Hired Guys

Port Renfrew is a small Canadian town with a major fishing problem. The problem is the sport fishing is great and only a few people know that.

We arrive in Port Renfrew in late afternoon. Port Captain Quigley greets us at the entrance to Osprey Cabins. Quigley and his family provide these comfortable cabins in a beautiful rural setting - and there’s an outdoor hot tub to boot! Their place is one of the most popular accommodations in Port Renfrew ,and their rates are very reasonable.

Captain Quigley is one of the most skilled and knowledgeable guides we’ve ever met. We’ve been out with the affable “Capt’n Quig” before, at his other fishing operation in Sooke, ,B.C. (45 minutes west of Victoria), so we know we’re in good hands!

The alarm shatters our solid sleep at 5 a.m. We’re on the water by 6:00. The sun is just coming up behind us as we speed westward, heading towards the mouth of the Port San Juan Inlet. Quigley’s boat is fast and powerful. We hang on to our seats as we bounce over the big waves!

We stop just off Camper’s Beach , where the West Coast Trail from Port Renfrew meets the “Pacific Ocean” for the first time. The shoreline cliffs were spectacular and carved into numerous huge dark caves.

Captain Quigley points over the port side towards the open Pacific. “Next stop Hawaii, and that-away Japan!” The water is as calm as it ever gets out here, but the rolling swells are huge. The sun is shining brightly now, but cool dark fog is already rising from the water, cloaking the cliffs. It looks like the trees are suspended in the air far above us.

Captain Quigley tells us we’re sure to catch some big ones today. Swiftsure Bank, where Juan de Fuca Strait drops off into the deep blue Pacific, is where halibut and salmon are most plentiful. It’s hard to believe we’re fishing on the edge of the open Pacific Ocean.

The first one I catch is a screamer! They call it that because it grabs the bait and takes off. The line literally ’screams’ as the fish runs. Quigley knows what to do. He puts the boat in gear and chases the fish. My eyes
almost pop when I look down at the reel and there are only about 3 wraps of line left! In seconds, the fish had run almost 300 yards of line. I reel as fast as I can until the line’s tight again and the fight’s back
on

Non-stop excitement, boats all around us are getting strike after strike. On Quigley’s radio, we can hear the guides sharing information about their catches - “Double strike, 40 feet down!” They all share their success so everyone else can succeed too. Even when there’s a lull, and the fish aren’t biting, Captain Quigley is entertaining us. He teaches us his latest fish-luring chant and the accompanying dance: “Chinook, Chinook - Bite on my hook, my hook!” There is never a dull moment on board.

And when the fish are biting, Quigley is a very patient teacher: “Let him run! That’s it… He’s got the whole boat to play with. Let him tire himself out…”

Later, Quigley tells us a story about the biggest fish ever landed on his boat. He had taken an elderly couple on an expedition, and it was turning out to be a disappointingly uneventful day - not one bite, until they decided to turn back! Then, all of a sudden, they got a nibble. It was a huge struggle, but with Quigley’s help, they reeled it in - a 52-pounder! Now that’s a really big salmon.

It went on to win several categories in the fishing derby. We catch our limit long before the charter’s over, each fish is in the twenty-pound range. We had about 100lbs of fish on board, enough to feed us all winter! (We were fishing for spring salmon as the Coho and Sockeye fisheries were temporarily closed.)

When I made dinner that night, back in Victoria, one fillet filled the grill on my barbeque! Five people dug in and there
was2/3 left over! We’re talking serious salmon here, folks!

Small town, big fishing problem - right? Now you know.

Ron Kirstein is the owner of a Canadian Travel & Tourism Web site (since 1995). Ron has traveled the length and breadth of Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada in search of adventures. For exciting additional information and color pictures of Ron’s Island Fishing Adventure visit his Travel Magazine.

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When you are on the wrong end of probability, it’s easy to get upset and want to throw a tantrum about poker erring from the odds. There’s nothing worse than being an extreme favorite in a hand, getting a ton of money that you’ve worked for hours to accumulate in, and then have you opponent hit ‘lightning in a bottle’ and hit one of their two outs against you on the river to take it all. It can be enough to make you want to put your eyes out, or throw your computer out the window.

