Discovery Bay and Caviar
August 19th (Monday)
We pulled up anchor and headed out around 08:30. If you remember last time we were in Shearwater and we pulled up our anchor we also pulled up a waterlogged tree, well this time was not nearly as bad, but we did pull up a tangled mess of garbage, a ball of fishing line and a plastic bag.
Pulling up anchor at Shearwater.
We motored the 10 nautical miles past Dryad Point and up Troup Passage to Discovery Bay on Cunningham Island. As we were coming up Troup Passage we saw a very large splash in the distance followed by a couple of blows, and then nothing.
Passing Bella Bella
Approaching the lighthouse on Dryad Point.
Approaching Discovery Bay
Inside Discovery Bay we drove around through the different bays checking the depth and looking at the way the land came down from the high mountains. There was a gale forecasted for the next day of South East winds up to 40 knots, and then switching to North West 35 knots. We were hoping to find a protected spot from both wind directions, and so we ended up picking a spot in the inner basin, and set the hook in thick mud.
My parents headed out exploring the shoreline in the kayaks, and Jason and I headed out in Kiki to set our two crab traps and try some fishing. While trolling we saw more large splashes in the distance followed by whale blows and then the same as earlier, they were gone.
We tried trolling and jigging in a couple of different spots and ended up keeping one good-sized female Kelp Greenling and one small Coho Salmon. It was a smaller salmon than we would normally have kept, but the poor guy got a little messed up by the hook so we couldn’t let it go. We kept it whole and descaled it, so we will cook it whole rather than filleting it. When we are trolling from time to time we catch Rockfish, these are always the types of Rockfish that we know sometimes travel in schools. Today we did catch a couple of these Rockfish, but we also caught a small Lingcod while trolling. Very curious!
On our way home we stopped to clean the fish, and found a beautiful area of ripe and juicy Salal berries. We will have to go and pick some another day. We stopped at one of our crab traps and pulled it up to put in the kelp greenling carcass, and it was empty. That doesn’t bode well for us here.
The forecasted gale force winds were supposed to increase through the day and evening, but so far it has remained quite calm. In the later evening Jason and I went out in the pouring rain to check our traps, and finding them both empty, we took them outside the bay and put them down in much deeper water. Using our prawn trap lines we put one in 250’ and the other in about 300’ so we shall see.
When it pours, it pours.
August 20th (Tuesday)
In the morning my parents and I went out to check our traps, and we were disappointed to find no crabs. In the first trap, our round one that we had put the carcass in, the carcass was still fully intact. Nothing had been in to eat it. Wow! In our second, and slightly deeper trap, we at least got a surprise of two flat fish. They were small so we let them go, but they were left-eye flounders called Pacific Sanddab.
Releasing the Pacific Sanddab.
When we got back home, Jason had made us a wonderful brunch of a delicious egg and ham Frittata!
After brunch J and I went out kayaking hoping to find some sea cucumbers, as I would very much like to be able to feed my parents the delicacy of sea cucumbers at some point during their visit. Unfortunately we did not find any today, but we did hike up along a beautiful stream, through groves of huckleberry bushes and gorgeous old growth trees, to a lovely lake with a small sandy beach at the end that we had come out at.
Water spider on the lake.
While kayaking through the shallow water around where the stream from the lake came out we saw a seal. It popped its head out to look at us and then submersed again as they usually do. This time, however we got to see it swimming under water. We were only in about four feet of water and the seal swam by beneath the surface looking up at us about ten feet away, it swam back and forth a couple of times and then headed out of the shallows. It was very neat to get to see it so clearly swimming along through the water looking up at us.
In the morning the weather forecast had changed to winds of 45 knots, and by the evening they were saying up to 50 knots from the South East for the night. So far (17:30) it has been mostly calm in our anchorage, although periodically we get some very large gusts that come down and swirl around. It has been interesting to see how the wind is reacting to the high mountains around us, and so far we are very happy with our anchorage, although the strongest of the winds have yet to arrive. This is our first time at anchor with the forecast of 50 knots.
