celebrate Archives - Queen Charlotte Lodge

“And when we hear the call of the geese in the harbour, we know that it’s time to wrap it up for another season…” That time has come! We sent off our final group of guests yesterday, followed by a large portion of our crew. Wow! Is it ever a different place when they’re not here!

Our 33^rd season at QCL was pretty epic. We were able to welcome back quite a number of guests who’ve missed us over the past 4 years, as well as many newcomers who wanted to know what this place was all about. Our core group of QCL guests, whom we’re very fortunate to see almost every summer, were thrilled with many of the tweaks, both large and small, that we implemented this year.

Certainly, our new Coho Class of boats had to be a highlight for many, combining great functionality and performance with lots of comforts and convenience – for both guided and self-guided anglers. New menu features and hospitality treats balanced out the program when our guests returned to the lodge at the end of the day.

Conversations among the guide team this past week were consistently positive about the fishing. Huge volumes of feeding Chinook and Coho were present through the first half of the summer, and as the number of migratory salmon increased, the Tyee Bell was ringing more frequently every trip. In short, it was busy on the boats! Bottom fishing for halibut, lingcod and rockfish always balances out the fishing experience and provides a tasty variety of filets to enjoy at home.

But we have to say, at the end of every trip, and at the end of every season, what our guests always go out of their way to speak with us about, is essentially the QCL Experience. That’s the very special combination of this amazing place and what people are able to do here, fully enveloped in the enthusiasm of our wonderful staff and the hospitality that they provide. That’s what puts a smile on everyone’s face up here. We’re very thankful for the efforts of each of our team members and the continued support of our awesome guests.

We can’t wait to get back up here again next season and see you all again!

With the sun gleaming over Naden Harbour, guests and guides start the day keen on finding Chinook and Coho salmon. With these northwest winds, the fish and bait have been pushed into Cape Naden and the Mazarredo Islands – Where most of our fleet has been tacking hard on each tide putting guests into action. Guides have been running hearing and anchovy to entice the fish in to their gear.

Today for Boat 99, the sun was shining and though the wind had died down the swells were strong; forcing us to start our morning at the top of Cape Naden. with the flooding tide we had no issues running a cut plug on one side and a whole herring on the other, 23-39 ft on the rigger and 8 pulls on the back rod.

10 minutes into our first tack at Naden our deep rod goes off! My guest Tyson jumped up and ran to the rod not knowing what to expect! 25 minutes later we landed a beautiful Chinook salmon, tapped out to 42 pounds! Tyson made the decision to release this Tyee. Thanks for letting this big one go!

It was a team effort – From pulling gear to holding the net. Guests Lyndon and David, also onboard, played a large role in successfully getting this fish to the boat. This is how memories are made!

Tight lines and don’t forget to keep your tip up,

Guide, Karly Skakun

As the Northwest winds start to settle down this week, the fishing continues to thrive.

With the odd kelp line rolling through being our biggest obstacle, the inshore Chinook fishing has been consistent, and with Coho still being caught at most points. Keeping your hooks in the water, as much as possible, has been key around the kelp beds at slack tides, while hog-hunting for the big one. Most anglers don’t need to travel far to get bites but weeding through the Pink salmon looking for Chinook continues to keep all anglers busy!

The slow moving flood tides give anglers plenty of opportunity to get out bottom fishing for longer periods, allowing most guests to get all of their halibut done in one trip offshore.

Outlook for the week – Overall we’re expecting light W to NW winds, mixed skies with sunny period with some of the largest tidal range of the year over the Tuesday full moon (.4 to 18.7ft).

With July in the rearview, the excitement continues to build as step into August. Here’s to incredible fishing and unforgettable memories!

Lead Guide, Chris Manning

If the 2023 fishing season will be remembered for any one particular thing, it’s very likely to be the shear abundance of fish! From the early masses of needlefish we’ve encountered inshore since May and the dense schools of herring now over the pinnacles and halibut grounds, it’s no wonder there are so many salmon around! Throughout the first half of the season we’ve been awash in feeding Chinook and Coho. These early fish have been smaller than the migratory version we’re more accustomed to, but they’ve more than made up for it with their aggressive nature and persistent hunger for whatever we put in front of them! Translation… our guests haven’t been sitting down much!

