here fishy fishy

Visit the north coast and you will learn this:  People around here live to fish.  They fish for their livelihood, they fish for fun.  They wake up at the crack of dawn, fight swell, walk streams with fresh bear tracks, stand in the rain, and spend hours just waiting and hoping all in order to fish.

Before moving here my fishing pinnacle was in first year university when I won a rod and tackle box in the Annual UNBC Outdoor Club ice fishing derby.  Don't be impressed.  I used a stick I found in the bush, borrowed a weight, hook, and some bait from a friend, dropped my line and wandered off to drink beer (because let's be honest, that is what ice fishing is actually about).  The whole catching the second largest fish part was done with zero skill, effort or intention.

Full disclosure: I use that tackle box to store beads to this day.

It's not that I don't like fishing, I just never really sought out the opportunity to do it, even when living in fish-centric places like the north island.  But here it seems different.  It seems ingrained in people.  It's what people talk about.  Canning salmon is a social event. Heck, I even experienced my first fish road-blocks this year.  Twice.  And yes, it's exactly what is sounds like,  a police (actually Fisheries Officer) check point along the highway where instead of checking if you're drunk, they are looking at the legality of what you've caught.

Ty had a couple days out in Chatham Sound this summer so our freezer, while by no means 'full' compared to many people here, has a small stockpile that I am more than thrilled with.  We also got out onto some of the smaller rivers that feed into the Skeena to fish this fall as well. There is something almost meditative about quietly casting and reeling your line in and out as the river rushes by. Cast. Reel. Cast. Reel.Then that meditative moment is shattered by the burst of adrenaline when you have a fish on. I am slowly trying to learn not to shriek like a high-pitched banshee every time this happens (likely this will take me years to actually master, I am nothing if not excitable).

While I am still most definitely a fishing novice, a few weeks ago, I  found myself discussing rivers and runs at a party over beer.  The north coast may just make a fisherwoman out of me yet.

of dilated pupils and 125 year old boardwalks

So here is a little, crucial life tid-bit that NOBODY told me:  When you go to get your eyes checked they put some crazy drops in them and dialated your pupils to the size of pennies which means you CAN'T. SEE. ANYTHING.

Ok, ok, that is being a bit dramatic, but seriously, if you get this done, your life will be blurry for a good 2-3 hours.  You will pretty much be useless.  This is a vital piece of information that perhaps the bloody optometrist should TELL YOU when you make an appointment to get your eyes checked.  Especially when you tell her you haven't had your eyes checked in well over 10 years.  Alas, she did not, so I found myself floundering at approximately 9:45am last Friday in the optometrist office feeling like I was underwater without a scuba mask.

This would not have been a big deal except a) I was supposed to be working and b) I was supposed to drive out to the North Pacific Cannery in Port Edward for a meeting.  This is about a 20 minute drive away and I couldn't clearly make out the wall 4 feet across the office from me, let alone safely operate a vehicle.

Crap.

Very luckily, I had the wonderful Tess working with me last week, so as I flew back into the office (in a similar flourish of chaos and swearing as I had left as I'd actually completely forgotten about the eye appointment in the first place until they called wondering where the hell I was), I was able to toss her my keys and we hit the road.  That was after she had stopped laughing at me because apparently SHE KNEW this was going to happen and also had not warned me about my imminent blindness

We arrived at the cannery to meet with the manager there, who is organizing a community event later this spring.  Luckily we are new friends, so I was able to explain the reason I looked like I was as high as a kite and also why I needed to wear my sunnies even in the dark and shadowy buildings.

The North Pacific Cannery is a super cool place.  It opened in 1889 and was once the foremost packer of sockeye salmon in the world.  Unlike many canneries on our coast which have since fallen to ruin, the North Pacific Cannery has been preserved as a National Historic Site to exhibit and interpret the history of this once pivotal industry in British Columbia. Check out their site here.

