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Our 2018 Season comes to an end

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2018 Season review

 

2018 Season in pictures

 

And like that, the season is over. This was a record breaking year, which ended with the hosting of an amazing group of 60 from Australian and New Zealand. Thank you to everyone who made this such an amazing season – from guests to our staff.

We have some terrific memories from this season. From  an engagement on our back patio, 60th birthday  celebrations, families enjoying some quality time and father/son derby’s.

The chefs continued to wow guests with all their delicious creations, showcasing some of BC’s finest produce and fresh catches, straight from the dock. These are only a few of the amazing meals that our guests got treated to this season.

 The chefs weren’t the only ones who were busy this season, the fishing guides and guest services staff, stayed busy processing all the fish that was caught this summer. We had plenty of chinook, coho, halibut, rock fish and lingcod that hit the dock, with our guests leaving with huge smiles on their face and fish to cook up and reminisce about their amazing time at Eagle Nook.

Fishing

It felt good to have so many Chinook salmon in the mid to high twenties all throughout the summer. Our Australian/New Zealand Group brought in our first Tyee of the season, coming in at a whooping 36 pounds. A huge congratulations to Tyee Rick and Mark for reeling in that beauty.

The Chinook Salmon fishing this year was   above par on numbers and coho fishing was off the charts. Halibut fishing didn’t disappoint either, even though we had to let some monsters go, we reeled up beauties, some up to 50 pounds.

Coho fishing went off the charts in July and August. Letting go of  20 plus coho was just the norm, in hopes to find that nice chinook, which was lots of fun for our guests. Success was also had while waiting on anchor for the halibut to bite, plenty of hatchery coho getting  jigged up.

All in all the fishing was great, the guests got that true West Coast experience and  the guides had fun!

Next season

2019 is already starting to book up and what is looking like it will be another amazing season! So don’t miss the chance to come and experience everything that Eagle Nook has to offer. We promise it will be a decision you won’t soon forget. Friends will be jealous about what an amazing time you had, they’ll want to come too. Many of our guests can attest, that you’ll have so much fun, you’ll make it an annual tradition.

We hope to see you in 2019!

Fish On!!!!!!

Lings, Springs & Eagles

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Today marks 1 month until Eagle Nook Resort’s  regular season opening  on June 15th, and to mark the occasion we’re running a Father’s Day Special June 15th – 18th. Early season fishing has been great around Victoria  as well as up in Barkley Sound, and  an unbeatable deal is the perfect excuse to plan a fishing trip with family (or friends) in mid-June.

This past weekend presented yet  another opportunity for a trip out to the west coast to continue preparing for the season, run boats and supplies out to the resort and get out fishing in Barkley Sound. While the first half of the weekend was spent building a new and improved fish cleaning station out at the resort, the guys managed to get out for a fish Sunday morning before heading back into town.

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They put 3 Chinook salmon in the box but the best photo op came when Jeff caught a lingcod and was photo bombed by one of Barkley Sound’s many resident bald eagles coming in for a closer look. This early in the year it’s not hard to tempt a bald eagle (or two) down from the trees for a rockfish snack and sometimes they’ll even try to steal a fish right off the end of a line. By the time August rolls around though, they’re pretty well fed and it’s a little more difficult to convince them to leave their perches.

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The first wave of our staff are moving out to the resort this upcoming Sunday and we’ll have a small crew out for our pre-season derbies, happening the first two weekends in June. The rest of the team will come up June 11th in preparation for our first regular season trip, it sounds like everyone’s getting ready to make the big move, and counting down the days until  our opening weekend, June 15th – 18th.

If you’d like to  celebrate your dad (or grandpa, or uncle, or anyone who deserves a getaway) and join us for the first weekend of our 2017 season let us know soon, before our Father’s Day Special runs out!