Now that we’ve passed the mid-point of the season, we’re seeing more of what we expect in July, with strong numbers of beautiful, chunky, 20-something Chinooks and those summer Coho are getting up into the 10 pound-plus class. The Tyee Bell is tolling every evening at the Bell Ringer in celebration of memorable catches… for larger salmon, halibut and lingcod.

Another observation is the interest that our guests are showing in all things ocean and fishery related. Whether it’s speculation on why so many “feeders” are inshore this summer, to questions about kelp beds and sea urchins, or the difference between resident and transient orcas… there’s a new level of awareness in the air. And it’s a good thing… we all have a role to play in protecting the health of the oceans and marine life and it starts with being interested. There’s much to learn and to understand and it’s exciting to share all of this with our guests who come to enjoy the QCL Experience every summer!

Duane Foerter

I really do have the best job in the world.

As the Vice President of Sales and Corporate Relations for Queen Charlotte Lodge, I get to do some incredible things.

Every year has its cycle and rhythm. In the fall, after a busy summer, the Lodge is put away for the winter and our team of Sales Executives begin the huge task of selling the next season. Reaching out to potential guests to gauge their interest in hopes we can introduce them to the QCL Experience; and reaching out to previous guests to secure their spot for the upcoming year. Throughout this process, we get to hear our guests’ stories from past trips and their excitement for the next. We strive to curate exceptional memories, and hearing about them firsthand is one of my favourite things about the off-season.

It truly is the best feeling to be able to introduce or reintroduce guests to QCL, and to describe to them the first class experience they are about to have; only to have them come back after their trip to tell us we undersold the adventure and what an unforgettable time they had.

The work put in behind the scenes is nothing compared to the on-season component. Having the opportunity to create, firsthand, those special moments at the Lodge, is what makes my job the best. I leave our offices in Richmond, and head North to the Lodge spending about 40 days on property each season. The first visit is to assist in guide training. While I work in sales, my passion for fishing has developed over the 51 years of on-water experience, and I aim to share the knowledge I’ve gained with our team. After that comes the season itself. A wild, organized, all hands on deck, 120 day period. I have made so many friends over the years and to share the joy of fishing in beautiful Haida Gwaii, there truly is no job that quite compares.

Seeing the awe in the faces of our guests as they arrive onsite, the friendships made and sharing the joy of fishing in such an incredible corner of the world are all parts of what makes my job the best. QCL is a magical place. I am grateful to be involved in such an operation, to experience the best job in the world. Come on up and see what I mean!

Brian Clive

So far there are few surprises with our early season fishing. As you would expect this time of year, the fishing grounds are flush with large numbers of aggressive feeder Springs. These are not the migratory spawners that we see through much of the summer but young fish in their ocean phase, bulking up on the incredible shoals of needlefish and herring in these northern waters. There certainly is a lot of bait around, evidenced by multiple Humpbacks feeding in the area. There’s lots of amazing eagle action; we’re sometimes seeing dozens of eagles circling over boiling bait balls, swooping down in turn to grab fistfuls of wriggling needlefish and eating them in mid-air. It’s really quite a spectacle. The shallow basin that is Virago Sound is especially productive for needlefish or Pacific Sand Lance. This year they seem to be especially abundant and all of their predators know it!

Salmon action in the past week has been consistent throughout the fishing grounds. Anglers are finding no shortage of feisty, teen-sized Chinook salmon and occasionally they get a surprise when a 20-plus pounder goes screaming off the rigger. It’s great to find relatively steady salmon action with a good shot at a bigger fish at any time. Plus, we’re already seeing several Coho, Chum and Pink salmon in the catch log every day.

QCL anglers are still encountering halibut while trolling inshore, sometimes huge ones! Over the weekend there were several flatties boated around Capes Naden and Edenshaw. Long time QCL guest FJ certainly got more than he bargained for while trolling an anchovy along the shoreline from Eagle Rock to Green Point with his guide Jon Landry. What certainly felt, initially, like a big strong salmon went screaming down the shoreline in 75 feet of water. By the time FJ and Jon were able to get the boat over it they sure knew why this fish could pretty much do what it wanted! A massive halibut lie alongside the Grady and they called the Fishmaster for assistance. Using a salmon rod as a yardstick, they concluded FJ’s catch was a 78-inch halibut! That works out to about 254 pounds – caught on a salmon rod with and anchovy! So we continue to be in awe of the wonders of these amazing waters – You just never know what could happen next!

