The only reason that I miss the Northwest...Thanks Grant...

The fishing on the Quesnel River hasn't been good...water too high and rather stained as compared to usual at this time of year, but as you can see, we found other ways to amuse ourselves there.... ... The Blackwater has been very fun. Rainbows from wee lads right up to very respectable 18-19 inch fish all day long on dry flies. Tough to beat that for enjoyment, I do love fishing dry's. On average we'd each release 20-30 fish a day, but there were a few slow days were I only released maybe 5-6 fish.

Whitefish are one of my favorite target species. Most people here consider them "garbage fish", but they're out of their minds. They eat nothing but nymphs and fish eggs, very much like trout. Taste great, all be it they are a little bony, but a very nice white meat fish. They bulldog like a Brookie in the way they fight and have a real knack for wrapping you in timber. I fish them with a floating line, strike indicator and I tie a very heavy Brook's Stone fly Nymph for them, usually in a dark grey or brown.

I'm including a few pictures from this past weekend. I camped up at Ghost Lake in the Cariboo Mountains east of my home town. What a beautiful area, I'm going to be spending a lot more time out there after this past weekend. Probably take a few posts to get them all in....Sorry, I'm a shutter bug... ...Gotta love digital cameras.....

and another.....

Last one....

Grant just LOVES making me home sick...Beeaauuttiiffuulll...

I'm with ya Bushy...absolutely beautiful, some of the most picturesque country I've seen.

Thanks for the pics Grant...but I don't know how much more Bushy can take mate.

I expect a heap of Canada pics from my daughter soon...she leaves for a 12 month holiday in Canada next Wednesday...hey, that's tomorrow. She's starting in the BC area staying at either Vancouver or Nanaimo (where her fiancee grew up studying Orca) then branching out from there.

Cheers, Vince

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing!

Vince wrote:

I'm with ya Bushy...absolutely beautiful, some of the most picturesque country I've seen. Thanks for the pics Grant...but I don't know how much more Bushy can take mate. I expect a heap of Canada pics from my daughter soon...she leaves for a 12 month holiday in Canada next Wednesday...hey, that's tomorrow. She's starting in the BC area staying at either Vancouver or Nanaimo (where her fiancee grew up studying Orca) then branching out from there. Cheers, Vince

Yeah well, I guess Bushy is just gonna have to get his butt in gear and come see it for himself.... ....Come up in the fall some year Bushy and we'll go kill somethin.... ....(wow, that sould like the begining to a good childrens book!.... )

That's awesome Vince! I know she'll enjoy a year long trek around Canada. Oh to be young again and be able to bugger off for a year like that...OY!..That would be so fun. You'll have to follow in her foot steps one year yourself, maybe in the fall too...maybe the year Bushy heads back out west and a little farther north...

One could only hope Grant...I've been all up and down the west coast of Canada when I was in the Navy on a mine sweep.

Vince...Speaking of the Navy...When I was Chief Engineer on torpedo firing crafts we used to moor in Nanoose Bay up by Nanaimo. The Navy had a deep water torpedo range in the Georga straits...

Grant, I know my daughter will be having a ball whilst over there. She has a working visa so it is a working holiday for her. She is a fully qualified Chef and Child Care worker so she shouldn't have any problems finding work.

Its only cost her about AUD$6000 so far...that's 4K in the bank plus return air fares, so it isn't out of the reach of most people. I'd love to visit the US and Canada...hopefully one day.

Bushy...TK (daughters partner) grew up in Naniamo with his uncle and aunt. They had the marine study boat Orca and he spent a good deal of his early life aboard. He got his degree in Marine Biology there.

Cheers, Vince

Cheers, Vince