Nootka Sound: I need some advice

Allen,

Check this one out:
  http://www.kayaktripsnorthwest.com/HTM-Directory/Nootka.html 
Almost as much as John Day river, this is what I really, REALLY want to do this summer.  Once I get even just ONE other kayaker to commit to go with me I'll post it on your site first (over in "hookups"), then Norcal and KFS too.  I figure maybe $100 total per car for fuel, $120 total per car for the ferry to Nanaimo and back, $25 for a 3 day fishing permit, and about $100 per kayaker for the freighter to tote us around Nootka sound.  The whole trip could be less than $250 per fisherman!

But I'm hoping to get some advice from yourself (or anybody else with the lowdown) before I go flying down that road.  Number one: do you happen to have any particular weeks that work best for you this summer?  I don't know anything about the fishing in that exact spot and so you'd be the number one guy that I'd hope to talk into a trip over there.  It takes a FULL day to get yourself from Seattle area to Gold River, so I'd be planning on leaving here on a Friday morning, sail on Sat. morning, stay over Tues. night and then make sure to be in Friendly Cove by noon or whenever the MVUchuck gets into port over there so we can get back to Gold River by Wed. night.  Then it's another full day back again of course.

Okay, number two:  so when would be a good week to try to intersept some salmon going up the sound?  If they piled up in Moucha Bay by Labor Day weekend last year (and they had been there for a full week waiting for rain to go up the river) wouldn't it be about right to expect them to be passing through the mouth of the sound about 3 weeks before that?  This is going to be a "pink" year, is that a better bet?  I love the taste of silvers, when might we find them out there?  I'd be pretty sure that we have just about as good a chance of catching a couple of halibuts too, just like if you were guiding your own trip  somewhere near Ketchikan.

Like I said, if I can get just ONE other kayakangler to commit to this one with me, I'm goin'.  In case this makes the difference to someone, I've got a wild-arse plan working (until somebody talks me out of it somehow) to "barge" in a couple of chests of block ice in an attempt to bring home some fish meat.  My goofy plan right now is to tow my F-n-D behind my P-15 with the ice on board going to camp, and then ice and fish on board going home.  The freighter will drop us off about 2 miles from camp on Sat., and then we'll have to cover about 3 miles from camp to Friendly Cove on Wed. morning.  I've never heard of anybody doing something like this, towing an ice barge I mean, but I don't know why it couldn't be done if the weather cooperates.

Fishin-T

hmmm
T when you say frieghter what do you mean, cuz in my head I see a huge ship with cargo containers on it.
how many days total would you be looking at. Start to finish.
I know this is not really a problem yet but don't forget your passport, they have already required them for airtravel to canada, and they will require them, they say next year, for ferry and and land travel.
Sounds like fun. How much of a paddle would that be. would you set up a base camp and work from there, or set up small camps along the way.
Matt

Hey Matt,

Follow the link in the post above and it shows you a picture of a kayaker and his kayak getting lowered over the side.  To see the boat itself and what that's all about, you could go to www.mvuchuck.com  It mostly carries freight (up to 100 tons of cargo they say) up and down that remote stretch of the Vancouver Is. coast, but they can also take as many as 100 passengers they say.

How many days for this trip?  The Uchuck makes two trips to Friendly Cove (right about 4.5 miles W. by N.W. from Bligh Island) each week.  We could either ride out there with them on Sat. morning and ride back Wed. night, or we could ride out on Wed. morning and back on Sat. night.  And then you have to factor in the FULL day to get from Wa. to Gold River where you launch and another to get back home.  If we went out on a Wed., you get to fish all of Thu. and all of Fri.  If we go out on Sat., then we get to fish all of Sun., Mon., and Tues.

To boil that down, my favorite version would be to leave Seattle area on a Fri. morning, sail out of Gold River Sat. morning, sail back from Friendly Cove (so that the Uchuck knows right where to find you) on Wed. morning and get back to Seattle area probably early Thur. afternoon, maybe 5 or 6 pm.  They want $35 each way for the boat ride and $15 more each way to tote your kayak.

My biggest concern for now is how to bring home some fish meat.  It might just not be feasible at all, but this is why I'm wrestling with the idea of towing a second kayak just to haul in some blocks of ice.  Hey, I'm in just for the adventure of it all, but I figure that if I can find a way to bring some of the fish flesh home then maybe some people will be more interested.  And that brings me to another question... how many days can a person keep a usable amount of block ice in a Walmart style Igloo ice chest?  You got any experience there Matt?

