Fantastic and fickle are the two “F’ words which sum up the 2008 season on the MV Salmon Seeker at Kano Inlet. The weather was fickle even by Queen Charlotte Islands standards, and we hope it was a once in twenty year event. The fishing, on the other hand, was truly spectacular and would be welcome in any year. As always, the spectacular Chinook action which brings people back to Kano year after year was the highlight for our anglers this season.
The season record 54 lb. Chinook now occupies a place of honour on guest Greg Pierce’s wall (with an intermediate stop at the taxidermist, of course). Our halibut hunters were also well rewarded with several fish over 200 lbs. making the board.
This year’s new Captain’s Club award program delivered 340 pins, mostly for Tyee-size Chinook. On one memorable evening we handed out an incredible nineteen pins! It was memorable mostly because nobody got to eat dinner until 9pm due to the long awards ceremony and partly because I kept getting the names and numbers all mixed up (but no one was complaining)!
Although it is mostly the fishing that draws people back to Kano Inlet, we’re noticing a growing number of “urban refugees” who are attracted by the magnificent surroundings, the novelty of shipboard living and the opportunity to observe the wildlife in the middle of it all. I doubt that even the most ardent fisherman would ever take any of this for granted.
In addition to the pleasure of meeting all our first-time guests it is always a particular joy to welcome back guests who told us last year that they were getting too old for this and wouldn’t be back! Once Kano Inlet is in your blood, you’re hooked for life. Thank you to our crew for their hard work this year, and thank you to our guests who make this one of the best jobs in the world. On behalf of Captain Zak and myself: tight lines and good fishing.
Captain Ian McKinnon
MV Salmon Seeker
Queen Charlotte Islands