Now I am quite certain that I will visit this place many more times during my time up here- so I will save more stories of its history until then.  What I will share with you is the few phone-photos I shot whilst stumbling around in my blurry haze.  To be very honest, I couldn't see my screen at all, so I was snapping photos totally blind and really just took them as a record to check back on later (just to make sure the whole scene wasn't a total dream). Therefore, what I saw looked nothing like this at all and looked more like a blurred watercolour Monet, but either way, it's a very picturesque place.

saviour fish

Sometimes you need a fish to save the day.

Ty's birthday dawned grey and drizzly.  Not the weather we had hoped for.  Our gusto to head out on a day of outdoor adventures felt dampened and we were inspired to do little other than eat a large breakfast, drink too many cups of coffee and  listen to records (I even let him listen to The Wall since it was his special day- our disparate views on Pink Floyd may be the largest point of contention in our relationship).  But by noon, with the false enthusiasm of someone who just wants to crawl back into bed, we attempted to make the most of the special day headed off into the rain.

The weather was not the only thing stacking against us.  Our next stop was Diana Lake to do a little hike, but not only did we arrive in rain to find that the trail was still covered in a foot of mushy, crusty snow, but also full of recent wolf poop. Wolf poop = wolves (see, my biology degree is useful).  I picked up a pokey looking stick as defense, but we ended up shortening our hike to a bit of a walk due to the nasty walking conditions and, ultimately, my scaredy-cat-ness.  I'm not scared of wolves for my own safety, but have heard too many accounts of attacks on dogs and while Mr. Mase is a big guy, he'd be no match for multiple wolves. I concluded (quite correctly, I might say) that having our dog, the most important thing in the world to Ty, attacked by a wolf was not the stuff of fabulous birthdays.

Wolf poking stick, obviously.

Feeling a bit bummed that the day wasn't working out as we'd hoped, our last ditch at saving the day came down to a fish.  And not just any fish, a saviour fish.

Heading up the Skeena again, we were looking for eulachon activity.  Eulachon (also know as ooligan, oolichan,candlefish and saviour fish) is an anadromous smelt. Best birthday EVER!

What all birthdays need: Interpretive Signage!!

But really, eulachon are exciting.  As the first pulse of nutrition available after a long winter, eulachon are a major food source for both wildlife and First Nations around the rivers that support runs.  Birds and marine mammals (seals and sea lions primarily) crowd into the rivers to feast on the concentration, bringing a flurry activity to the still icy Skeena.  First Nations harvesters can also be found along the shore.  Eulachon are not only the first source of fresh food in many months, but due to their extremely high oil content, can be rendered into grease.  This grease was an incredible trading commodity between nations.

Searching the drizzly Skeena for signs of action

Despite the rain, we did manage to find a frenzy of bird activity (happy birthday, you're welcome!). While my photos don't do it justice, we sat beside the road cheering as we watched the hoard of gulls reeling in the air and then diving into the water only to alight again with the slender fish in their beaks!

We stopped beside a bridge to watch some fishing, chatting with a few of the fishermen.  I was surprised to see that they harvest the fish by dipnet- and even more surprised to see that almost each scoop had a fish or two in it. I could do little but imagine the swarms of slippery, slender fish that must be present underwater for this method of fishing to be effective.

Unfortunately, eulachon are in trouble.  Of the three designatable units identified in B.C., two are listed as endangered (Fraser and Central Pacific Coast).  As a child, I can remember a time when the  Fraser near our home was full of sea lions feeding on eulachon, an event that no longer occurs off of New Westminster because of the sharp decline in that population.  The Skeena/Nass unit is faring slightly better and but is still  listed as Special Concern.  In other words, saviour fish around the province need a little saving of their own.

Nonetheless, the fish were found, the day was saved. We headed back into town for a pint over looking the water.

And, yes, I am available to plan your birthday.  ;)

PS.  My photos are kind of crap, but a couple of wonderful local photographers, Arianne and Mike ('From the Treehouse') took some stunning photos of action on the Skeena this month...check them out here.

skeena

I have never understood people that "go for a drive" for fun.  Why would you want to drive for recreation?
Then....Ty, Mase and I drove between Rupert and Terrace on a beautiful day.

Ok, Skeena, I get it now.