show en route we anchored in Bishop Bay and slid into a relaxing hot springs soak. Man that felt great.

Day four we motored down Princess Royal Reach in the Great Bear Rain forest, keeping a watchful eye on the shoreline for the Spirit Bear. With a lunch stop in Swanson Bay to collect a little beach glass we found our evening anchorage in Bottleneck inlet, picturesque. secluded and complete with some nice dungeness crab.

Day five it was off to Shearwater. The weather was still unsettled with lots of rain however the route was sheltered and we enjoyed a smooth trip with our eye on the promised sunshine for days ahead. Our stop in Shearwater resulted in an expected spectacular show by the sea lions as they chased and fed on the pilchard surrounding the dock. Great entertainment as they fed non stop for the duration of our stay.

Day six as promised the skies cleared and over smooth seas we motored towards an evening on the beach at Hakai Pass. Always a highlight of our trip we were rewarded for enduring the rain by a spectacular evening on the beach. With a nice fire, roaring surf, and hot dogs on the spit our spirits rose and our clothes dried and we looked forward to smooth sailing for the remainder of our trip.

Day seven, crossing Cape Caution. With all secure we headed for the open waters and a great forecast for our crossing. The forecast was bang on and we crossed the Cape with calm winds and a glassy swell off our quarter as we motored into Port Hardy for the night. Congratulations Anne and Dwight on your crossing of Cape Caution. You may need more practise in consuming the traditional "fog".

The remaining three days were spectacular, sunny skies, warm temps, and smooth seas accompanied us right into our berth in Campbell River. On October 3rd we bade goodbye to our friends Dwight and Anne as they left for their home in Cochrane. Thanks again for joining us, we hope that you enjoyed the trip as much as we did!!!

Last but not Least

2010-09-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

On our final fishing trip of the year we were joined by Paul, his 10 year old son Aiden, and Darren. Winners of the Edmonton Jouranl auction, and gracious enough to move their trip last minute to accomodate our scheduling we could not have asked for better fishing companions for our last trip. You guessed it all from Edmonton again. I am sure they are going to have a hard time explaining to their wives where they got the sunburn from, sure as heck couldn't have been from Rupert in mid September. But indeed it was with shorts and sun glasses the order of the day. Fishing slowed a bit but these guys knew their stuff and few fish escaped the hit. All nice norhterns weighing up to 16 lbs. Not to forget the young angler who hooked up and landed a 50 lb halibut with no help from the crew. Way to go Aiden!!! Thanks again guys hope to see you again.

Indian Summer

2010-09-20T09:19:00.000-07:00

On a late booking we were joined by Phil, Ray, Barry and Rob, once again coming all the way from Edmonton to sample a little northern Coho fishing on the north coast. With things winding down we found our anchorages deserted and we had the north to ourselves. Well almost as we were joined by some hard fighting coho reaching 16 lbs as well as some halibut and those pesky whales. The weather continued to be spectacular with summer like temps, blue skies and beautiful sunsets. Thanks again guys, hope you had a great trip, enjoy your fish on those cold Edmonton winter nights.

Good Friends, Good Stories

2010-09-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

September brought a trip we were looking forward to all year as some of my past flying buddies had signed up for a little fishing aboard Thunder 1 and to trade a few war stories. The Aviation community was well represented with Ian from Kathay Pacfic, his Brother Ron from Air Canada, and Mike from West Jet. Accompanied by Ian and Ron's father Peter who also has a long history in the aviation world and his friend Dave. Turns out we had lots of everything, laughs, stories, fish and not to mention just the odd game of Texas holdem. If that was enough the whales continued to entertain and the weather showed us what it can be like in September on our last day. Thanks guys for a memorable trip, hope to see you again soon, keep the blue side up!!!

September already!

2010-09-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Russ, Lenny, Eddy and George. This group has been fishing together for 22 years, 7 time alumni of the Thunder 1. With the summer rush over, the anchorages were quiet but the fishing was anything but. Great fishing was enjoyed by all, with shiney hard fighty hooked nose Northerns whacking our bait with great regularity. Thanks guys for coming back to join us again, next time we promise to find Lenny that big halibut that eluded us this trip. Enjoy your fish, great job.

