Mix of sun and clouds, cool, rain around suppertime.
We left the Dean River Fish Trap British Columbia Forest Service Recreation Site campground this morning and continued west on Chilcotin Hwy. 20. We stopped in Anahim Lake to refill with diesel. Shortly after Anahim Lake was "The Big Hill", the 18% grade hill that goes on and on and on ... ! At the bottom of "The Big Hill" we entered Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. We stopped at the sani-dump station near the ( already closed for the season ) Atnarko Campground to refill our freshwater tank.
We arrived at our destination for today, Fisheries Pool Campground, in time for a late lunch. After lunch we walked over to the Atnarko River so that I could fish. The campground is named for the very deep pool at this location on the Atnarko River, where the salmon return to spawn. The water is crystal clear, and you can see the many salmon in the deep water / Fisheries Pool.
The problem is ... for fishermen ... the salmon are much more interested in laying or fertilizing their eggs, than in eating. Nevertheless, after about half an hour of fishing
I caught a lovely large ( 3½ pound ) Dolly Varden Trout, only the second Dolly Varden
I have ever caught. WOO-HOO ! Supper for tonight ! The Dolly Varden were biting / eating because ... they’re here to eat the freshly laid salmon eggs. After about another half hour of fishing I caught ... < insert drum roll here > ... a large ... ( 11 pound ) ... and "fresh" Coho Salmon. WOW ! ! ! Other species of salmon ( Sockeyes, Pinks, Chums ) have been here already for awhile, and are near ( or already beyond ) the end of their "spawn and die" cycle. But the Cohos have just recently started coming in from the ocean, so ... they are still “fresh” and not yet "near death".
This was the first Coho that I have ever caught. And it was thrilling ! I "cleaned" the two fish at the water's edge, and not at our campsite, as per the instructions posted in the campground, due to the Grizzly Bears feeding, then we filleted the fish on the picnic table at our campsite. The Dolly Varden produced two meals for us, and the Coho produced seven meals ! Cleaning the fish, filleting the fish, then cleaning everything up afterwards took a lot more time and was a lot more work than catching the fish. HA HA HA !
While Joanne prepared supper I went back to the river for another hour of fishing. This time I caught a Chum Salmon, about six to eight pounds. HMPH ! "Dogfish" !
I released it. HA HA HA HA HA ... I have turned into a salmon snob !
I left a piece of fishing tackle at the water's edge. When I went back to retrieve it ... there was a Grizzly Bear fishing for salmon. I rushed back to our campsite to get Joanne. By the time we got back to the river, the Grizzly was almost finished eating the salmon it had caught. After eating the salmon it ambled away.
So ... we have been here for half a day. I've caught salmon ! We've viewed a Grizzly ! Objectives accomplished. Might as well go home. HA HA HA !
Monday ; Fisheries Pool Campground to Bella Coola / Hagensborg
Mostly sunny, mild.
After morning chores I wanted to fish for an hour before we departed Fisheries Pool Campground. I did not catch anything, but ... twice I had to stop fishing, put my rod and reel down, and move away from the river's edge to allow a fishing Grizzly Bear to pass by. And I learned, that ... like me ... the Grizzlies don't want the dieing Chum Salmon, they want the arriving, "fresh" Coho Salmon. HA HA HA ! The Coho that I caught yesterday must have been an "early bird" because the Cohos are just now coming out of the ocean at Bella Coola, and finding their way into the river systems.
After my unproductive hour of fishing we had lunch then departed Fisheries Pool Campground and continued heading west on Hwy. 20 to Bella Coola and its nearby "neighbour" village of Hagensborg. Initially our plan for today was to visit the Belarko Bear Viewing Station , but ... there seemed to be no point after our morning of up close and personal viewing of Grizzly Bears fishing in the Atnarko River.
As we approached Hagensborg we went to an RV park on the Bella Coola River and checked it out, deciding we did not want to stay there. Once in the village of Hagensborg we refilled our freshwater tank at a water spigot near a museum. We knew of its location from our previous trip here a few years ago. Then we checked out another RV park. We liked it and will likely return there tomorrow.
We drove to the Bella Coola Airport, near Hagensborg, and found our way to Nooklikonnic Creek behind the airport, where I caught my very first salmon a few years ago, and on a fly rod at that ! But today ... I caught nothing after an hour of fishing there. And it stunk ! Lots of dead Chums lining the shore already.
