Gone fishin’!

Posted on August 7, 2013 | Leave a comment

The ocean water up Indian Arm north of Vancouver was “boiling” with pink salmon making their way up the fjord to spawn. You could see them jumping from the dock and it looked like easy pickings. We motored up to a spot near where Silver Falls trickles into the ocean and started casting toward shore, counting to 10 while the lure sank toward the bottom.

My first catch? A red jellyfish. My second? A tiny, spiny rock fish. All around me other fisherfolk were netting giant pink salmon so I kept casting until, at last, I hooked one. A five-minute battle ensued where the fish tried his hardest to swim free, while I got the best arm workout of the trip. Avery netted him then back at the dock, I gutted him and bagged him. Guess what’s for dinner?

I caught him and Avery netted him. He's almost as big as she is!

I caught him and Avery netted him. He’s almost as big as she is!

It's actually pretty easy and not yucky at all. Maybe I missed my calling as a surgeon?

Gutting a fish is actually pretty easy and not that yucky. Maybe I missed my calling as a surgeon?

Forget farm-to-fork. I'm all about-sea-to-stomach dining after salmon fishing in B.C.!

Forget farm-to-fork. I’m all about sea-to-stomach dining after salmon fishing in B.C.!

High: The human-vs-nature adrenalin rush of reeling in a (relatively) big fish.

Low: My arm is still sore!

Outcome: Fishing is fun and somewhat meditative. As a bonus, it often puts dinner on the table.

Leave a comment

Posted in Outdoor Adventure, Travel

Tagged , , , , ,

Up Indian Arm

Posted on August 6, 2013 | 2 comments

For August long weekend we boarded a boat in the Deep Cove harbour in North Vancouver and motored up Indian Arm fjord to a cabin reachable only by water. It’s not off-the-grid-living, exactly — there’s electricity and running water — but time slows and the kids spend their days catching small eels, turning rocks over to look for crabs and setting out the trap for large Dungeness. If they’re feeling more adventurous they can jump off the dock into the chilly Pacific, kayak, or get pulled behind the boat on a tube. It’s bliss.

Starfish like this one are common in the waters around Vancouver.

Sea stars like this one are common in the waters around Vancouver.

High: Island, err, fjord time. No schedule and no screens. Just sun, water and the call of a bald eagle flying overhead.

Low: A summer cold. This is not the place to get sick!

Just boil for 15 minutes and you've got yourself a delish snack.

Just boil for 15 minutes and you’ve got yourself a delish snack.

2 Comments

Posted in Outdoor Adventure, Travel

Tagged , , , , ,

I heart B.C. fruit stands

Posted on August 3, 2013 | Leave a comment

After the wine, the great thing about the Okanagan Valley are the fruit stands. They’re everywhere, and this time of year they are spilling over with plump peaches, tangy nectarines, juicy apricots, sweet cherries and ripe plums. Everywhere you go in the valley, and even over the pass into the Similkameen Valley en route to Vancouver from Osoyoos, there are orchards and fruit stands. It’s hard to fathom coming from Calgary, where we’re lucky to grow tiny carrots and mint.

Not sure why we're not supposed to squeeze the peaches. Isn't that how we find out if they're ripe?

Not sure why we’re not supposed to squeeze the peaches. Isn’t that how we find out if they’re ripe?

High: Samosas. One word: Omyomyom. Yes, this is a post about fresh fruit, but the bonus at many fruits stands are these deep-fried Indian-style empanadas. Stuffed with potatoes, peas, curry and cauliflower, we plowed through 10 in no time. The obvious question is, why would fruit stands sell samosas? Evidently, many fruit farms are owned by east Indian immigrant families, which explains it.

Low: The winding road. It went on and on and on (as we invariably got stuck behind slow-moving RVs), and now we know why people complain about Highway 3 between Osoyoos and Vancouver.

Outcome: Don’t feel guilty about stopping at three (or more) different fruit stands. The haul will get eaten.

Leave a comment

Posted in Potpourri