Whale of a Trip

2010-09-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

Late August is always special on the north coast as it brings the Humpback whales in large numbers to feed and prepare for their journey to Maui to have their calves. Welcome aboard to our guests Richard and Carol, Vital and Colleen. We were happy to show them some nice northern Coho and the whales stole the show with one of the most spectacular bubble feeding displays we have ever seen. Although we see hundreds of whales every year we never tire of watching their graceful tail flips and bubble feeding displays. This time it was a pod of ten whales working closely together and at one point lungeing out of the water within 30 feet of the Thunder as we trolled through the Gnarled Islands. We hope our guests take home some once in a lifetime memories of the whales of Chatham Sound. Hope to see you back again soon.

A date with the Ocean Star

2010-08-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

Trip 16 saw us in a joint charter with our friends aboard the Ocean Star. A first for this venture it proved to be a great success opening the door for Corporate groups that would like to bring along 12 guests. With 8 aboard the Star, and 4 aboard the Thunder 1 it provided a great venue with two west coast heritage vessels and the best two chefs on the north coast. Going our separate ways during the day and rafting up together in the evening the Ocean star guides and fishing skiffs handled the majority of the salmon fishing while the Thunder 1 took on the halibut role. With great calm weather we journeyed off shore a bit and wow what halibut fishing we had. 3 hours was all it took to fill the fish box with enough halibut for all. Fast and furious is all you could say about it. No monsters but lots of hard fighting flat ones ranging up to thirty lbs. We would like to thank our guests from Huckleberry Mines, and our friends aboard the Ocean Star for making it a memorable trip. Let's do it again next year!!!

East meets West

2010-08-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Vital. After working too hard to make it out last year, Vital, his brother Christian, wife Nicole and son Stephan rejoined us aboard the Thunder 1. In his previous May visit the weather was outstanding but the salmon fishing a little slow as we searched for those early springs. This year the salmon action was great as we hooked up lots of shiney silvers and some halibut to boot. Good weather again for three days and a little spray on the windows on the way home just to show us that it is the ocean and not the lake rounded out a great trip. Safe travels home to out guests as they return to Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver.

Downtown Ron Brown

2010-08-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Always a pleasure to have Ron aboard, third visit for Ron and some new fishing partners as he was joined by Joanna and Greg. Pass the sun screen for this trip as we hit four beautiful days in a row on the North Coast. We can take this all the time. Calm winds, sunny skies and some big Coho, one waying in at 15lbs. Accompanied by a number of whales and some halibut to boot and we can only hope that Ron brings this weather back for his fourth visit.

Rob, Roy, Mike, Steve, Matt and Scott

2010-08-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

August 5th to 8th. Another group from Edmonton joined us for our 13th voyage of the summer. With all our Edmonton guests we will have to start an air service. Some sun and some rain but it did not dampen our spirits as we chased coho and halibut around Chatham sound and the top end of Dundas. With as many earning their freedom as made the fish box we had some great fishing and a great group. The humpback whales showed their backs a little more often as their numbers increased feeding and lounging on our coast in preparation for the journey to Maui. Thanks Rob and Steve for bringing your boys, hope you enjoyed your stay aboard the Thunder 1.

Family and Guests

2010-08-05T07:56:00.001-07:00

Fishing our way into August we were joined by Ray and his wife Joane, as well as Deb's Brother and his wife Francine. With Den and Fran bringing their years of fishing expertise with them and acting as both crew and deckhands it was like a holiday for Deb and I. Couple that with great fishing and the best summer weather of the year and it was a home run. The highlight of the fishing was some outstanding halibut fishing, and a story about the one that got away that will always have us wondering, just how big was that fish? One thing for sure, very, very big, as it had it's way with us and seemed undaunted by our efforts to bring her closer to the boat. Our policy is always to release the large female spawners to help insure future halibut fishing for all, however it would have been nice to see how big she was. To Ray and Joane, thanks hope to see your soon, to Den and Fran, your hired, shitty pay but all the fish you can eat.