Sunny Days & Salmon Fishing

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The beginning of May means that there’s less than 3 weeks until we move up to the resort for the summer, and just over a month until we open our doors for the 2017 season. This year our opening weekend happens to coincide with Father’s Day on June 18th and in the spirit of celebrating Dads everywhere we’re offering a Father’s Day Special June 15th through 18th.

Bring your dad (or uncle, or grandpa, or anyone else who loves fishing and deserves a getaway) and enjoy 3 nights all-inclusive accommodation, gourmet meals and private fully guided fishing charters for unreal rates on our opening weekend. Father’s Day Special packages start at $2695 Canadian per person for 2 guests, or $2195 Canadian per person for 3 guests.

In fishing news, although spring has gotten off to a slow start on Vancouver Island, the fishing certainly hasn’t. Early season salmon fishing has continued to be great around Southern Vancouver Island over  the last couple weeks, and in between prepping for the season (we’re officially less than a month away from our first derby!) we’ve still managed to get out on the water and put a couple nice Chinook salmon in the boat.

Ed (pictured below) did a charter out of Sidney last Friday with our guide Jeff and landed a 22 lb Chinook – hopefully foreshadowing of his trip out to Barkley Sound  this summer.

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The weather has started to warm up around Vancouver Island so Jeff was back out for a quick fish Tuesday morning, caught an unreal sunrise and another couple of nice Chinook to start the day.

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With fishing being so consistent around the South coast of Vancouver Island we’re confident it will be just a good in Barkley Sound to start the season. We have crews heading up both this weekend and next to continue getting the resort ready for our first pre-season derby June 2nd – 5th, so we’ll have a fishing report from the Sound next week.

Both our derbies are completely sold out, but we’ve still got space for our  Father’s Day Special for our regular season opening June 15th – 18th, so let us know soon if you and your dad want  to spend an unforgettable weekend together fishing in Barkley Sound!

Spring is Coming and That Means Fishing Season

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March on the West Coast means spring is on it’s way, and it’s been a cold, wet and sometimes snowy winter on Vancouver Island so we’re definitely looking forward to warmer weather and longer days.

One major indication that spring is just around the corner is the herring spawn which has started all  along the South coast of Vancouver Island. If you’ve been near the water at all in the last couple of weeks you may have noticed the turquoise blue colour that indicates where the fish are laying their eggs.

In the Pacific Ocean herring travel and spawn in schools along the coast of Baja  California  all the way up to Alaska. Warming  water temperatures trigger herring  to spawn hence why every year around Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia spawning  occurs in early to mid March; schools further South can spawn much earlier in the year while schools further North spawn later.

The herring spawn is an important event on the West coast for multiple reasons, one of those being that herring and their roe are a major food source for seabirds, seals, sea lions, whales and other fish, including Chinook salmon. Like many other fish species, where herring spawn is often not where they live year round so at a time of  year when other food sources can be scarce,  returning herring  provide a welcome relief for predatory species on the West coast.

One of those predatory species are Humpback whales who  start their annual migration North to coincide with the herring spawn, traveling from the coasts of Mexico and Hawaii Northbound to British Columbia and Alaska. They  often feed close to the shore, and a ring of bubbles on the surface of the water is a telltale giveaway that a Humpback is circling below, trapping  herring and other bait fish within a ‘bubble net’ before it lunges through them with it’s mouth gaping open for a quick meal.

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Humpback diving just after feeding in Barkley Sound

Humpbacks can consume up to  1500 kilograms of food in a day so it goes without saying that where there are whales there are herring, and where there are herring there are also salmon. Off the coast of Vancouver Island and British Columbia mature Chinook feed predominantly on bait fish  and returns of herring this year are predicted to be great, so  although the DFO hasn’t released any official outlook for 2017, we’re sure the salmon will come with them.

The 2017 season at Eagle Nook will open June 15th and we’ve still got a couple early and mid season dates left but they’re booking quickly and in most spots we’ve only got one boat open so get in touch with us soon if you want to have an unforgettable fishing trip on the West coast this summer!