August 21st (Wednesday)
It was a very windy night last night! Although we had absolutely no issues at anchor neither Jason nor I slept that well. Sleeping up in the v-berth we hear all of the noises of the boat, including that of our anchor chain and snubber. We like this, as we would be more likely to hear if there were any issues, but it also can just keep us awake in a storm. In retrospect we are wondering if by being anchored so close to two high mountain peaks we actually got stronger winds than we would have had if we had anchored in a different area of the anchorage. Of course, in a storm, in particular at night, it is hard to compare other areas of the anchorage, but it seemed as though we may have been getting the brunt of the wind. It appeared that the two high mountains were actually funnelling the wind and accelerating it downward, as we could see it hit the water not far in front of our boat and rocket towards us. For the most part the wind remained gusty and not consistent, and at times everything would calm right off and become very still before the next gust came thundering down upon us. There was one gust in particular during the night that made it sound as though it may rip our enclosure right off the deck. It shook the mast and the boat and whipped over us with incredible force.
In the morning the strong gusty periods had become less frequent and the calm times more consistent.
As the winds calmed down even more we all headed out in Kiki to the stream area that Jason and I had explored the day before. We spent a while picking huckleberries, and with four people picking we were able to get quite a lot.
To pick or eat the huckleberries?
With keeping a bunch out for baking and breakfasts we were able to freeze three packets, and later in the day I made huckleberry muffins, which were delicious!
My parents and I hiked up to the lake that Jason and I had hiked to yesterday, as they were curious to see it. Jason remained near the shore to keep an eye on our tender since the tide was coming in. It was neat to see the lake again after all of the heavy rain that we had gotten over night. It was amazing how much the water level had risen.
Back down at the ocean Jason told us about the school of salmon he had been seeing cruising up and down by the stream, and jumping. So J and I hopped in the tender and went home to grab our casting fishing rods. We tried casting from the tender and from shore, and I even watched as they swam by and I reeled my lure right through their school, and they completely ignored it. Apparently they were not hungry, we are speculating that since they have reached fresh water that they have also stopped feeding.
Back at home we made fresh tortillas and used them as pizza crusts, making up our own fresh pizzas with sliced dried pepperoni, fried mushrooms, Jason’s specially made pizza sauce, onions, olives, spinach, and cheese. They were delicious!
August 22nd (Thursday)
This morning we woke up to blue sky and fog. We pulled up our firmly set anchor and headed out of Discovery Bay around 07:45 just as the fog was clearing around the mountains.
Coming out into Troup Passage we came into a thick fog bank that cleared near Dryad Point. We motored over glassy calm waters through Lama Passage where my parents saw a black bear on shore, and crossing Fisher Channel we saw a humpback whale blow in the distance. This time in Codville Lagoon we anchored in the main bay, as there were South East winds of up to 40 knots forecasted for the night.
Entering Codville Lagoon
When we arrived it was still glassy calm and sunny, so I took my parents out to do some salmon fishing. Unfortunately, although four people is totally okay in our tender when we are going somewhere, for fishing, there is not really room, so Jason had to stay home. When we got out to our salmon fishing area we were just starting to set up our gear when an aluminium powerboat pulled up. It was the “Coastal Guardian Watchmen”, a first nations organization that does different activities on the Central and Northern Coast of BC. They talked to us and checked our fishing licenses and hooks, and then wished us luck and continued on their way. This was the first time that Jason and I have ever been checked for our licenses.
Once I got the fishing gear, hoochie, flasher, and diver set up on both of the rods we started trolling. Dad let out his line first as he had the deeper diver, and then once he was trolling my Mom let out hers with the shallower set up. We had not even been trolling for two minutes when my dad got a bite. I told my mom to reel in so that the lines could not get tangled, and as she was bringing hers up she got a bite as well.
As my Dad’s fish came up to the surface I saw another salmon follow the flasher up and then scoot off to the side when it saw the boat. We must have entered a school. After netting my Dad’s fish and getting it into the boat, killed and out of the net, we got my Mom’s into the boat as well. Both of them were good-sized fish, about 28”.
Then we started trolling again, and once again my dad had a bite almost right away. Luckily my Mom did not get one this time when reeling in, as we did not want a fourth fish. The third one was just as long and somewhat fatter than the other two. I would say we spent less time fishing than we did setting up our lines.
My parents with their salmon.
We headed in and went to the same beach area that J and I had used last time we were here for cleaning fish. After gutting and filleting the fish, we bagged up the fish into freezer bags. We ended up putting eight meals (for two people worth) into the freezer and had enough left out for two dinners for four people.
Preparing the meat for the freezer.
Two of the fish that we had caught were females and had lots of roe, which we kept. At home Jason took the time to separate all of the eggs and soak it in a salty brine to make caviar.
Salmon egg caviar.
What fun! Storms and fish and caviar! What more could you want.
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