San Francisco

2010-08-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome Elmer, Rudy, Carol and Shirley. Our first guests from our neighbours to the south it was a pleasure to have you aboard. After 55 and 56 years of marriage it was nice to see their enthusiasm has not be dampened for salmon fishing. After a slow start on the first day the momentum started to build and without a doubt the last morning was the best fishing of the year. Only fishing one rod we boated 15 salmon in 90 minutes, one of them was a 41 lb spring, the largest of the year aboard the Thunder 1. Way to go!! A long way to come we hope you enjoyed your trip thanks again.

July 20th to July 23rd

2010-08-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Welcone Ken Davies and group as we reached the mid season point of the 2011 season. New to the boat but not to salmon fishing on the coast Ken, John , Dave , Art and Niel quickly set off to put some fish in the boat. Summer like weather for the first three days allowed the fellows to put a nice mix of both springs and coho in the boat. Add to that a crab feast and a great feed of fresh prawns and everyone was content. The last day saw a south east blow that looked more like November however the Thunder 1 handled the seas with ease and we arrived back in portwith another happy group. Thanks Ken hope to see you again soon.

Lt Dan and the young Guns

2010-07-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

Led by their fearless leader, and also their Dad, Uncle and Father inlaw Dan and the young guns joined us for some awesome fishing and weather. Sunny skies, hard fighting Coho and a Tyee on the last morning for Mike. You will have to let us know how the ride home went as I am sure that Mike had lots of time to polish up on his fish tale. A great trip with great guys and some awesome bottom fishing to boot, thanks Dan hope to see you again soon!

July 9th to 13th

2010-07-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Kerry and thanks for bringing your Dad, and some new faces Terry and Dave. After enduring some of the more unsettled weather in the past it was good to see mother nature cooperating this time. The trip got off to a great start with Dave collaring a beautiful 22 lb Chinook on the first night. From there on in we kept busy with some great halibut fishing a awesome fight by the big Tyee that got away, we will get him next time Bill but he deserved to earn his freedom with a fight like that. Hope you enjoy your catch througout the year and we are looking forward to seeing next July!!

Summer at Last

2010-07-09T07:14:00.001-07:00

Just like clock work, Jeff and his crew bring summer every year. No exception for 2011 although the first day had us wondering when it was coming. The next four days saw the guys in shorts and a liberal amount of sunscreen. Blue skies and warm temps didn't scare the salmon as we landed some awesome chinook, with Wayne and Jeff being awarded Tyee pins for their 34 and 32 lb Chinook. However it wasn't the big ones that gave us the best fight as those mid 20 b springs fought the hardest, big runs and one spooling us right down to the knot. Great anglers it is always a pleasure to have Jeff, Pete, Wayne and Gary aboard, we look forward to their return and the sun that always follows.

Canada Day

2010-07-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

Trip # 6 we were joined by return guests Byron, Dean, Trent and Dave. Always a pleasure to have aboard we were surprised to see that Byron was not fishing in his suit and tie this year but had adopted a more relaxed attire. Weather was a mixed bag with moments of sun and warmth followed by cool and damp. It did not dampen the spirits or the fishing as we enjoyed a mixed catch of hard fighting coho and smaller Chinook. Once again the last day the sun came out and the seas turned to glass as we finished up with a flurry of action and Byron landing the last Spring Salmon right at the bell. The big one may have eluded us this trip but all anglers had plenty of action and left with lots of good BBQ material to keep them till next time. Thanks Byron see you next season.

Looking for the Big One

2010-06-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

June 22 to June 25. We shoved off on trip 5 accompanied by two couples, Bruce and Linda, Al and Dawn. Dawn's last outing left her less than enthusiastic and we hoped the ambiance aboard the Thunder would change all that. Al was hoping for the big spring that had eluded him over the years. We are hoping that we succeeded on both fronts as Al landed our biggest of the year, a hard fighting 40 lb Chinook and Dawn found the cuisine and warmth of the Thunder much more to her liking. A full catch of Halibut, some nice salmon, awesome weather and a great show by the Killer whales, all we could ask for on an outing. Thanks again and your still on our team when we play name that tune.

