Boer oer aes

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‘ °33'~ Sunday, July 16, 1989 — North Shore News

SPRING SALMON

It’s fishing paradise
at northern B.C. lodge

LANGARA ISLAND — They flew north to a tiny cove in
the most northerly of the Queen Charlotte Islands to catch
tyees, spring salmon 30 pounds or more. There were 38 of
them in the group, which arrived at Langara Fishing Lodge

in three float planes.

Five days later it took five
planes to get them out, for they
had caught 4,300 pounds of salm-
on, or more than 100 pounds per
person, & total which included 67
tyees.

One of the fish was a staggering
67 pounds, caught by West Van-
couver businessman Ed Nemeth
with his own tackle, a No, 8 fly
rod with 17 pound test, which is
akin to shooting par at Pebble
Beach with three clubs in your bag.

Last year Laugara Lodge guests
landed half a dozen 70 pounders
and 15 fish over 60 pounds. A
total of 1,200 guests landed 1,450
tyees. The lodge record is a 76
pound salmon.

Says Mike Nielsea, the lodge
manager: ‘‘This is a bottleneck
through which many spawning
salmon choose to pass. It's that

simple.. But getting here deterred _

lodge operators. This is wilderness
country.”

Langara’s owners, including
outdoorsman Rick Bourne, were
the first here five years ago with a
120-ft. former. paddie wheeler,
which they converted to a lodge
with 20 rooms, and towed it to a
cove at the south end of Langara
Island, just 46 miles trom Alaska.

Last year they added another 24
rooms in a cedar lodge built on a
steel barge, which is moored adja-
cent to the paddle wheeler.

Clients are assembled in groups
of about 40 and flown by charter
aircraft from Vancouver to Sand-

spit, then by float planes and am-
phibians over Graham Island to a
water landing in Parry Passage.
Guests are given an orientation
in which they are shown how to
drive the boats — stable 14,5-
footers with 15 h.p. Yamaha out-
boards — and use the fishing
equipment. All tackle and bait is
supplied, as well as rubber boats
and rain gear. Advice is given on
where the fish are biting and each
boat has a chart.

travel
taik

‘David Wishart

The lodge has a patrol boat to
keep in touch with the fleet of 20-
plus boats, but in fact it made only
Spasmodic appearances, rarely
more than once a day. One guest
said that the only negative part of
his trip was the infrequent appear-
ance of the patrol boat in seas that
were unfamiliar, sometimes chop-
py and, one day, quite foggy.

Food was of a high standard, al-
though you had to be a real fish-
erman to love the meal times,
which were governed by the tides.
Most fishermen, I’m told, got up
around 4 a.m., had coffee, cereal
and muffins and had their lines out
before $5 a.m., then came back for
breakfast at 9:30 a.m.

They could then help themselves
to a mountain of delicious sand-
wiches, coffee, juices, fruit and
biscuits and head out again, to
return for appetizers at 9 p.m. and
dinner at 9:30 p.m.

Boats were cleaned and main-
tained with fuel, dait and tackle
throughout the day. When a boat

‘4

"(Effective til July 23, 1989)

doors

EXTERIOR KETRACTABLE
Sun SCREENS

¢ An effective way to stop damaging
soiar heat rays and eliminate glare

* Custom made for windows including
large screens for double sliding glass

Come visit our showroom

SunWest Awnincs

1547 Welch St., N. Vancouver, V7P 1B5

987-15

77

came in what seemed like a small
army would descend on it, rather
like a fighter plane returning from
a sortie.

Fishermen who put the time in,
and some were out 14 hours a day,
got terrific catches. One day I sat
for five hours and didn’t get a bite.
Then, in a twenty-minute period,
when I was with a partner, we got
two double-headers in 20 minutes.
Now that is an experience.

Activities for non-fishing guests
are limited. There is a hot tub and
two comfortable lounges with
wood-burning fireplaces, glorious
views and abundant wildlife, par-
ticularly eagles, which soar
overhead constantly and nest in
trees by the dozen just 100 yards
away. Sea life includes whales,
porpoises, seals and at least one
playful otter which made a nightly
appearance on the fish dock.

None of this comes cheaply.
Rates, including air from Van-
couver, are for four days (Satur-
day to Tuesday) $1,775, five days
(Tuesday to Saturday) $1,945 and
eight days (Saturday to Saturday
or Tuesday to Tuesday) $2,995.

There’s no doubt, however, that
fer those who want big fish it’s
good value. Most guests left ex-
hilarated with their experiences
and catches. And Ed Nemeth, like
75 to 80 per cent of Langara
guests, will be back next year.

Piste submitted
ED NEMETH hoists the $7 ib. tyee the West Vancouver resident caught
at Largare Fishing Lodge in the Queen Charlotte Islands.

Take a Slice off Doug!

Friends of Doug Collins and the North Shore News
invite you to attend a retirement roast.

Saturday, July 22 |
at 10:00 a.m.

Join us at the Centennial
Theatre to give Doug a
grand retirement send-off. .

Hosted by Pat Burns, you'll
have the opportunity to hear
the community, politicians
and the media pay tribute to
Doug and the controversy
only he can create!

Theatre lobby open ait 9:00
a.m. for light refreshments!

Tickets are available at the
North Shore News offices.
Advance sales only. Tickets
will not be sold at the theatre
on the day of the roast.

$10.00 per person.

1139 Lonsdale Avenue
North Vancouver, B.C
985-2131