The end of the 2014 sockeye run

Shaun - September 5, 2014

I’ve fished just about non-stop for the past month in the Johnstone Straight.  It’s been good — not as good as 2010, partly because the fish are coming in deeper than they did in 2010 — but I’ve had a good run of it.

The fish last night got a bit smaller overall and more of them have bite marks and scars so it looks like the big sockeye run could be winding down.  Its a lot like herds of animals migrating, at the tail end of the millions of fish come the weaker ones.

Fishing last night was still pretty good but the tides were crazy.  I caught just over 450 sockeye in addition to the 300 from the night before.  At one point, my entire 200 fathom net swung a 180 degree arc and then coiled like a snake. It took me a couple of hours to untangle it but I managed to stay clear of other guys gear as they were fighting with their own nets.  After midnight the wind had really picked up and the hydraulics were acting up as I picked the net into the wind.  I was barely able to get the net on board so I took that as a sign that I was done for the opening.  At 3 am I got myself anchored for a few hours of sleep before the run to Seymour Narrow and Campbell River in the morning.

On my way down I heard a commotion on the vhf (radio) and saw smoke coming out of Plumper Bay, right by the narrows.  The gillnetter Harvest Girl had an engine room fire which was spreading to engulf the whole cabin. Some closer boats got the two guys off of the boat and a couple guys put hoses on it but it was too late.  I watched from a good distance until a coast guard boat arrived.

Awful to lose a boat at the end of two long days and nights of fishing and the end of a long season.

Oddly it is almost exactly 26 years to the day that I had an engine room fire on Dad’s old boat Tesuji, in exactly the same place. It was one of my first fishing trips alone and I was lucky to get it under control before the cabin went up.  I still feel bad about the mess I left for dad that week, but my carpentry skills just weren’t up to the repair.

On my way down from Campbell  River to Nanaimo today to get these fish into the cannery and then home late tonight.

Shaun - September 5, 2014


Back to blog

The end of the 2014 sockeye run

Shaun - September 5, 2014

Pledge your support and become a member to enjoy the freshest fish in BC!

Sign up now