As a result of this, you will often hear people talking about how a Texas Holdem game is rigged, or ridiculous, or how unfair to have the odds bend in such a manner, but at the heart of poker is probability, and the essence of probability comes with an important dictum: “Even the improbable will sometimes occur.” Part of the idea of the improbable, no matter how great the improbability (which in Texas Holdem, is severely limited against other kinds of probability that reach infinitesimal odds), is that no matter how unlikely something is, if it is within the realm of probability, it should be expected.

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This aint exactly rocket scientry boys…

I picked up a copy of The Oregonian this morning and read a story about how the ocean conditions this year are killing off seabirds in record numbers. Murres and cormorants are washing up on shore like pieces of Northwestern forest driftwood, mainly due to starvation.

Most biologists are blaming a lack of cooling ocean winds which are causing warmer Pacific ocean temperatures, which are causing a lack of phytoplankton production, (which then need to stirred up from the ocean bottom by the wind),which are causing Anchovys and Sardines to die, which are causing the birds to go without food…….which is causing the birds to die!

Whew.

Scientists seem to have a pretty good grasp on this theory, and even though solution wise,they are pretty much held at the mercy of Mother Nature, the explanation still makes perfect sense.

Of course, any discussion of warming of anything on this planet wouldn’t be complete–without the blaming of global warming. Which of course has been blamed for everything short of the scalding temperatures of McDonalds coffee.

The Oregonian’s article mentioned global warming on several occasions, and biologists and scientists would not rule this out as a possible contributing factor in the changing oceanic conditions this summer.

Enter the Coho.

Biologists have also recorded fewer catches of Coho Salmon on the Oregon coast with numbers down from 44,000 fish last year to about 5700 this year. Marine biologists have also stated that the size of the fish has generally been smaller, again, with one theory being that there is less food for the Coho to feed on–therefore less growth. Where the fish are or where they have gone is a complete mystery. As one wildlife biologist said ” it is a big ocean nobody really knows”.

O.K., this is where I get confused.

We have the ocean– which past history has told us is affected greatly by currents and temperature.

We have this great big giant gaping hole in our ozone-which nobody can agree on how to check or what the cause and effect is from it. Or how to fix it.

We have a space shuttle which we can determine has a small yet dangerous crack in it’s insulation–millions of miles out in space. Yet we have the ability to repair it.

We literally have the technolology to put a fish on the moon….

…But we can’t figure out where thousands of Salmon migrate to- right here on our home planet??

“It’s a big ocean nobody really knows.”

Now forgive my feeble mind for working this way, but I am thinking that this great mystery of where fish travel and where they wind up –is really something that we can control and find out.

Maybe we can tie a string to their fins and follow the string to their whereabouts? Or, perhaps we can hire a “private scuba investigator” (scuba Dick??) to put a tail on them–maybe take a few photos of them?? Have they fallen into the Marianas trench? What if they are just “vacationing” in Iceland until the waters get cooler?
When I get hot during the summer–I go where it is cooler!

Again, we have no clear idea why or where the fish are disappearing–but we are pretty certain that global warming is causing it.!!??!!??

You can’t tell me that putting “chips” or some other sort of “homing” device into schools of migrating fish,especially since most fish start out in the controlled environments of fish hatcherys, is not a “doable” project.If there is enough cause for concern, and enough reason to throw billions of dollars at studying ozone layers, and studying why Coho are diminishing–after the fact– then there certainly is reason enough to do it before hand.

I for one would gladly pay .50 cents more on my fishing license to help pay for 10,000 or so chips and a few monitoring devices. AND you can’t tell me that the Oregon sportfishing, boat building,commercial fishing industry, and tourism industry don’t have a vested interest in protecting fish and finding out more about their migration habits. No fish–no fishermen–no money spent.

Heck, put ‘em in all the fish –then you will know exactly when the fish are caught,where they go to spawn, and how long Uncle Bill has been keeping that Salmon in his freezer.

As far as the ozone is concerned, I think we all have a vested interest in that study.

Let’s learn about our own planet before we check out the cause and effect of weightlessness on a can of Coca-Cola!!

I can see it now: New from Coca- Cola… “Coke ultralight… all the taste with none of the weight”…

I am not saying that space exploration is not viable and important, and I am certainly convinced that one day, much like the discovery of any new frontier,people will inhabit some place in space. HOWEVER, I think it a little premature to abandon Earth and pack up the old intergalactic covered wagons.