We drove into, and through Bella Coola, and out to the government wharf / waterfront. Nothing much of interest in or near town, so we went exploring down Saroompt River Road east and north of Hagensborg. Near a bridge over the Saroompt River I stopped to fish for awhile. Caught a salmon ... likely a Chum ... on my fly rod, and before getting it to shore, my line broke. And the salmon swam away with my colourful pink salmon fly attached ! HMPH ! It's probably going to finish spawning and die in a day or two and wash up on shore somewhere nearby with my expensive salmon fly dangling out of its mouth !
So ... I switched to my traditional casting rod, and ... caught another huge Chum Salmon ! As I pulled it up onto shore, the line snapped, and the Buzz Bomb hook and little rubber bumper ring went flying out into the river. < sigh > I was left with the body of the Buzz Bomb, but without the hook and the little rubber bumper ring ... the body of the Buzz Bomb is just a teensy little boat anchor. HA HA HA ! That's two of my four expensive Buzz Bomb salmon lures destroyed in two days !
We returned to Hagensborg and checked into Gnome's Home RV Park, where we stayed for a few nights a few years ago. While I worked on fishing tackle repairs, Joanne prepared our supper of fresh Coho Salmon in creamy pasta. MMMMM ... very nice Coho Salmon. Emma loved it ! HA HA HA !
Tuesday ; Sunny and mild early in the day, becoming very smoky in the afternoon.
I was sick today with a flare up of colitis. No fishing today.
This morning we took care of routine chores including pet ear and dental care. We took Ozzie for a long walk, exploring this RV park's large rainforest property. Lots of land, but not much of it developed. We had lunch, then dumped our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank at the sani-dump station before leaving for a day of errands and exploring.
We shopped at the Shop Easy in Hagensborg. Joanne bought some groceries,
I bought some salmon fishing tackle. We drove to "downtown" Bella Coola searching for someplace with Wi-Fi so that I could upload my weekly journal to my blog. The library was closed. I found Wi-Fi at the Nuxalk ( the local Indigenous Nation, pronounced "Noo Halk" ) Tourism and Development Office. While Joanne wandered around town I worked online for about an hour and a half. Turned down even more trailer towing opportunities ! SHEESH ... where are they all coming from ? I met Joanne at the local sporting goods and fishing tackle store. We were finished in town and decided to go exploring.
We drove to Walker Island Park, a local park with picnic areas, playgrounds, sports fields, etc. We romped around with Ozzie for awhile. Unlike Bo, Ozzie is NOT a fan of children's playground slides. HA HA HA ! Sorry, Ozzie, had to try ! As we drove from Bella Coola back to Hagensborg, about 16 km. / 10 miles, we stopped at every bridge over every creek to check out the salmon spawning below. At Nooklikonnic Creek we were watching the Chum Salmon spawning, and chatting with a couple of tourists from Germany when a Grizzly Bear showed up and began fishing. We watched it for a long time, perhaps close to an hour. It wasn't really fishing because it was hungry, it seemed. It was amusing itself by catching fish, shaking them, taking one bite out of them, tossing them aside and moving on. Apparently it was well fed enough to not really want to eat the dieing Chum Salmon. Hang on, sweetheart, the Coho Salmon will be here very soon.
We left when the RCMP showed up and rousted us off the bridge when the Grizzly Bear was getting too close for comfort. The female RCMP officer was probably thinking ... "stupid tourists" ! However ... after rousting us off the bridge, she pulled out her phone and began taking photos of the Grizzly. HA HA HA ! We returned to Gnome's Home RV park, had an early ( for us ) supper, and went to bed early.
Wednesday ; Smoky, mild.
This morning we dumped our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank again before leaving Gnome's Home RV Park. We drove about one km. to Shop Easy in Hagensborg to refill our five gallon water jug and buy some hamburger buns, then drove about another one km. to our destination for today, Rip Rap Campsite, a private campground / RV park on the Bella Coola River. Gaining access to the river for fishing is difficult because of the "rip rap" shoreline, but Rip Rap Campsite has access to the river's edge for fishing about a five minute hike away.