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Derby winner – this 26lb Chinook was caught the first week of June 2016

Check out all the news about Eagle Nook Resort on our Blog

Canada’s West Coast Fishing News

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In west coast fishing news, the Department of Fisheries announced a coast wide halibut fishery opening effective as of February 1st after the International Pacific Halibut Commission meetings in January.

Initially it was  proposed that Canada’s halibut catch limits in 2017 be reduced around 25% from last year, however that outlook changed after reps from the West Coast Fishing Guide Association argued a strong case for how well the fishery in British Columbia is managed in comparison to other regions.

In British Columbia  catch is closely monitored and recorded, with size limits being strictly adhered to. It’s assumed that extremely  large halibut make up the breeding stock so in order to ensure the health and abundance of this stock, no fish over 133 centimetres (about 52 inches) can be retained in Canadian waters. A 133 centimetre halibut weighs between 65 and 70 pounds which is still a large fish by any standard, and the quality of the fillets are exponentially better than what would come from anything bigger.

The  regulations that we adhere to in British Columbia have resulted in an increase in both the size and numbers of halibut in Canadian waters over the last several years – a clear indication of a well-managed fishery and a guarantee of great fishing for years to come.

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The outlook for the Chinook and Coho fisheries in British Columbia for 2017 is similar to last year, with catch limits likely remaining the same. Daily limits are two of each species per license, with four of each in possession at the end of your trip, which translates to  a full box of fish to take home!

Fishing in Barkley Sound was great all round last  year and although the Department of Fisheries hasn’t released any official forecasts for the 2017 season yet we’re anticipating another great summer on the west coast!

Check out all the news about Eagle Nook Resort on our Blog

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An Unforgettable Fishing Adventure Awaits…

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Guests from Seattle and beyond can take full advantage of the strong US Dollar this summer with a Premium  Fishing  Package including round trip floatplane transfers right from Seattle with Kenmore Air. Let Eagle Nook Resort and Lucky Sportfishing create an unforgettable west coast getaway for you this summer.

Our exclusive package features…

  • return flights with Kenmore Air
  • ocean-view resort accommodations
  • all meals, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks
  • full access to resort amenities including kayaks, paddleboards, 17 miles of hiking trails, disc golf course, games room & hot tub
  • private, professionally  guided charters on one of our fully-equipped 27 ft boats
  • filleting, vacuum-packing and flash freezing of your catch done on site
  • airline approved travel coolers for your trip home

Prime summer dates are already booking quickly so let us know soon if you’d like to experience world class fishing and adventure while staying at one of the most beautiful resorts on the west coast, just steps beyond your own backyard.

Learn more about our all inclusive fishing packages here.

Contact us today at 1 (800) 760 2777  or info@eaglenook.com.

Wildlife Viewing in the Pacific Rim – Whales, Bears, Eagles and Salmon

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While all across the nation Canada is abound with natural beauty and wildlife, the rugged Pacific Rim is considered by many to be the ultimate destination. Every summer  thousands of visitors from around the world flock to the west coast of Vancouver Island to experience untouched coastline, close encounters with wildlife and world class fishing, and while most make it as far as the coastal  towns of Tofino and Ucluelet, some venture even further to more remote destinations  like Barkley Sound.

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Eagle Nook Resort

Home to Humpback and Gray whales, Orcas, bald eagles, black bears and coastal wolves just to name  a few, Barkley Sound is one of the best places in Canada to witness wildlife in their natural  element. It’s not uncommon to spot black bears scavenging along the shoreline at low tide, or have a Humpback whale surface alongside your boat while you’re out fishing – in fact for locals and summer residents it’s considered the norm.

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Barkley Sound is also where you’ll find the Broken Group Islands, a remote archipelago of islands that are world renowned for their kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. National Geographic has even listed kayaking in the Islands as one of their ‘Must Do Trips,’ calling the experience a “kayaker’s dream,” and one afternoon spent gliding through sheltered coves within an arm’s reach of colourful starfish, anemones and urchins  is a clear indication of why.