So, it seems when it comes to ozones and fish migration and what goes on in the “deep blue sea”–we ought to know just as much as we know about a crack in a space shuttles insulation!!

What do you think?

In the meantime, I’ll be outside cooking my breakfast on the hood of my car–because MAN it’s hot out…

….damn global warming!

A.J. Klott

Author, writer of fishing humor,and “fly tack” peddler.A.J. writes about the people,characters and modern day events that surround the fishing world. His first book is due out in December of 2005.

If you need a laugh or a fun gift, visit his website at: http://www.twoguyswithflys.com

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Fishing is just one of the many forms of relaxation people do these days with either friends or family. It is a time for bonding and a great escape from the pressures of daily life.

To be able to fish, a person needs to get a fishing license since this is requirement by law and the regulations regarding fishing varies from one state to the other.

In some states, 2 licenses are needed. One is called the Conservation license which is a prerequisite before one can obtain a fishing license.

Getting a license to fish is quite different from the time a person needed to get a drivers license. The person does not have to take an exam or get a student’s permit before being issued one.

The Conservation license can be obtained from the Fish, Wildlife & Parks or FWP. This is done by giving one’s social security number and other information that is requested. A valid driver’s license or any valid ID with photo must also be presented for security purposes for the license to be processed.

The fishing license allows a person to fish or possess any aquatic creature as long as it is authorized by the state’s fishing regulations. This license is neither non-transferable nor non-refundable and is only valid for one year or season.

Since fishing licenses as mentioned earlier vary from state to state, a fishing license can either be a resident license or a non-resident license. For one to qualify for a resident license, that person must have resided in that certain location for a period of time such as 6 months, should be a local tax payer , must be a registered voter, purchased a vehicle and have a valid driver’s issued from that state. In addition, one must not possess or apply for any resident hunting, fishing or trapping privileges in another state or country.

A non-resident can fish in another state as long as the person is accompanied by someone who resides in that state.

There is no age limit for anyone to acquire a fishing license. People both young and old can obtain it. Usually a person who is below 11 years of age can get a fishing license for free. People who are older than that have to pay a certain fee to acquire it.

With the paper work in proper order, one can just grab the proper gear, a boat and start having some fun being close with nature.

Travis Clemens is a life time fisherman and he knows the ins and outs of gettinem on the hook! You too can gettem on the hook with Travis as your guide! www.best-fishing-tips.com

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Competition between offshore and inshore anglers has skyrocketed within the
last few years. As the competition increases, so does the need for fishing
teams to differentiate themselves and stand out from other teams. To do this,
fishing teams are acting more like businesses and taking marketing and
branding seriously. There are several reasons why increasing amounts of
fishing teams are moving towards self-promotion.

First of all, it is a sheer numbers game. There are more and more well run
fishing tournaments available to the average angler these days. Everything
from the “mom and pop” type local tournament, to entire circuit series, like the
H.O.T. Fishing Circuit, that has the likes of the NASCAR points system. With
circuit and big money tournaments becoming the more common, more anglers
are fishing them. And these tournaments are not cheap. That leads us to the
second reason.

Secondly, since anglers fishing more tournaments, they are spending much
more money to fish them. This costs a considerable amount of money. The
costs and fees involved are registration fees, gas, bait, boat purchase and
maintenance, insurance, a large vehicle or truck to pull your boat or dockage
fee at a marina. Plus you must not forget food, beverages, lodging and any
other associated travel costs. Fishing teams are looking to save money and
seeking out corporate sponsorships from fishing and marine companies. This
can become a very important goal to competitive fishing teams to help defray
costs.

But actually getting a fishing, marine or boating company to fork over big
bucks to help with expenses is not an easy task. They get inundated with
sponsorship requests on a daily basis. Fishing teams wanting to catch the eye
of a sponsor, promote their team and project a professional, winning image is
something that fishing team gear can provide.

Fishing team gear is a very effective way for teams to brand and self-promote.
Just as a company would do, a fishing team must first establish and promote a
consistent identity and brand. This is where a great, eye-catching and
professionally designed logo comes in. Selecting a logo and who designs it is
very important. The logo needs to be unique, easy to recognize and accurately
reflect the image of the team. There are a few design firms who specialize in
marine and boating industries, so doing homework on this will pay off. Using
the internet to search for these companies is a quick and easy way to
determine who has experience and understanding of the competitive fishing
arena. In addition, some companies offer exclusive marine artists who can
design custom fishing team designs.

