Kayak Fishin' Ketchikan

A Kayak Fisherman in Ketchikan

So, first, let me say that it's been a whirlwind of a few weeks.  My apologies for the delay in getting the updates in, but better late then never, eh?  I'm sure most of you will forgive me.

The Logistics

There was very little time between the guiding job opportunity opening up and the need to arrive in Ketchikan.  It was a new experience finding the time to get the logistics in place.  The list included: fix the truck, research travel documents, re-arrange my college classes, survey and supplement gear both camping and fishing – find someone to watch the house & mow the lawn – check the tires (replace the spare) – check the jack – forward mail – go through and select fishing gear – avoid buying more tackle – find containers for the pickup bed – secure the kayak – select wardrobe – etc, etc, etc.  Then, I had to go back through all the gear and remove all the “I don't really need this” stuff, which is harder that it may sound when the duration of the trip is 3 months.

Whew.  Got all that done in about a week, and had a day to spare. Time to hit the road!

The Drive

So, I've always been a fan of road trips, and this one will always have a special place for me.  It is the first time I've made this much of a drive north into British Columbia.  What they say about it is true.  It's a gorgeous drive, with a fabulous variety of environments along the way.  Super Natural British Columbia it is, indeed.

My trip began with a late start from Bellingham with your typical coastal hillside environment and stayed that way until the route led upland and east over the Cascade range and into the more arid semi-desert regions beyond the rain shield of the mountains.  In the first day's drive I experienced both types of terrain and complementary lifestyles.  All things marine gave way to horse culture and cowboy themes of the range lands.  In order to save time, I stayed in cheap motels along the way. The first of these, and the only one worth sharing, was the Sage Hills Motel in Cache Creek, B.C.  This is a small but exceptional motel in the small town of Cache Creek, given its cleanliness, simplicity, and  the generous hospitality of the owners.  I do enjoy a posh room like the rest of us, but most of the time I just want a clean simple place to sleep at a fair price.  This was exactly what I find at this stop.  Kudos to the Sage Hills Motel.

On the second day, I made the bulk of the drive, and pushed through from Cache Creek to Smithers.  It's all a blur, really.  I kick myself when I think about it because I should have stopped and taken more pictures along the way.  Most of the route on this day was through the foothills with little elevation change, but many different rivers and beautiful, low elevation passes.  It rained almost the entire day, and had been raining for several days, so the rivers were all blown out and rushing with runoff and  spring melt.  I had been tempted to look into some steelhead fishing, but with the river conditions and lack of time, I chose to push on through.  My second night was at an overpriced relatively new hotel in Smithers, the name of which has already slipped my mind.

The last day was a more casual drive, and led up into and through the most mountainous region of the drive.  It's an absolutely beautiful time of year to make this drive.  I was lucky enough to have the sun show itself on the last day of the journey, and was reminded of a trip into Switzerland that I made years ago.  I gazed upon steep walls and beautiful hillsides with pristine river valleys all along the way.  I longed to stop and camp for a few days. Maybe next time if there are no pressing time constraints.  Prince Rupert was the final stop on the driving tour, and I was a full day and a half ahead of schedule.  I checked in at the ferry terminal and made sure I had adequate travel documentation so that re-entry in the U.S. wasn't going to be troublesome. (Side note – I had to leave before securing a passport or the requisite certified documents and didn't know for sure if I would have troubles getting back into the states!) Every thing worked out beautifully.  Turned out I had brought enough in official documentation to be allowed back in, and the fact that I checked in a day early facilitated this process and took the stress out.  Whew.  I had enough time to walk around town, and I did find a really good tackle shop, though I yet again resisted the urge to get more stuff.  I didn't sleep as soundly on the last night, as I was forced to leave the truck full of gear parked in a “not so hot” part of town.  Fortunately my plywood and chain truck bed security system provided enough peace of mind to allow me to sleep.  It didn't hurt that my room was at ground level, I left a window cracked, and I slept with one eye open.

The Ferry & Arrival

The ferry ride itself was reminiscent of the water crossings common to Puget sound, with the exception of much more plush seating, a bar (hehehehe), and a nice presentation by a US Forest Service woman.  She gave a lecture that was a general overview of common species and attractions that Alaska provides.  Not bad, really.  It was entertaining and educational.  Oh, and she was kinda cute, too.