We’re experiencing some classic northwesterly conditions this week with our anglers fishing the west side below Klashwun Point. Last week’s big tides are easing and after today we’ll enjoy light to moderate west to southwest conditions, providing easy access to the full fishing grounds. Look for more news from the offshore fishery in the next report!

Fishmaster

This past trip was distinguished by four excellent weather days with calm seas, two full days of sunny skies, and no precipitation – Haida Gwaii summer vibes all around! Fishing was good overall with most guests picking up their limit of Chinooks and most had two halibut plus some assorted bottomfish.

Halibut fishing is also heating up and while much of our halibut are caught inshore at present, the favourite offshore haunts are starting to produce predictably. FJ H released a 74-inch halibut (215 pounds), caught on salmon gear while trolling towards Green Point with guide Johnny Moonshine! James F released a 120lbs halibut and Lorne released a 65!

Salmon fishing inshore was well distributed from Cape Edenshaw and Cape Naden, around Bird 2 and Parker Pt., all the way through Yatze and Klashwun Point, and out to Green – all sections producing. Chinook action seemed most productive at Cape Edenshaw, Green Pt., Bird 2 and Eagle Rock.

We’ve also seen several Coho, Chum and Pink hit the dock – All found offshort at 35-50ft depths.

The Kingfisher Derby weekend is officially here and with over $90,000 in prize money up for grabs and the , we’re in for an exciting for few days! Best of luck to all Derby participants!

Step into an angler’s paradise, where the past week has been filled with excitement and bountiful catch. This past weekend saw mild mixed skies, and light rain.

Salmon fishing has been consistently impressive throughout the grounds. These days, in the early season, we commonly see lots of “feeder Springs” – powerful fighters and aggressive feeders, they’re generally in the mid-teen range.

Some of the standout spots for salmon fishing as of late have been Cape Edenshaw, Cape Naden and Bird 2, particularly during the morning ebb tide. Anglers have witnessed an influx of salmon, drawn by the abundance of baitfish.

Bottom fishing has been equally rewarding, and this past trip saw several good halibut releases! Jennifer D 50lbs, Candice W 65lbs and Andrew S 46lbs. Dan M, fishing with Scott R and QCL guide “Smurf”, was awarded the full set of halibut pins on Sunday night with 100lbs & 70lbs releases before boating a 47-pounder to keep – earning bronze, silver & gold pins! Congratulations everyone!

Looking at the week ahead we’ve got a mixed bag of weather in the forecast, winds west to southwest to northwest. Large tides with 7-to-17 foot swings daily.

Monday | LOW 9:08 am / 1.1 ft. | HIGH 3:39 pm / 15.2 ft

Tuesday | LOW 9:54 am / 1.2 ft. | HIGH 4:27 pm / 15.1 ft

Wednesday | LOW 10:43 am / 1.6 ft. | HIGH. 5:17 pm / 14.9 ft

Thursday | LOW 11:34 am / 2.3 ft. | HIGH 6:12 pm / 14.8 ft

We’re almost a full week into the new season and things are ticking right along. Our crew has settled in and the 2023 summer is off to a perfect start.

Typical island weather has provided the full range of conditions, often all in one day! Beautiful sunshine, grey and wet, dramatic and flat… we’ve seen it all, but have had no big winds and very comfortable seas. The whole of the fishing grounds has been open and we’ve been exploring most of it!

Early season fishing has really been very good. While our guests and guides all have their favourite spots, this week we’ve focused a lot on Cape Edenshaw, Cape Naden and Bird Rock 2. There’s been a ton of bait around since mid-May with so many whales, eagles and seabirds gorging themselves continuously. It’s mostly needlefish and we’re finding plenty of feeder Chinook pushing that bait around and stirring things up. The tides have been moderate with only 5 to 9 foot swings so the bite tends to last longer when everything sets up.

Chinook salmon ranging from 12-18 pounds are most plentiful, though we’re seeing fish over 20 pounds every day and we’ve had the Tyee bell ringing a few times this week. Last weekend, Driftwood guest Todd M was fishing solo off Cape Naden and boated a beautiful 37-pounder. Sam and Alana G are fishing with QCL guide Seb this week and have 21, 26 and 31 pound Chinooks on their cards so far. Jose C boated a 27 and Matt F found a 29-pounder on Tuesday. On Wednesday John S joined the Tyee Club with a nice 30 lb Chinook, fishing with guide Jeff G. First thing Wednesday morning, Dan K was fishing off the point at Bird 2 and found a salmon that seriously tested his fishing skills before he managed to get the net under it. The big, bronze-coloured male was quickly taped out to 42-pounds, and Dan was mighty proud when he felt that big Tyee swim out of his grip with strong sweeps of its tail! It’s nice to see those amazing big fish continue their journey back to the river.