We checked in, got settled into our assigned site, then went for a walk to check out the fishing access point on the river. Rather difficult access, but ... ! We returned to the camper, had lunch, then I went fishing for about an hour. HMPH ! Nothing ! I returned to the camper, napped with Ozzie for about an hour, then went fishing for about another hour. HMPH ! Nothing again ! I was tired from the difficult access, climbing up and over and down the rip rap ridge, and more than two hours of casting and reeling against the Bella Coola River's very fast, strong flow.
I returned to the camper, set up our little barbecue, and grilled hamburgers for supper.
Thursday ; Bella Coola / Hagensborg to Fisheries Pool Campground, Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
Smoky, mild. Salmon and Grizzly Bears out the wazoo ! HA HA HA !
This morning before leaving Rip Rap Campsite we dumped our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank, and I used their Wi-Fi to check e-mail. I returned a phone call regarding a previous trailer towing quote, and will probably be hired to transport a trailer from Osoyoos to Victoria in two weeks. < sigh > In violation of my recent commitment to Joanne to not accept any more jobs to Vancouver Island. I'm hoping to dodge this "violation" by doing the job in conjunction with taking her to Abbotsford Airport to catch a flight to Winnipeg. I'll drop her off at the airport then continue on to Vancouver Island without her. Wish me luck !
We drove from Hagensborg to Bella Coola to check out the alleged Bella Coola River fishing access from Grant Road. HMPH ! Not that we could find ! We returned to Hagensborg and Joanne bought some groceries at Shop Easy. We also bought some potatoes from a roadside farm produce stand. We drove east on Chilcotin Hwy. 20 for about an hour or so back to Fisheries Pool Campground on the Atnarko River in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park. We had lunch, then I napped with Ozzie. I'm still feeling quite ill with a colitis flare up, for the third day.
Around 3:30 PM I went fishing, for about three hours. Caught six salmon, three of them in a fifteen minute period when the fish all seemed to be hungry and feeding. Released all six fish. Five Pink Salmon ( a.k.a. "Humpies" ), and one Chum Salmon
( a.k.a. "Dogfish" ). And I had to put my fishing rod down and move away from the river's edge frequently, to allow feeding Grizzly Bears to go by ! I don't know how much success they're having at the nearby Belarko Bear Viewing Station, but if people want to see Grizzly Bears catching salmon ... come here !
Joanne came to the river with me to watch out for bears for me, and to take pictures of me catching fish, but ... she had to return to the camper when the bitchy old woman in the motorhome parked next to us came stomping down to the river to nastily complain that Ozzie was barking in the camper. Bad dog, Ozzie ! We had left him in the camper because when we were here on Sunday and Monday, and we took him with us to the river while I fished ... every time a Grizzly Bear was nearby, he began to bark. He can’t see them ... his vision is too impaired due to old age ... but he can certainly smell
them ! And barking little dogs aggravate the bears ! And bitchy old women,
apparently !
Friday ; Cool, windy, light rain all day.
Spent the day fishing for salmon at Fisheries Pool Campground on the Atnarko River. Caught two Pink Salmon ( Humpies ). Viewed lots of Grizzly Bears, including a sow teaching her two cubs how to fish.
Saturday ; Fisheries Pool Campground in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park to Pyper Lake BCFSRS near Chilanko Forks
Overcast and mild, raining lightly in the morning at Fisheries Pool Campground.
This morning we departed Fisheries Pool Campground and began our return trip home, travelling east on Chilcotin Hwy. 20. We stopped at the sani-dump station at the already closed for the season Atnarko Campground to refill our freshwater tank. We stopped at Anahim Lake to refill with diesel and eat lunch. Our planned destination for today was Bull Canyon Provincial Park, but as we neared the hamlet of Chilanko Forks, about halfway between Bella Coola and Williams Lake, we decided to check out a nearby BC Forest Service Recreation Site / remote wilderness campground at Pyper Lake. We liked it and decided to stay overnight. We had the three site campground all to ourselves.
I fished lazily in Pyper Lake. Caught nothing. We went for a leisurely long walk with Ozzie down the Forest Service road. I set up our little barbecue and cooked foil packets of potatoes and onions, and grilled a marinated steak for supper. We went to bed early again. Life is good !
DSK
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