And all this is without mentioning  the world class salmon and halibut fishing that brings fishermen (and women) from across Canada, the United States and Europe to Barkley Sound every summer. From May until mid September, alarm clocks up and down the west coast are set bright and early for 5:00am to be out on the water for the morning bite. The thrill of landing your first Chinook salmon is second to none, and it’s what brings so many people back to the Sound year after year.

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Salmon fishing in Barkley Sound at Eagle Nook Resort

There’s no better way  to experience the west  coast of Vancouver Island than from the water, and there’s no better hosts  to experience it with than Eagle Nook Resort. Nestled deep in Barkley Sound within the shelter of Vernon Bay, Eagle Nook is where wilderness meets luxury, and it’s the ultimate place to make your home base while you spend your days exploring the rugged BC coast.

Offering fully customizable accommodation and activity packages, Eagle Nook has  something for everyone, whether that be  seeing wildlife up close and personal, experiencing the coast from the low profile of a kayak, landing a trophy salmon, or all three. With drive and fly in options available, it’s easier to get to than you’d think, and with all the comforts of home and more in one of the most  remote and beautiful locales on the west coast, you’ll be glad you made the trip.

Whether it’s an annual retreat or a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience  with Eagle Nook Resort in Barkley Sound.

 

Check out all the news about Eagle Nook Resort on our Blog
 

Mya Deryan and the Ancient Art of Fish Rubbing

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Eagle Nook Resort is one of few resorts on the west coast with an Artist-in-Residence, and probably the only one whose Artist specializes in fish rubbing, or Gyotaku as it’s traditionally called.

Mya Deryan has spent her last four summers at Eagle Nook creating custom artwork for guests and staff alike. Her unique art form  involves covering a  fish in specialized black ink, and carefully placing a  cloth or parchment over it to take a precise impression of her subject. The resulting impression is extremely detailed, showing every inch of the fish, down to the eyes, individual scales and even teeth.

While some guests prefer to leave their rubbings in black and white, Mya can also bring pieces to life with colour  and even create three  dimensional reliefs of rubbings. Part of what makes fish rubbing souvenirs so popular among our guests is that the fish is still perfectly edible once the impression is done. Not only do you go home with a one-of-a-kind piece of art, but  your fish can still be filleted, vacuum-packed and sent with you!

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The Legendary Tyee Salmon

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The Meaning of ‘Tyee’ as it Pertains to Fish

Let’s start with the answers to What is a Tyee fish? and What is the meaning of Tyee?

According to Wikipedia, it’s simply another of the many names for a Chinook salmon which include king salmon, spring salmon, Quinnat salmon in addition to Tyee salmon. But to west coast fishermen, it means a bit more than that.

The name Tyee carries a certain reverence about it; even if you’re not entirely sure what it means, you know it’s something significant. The word actually comes from the language of the Nuu-chah-nulth people, the original human inhabitants of coastal Vancouver Island. It means king, chief or champion. Makes sense.

When the term Tyee is applied to Chinook salmon then, it means a really big salmon. To fishermen on the west coast, Tyee refers to Chinook salmon weighing over 30 lbs. They’re considered a trophy fish and a pretty big deal to land.

Tyee are definitely the king of salmon so it makes sense to want to keep some sort of souvenir of your catch. Luckily for guests at Eagle Nook Resort, instead of just taking a couple photos, our artist-in-residence, Mya Deryan, can create a life-sized rubbing of their fish and it can still be filleted and taken home for dinner.

If you’ve fished on the West Coast of British Columbia chances are you’ve probably heard the term Tyee a couple of times, maybe you’ve even been lucky enough to catch one of these huge fish yourself. But really, it doesn’t matter what sized fish you catch, because time spent fishing is time spent well.

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