Fishin-T

Matt,

Oh, yeah.  Base camp or travel?  I'd want to set up a base camp probably at one of the campsites shown on this marked up map of Bligh Island.  http://www.kayaktripsnorthwest.com/ImagesDirectory/NootkaMap.pdf  Either site 1 on the S.W. corner of Bligh Is. or site 2 on Vernaci Is.  By not moving camp, we can focus on fishing and kayaking day trips.  Those two camps are the closest ones to Friendly Cove, which would be our pick-up point on exit day.

The first days paddle to camp would be from 2 to 3 miles, not counting fishing.  The last day would be 3 to 4.5 miles.  All the other days are started and finished at the base camp.  The fresh water access is 1 to 2 miles from camp, depending on which camp we'd use.

Fishin-T

Where is the ferry crossing from the U.S. in to Canada that would be used. Can you cross from Port Angeles. I think that would be a great trip. I am not commiting to anything yet until after our move and get settled sith the kids.

So are you thinking SOT's or touring kayaks like in the picture. Would be a good way to test my new X-Factors, (thanks Allen) again I commit to nothing until the wife says ok. Just something to dream about. But if I said I would, would you consider a trip to San Pedro Isl Belize . (talking like someone with money now).
til later
Matt

Hey Matt,

Shoot, no sweat about committing to anything this early on.  I think I pretty much understand your situation.  Yeah, I think it will shape up to be a classic once we get a target species and a span of dates to focus on.  I've got this strong feeling that it could be a chance to fish like you've gone to Alaska, except with about a $1000 discount.  As I've said, the hardest obstacle (I think) is the ice situation.  Second hardest is keeping a supply of fresh water at camp.

Sure, if you are living in P.A. at the time, you would want to catch the Coho to Victoria, then drive north to Campbell River, then West to Gold River.  Good chance you could share a ride with Snag-a-but once you got to Victoria.  Myself, I'll probably go north from here and get the ferry from Tswassen (just south of Vancouver) to Duke Point (just south of Nanaimo, 50 - 70 miles north of Victoria).  I guess I'd be almost as likely to swing through P.A. instead depending on the ferry schedules and who else is going and all that.

Fishin-T

Sorry for the late reply fella's. Been away for a while and I won't bore you with the details 

Have a friend that kayaked Nootka sound 4 years ago and camped Bligh Island. He's an adventurist like ourselves and might be heading to the Moutcha bay derby with AAAAAHL of us this year.

He just popped bye the other day to drop off some maps and a book "Nootka Sound and the surrounding waters of Maquinna" by Heather Harbord.

He loved Nootka and recommends it but kinda wishes that we do the "Broken Group Islands" only because he's done Nootka and hasn't been to the BGI's yet. Unfortunately fishing is off limits in the BGI's.

There's lots of history and adventure in that Nootka area and I haven't been there yet so I'M ALL IN and of course, anyone that might be heading that way via Port Angeles can co-ordinate with me if they like, no problem at all.

Tom...I love the idea of tuggin along a barge full of ice for all that fish we catch. My Scotch is gonna love it too. That may be what it takes to bring back that FISHMEAT.

After reading this post I thought about smoking the catch but I think it takes too long (not sure) not to mention the possible Blackbear issue. Some people I know gut the fish and fill them with "sea ice" but then put them in a cooler full of ice anyway, so it still means tuggin along a lot of weight regardless. Hopefully we can pack enough between us without having to tow another yak behind us. Whatever it takes to preserve that fishmeat. Done !

Just to toss another option into the mix...Last year a fella in Tofino ferried 4 of us yakers to a fishing hole but it was too rough to deal with(we didn't even launch)and since then I met a fella/friend from Tofino  that guides people to remote camping/fishing spots around the islands in the area... He guarantees success said that he saw "Lingzilla" once...Let me investigate that one.

Anyway fella's, glad to be back in the PNW.

Cheers,

 

Fishin-T,

   Allen pointed me to your site..  I have been trying to do something like this from the Ketchikan area, but was unable to get anyone to commit.  From Florida, my total costs would have been less than $1600.00 (Flight, kayak rental with fishfinders ($50.00 a day), remote cabins ($45.00 a night and 30 mile shuttle to and from the cabins ($2200.00 R/T.) for a party of 6, with the possibility of having a party of 12 (Another cabin just 1/2 mile away) dropping the cost to $1100.00 per person.

   I went to Prince Rupert last year, and fished.  Nice fishing, but the drive was killer, as was Border crossing.

   I am trying to do something this year, and your option sounds plausible.  Though I would need a kayak...Not going to ship mine from here.

   As for keeping the fish fresh, I have looked into wrapping the fish in Saran Wrap, and placing that in freezer bags, then placing in coolers with Dry Ice.  The stuff lasts DAYS when wrapped in newspaper, and freezes the fish solid.

   I am DEFINATELY interested in such a trip, though I would prefer Ketchikan area. 

YotF