50th Wedding Anniversary

2010-06-26T13:31:00.000-07:00

June 16th to 19th. The last trips weather worries dissolved and we were joined by three couples celebrating their parents Marcel and Helene's 50th wedding anniversary. We felt privileged to have them all aboard on their first salmon fishing trip. No strangers to fishing they quickly showed us how fast they could pick up on the salmon and halibut techniques The highlight of an awesome trip had to be the Triple header, salmon of 33, 27, and 22 all on at the same time. Too bad no one had a free hand for the movie camera, what a circus it was. Best of all, each fisherman did a great job of not only keeping their fish apart but also playing them beautifully. All three were landed, a first on the Thunder for three big springs at once. Well done. The halibut fishing was also spot on and we thank Gratien and his wife Lorraine for putting together the trip. We hope it was the trip of a lifetime they had hoped for.

Mark and Company

2010-06-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

June 11 th to 14th. Well mother nature decided that summer was not in the plans just yet and we struggled with gale force SE winds and a few other glitches. We were finally rewarded with one of the best salmon bites of the year and the ensuing 90 minutes saw 7 springs and a coho in the box with some excellent angling by the group. Chinnook of 31,26,24,19 and 17 were all fought and landed successfully. Good work guys, and cngrats to Mark for landing the Tyee. The final day saw the sun come out and the seas grow calm as we cruised back to Rupert in preparation for the next gang. Thanks again to Mark and his group for joining us again on the Thunder 1.

Bill and Ted's big Adventure

2010-06-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

June 6 to 9
Thanks to Bill and Ted for joining us on the second trip of the season. The salmon fishing was scratchy and we worked long and hard for our opportunities, some which escaped to fight another day. Halibut fishing was great and we put some nice ones in the bin along with a couple of big ling cod and some beautiful prawns from the Moffat islands. We hope to see Bill and Ted back next year and we will get the salmon biting a little better.

First Charter

2010-06-06T07:28:00.001-07:00

June 01 at 3 pm, with longtime client Bill, his son Ryan and friends Paul and Doug W, we motored out of port and headed north for Dundas Island. Anticipation was high however so was the wind forecast as gale force SE winds were predicted for the next two days. A smooth ride out led us into early morning Salmon fishing. The bite was slow but our group worked hard and it paid off when young Ryan hooked into a beautiful 33 lb Chinook. A spectacular fight well played by the young angler led to his first Tyee. Congrats Ryan well done!! Doug W followed later that afternoon with a spirited fight from a 20 spring, his first salmon, right on Doug. Stiff winds hampered our bottom fishing however the wildlife made up for some slow spots and Humpback whales, Killer whales, sea lions, dolphins riding the bow and a Bald Eagle show at anchor that was spectacular kept things interesting. The last day broke clear and calm and we had some great action on the bottom fishing with the boys taking a variety of ling cod, rock cod, halibut and snapper home. Thanks again Bill for coming with us, hope to see you soon. Tight lines.

Out today with our second group, sun is out, winds are down, look out fish!!

Welcome Home

2010-05-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

With the first salmon aboard we awoke to a sunny day and we were eager to get into Rupert and finish the final preparations so that we could get our guests onto the fish. It was a another nice day, we waved at the black bear foraging on the shore near the mouth of the Skeena and on smooth seas we motored into the busy Prince Rupert Harbour. A quick stop at the fuel dock and then into our slip. Always nice to catch up with friends and we recieved a warm welcome on the dock. The next week we will be busy in preparation for our first charter on June 1. I will update prior to our first trip and then I will try to update after each group on our return to Prince Rupert. Stay posted, we are looking forward to having everyone aboard in 2010!!

Patterson Inlet to Newcomb Harbour

2010-05-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

If some days are good, today was fabulous. Grey skies gave way to puffy whites and blue sky. We left at 10 am and tried for halibut out in front of our anchorage, no luck for hali’s, just a few more Rockies. With a push from the tide we slid peacefully from Principe Channel into Petrel Channel. Water turned to glass and the sun shone on the Thunder. Three days since we had seen a boat or a person, gotta like it! Into Newcomb Harbour, we jumped into the skiff to try the point for an evening fish. It is only fitting that the gal who works the hardest gets the first Tyee of the Season. As improbable as it seems, jigging for cod Deb hooked into a huge spring salmon. What a fight, pulling the skiff in circles, screaming line of the reel, all the while we hooted and laughed, if we could only catch a glimpse we would be happy. Up it came, a beautiful bright 31 lb tyee, and me with only a gaff. One whiff and my name would be mud after Deb did such a great job of fighting it to stand still. Luck would have it, one swing and it was in the boat. Yahoo!!! Tyee!!! Tomorrow on to Prince Rupert, but if life is good, today was great!!

