The day was clear, sunny and calm as we set out for a great day of fishing on Chatham Sound. After trolling for about fifteen minutes we suddenly had an explosive hit on the starboard rod. In an instant one of my guests was playing a good size Chinook (King). As I began to retrieve the port line I felt a slight tug. It was then that another massive Chinook jumped about three feet out of the water. As I called for my other guest to grab the rod and play this second fish, I suddenly heard a familiar but undesirable noise. It was the sound of a killer whale coming up for a breath. I turned and there it was, just three meters from the stern of our boat. At that moment, I realized there was not one but two massive Bull Killer Whales chasing the double header of salmon we had on both lines. The race was on to see who would be the fastest. Typically in this situation the whales most often win. It was an exciting close-up spectacle as both salmon were being pulled from our side and chased from the whales’ side. One of the salmon swam right towards the boat. In a lightening fast move the net was dropped and the salmon scooped, just as the whale broke the surface and grabbed the fish inside the net. Needless to say the net was lost, as the net man stood shocked and frozen as he looked almost eye to eye with a Killer Whale. Despite the excitement, the boys still wanted me to defy the whales and keep them from capturing the remaining salmon. Things were going well for about three minutes. I was able to see the whale chasing the salmon and it was obvious the whale was no match for the salmon’s agility and high speed maneuvering. Suddenly the salmon changed direction and the big bull anticipated the maneuver. In the blink of an eye the whale turned his head just slightly and chomped down, severing the entire tail of the Chinook salmon. The fish was defeated, his only means of propulsion and escape gone in a single effortless bite. It was only a matter of time before the whale would finish his meal. I quickly reeled the paralyzed fish to the stern and gave the rod over to the nearest set of hands. I grabbed my camera and after a second or two the whale came up right behind the boat and finished off the salmon as I shot fifteen of the closest whale photos I have ever taken. Now that’s a fish story! And one with pictures to prove it!
SHARK!
It was a great day, dead calm, and we were all having a great time. All of a sudden the starboard halibut rod started to bounce, so I quickly took hold of the rod and set the hook. The fight was on! After an exhausting battle and a lot of cranking, the fish approached the surface. It was at this time that I noticed my guest had a very peculiar look on his face. As the sinister-looking beast broke the surface I could see why. Hooked on the end of his line was a 6 ft. Blue Shark. Being from Wyoming, this guy had never seen a shark up close except in the movie JAWS. So we took a closer look... There’s quite a bite more to this story, which you’ll have to hear on the boat...
