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Miracle on Hali Hill

Enjoy Miracle On Hali-Hill…  this wonderful fishing story from FJ Hurtak, one of our long time friends and a Driftwood guest.

In June of each year, I look forward to my salmon fishing trip to Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands). For about ten years now I have been booking with the Queen Charlotte Lodge. I have tried other lodges in the area and some are very good, but QCL offers me exactly what I want, that being a converted tugboat called the MV Driftwood, which is anchored right on the fishing grounds in one of the quiet bays. This boat accommodates up to 12 guests on board, and all of us who are fortunate enough to stay there, enjoy the longest fishing day on the coast. Like the QCL 5-Star main lodge it also features a private chef, but the Driftwood has a crew that are such characters, they remind me at times of the cast on the old tv series Gilligan’s Island. Always friendly, always helpful, but just a tad bit off the wall. The fact they are like that is probably why I, and so many others who stay there actually fit right in. It’s the perfect place for the keenest of anglers with a sense of humour, who just can’t bear to leave the water after a great day’s fishing.

The fishing is always good but depending on the various runs of salmon and when they are passing through, some years have been better than others. It’s never ever boring though, even on days when the fish are not biting very well, because on any given day you are going to likely have up close and personal visits from killer whales, Humpback whales, eagles, sea lions, and a myriad of different kinds of sea birds. Some days the sunsets are spectacular as well. For me, every day spent there is an adventure and I have acquired many fond memories over the years, one of which would be impossible to forget, because the chances of it happening again are pretty much 0 and none. This is the story of the Miracle on Hali-Hill.

On a dead flat calm morning, my fishing guide, Lance Mercer, suggested we try for halibut at a place the locals call Halibut-Hill. It’s quite a distance from the preferred salmon fishing grounds, but on days when the water is calm and the weather is nice, it is usually only a 25-30 minute boat ride from where the Driftwood is anchored. Fish 75 to 150 lbs are not uncommon, and according to Lance, this was THE place we had our best chance to hook a monster. Water depths range from 250 to 300+ feet so when fishing with a heavy weight and a spreader bar set-up it can be quite tiring just to reel the line up from the bottom repeatedly. The guides here back-troll and drift this spot trying to avoid snags on the bottom, but the bottom and subsequent structure, is where large halibut spend much of their time feeding, so it’s worth taking the chance. The possession limit in this region for halibut is 2 and only one of the two halibut in your possession may be over 83cm in length, and the maximum length for retainment of a fish is 133cm. The previous day in another location I had already boated my ‘under 83’ so today we were looking specifically for the ‘over’. We had plenty of action almost immediately and I caught a beautiful 11 lb. red snapper (delicious eating fish) and we hooked several smaller halibut in the first hour. We were using two heavy halibut rods and had one out on each side of the boat. We had just elected to drop the baits close to the bottom, and put the rods in the rod holders to give us a break from constantly holding the rod and jigging. Suddenly, the front rod right behind Lance was hit with a solid bite. “Fish on Lance… Grab the rod!” I shouted. Lance had just set the hook and said it felt like a heavy fish. Without warning, I almost instantly heard a loud crack on the back rod right beside me. I turned quickly, just in time to see my rod and reel leaving the boat as the apparent bite was so hard it had snapped the rod right out of the holder and tilted it downwards. In an effort to save the tackle, I dipped my arm into the water and took a wild swipe at the rod, narrowly missing it, as it plunged to the ocean bottom.

Lance looked at me and said, “Don’t know what might have hit that bait but whatever it was it had to be huge, but let’s not cry over spilled milk. Take this rod and reel this one in.”  I was still in a state of shock from losing some very expensive tackle but I complied and was soon battling another fish. Several times the reel’s drag screamed out line and as every fisherman knows that’s music to the ears because it’s very likely of the large variety. The standoff continued for several minutes but I was gradually making progress and I knew I was winning and tiring this fish out.  As the minutes ticked by it became basically a dead weight with not much fight left in it.  As is so often the case though, the really big fish do a final run for freedom once they spot the boat so I was careful.  Slowly but surely I continued reeling with the rod tip up and I allowed no slack in the line. Then we finally saw it! It was over 5 feet long! Both our jaws dropped in amazement! BUT it was NOT a fish, it was none other than the rod and reel I had lost 15 minutes earlier, and I had it hooked on the line just below the rod tip.  Both fish had somehow gotten off, and even though we had drifted at least 1 to 2 km across the open ocean I had managed to somehow snag the line in the process and get all my tackle back. Both of the rod’s baits were stripped clean. Lance ‘high fived’ me and chuckled “You got your over today F.J.”

