day 35??

Haida Gwaii day 35?
Well I am exhausted today..it was change over and the same routine, make an ass load of eggs bennies and poached eggs on potato hash. It was a rough day. I had everything
but I was just feeling dead on my feet. I slept maybe 4 hours last night. Why? Well during my shift my co-worker asked if I wanted to go fishing that day. I of course
said yes, people pay $5000 for 3 night trips to fish here, even though I was feeling tired and had lots to do. To make sure I could go I had to kick it into overdrive and bang out my prep. I then find out we would be fishing on a Grady White boat with a guide...ok so a grady white is top of the line boat, you could say its a luxury boat up here. A Grady is 24 feet long with nice comfy seats, big engine and a cover to keep you dry..also satellite radio...staff do not get to use these boats for fishing ever. So why did we? Well the owner paul was going to take the clients who were on the Grady out on his boat for the afternoon..so we were given a ride out to our tug boat the driftwood to swap boats. The driftwood has 7 guest rooms on board and is anchored in a cove on the fishing grounds. Paul took us out on his private boat which is all pimped out, has a cappucino machine, wine cooler and other crazy things in the cabin...it's like a rocket too, has two 300hp engines on the back. To compare the staff boat has a 70hp engine, the next size up is 90hp. the grady's have a single 275hp engine.
So it was an opportunity to go fish in a boat with a guide and in a boat that we'd never be allowed to step into again. The boat is wide and stable so rough water doesnt feel as rough. The dock master had one restriction for the guides to take us out, we had to go halibut fishing for the lodge. I have learned that halibut fishing is boring...you sit and jig (lifting the rod up and down) until a fish bites and pulls. We did catch 3 halibut though, small guys but still good. they don't really fight either, they just come up as dead weight.
After that we drove out way easy to a kelp bed..our guide, Raiden, fishing out a large piece of bull kelp and cut off the top and bottom. He said this was for the kelp bong. Guides usually have beer that guests leave behind and have stashes in their rooms because of it. So who was first? well me lol. He insisted stating it was my birthday only a few days ago...it was not gross..nothing nasty inside the kelp as its basically a sealed tube until it was sliced open. they took photos but none on my camera..I will find a way to get those photos to show. only had 3 beers so 3 of us did the kelp bong.
Took us out to a spot where he said was great for tips...he pulled a small rockfish out of the fish box and held it on the side of the boat and waved it in the air. next thing you see are two bald eagles flying towards the boat. Apparently these 2 same eagles sit in this tree everyday and are fed by fishermen. As the eagel comes by he tosses the fish into the air and the eagel grabs it with its talons. Pretty crazy to see.
We were not having any luck around this area and headed further east. New spot and only one other boat...we drop our lines and bang right away Im reeling in a coho...almost as soon as that one is in the other rod goes off and we have another coho on. As I have my bait twirling on the surface of the water as Im trying to hook it into the downrigger, a downrigger is a machine with its own cable and a lead cannonball weight that pulls your fishing line down deep and keeps it straight, I can see coho swimming after my bait snapping at it..unable to hook them though.
I finally get my bait down and not long after the rod gets pulled hard into the water. We tell my co-worker it's her turn, she has a big fish on...turns out to be a 22 pound chinook salmon. About 10 minutes after she lands hers I get my turn and pull in a 15 pound chinook. Was alot of fun..we decide to stay out until our other coworker catches a fish...another 30 minutes and he catches another decent sized chinook.
I did not puke...my co-worker did though at the very beginning lol. I took gravol and was drowsy lol but not sick. Wish I could ride in a boat like that always.
I remember my grandpa owned a similar style of boat when I was very young...but it eventually broke down and always getting it fixed was too expensive..we rented from
then on.
So Im going to try and post some pictures...yawning as I write this...going to skip dinner tonight and hit the bed early
g'night everyone