Halibut fishing in early season often requires a bit of guesswork! We generally find a lot of halibut move inshore in May to feed on needlefish and crab larvae but return to deeper haunts by mid-June. It’s quite common for QCL anglers to pick up their halibut limit while they’re trolling for salmon! In that mix we’ll see some larger fish and this week Arnold A boated a 30-pounder, Ron C kept a 31 while Drew B hooked a 36 and Glorija T boated a 46-pound halibut.

Prospects for the weekend trip are looking great with light winds out of the south and west with continuation of these really mixed up skies! Tide range will continue to grow through Saturday’s full moon and peak on Monday with a 17-foot swing. Hang on!

And just like that, April has gone by in a flash!

Every spring, as the winter storms end and the days get longer, a small group arrives to Naden Harbour to awaken the Lodge. While this time of year doesn’t nearly have the glitz and glam of on-season, it certainly has all the hustle and bustle.

It’s during this period that operations crew, joined by a group of skilled contractors, begins to take on several maintenance and construction projects that have been in the works for months. Everything from paint touch ups and appliance maintenance to major infrastructure projects are undertaken every year to ensure the QCL guest experience is constantly improving.

This year alone our rig up crew, in addition to general maintenance of the property, has taken on log replacements of both the Main Lodge and famed Totem House. They have repaired storm damage and walkways, rebuilt the heli pad, installed new generators and have done major water and septic system upgrades. Perhaps most importantly, our off-season crew has complete key maintenance projects on our docks, breakwater and fleet of premium Bridgeview boats, outfitted with Mercury motors.

It is often overlooked that our team must also put all our marine infrastructure into place during this time as it is all stored away over the winter. A small old, QCL red tugboat, lovingly known simply as “The Tug”, must tow our 4 concrete floats from the opposite side of Naden Harbour back to in front of property. One float at a time “The Tug” hooks on to the buildings and starts to tow; the quiet drone of its old diesel engine humming along slowly until each float is back in place. Heavy equipment and boats are then used to reinstall more than 700’ of walkways and fingers, which are all stored on land over the off-season. Lastly an entire crew of people are needed to pull our water, power and fuel lines down the dock in preparation for the arrival of our gorgeous fleet. The Lodge is almost unrecognizable to most before this infrastructure is in place.

It truly is magical to watch the Lodge come alive every spring. The feeling of butterflies start to kick in knowing we’re just weeks away from the low “whoop-whoop-whoop” sound of a Sikorsky 76 helicopter coming over the horizon and crackling through the radio “QCL, QCL this is Tango”. That first helicopter doesn’t just signify the opening of the season after a hard-fought Rig Up but a meeting of new friends and returning family. It brings with it memories that will last a lifetime and fish tales bigger than your wildest dreams could have imagined. There truly isn’t a place like it anywhere else on earth.

Older Posts

Thank You for an Adventure-Filled 2023 Season!

We can’t wait to get back up here again next season and see you all again!

Kingfisher Report | August 26, 2023

10 minutes into our first tack at Naden our deep rod goes off! My guest Tyson jumped up and ran to the rod not knowing what to expect! 25 minutes later we landed a beautiful Chinook salmon, tapped out to 42 pounds! Tyson made the decision to release this Tyee. Thanks for letting this big one go!

Kingfisher Report | July 31, 2023

Kingfisher Report | July 20, 2023

The Best Job in the World

It truly is the best feeling to be able to introduce or reintroduce guests to QCL, and to describe to them the first class experience they are about to have; only to have them come back after their trip to tell us we undersold the adventure and what an unforgettable time they had.

Kingfisher Report | June 12, 2023

Kingfisher Report | June 9, 2023

Kingfisher Report | June 5, 2023

Kingfisher Report | May 31, 2023

Behind The Scenes | Rig Up

QCL Signatures Series | Ginger Soy Lingcod

World Water Day

Curating the QCL Experience

QCL Signatures Series | Chili Crab

Beyond the Tides | Bird Watching