Tuwartz Bay to Patterson Inlet

2010-05-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hot coffee and and a cool north coast morning, perfect. We left our secluded anchorage under grey skies but calm winds. If the north coast is quiet no words can describe the west side of Pitt Island in May. We cruised through Otter Pass and made our way to Buchan Bay for Lunch. Anchoring for lunch, Deb elected to let me explore in the rain. Taking the skiff through the narrows into the lagoon I explored what can only be described as land before time. A perfect kayak maze we will have to come back. Leaving Buchan Bay we made our way north to Patterson Inlet for the night. The mouth looked way to fishy to pass by so we anchored our front and took the skiff to see what we could catch. Every drop hooked a nice Rock Cod and in no time we had sore arms and a full tub. Pulling the hook we motored into the back of the inlet for the night. Life is Good.

Bottleneck to Pitt Island

2010-05-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

Solitude, the only way to describe the north coast in May. Calm again we pulled our traps and selected the nicest of two dozen Dungeness crabs for tonight’s dinner!! Planning our departure to transit Heikish narrows with some help from the tide we made out way into Princess Royal Channel, the heart of the Great Bear Rain forest, and home of the Spirit Bear. We made our first stop at Swanson Bay, once a mill in the early 1990’s nothing remains but the old red brick chimney and some rotting pilings. What does remain is some great fishing on a slack tide and into the skiff we went where Deb quickly hooked into a monster Ling that had her grimacing for some help. He outsmarted us and fouled the line on the bottom but the next two hits provided us with Lings in the 20 lb range as well as a couple of fat rock fish. Looks like crab and fresh ling for dinner. Underway again we passed Butedale looking more dilapidated every year and rounded the corner towards Hartley Bay. We were greeted by two Humpbacks as we entered Wright Sound and set course for the outside of Pitt Island. Normally heading north by way of Grenville Channel the good weather forecast prompted us to go a new route and transit the outside of Pitt island.
We slipped into Tuwartz Bay, once again the only boat for miles. Dinner was fabulous, crab cocktails, and freshly grilled ling cod, Life is good!!

Hakai Beach to Bottleneck Inlet

2010-05-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

Up at 5 for a 5:45 departure as we planned 70 miles today. The cruise would take us through numerous narrow passages, and channels eventually bringing us to rest in Bottleneck Inlet on Finlayson Channel. We started by deeking out the north arm of Kwaksua channel which empties into Hakai Pass. A short crossing it is still exposed to the Pacific swell and we rode out the lazy 8 foot swell across the pass and into Edward and then Nalau Pass. Spectacular morning and scenery as we entered Fitz Hugh Channel and made our way up to Bella Bella. A quick stop on the Shearwater side for lunch, some ice and a few provisions and we were off again. The weather was great and only a lazy west swell at Ivory lighthouse and we ducked into the narrow Reid Pass. One lone cruiser ahead of us as we wound our way into Mathieson Channel, sighted out second Humpback of the trip and were joined briefly by some Dall’s porpoises. We slipped through the very narrow Jackson Pass with 1 fathom under the keel, and the branches almost brushing our sides, not so unnerving as we had been through many times. Into Finlayson Channel and across the bar into Bottle Neck Inlet. One of our favourites, it is a narrow basin that opens up into a beautiful calm anchorage. The only boat there we set the hook and the crab pots looking forward to the mornings catch. A long day but one of our favourites!!!