Once the logo determined, fishing teams need to brand everything. Teams
have matching t-shirts, visors, baseball caps, boat lettering, stickers and
anything else they can put their name on. Many teams are even going beyond
standard team t-shirts and are having professional embroidery sewn on to
more high quality apparel and hats.

In addition to team gear, the most important piece of marketing machinery for
soliciting sponsors is a fishing team website. Team websites can promote and
profile a fishing team, it’s crew, accomplishments, tournaments wins and photo
gallery. Websites are an effective tool for teams to showcase their commitment
to promoting a professional, winning image. In addition, websites offer a way
for sponsors to get in contact with teams they might not have even noticed
before. It’s a pretty impressive sight for the sponsors to come upon a team that
has a professionally built website with a professionally designed logo. In
addition, they would notice the photographs featuring the crew winning
tournaments in their team gear. Besides reinforcing the team’s name and
identity, it also shows the team’s important understanding of brand promotion
-and that is what sponsors want to see.

If you are one of the millions of Americans that participates in competitive
fishing tournaments and want to further promote your team’s brand and
identity, consider investing in some high quality team fishing gear. Not only
will you create a presence on the water and on the World Wide Web, but you
may also catch the eye of some well-needed sponsors.

Copyright Troy Denson, http://www.BoldWater.com

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It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming. ~John Steinbeck

1. How Fish Think

When you hunt for deer, and any other animal for that matter, there are some set rules you have to follow if you are going to catch some very wary Brook and Brown trout.
Will the rules for hunting somehow help with Trout Fishing.

2. Study and Research

Understanding how a trout thinks, will increase your chances of success. You could go to a local bookstore as well as the library. Within a week you
will know more about Trout than 99.9% of the world’s population.

3. Trout Tips

Trout have monocular vision. This means that each eye can focus on an object independently of the other eye, giving them an all-around panoramic field of vision. Research has confirmed that fish , to some extent, can see color, above and beyond some practical uses of color. The fact that most strikingly colored species use their pigmentation for attracting mates; or they use color to hide from and scare off would be predators.

4. Hearing

Sound travels more than four times faster through water than it does through air. Trout can hear sound through the vibrations in the water, through a porous lateral line along the sides of its body. As it picks up water vibrations, the fish becomes aware of feeding frenzies or other fish fleeing that happens nearby.

5. Touch

There are many species that have taste receptors on the skin, which send food messages to the brain, and prompts the fish to go towards the source of the food taste.There are also fish that have receptors on their heads, mouths, lips, and on, barbels like that of a catfish.

6. Smell

Many species of fish have nostrils with which to smell odors coming from food and mating partners. Their nostrils have sensors that detect the odors from the water and send signals to their brain.

To understand how Trout think, what spooks them, what excites them, when they feed, when they travel, and a number of other factors really is very important if you want to fill your creels full of fish consistently. Luckily for you, theres a man who has captured the essence of fishing and put his expertise into a Book, which is titled “How To Catch A Trout Every Time - When Spinner Fishing Your Favorite Stream Or River.”

This book is quite literally the bible of Trout Fishing. If you’ re new to fishing or semi-experienced, you’ ll immediately improve your chances of catching fish each time you go after reading the book. The authors name is Nick Anikijenko.

Val and Robin Shortt are experienced campers and own three outdoor websites For more tips like these and to register for their Free newsletter visit:
Good Night Camping Equipment

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Fishing With Jigs

There seems to be one thing most anglers do that isn’t quite right. That’s how they fish a jig. Most fish it faster they they should. Jigging can produce a nice quanity of bass but it’s main goal is to produce quality bass.

In The Spring

Fish brush, lily pads that are just coming up, boat docks and rocks. Try fishing shallow water, it warms up fastest. Fish with a 1/2 ounce jig tipped with pork.

In The Summer

Now is when most anglers go to a faster moving lure, you should try jigging. Fish creek beds, channels, grass and lily pads.

In The Fall

Try fishing jigs around wood. Logs, stumps, boat docks and downed trees are good places to fish your jig this time of year. Also try the lily pads that are dying off.