Just another day on the magic waters of Haida Gwaii.

 

 

F.J. Hurtak is the author of the books ‘Elk Hunting in the Kootenays’, and ‘Hunting the Antlered Big Game of the Kootenays’, and is also a very avid fisherman.

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QCL TERMS & CONDITIONS

At QCL we strive to make every visit to our facility a truly enjoyable and memorable experience.  To enable all of our guests to enjoy their QCL experience to the fullest, we have terms and conditions which apply to all our guests and are aimed at ensuring that all our guests comport themselves in a way that is respectful of the lodge, our staff and their fellow quests.  By agreeing to participate in a trip with QCL, all guests will be deemed to have agreed to the following:

INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR

All of the staff and guests at QCL have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.  As a responsible employer and host, we believe that we have a duty to our staff and guests to protect them from inappropriate behaviour by any guest.  Inappropriate behaviour will include drunkenness, profanity, racial or discriminatory comments, unwelcome physical contact or innuendo, excess noise and any other behaviour which is rude, disrespectful, discriminatory or otherwise considered to be inappropriate by any member of QCL’s staff or any other guest.  Final decisions regarding inappropriate behavior and the appropriate consequences for the applicable party will rest with QCL’s Duty Manager.  The Lodge reserves the right to take such action regarding the party found to have acted inappropriately as the Lodge determines to be appropriate, which may include requiring the party to leave the Lodge immediately (all associated transportation costs being borne by the party found to have acted inappropriately) and where necessary involving the police or other appropriate outside agencies.  

RELEASE OF LIABILITY

QCL is a wilderness fishing lodge and guests are participating in sport fishing activities on the open ocean, all of which carry inherent risks.  All guests therefore use QCL’s lodge, boats and other facilities, as well as the aircraft and helicopters with which they travel to or from the Lodge, at their own risk, and all guests voluntarily assume all risks associated with their travel to and from the Lodge and all sport fishing activities, including all risks or personal injury, including the potential for serious injury or death, whether as a result of their own actions or the actions of QCL staff, guides, suppliers, contractors or other guests, or through other circumstances, including weather conditions.  

Therefore, all guests, by choosing to travel to and from QCL, stay at the QCL Lodge, use any QCL equipment or facilities, and/or participate in any sport fishing activities (collectively, the “Trip Activities”) and in consideration of QCL permitting them to do so:

  1. voluntarily assume all risks associated with participation in any Trip Activities, including all risks of physical injury, however caused;

  2. release Queen Charlotte Lodge Ltd. and its directors, officers, shareholders, employees and contractors (collectively, the “QCL Parties”) from any and all claims, liability or causes of action whatsoever which arise from or relate to any Trip Activities, from any cause whatsoever and whether or not caused or contributed to by any defect or other condition in the Lodge property or any dock, boat or other piece of equipment, or any act, omission or negligence of any QCL Party.  

SMOKING

In British Columbia, the Tobacco & Vapour Products Control Act prohibits smoking or vaping in any common areas of the Lodge such as lobbies, hallways, and restaurants.  QCL, as a matter of Lodge policy and because our buildings are wood frame and located in a remote area with limited firefighting facilities, also prohibits smoking or vaping within any guest rooms.  Smoking and vaping are permitted outside of Lodge buildings, as long as guests are more than six metres away from all doorways, open windows or air intakes around the Lodge.

Any breach of these smoking rules is subject to a fine/additional fee of $200, on account of QCL’s costs associated with rectifying the affected environment.