Fury Cove to Hakai Beach

2010-05-17T10:23:00.000-07:00

A short day as we decided to cruise up Fitz Hugh Sound and anchor at our favourite wilderness beach. We were greeted with a calm day , good forecast with some showers in the morning. We spotted our first humpback whale of the trip cruising up Fitz Hugh Sound, perhaps in a hurry to catch up with his friends as we didn’t see him for long. Pruth Harbour is at the end of Kwakshua Channel dividing Calvert and Hecate islands. Always sheltered it is the location of what once was the Cliffs Fishing Resort, now Hakai Beach Institute. The new owners will not be doing fishing charters instead offering a place for research groups and eco tourism. A beautiful lodge it was busy with workers doing renovations and they welcomed us to use the dock and walk over to the beach on the west side. We took our picnic kit with hot dogs and a glass of wine, a tradition for the crew of Thunder 1. The beach at Hakai is truly beautiful, and at this time of year deserted. The showers held off and we enjoyed our walk on the miles of sand, a fire, some hot dogs and a glass of wine. No hot dog ever tastes better than one cooked on Hakai Beach.
Back to the boat and off to sleep, always excited about being on the north coast.

May 11th, 2010 Port Alexander to Fury Cove

2010-05-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

We awoke to sunny skies and calm winds in Port Alexander. A quick scan of the forecast and we decided to push on around 11 am. At 9 am Egg Island, which is just north of Cape Caution, reported light winds with a low south west swell so at 10:40 we set out to cross the Cape. Deb did her usual stow and tape job as we have found in the past that if it can fall down or ou,t it will when we cross the Sound. As we motored by Pine Island Light, we were in 1 meter seas and just a light NW wind. It looked good. We held out tack to abeam Cape Caution and with no change in the sea condition we were able to change our course and ride the beam sea towards Egg Island. At 4 pm we entered the mouth of Rivers Inlet, the open water behind us and our anchorage at Fury Cove in sight. 5 pm and we rode the light swell into the calm waters of Fury Cove and set the Hook. A good day on the open water and a traditional Fog was in order. (Corona bottle with a shot of lime juice and tequila in the neck) . We watched the sunset from the top deck looking out over Fitz Hugh Sound, the only blemish on the day was listening to our Canucks lose the series, oh well maybe now they can come fishing on the Thunder. Life is Good.

May 10, 2010, Mcneill to Port Alexander.

2010-05-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

Leaving Stowaway Bev on the Dock to find her way back home to Courtenay we shoved off with the intention of crossing Queen Charlotte Strait and anchoring up in Skull Cove for the night. Forecast winds indicated that the North Westerly’s would not make this a good day to cross Cape Caution. We soon realised this was a good decision as we quickly encountered a stiff 20 to 25 knot North west wind and three to four footers on the nose. Plan B came into effect as it would have been a rough crossing to reach Skull Cove on the mainland side so we changed our destination to Port Alexander on Nigei Island just past Port Hardy. This kept the chop on the nose and we entered Goletas Channel and pushed up into the head of Port Alexander. A great anchorage for north winds we were still buffeted around on the hook however the sun shone and we used the time to catch up on some painting and other loose ends. One sailboat joined us for the evening and some brave young souls donned their suits and took a plunge, Brrrrrrr. Only something our kids would do. Tomorrows forecast was good so we anticipated crossing Queen Charlotte Sound about mid day

Lagoon Cove to Port McNeill

2010-05-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

Overcast, but mild and calm as we gave Bill and Pat a wave and wished them a good summer. With a short day ahead we took the back route across Knight Inlet into Tribune Channel planning a stop at Pierre's at Echo Bay for lunch. As we entered Knight Inlet we were quickly joined by a number of white sided dolphins. Riding our bow wave they spun and criss crossed our bow. As soon as one group left we were joined by another group and the gals hung over the bow taking pictures and marvelling at the sleek acrobats that joined us for the morning cruise. Tribune is always a magic trip with the white capped mountains in the background and the glassy smooth water gliding under our bow. We cruised into Echo Bay to find ourselves the only boat at the dock as Mary and her husband Walt were busy getting ready for the summer crush. A beautiful spot we took the tour and ran the skiff over to the old school and community center for a few pics and a walk. We wished them a great summer and headed off to Port McNiell.

Still graced with calm winds we motored through Arrow Channel around Malcom Island and into Port McNeill. Just in time to grab a few groceries and then listen to the Canucks game on satelite radio. Whew!! Looks like we will have to tune again. Well a nice steak on the BBQ and then off to bed, big day tomorrow as we might make the jump across the open waters, we will see what the weather does tomorrow, stay posted.

