Top 3 Fishing Moments of 2014

The birth of my son––coupled with the arrival of autumn––signals the end of my fishing season for 2014. Sure, I may yet sneak onto the river for a half day here or there to catch a few walleyes for dinner or chase muskies, but by and large my season is over.

Hanging up my fishing pole for the year always makes me nostalgic, and I enjoy looking back at the past season and reflecting on my best moments on the water. This past year, I caught my first of several notable species, including bonefish and king salmon. I also had a single day in which I hooked seven muskies, ranging from 30 to 46 inches. It wasn't just about me, either; I took my cousin fishing and helped him catch a 51-inch sturgeon––a fish three times bigger than anything he'd previously caught.

During my fishing pursuits, I also got to witness wildlife and wild beauty in some of the most pristine places in North America. Through it all, three moments in incredible settings stand out as the best fishing experiences of my year.

Here are my top three fishing adventures from 2014, each one incredibly unique in its own right:

1. Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort
British Columbia

Our helicopter mirrors the waterfall, descending down 300 feet parallel to the raging waters. At the base of the falls, we hover above the turbulent pool of blue and white. We are above the clouds, in a separate world of 10,000-year-old glaciers and pristine streams that salmon fill and grizzly bears hunt. In this other-world we have hiked and climbed and fished, but at the moment we simply hover. I feel weightless.

...

After a sun-filled Day 1 of ocean kayaking, paddle boarding, bear-watching and hiking through old-growth forests, Day 2 finds us embarking on Nimmo Bay's signature experience: a dreamlike day of heli-fishing and heli-hiking in the high mountains.

You could say that heli-fishing put Nimmo Bay on the map, and that Nimmo Bay put heli-fishing in the dictionary. The concept is this: You board a helicopter and fly high above the clouds, into the mountains to fish untouched streams that otherwise can't be reached. The Murray family has access to over 50,000 acres of breathtaking beauty, including 10,000-year-old glaciers, 5,000-foot waterfalls and 50 rivers and streams.

In all reality, even if you didn't catch a single fish the trip would still qualify as one of the most incredible fishing experiences of your life. That said, daily catches during peak season routinely top 100 fish per person.

Click here to read the full story about my adventure at Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort.

www.nimmobayresort.com
1.800.837.4354
heli@nimmobay.com

I set the hook as hard as I could and seemingly ripped into a small car driving downhill in the opposite direction. "Wow," I muttered, while holding on for dear life. "This thing is strong." Little did I know it would take more than eight minutes before we'd even catch a glimpse of what we were up against: a monstrous bat ray, with a wingspan around 5-feet.

I've caught 30-pound muskies, 40-pound catfish and sturgeon over 5-feet long, but I must say that ray has an unfair advantage when it comes to fighting––the shape of its body gives it incredible leverage in the water. The sunny San Diego skyline watched silently as my guide, Capt. James Nelson, and I battled the fish. It went on long runs, effortlessly stripping out chunks of 30-pound braided line, before burying itself in the mud. We had to chase after it several times as it stripped the line down almost to the backing.

In total it took 33 minutes to land the beast, and during that time I was sorely reminded how badly I need to start lifting weights. I barely had any time to recover before hooking another ray, this one much smaller, and a sting ray as opposed to a bat ray.

A little later, as we neared the end of our morning together, I caught a beautiful leopard shark–– another coveted species for which the area is known. The diversity of the fishery, in the shadow of downtown San Diego, is amazing. Earlier in the day we caught a bonefish––my first time ever seeing the elusive Grey Ghost in person––as well as countless spotted bass.

Potential catches with Nelson also include halibut, corvina, croaker, yellowtail, dorado and mako sharks, depending on the season.

www.fishingguidesandiego.com
619.395.0799
james@thefishicon.com

3. Bon Chovy Fishing Charters
Vancouver

My arm is throbbing, but I can't quit reeling. A few minutes ago my guide Jason Assonitis and I landed a double––a pair of king salmon each topping the 10-pound mark––and now I'm battling another king that may be twice that size. Mercifully, the fish quits running at the boat and instead turns 90 degrees to the right and dives deep, giving me a temporary reprieve from winding as it peels out line.

"That's a nice fish," Assonitis says knowingly. He's seen more than his fair share in his 30-odd years, the majority of which have been spent guiding. The past 9 years guiding have been the most meaningful, for it was almost a decade ago that he and friend Jeff Copeland decided they had spent enough time fishing for others and would start their own operation called Bon Chovy Fishing Charters. The gamble has paid off as their reputation as one of the elite fishing charters in British Columbia has grown––a fact exemplified by the 20-pound salmon I finally manage to coax into the net.

We're an hour boat ride from Vancouver, fishing around the famed Gulf Islands, and we're being richly rewarded for making the run across choppy water through the Strait of Georgia. The bite is on, and we're catching both quantity and quality. Because of the fast action we're only running two lines, one for each of us. Good thing! If we had more lines out my arm would really be dead.

Click here to read the full story about my adventure with Bon Chovy Fishing Charters.

www.bonchovy.com
604.763.5460
info@bonchovy.com