I arrived in Ketchikan a full day early, so I took some time to drive around and start familiarizing myself with the town.  It took about 15 minutes (including red lights) to drive from one end of town to the other.  I was impressed with how hilly the area is, and how much of the construction in the area is vertical.  Most houses here seem to have a small footprint and are stacked.  A big earthquake seems like it might decimate this city, but if that did happen I think that the high level of practical knowledge of the inhabitants would have it rebuilt in no time flat.  After my driving excursion, I gave Howard a call to let  him know I'd arrived.  He called me back a little while later, and gave me directions to find his place, so that I could unpack and rest.  He was out at his cabin and let me know he'd be in town later to meet.  I was impressed with the trust extended to me, and the fact that Ketchikan is a small and friendly enough community that most people don't feel the need to lock everything down when they aren't present.  It's taken a little getting used to, really, but I like it.  It's less stress when you don't have to fear your neighbor.

On the Water

The next morning, after a good night's sleep, Howard and I went out and did some training regarding the local toporgraphy, currents, tidal trends, the general area and the local fisheries.  He taught me the range of fishing opportunities that the clientele will have at their disposal, and the types of fishing that they'll likely be doing.  Just like most of the upper West coast, the fishing opportunities change as salmon move in.  The focus so far has been bottom fish, and some emphasis on kings is happening now, with other species moving in soon.  There has been a steep learning curve about how to handle people who are new to both kayaks and fishing, and how to make sure they have a safe, fun trip.  To be honest, I haven't done very much personal fishing yet, but have managed to squeeze in a little.  Check the AOTY for  some recent catches, though it's a pretty humble start.

Coming Attractions

I will try and keep the board up to date on my personal fishing adventures, and as the summer progresses we're planning on setting aside some time so that I can make some yakfishcamp trips (thanks for the phrase, Nanook).  Those trips should allow me enough time to document thoroughly and make some epic picture and fish heavy posts..... bear with me.  I will be responsible for holding down the fort while Howard hosts the two 5-day excursions scheduled for this August, so I won't be able to make those trips :`(  It looks to be a busy summer full of new friends and fishing opportunities, about which I'll do my best to share here.


Here's to Summer!

Brian “'Yak Monkey” Oakland

Thanks for the update Brian, looks pretty nice up there.

Epic chance of a lifetime! 

One for the memory book for sure!   

Do you like the streets that are Boardwalks?
Did you go to Dolly's?

I liked Ketchikan, but I think Sitka is my favourite town on the Alaskan Coast.

Sounds like you have a nice job lined up!

Excellent post Brian.  Thank you for thinking of us lower 48'ers.

Brian,

   That drive through BC is awesome...  I took it 5 years ago, camping all the way up to Prince Rupert.  You bypassed some awesome Kamloops Trout fisheries....

   I will be up there the 14th of August, hoboing around Ketchikan and the surrounding areas for a week, then the first of the two Foggy Bay trips.

  Look forward to meeting you and hopefully fishing with you while up there.

Sweet dude.....soooooo jealous. How does the lodging work for you? are you motel bound or??
Looks frickin spectacular and I wish I was there right now.

J

Most nights have been spent on a bench or under a table at one of the local bars.  Enough Makers's Mark and the gumwads under the table really can resemble constellations...  Mornings are usually stale coffee and just after I peel my other eye open I'm fed crackers by the local seahags....  I guess this must be what they mean by "paying your dues."  I sure hope the fish appreciate all the work I'm putting into fitting in around here.

Hey Brian,    Glenn from Birch Bay Village Here..... Most fabulous adventure....
How much are the seahags and how big are their singlewides?....
Good luck up there... You can fish at night too..
"Nobody told you there'd be days like these"  J. Lennon

How much are the seahags and how big are their singlewides?....

Eh, you mean their backsides or their trailers?

Good luck up there... You can fish at night too..

They have night up here?

I went out fishin' in grey light chasing kings a little while ago.  I went to bed early, like 7:30ish, and got up around midnight.  I went downtown and closed the bar, safely drinking coffee, while watching the seahags (thinking they were sirens) stalk and take down some very drunk, unlucky and unwary fellas that are likely to wake up broke, flabbergasted and crossing their fingers that the blackout would kick in to wipe the shocking morning revelation from the mind.  After the grand stumbly-goodness theatrics, I hit the marina and was on the water by 2am.  The sun started lighting the horizon as I was heading out.  No kings, but was able to avoid the uber-plentiful rockies.  It hasn't been a banner year for kings for anybody.  We've had one customer hook up on a king, had a 14lb hali come in yesterday, and some pinks and silvers have been pulled off of the regular charters in the last few days.  It's gonna light up shortly!