Shoal Bay to Lagoon Cove

2010-05-09T17:49:00.000-07:00

Beautiful morning as we slipped away from the dock at Shoal Bay at 5 am. Something about the early mornings on the coast that are really special. Tides were with us for the first two hours and we made good time as we aproached Green Point Rapids. We reached a blistering 11 knots and were joined by two yachts and a sailboat all making time and heading north. With clear skies and a good push we entered Johnstone Strait and slid by Port Neville towards Chatham Channel and our next stop at Lagoon Cove. Making good time we anchored in Boughey Bay to relax for a couple of hours and have some lunch. At 2 pm we slipped into the narrow Chatham Channel and watched all the prawn boats busy with their opening season sets. Rounding the corner into Lagoon Cove we were warmly met by owner and friend Bill and his Manager Pat. We last saw Bill and his wife Jean in Cabo San Lucas however Jean was out and we had to settle for a visit with Bill and some other boaters at the usual evening pot luck at the boat shed. With Lagoon Cove up for sale it will be surely missed if the new owners fail to continue Bill's tradition of a warm and friendly stop. Let's hope his legacy lives on if it sells. Tomorrow we head for Port McNeil to drop off our stowaway Bev. Too bad as she always provides us good company and is an enthusiastic deck hand.

Campbell River to Shoal Bay

2010-05-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

With stowaway Bev aboard we woke to a beautiful morning in Campbell. Away at 6 am we made our way towards Seymour Narrows and the morning slack. Seymour narrows was once the most dangerous shipping channel on the coast due to roaring tides and two underwater pinnacles. In 1958 they detonated the largest non nuclear explosion to date and blew the pinnacles away. A must read if you google Ripple Rock. We slipped through at the end of the ebb with nothing but a ripple and made our way up Johnstone Strait. Into Nodales Channel, sunny and calm, around the corner and into Shoal Bay by noon. A beautiful spot that was once a busy town at the turn of the century, now nothing remains except the dock and a small resort run by our friend Mark. Unfortunately he was not in so we made ourselves at home, the only boat on the dock on a beautiful May day. Lots was accomplished including some painting on the Boat while the girls worked on some crafty things. Then out fishing where Deb landed the first rock cod of the year!!

Crabbing was also great and we took 7 nice dungeness crabs for the dinner table. All and all a great day on the west coast!

Thursday May 06 In Port Campbell River

2010-05-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

Up early and over to the fuel dock in Campbell. Nice guys they always admire the boat, comes from their fishing backgrounds. We filled her up with 3600 liters of diesel, and a few gallons of gas for the skiff. Back to our slip and Deb was off on her errands. I met with Transport at 9:30 and went through the required paces, all OK as the Thunder passed with flying colors. The rest of the day was a blur but in the end we had her ready for the early morning start to make our trip through Seymour Narrows. The next few days travel are all planned around the tides as some areas the tidal current exceeds the forward speed of the Thunder, not to mention the whirlpools that accompany the max tides. Slack at Seymour was 8 am to that set the agenda for the next day. A quick trip up to the Riptide pub for a sushi dinner, their chef Saka makes the best sushi on the south coast!! No problem falling asleep as usual.

Comox to Campbell River

2010-05-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

Woke up to a beautiful morning in the Comox Valley. Departed at 9 am for Campbell but as we left the harbour the northwest wind had kicked up giving three to four footers off Cape Lazo and Cape Mudge, no problem if we had to get there however we chose to set the anchor of Deman Island and wait for the forecast winds to calm down. It gave us agreat opportunity to beach comb and pick a nice batch of oysters off the beach!! By 2 pm winds were settling down and we left for Campbell. Sun shine and calm winds accompanied us for the afternoon and we slipped into Discovery Harbour Marina at 7 pm. Big day tomorrow as Transport Canada was coming for our final topside safety inspection as well a number of last minute provisioning tasks for Deb and I. Our friend Bev was joining us also as our annual stowaway for the trip up the coast to Port Hardy.