In The Winter

Rivers are great for winter fishing. Try to find slow moving water in the 3 to 9 foot range. A heavier jigs like a 3/8 ounce tipped with pork works good. Deep water can find schools of bass in slow moving water.

Jigging can be one of the best bass producing methods if you fish it slow enough. Keep the jig in front of the fish, move it very slow and you’ll have good results if there are fish to be caught.

Charles E. White has fished for bass for almost 50 years. He has fished from
Florida to California and has caught more than 6,000 bass in his lifetime. His
biggest bass is 12 pounds 14 ounces.

Charles has owned two tackle stores in his lifetime and taught dozens of people to fish for bass.

He now resides in Ohio.
Charles is webmaster for: www.bassfishingweekly.com

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Brook Trout: Frequently gullible, yet extremely tasty, Brook
Trout are wonderful trout to fish for - especially since they
frequently inhabit the most beautiful stream settings in the U.S.

The Brook Trout was originally found in the Midwest and along the
East Coast. It is sort of the Eastern counterpart to the Western
Cutthroat trout - with its range extending all the way from
Canada down to the streams in Georgia. Interestingly, the Brook
Trout is not even part of the trout family, but instead belongs
to the Char family of fish that also includes the Lake Trout and
Dolly Varden.

Brook Trout live in clear, cold waters. Due to the cold waters
and the fact that Brook Trout live a shorter life generally than
rainbow and Brown Trout, Brook Trout usually do not grow nearly
as big.

Today, most of the best Brook Trout fishing is no longer found
out East.

The cold, clear water that Brook Trout prefer no longer exists
like it use to. Instead, Brook Trout are mainly found in the
Western United States (mainly due to transplanting) in the colder
rivers and lakes of the Rocky Mountains - especially in higher
lakes that often require hiking to reach. Canada also continues
of provide excellent fishing for Brook Trout, while Argentina is
now also home to some of the worlds’ largest Brook Trout.

Brook Trout are also small due to another factor - over planting.
Brook Trout have been so extensively planted in many lakes and
streams that there are starting to be too many of them. This
overcrowding often leads to stunted growth. Of course, the plus
side of this is that these small Brook Trout are extremely easy
to catch and they taste good, too! Of all the trout in the world,
for the angler who absolutely must take home some fish at the end
of the day, taking home some Brook Trout is a good way to satisfy
the palette without compromising the overall fishing quality.

The Brook Trout is a beautiful fish. It’s sides and back consist
of various shades of gunmetal gray, with highlights of orange,
red and cream spots. The fins of a Brook Trout also have a white
edge around them and during spawning season, the bottom of the
Brook Trout turns a beautiful orange-red color.

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In 2004, I fished more lily pads than ever before? Why? Well, because I caught fish in them. I probably caught over 100 fish in the lily pads this year alone. Two were over 5 pounds and one over 6 pounds. So what did I do different this year?

I’m glad you asked……I used a lure called the scum frog, green and white, not only that but I fished it different than ever before. You see, I used to go slow, I mean real slow, my way of thinking was that even though the bass is a fast swimmer, he would have a hard time catching up with the lure through the pads, if I retrieved it fast. Not only that, but, I wanted to put it in his face a lot longer by going slow on my retrieve.

Well, then I watched this guy and he was running it through the lily pads almost as fast as any buzz bait I have seen used. I was using the same lure except slow. The outcome? Well, he was getting strikes, I mean lots of strikes, I was getting none. So, I went back over the same area I just fished and guess what? Yep, I began getting strikes, but I was missing them as the lure would get past the fish. I thought maybe I should compromise, so, I slowed down my retrieve just a hair and bingo, I started catching fish. That is the way I used the scum frog for the rest of the fishing season. Fast, but not quite as fast as a buzz bait, when they would hit and miss I would stop the bait and just twitch it a few times. This was one of my best fishing years in over 40 of fishing for bass, all due to this new retrieve.
As Mikey says “Try it you might like it”.

Charles E. White has fished for almost 50 years for bass from California to Florida. In his lifetime, it is estimated that he has caught over 6,000 bass. His biggest bass is a 12 pound 14 ounce that hangs on his wall in his office.

Charles has fished with people who have never fished for bass before and taught them how to become successful anglers and also has fished with the Pros in Florida. If you liked this article you can find more in our article section at:
http://www.bassfishingweekly.com

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