Peregrine Lodge, Canada

Sharing their overseas fishing adventures as a family makes them particularly special for the Ortons.

Last year some good clients, and now friends, told Bea and I about a lodge up in the north-west coast of Canada. They went up there to catch XXL king salmon, and their photos and report showed they had an amazing time and caught some stunning king salmon. Being a travelling fisherman, the information sure got my attention!

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For me to go to a cold climate to catch fish is something I do not take lightly (I really hate the cold!), to the point Bea and I try to avoid those cold, windy, rainy short days of winter like the plague. As a result, we have not had a ‘proper’ winter for well over a decade.

A few years ago, Bea and I fished in Alaska for halibut, but sadly we missed the run of salmon on that trip, leaving us feeling there was unfinished business to sort out in the future.

Fortunately, a lot of clients have suggested going to Canada and fishing for salmon with us. So a plan was hatched to go and check out a lodge we’d never heard about till that moment, treat the whole thing as a family adventure, and at the same time film it for an up-and-coming Journey of a Fisherman episode.

We have a policy for our Offshore Adventures guiding business: we do not sell public trips unless we have personally fished the destination first, so this would be a great way to hopefully tick off another destination that could be used for future guided trips.

As fishing guide, my main focus is on big game species such as billfish, tuna, kingfish and GTs (giant trevally), so to shift my focus to a species I’d never really targeted before was a mental challenge. To be fair, I didn’t really have much expectation on the size of the fish or even how we would be targeting them; to me, it was more of a ‘let’s tick another species off the bucket list’ and enjoy a new destination and holiday with the family.

Prior to arriving in Vancouver, we had been travelling and guiding in four countries for over two-and-a-half months as a family, so were starting to get tried of living out of bags. We were also really missing the comforts of home and needed a bit of ‘our time’.

Upon landing in Vancouver after a horror flight and discovering all our fishing gear had been ‘lost’, Bea and I were starting to get a little worn out from the travel. I remember Bea giving me ‘the look’, suggesting it would be okay and to calm down – this was just another little hiccup that happens when travelling; focus on what’s ahead instead. She can always calm me down when I feel the wheels are about to fall off!

Next up was a taxi to a private airport to catch a chartered flight to the far north of Canada and then a helicopter flight out to lodge.

I remember arriving, tired and slightly on edge, at the small private airport lounge, and being greeted by a very nice lady who made us feel extremely welcome.

I particularly appreciated her words,

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“Don’t worry, I’ll sort your lost luggage out; it will be waiting for you on your return from the lodge.” And then, “The owner of the lodge says hi and they’re looking forward to your arrival. Now relax and help yourself to the food. Would you like a beer?”

‘Hmmmmmmm,’ I thought, already feeling the blood pressure starting to drop; some good old-fashioned customer service/caring was starting to get me feeling much more positive about our new journey ahead.

From that moment on, for the next four days, Bea, Sami, Dan the camera man, Pete (a friend, who loves to do reconnaisance trips with me) and I could not have wanted anything more. We were treated like kings and truly had an experience of a lifetime. The fishing was amazing, the scenery breathtaking and the wildlife was incredible – but, for me, the most satisfying thing was to watch my family, Dan and Pete relax in an environment that was truly special. I loved the ‘little’ things such as: sitting down at night, relaxing in a stunning lodge with wild deer walking around on the front lawn; watching the crews fillet your fish at the end of the day; and having a cold beer in the dockside bar, talking with other anglers about their day’s fishing and other adventures. Priceless.

It was the smaller aspects that continued to make the fishing experiences something really special, too. For example, we pulled up to a small boat in a secluded bay that was cooking made-to-order burgers for lunch – something I’d never experienced before. I will also never forget watching Sami (our three-year-old boy) catch his first king salmon, or the look in his eyes and the smile on his face as he had his firstever helicopter flight from Masset out to the island. He also got to see a humpback whale, and watching him wind in a small trout on a fly rod was such a buzz. I got to see my little boy connect with the ocean and wilderness, and witnessed him turning into a little fisherman.

Bea was very well catered for too, her face a picture of bliss as the staff went out of their way to make sure she was looked after in every possible way, ensuring it really was a true holiday for her and Sami.

But perhaps the best reaction of all was the looks on Dan and Pete’s faces when we sat down to our first evening meal – it was a buffet fit for a king! I have never seen food like it before, and is something I will never forget.

As far as the fishing goes, I am not sure it can get much better for king salmon. The lodge record is a staggeringly large 31.7kg (70lb) king; it’s not uncommon to catch them over the magic 30lb trophy size, which they call a ‘tyee’.

During the trip we caught four species of salmon, some stunning halibut, and a bunch of small trout in the rivers. A personal fishing highlight was my biggest king salmon so far – a relatively modest fish of 24.6lb. Techniques ranged from fly-fishing to trolling with downriggers trailing cut baits and lures. But I have unfinished business – I want a king salmon over the magic 30lb mark!

My family and I will forever be grateful for this shared experience. So thanks to John and Judy who recommended this paradise called Peregrine Lodge to us – you were 100% right in saying it’s a truly stunning part of the world.

 

   This article is reproduced with permission of   
New Zealand Fishing News

February 2018 - Tony Orton
Re-publishing elsewhere is prohibited

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