May 4th, 2010

2010-05-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

Mondays stiff north west wind gave way to a beautiful morning in Nanaimo Harbour. We departed at 07:50 for Comox under sunny skies and light winds. Couldn't have asked for a nicer cruising day as we motored up Georgia Straight towards Comox. The navy was putting on a show as we circumvented their test area WG where a joint military exercise gave us both an air and ship display. We hugged the east side of Vancouver Island, past French Creek and Qualicum, into Baynes Sound between Denman Island and the big island and then on into Comox Harbour. It is always like coming home as Deb and I have many friends in the Comox Valley having lived here for many years in the past. The fishing fleet was on the move as Prawn season opens tomorrow so they found space for us among the remaining fleet on the commercial dock. A short stay as we are off early tomorrow for Campbell River but enough time to visit old neigbours and have a beer with my son for Mike for his 24th birthday coming up on Friday. Happy Birthday Mike! A last look at the beautiful Comox Glacier and the emerging stars in the clear night sky and it's off to bed.

Monday May 03/2010

2010-05-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

Northward Bound.

This morning we leftt Genoa Bay for Nanaimo Harbour. The sun was shining but the wind howled out of the south west givng us a blustery day as we made our way towards Nanaimo Harbour. We had great stay in Genoa Bay, visiting old friends, making some new ones and getting lots of work done on the Thunder. Lots of sanding, painting, varnishing and preseason maintainance was acomplished. A new toilet was installed in the front guest head. Many of our old guests will be sad to learn this one is so quiet that you won't wake up the whole boat when you flush! Our thanks to Gord Nelson of Nelson Marine for his usual top notch work as our shipwright and his unrelenting abuse of the Captain on the Thunder 1. We arrived in Nanaimo Harbour at 15:30 and anchored out by NewCastle Island. Just settling on the hook when we were paid a visit by our friends Graeme Ellis and his wife Jane. Both are marine biologists and Graeme is one of the longtime experts on the west coast orca populations. Good to catch up and we promised to send our whale pictures to Graeme who can identify every fin on the coast, whish I could remember people as well as he can remember whales. We took our skiff to the Dinghy Dock Pub for a bite and a bit of the Hockey game and then it was off to bed, good weather forecast for our trip to Comox tomorrow.

Spring Haul Out

2010-04-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

The Thunder 1 arrived in Maple Bay on April 19th for her annual haul out and inspection by Transport Canada. The crew at Cove Yachts did a great job as usual in making sure the Thunder 1 is ship shape for the coming Charter season. And what a season it is going to be. Bookings have been outstanding and currently only the September long weekend remains open for 2010. We will remain in Genoa Bay after our haul out in order to finish the normal sanding and painting that is part of the spring ritual in owning a wood boat. At this point our cruise north remains open but Deb and I are looking forward to the trip as it is always an awesome experience. We are booked coming south in September and we would like to thank Anne and Dwight for signing on to that cruise. Stay tuned to the blog as we will update our progress north starting aprox. May 7th as well as all our individual fishing charters as they happen.

Big Blow in Victoria

2010-04-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

After a very quiet winter on the waterfront in Victoria the Thunder 1 and Crew were rocked by one of the wildest wind storms since 2006. Fortunately we were not at sea and survived unscathed on the dock in the inner Harbour. Preparations are going well as we gear up for our trip north to Prince Rupert. We will leave Victoria on the 15th of April and proceed to Maple Bay for our annual haul out, bottom paint and inspection by Transport Canada. Hoping to leave for the north coast on the first week of May, at this time no guests aboard. The Edmonton show was excellent as usual and filled many of our remaining slots with both regulars and some new faces as well. We have two openings remaining, one in late August and the Sept long weekend.

We will keep you posted on our preparations and our progress up the coast.

Cheers

Doug and Deb

Winter Preparations

2010-02-12T09:59:00.000-08:00

The Thunder 1 and crew are wintering in Victoria inner harbour. Hard to believe we are hosting the winter Olympics as Victoria has the cherry trees in full bloom with daffodills and tulips bursting out everywhere. We are busy preparing for the coming charter season and have just returned from the Calgary Boat and Sportsman Show. Turnout was good however the effects of the recession can still be felt. We met some great people and are hoping some of them will join us for the coming fishing season. We are doing the Victoria Boating and Fishing Show on Feb 19th and are looking forward to mixing it up wih the local fishing enthusiusts.