ketchenany Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 West Vancouver resident Chris Lewis knew he had a big fish on the line the moment he felt the tug on his fishing rod. On a fishing trip with business associates in Haida Gwaii, Lewis quickly realized he had one big fight on his hands Saturday evening when the 84-pound Chinook salmon on the line shifted direction, surfaced near the boat, then dove down. "When the fish hit the line, there was a moment you could tell it was a large fish," he recalls. "Then I saw the fish on the surface for just a few seconds - and it was massive," Lewis, 45, said Tuesday. "The fish clearly let us know it was huge," Lewis recalls after landing the Chinook - a record for the Queen Charlotte Lodge in northern B.C. Despite its size, it only took Lewis a half-hour to reel in the salmon. While Lewis fought to bring in the fish, his friend Stephen Mason had a bite and a 31-pound Tyee fish on his hands. Lewis credits their success to the lodge's guide, Derek Poitras, who took them into his special fishing spot, along a big kelp bed just east of Klashwun Point. "We were fortunate to be in there. There is a lot of luck, but there is also a lot of skill being in the right spot," Lewis said. The fish was photographed and measured at 51.5 inches before Poitras spent 15 minutes reviving the monster fish to safely let it swim away. They knew they would put the big fish back once it was landed. "It was such a gift for me to be able to catch it, and it would have been a real shame to take that fish out of the ocean," Lewis said. As the fishing party toasted their success with a celebratory drink, the big female Chinook crested 30 feet from the boat, showed its tail and went its way. In the past, a 99-pound Chinook was reportedly caught in the Skeena River and a 97-pound Chinook was caught in Alaska. Duane Foerter of the Queen Charlotte Lodge said the 84-pounder Lewis caught is the largest they have landed in 21 years of operation. In 2000, an 82-pounder was hauled in. "It has been a very good fishing season," he said of this summer. "There's been a lot of fish around." Dr. Brian Riddell of the Pacific Salmon Foundation said it is encouraging to see a fish that size survive. The fish was probably at sea for five or six years and was heading to the Skeena River or Rivers Inlet, he believes. "This is good news," he said of the catch and release. "Large fish like that are usually females and this was released back into the ocean, which we encourage." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daryl0815 Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 WOW, imagine one that size in Lake O! (I know it couldnt happen) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jigs Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 (edited) Just saw that on yahoo. What an amazing fish. Edited August 25, 2011 by Jigs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenCanada Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 What a catch! And what an even better release!! May it live to fight another day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tybo Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 Now that's a chunk!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyb Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 AWESOME!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickingfrog Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 That's a big fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Familyfisherman Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 Fantastic catch, and an even better release...many people would've been so worried about pictures and measurements they'd have forgone the release... Wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 Now that's a chunk!! Joey had one on,,,,but it broke off. Big fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ThisPlaceSucks Posted August 26, 2011 Report Share Posted August 26, 2011 that is amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now