DAMAGE TO LODGE PROPERTY

Guests will be charged for all costs and damages incurred by QCL, including the full cost of rectifying any damage to any Lodge property (including boats and motors, dock structures and any Lodge building), which such guest causes either deliberately or through negligence or recklessness.  Should this damage come to light after the guest has departed, the guest authorizes QCL to charge the full amount of such costs to the guest’s credit/debit card, or send an invoice for the amount due to the guest’s address in our records.  While QCL will take reasonable steps to keep the costs chargeable to the guest to a minimum, if the damage is such that a room or boat is rendered unusable for a period of time, the guest will be liable for any loss of revenue that the Lodge suffers while the room or boat is being repaired.

REMOVAL OF LODGE PROPERTY

Guests will be charged for all costs of replacing any items that are removed from the premises by the guest without QCL’s consent or which are so damaged or stained by the guest as to be unusable.  The charge will be the full replacement amount of the missing or damaged item, including any carriage charges.  Should the fact that the item is missing or damaged come to light after the guest has departed, the guest authorizes QCL to charge the full amount of such costs to the guest’s credit/debit card, or send an invoice for the amount due to the guest’s address in our records.

TAMPERING WITH FIRE DETECTION SYSTEMS AND FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT

Tampering or interfering with any fire detection or fire suppression equipment at the Lodge is an extremely serious matter.  QCL reserves the right to take immediate action against any guest found to have tampered or interfered with any fire detection or suppression equipment throughout the Lodge, including detector heads in public areas and bedrooms, break glass points and fire extinguishers. Guests found to have tampered with any fire detection or fire fighting equipment will be charged for all costs incurred by the Lodge due to their actions and additionally may be asked to leave the Lodge. Depending on the severity of the guest actions, the Police may become involved at the Lodge’s discretion.  Should the fact that fire fighting or detection equipment had been tampered with come to light after the guest has departed, the guest authorizes QCL to charge the full amount of such costs to the guest’s credit/debit card, or send an invoice for the amount due to the guest’s address in our records.

LOSS OF PERSONAL ITEMS

None of the QCL Parties is liable or responsible for any loss of or damage to any guest’s personal property or valuables while the guest is staying at the Lodge. 

DIETARY OR ALLERGY CONSIDERATIONS

At QCL we do our very best to accommodate our guests with dietary requirements, food sensitivities, allergies and health conditions to the extent possible.  If a guest advises us in advance that they suffer from a food sensitivity or allergy or have other dietary requirements, we will endeavor to provide suitable menu or beverage options, such as gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan options.  However, QCL does not and cannot operate a gluten-, allergen- or meat or dairy-free kitchen, and cross-contamination from work surfaces, cooking utensils and other sources may occur.  Our cooking facilities and ingredients are not kosher or halal-compliant.  Many allergens such as nuts, gluten and shellfish may be present in our kitchen and we cannot ensure that cross-contamination or simple human errors will not occur.  Any guest with a food sensitivity, allergy or dietary requirement must discuss their needs with QCL staff prior to arrival at our Lodge, to determine whether we will be able to accommodate their needs appropriately.  QCL cannot accept any responsibility or liability for our guests’ food sensitivities, allergies or dietary requirements. 

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Guests are responsible for, and will pay to QCL on demand:

  1. the full balance due under their account at the end of each trip, including amounts payable under any of the above terms and conditions as well as alcohol and other purchases and staff tips charged to the guest’s account; and

  2. where the guest has booked the trip on behalf of multiple persons in a single party (a “Group”), the full balance due under the account of each Group member, if such Group member has failed to pay all or any portion of their account, including any amounts payable by such Group member under any of the above terms and conditions as well as alcohol and other purchases and staff tips charged to the guest’s account.

Guests specifically authorize QCL to charge the full amount of such costs to the guest’s credit/debit card, or send an invoice for the amount due to the guest’s address in our records.

BREACH

Management of the Lodge reserves the right, in its absolute discretion, to ask any guest to leave the Lodge in the event of non-compliance with any of these terms and conditions (all associated transportation costs being borne by the non-complying guest).