More From Dawson Creek

This could be assumed as more company or more news from Dawson Creek. Actually was both. Vern and Vicki Haglof, friends since forever, managed to pry themselves free from their busy retirement schedule to join us for a few days on the briny sea. It is truly great to get together with old friends and talk fondly about the "good old days". The real beauty is that nobody really remembers them all that well, and as an added bonus, nobody really notices that you don’t remember yesterday all that well either.

Actually the weather did rather improve, which allowed us to venture out in hot pursuit of the ‘friends of Nemo’ and we could do this on water that didn’t move up and down at the same rate of speed that we propelled ourselves forward. I find that the crew tends to be a much happier lot when the action of the boat does not spill their drink.  Spent a day in Hudson Bay Passage chasing fish as the wind was  a strong southwest in Hecate an a strong southeast in  Chatham Sound. This gave us a  bit of a breakwater to hide behind, and the opportunity to fish a little. We managed to snag a small halibut. Pretty exciting for prairie people. Well not really prairie people, but  I have to tell you that the salt water fishing around Dawson Creek is a tad limited. All this excitement helped to build a terrible thirst and as luck would have it, it was time for dinner at any rate. Back to our hidy-hole for some of both.

Now I must  tell you that I am in total awe of a highly skilled aptitude that I have noticed when women get together on the boat. The fairer sex appears to be able to talk at approximately 200 words per minute, while only listening at about 60 words per minute or so. Now logic would say that there would be a great deal of this conversation that they would miss, but at the end of the day they seem to have it all down pat. Totally amazing !!

Back to fishing. Now that Vern had been introduced to halibut fishing, there was just no holding him back and the request for the following day was for more of the same. Having noticed an interesting spot or two, while previously trolling, we tried to jig up a flat fish or two. Now as the tide was running, it was more like trolling for halibut and there was no way that we were going to stay at the "lucky spot", so we dropped anchor and tossed over the tasty halibut treat. This had scarcely hit the bottom when it was munched upon by the ‘happy hali.’ A fifty pounder no less, and a new fishing experience for the "new guy". Add to this catch an assortment of dining delights of the bottom fish variety, and it is yet again time to call it a day. Actually, you can call it whatever you like, but we like to call it a day.

A new day and a new request. Still fresh in his memory, the work involved at boating a bigger halibut, Vern thought it prudent to pursue a salmon or six, and as Vicki had been drooling over the thoughts of a crab feed for several days, we pointed the boat in the direction of the south end of the Moffats. Once again "Goodness triumphs over Evil" and we got into a bit of a bite. Landed four springs and two coho in fairly short order, then off to Tuck inlet and a catch of crab. You gotta love it when a plan comes together, Ten nice keepers in the crab trap the next A.M., plus several females and some undersize. Not a bad pull and they joined us as we boated back to Rupert. Turned several into a tasty meal for the ladies as Vern and I graciously stood aside that they might have their fill. This was particularly gallant of Vern, who can hardly get enough crab and prawns etc. — or not.

The bad thing about being at the Yacht Club in Rupert is that it signals the end of another wonderful time with friends or family, but time does fly. One more page for the book of memories.

A couple of days will see the arrival of the "New York family", who actually now live in New Jersey. We are quite looking forward to their arrival, at which time "Poor Granny" will be able to satiate the grand child withdrawal symptoms that she has been suffering from.

Take care of yourselves and keep in touch.
T & B