On the water, on the shore, on the pier. It is always nice to be outside fishing.
I remember fishing with my parents as a kid. We’d roll up to Jericho beach with some prawns and toss a line off the pier. Even if the fish weren’t something you would eat, the thrill of catch and release was enough for me. Now that I am older, I can handle larger fishing rods and thus larger fish. Salmon, lingcod, and rock cod are my current favourites to catch!
It is important to note that fishing often can be detrimental to the environment. For example, many posts in this website mention the horrors of over-fishing. However, if done artisanally or in small scale, it can be done successfully to ensure stability for generations to come.
With that said, check out some of my most current fishing escapades in reverse chronological order! You can also tell that my hairstyle changes every time you see me…
This was taken in August 2021! This 14 lbs coho is atypically large! (usually range from 8-10 lbs) 
Here we see a slightly bloody fish, when catching this pink salmon, our hook was in its eye. So we kept him in the boat because he wouldn’t survive the release! 
I was super excited I beat my PB with a 22lbs Chinook! 
This was in September 2020! We did some autumn fishing around Vancouver! 
This was in August 2020, all the way in Moutcha Bay, my friends and I were heading out with our own gear to try our luck! 
Here we are setting the lines, too bad the weather turned for the worst. Imagine four guys in a boat with little clue and learning on the spot! 
I managed to catch a big lingcod! That surely was a tasty one! 
Heres another one I managed to bring up! 
This little guy was a little small, but that didn’t stop me from taking a picture with it! 
The spoils of our adventure! 
This was in August 2019, at Shearwater Resort, it was just me and my friend on a small boat. So when I pulled up this big guy we were screaming and hollering! 
Crazy thing is that I managed to land this coho when the hook wasn’t even in its mouth! Somehow the fish got tangled in a web of fishing line and I didn’t manage to lose it! 
During the slow part of the day we scooped up a jellyfish. Does this make you jelly? 
What an unlucky little guy, we let him swim off after he was caught in such a weird way. 
This was in August 2018, at River’s Inlet, here my parents, the guide, and myself post with my mom’s mega catch! 45lbs what a crazy salmon! 
Take a look at this size difference, it really makes you think!
Fish for the Future: Fishery Sustainably
What also needs to be said is that salmon stocks in BC are on the decline. We might say “why are you still fishing if theres a problem”. And indeed that is a warranted response. But, recreational fishing isn’t the root of the problem. Recreational fishing, ceremonial fishing, and artesian fisheries are inconsequential in BC when we compare it to huge mega industrial fishing fleets. On top of that, there is research into the effects of salmon farms and how they decimate local wildlife. But this still ties into fishing responsibly.
As recreational fishers we need to be mindful of our impacts. We need to celebrate and cherish each fish we catch. We need to make sure that we don’t waste a life. For example, if a salmon isn’t able to recover after being caught, we keep those fish in the boat. Furthermore, I recently came from Duncanby lodge in River’s Inlet. This lodge believes in the release of Tyee salmon. These huge salmon (above 30lbs) are genetically distinct and create exponentially more eggs than their smaller siblings. Therefore, we should do our best to release these big “mothers” back.
Almost all salmon rivers on our coast used to get these large Tyee salmon. However overfishing large individuals, among other things, has wiped out these genetic anomalies. But, there is hope. At River’s Inlet, the Percy Walkus hatchery released salmon fry hatched from these Tyee salmon. And in recent years, has been the only river system that has an average salmon size which is increasing.
So what I am trying to say is we need to be mindful and yes still fish for fun. But, remember that we have a responsibility for the future.