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Customer Comments August, 2007....Check out Mark's fantastic blog. August, 2007...Fred & Smokey from Indiana August, 2007......Cathy, Desmond & family from the Cayman Islands Chris was our main guide and tried so hard to get us a tyee but we were unsuccessful. Desmond and I had to settle for a 22 lb King each - which really isn't anything to grumble at! Desmond's was the white flesh, and I got the pink, so we got one of each to bring home to try out on the bbq. Hannah is an excellent cook, and the food was in abundance, and VERY generous portions. Hannah catered superbly to our individual whims and no one can complain about leaving the lodge hungry - and, yes, we did put on some pounds like you predicted! We knew our son would enjoy the fishing, but when our daughter even said she would like to go back next year and that comment, coming from a girl who loves a mall, is quite a compliment! Although a contributing factor could be that she loves babies and adored Robyn, and with Hannah expecting # 2, there'll be two babies next year!!! The lodge was very comfortable with lovely hot showers and the lighting was so adequate that I think only my son used his flashlight once. Thanks for all your help and great tips in organising this holiday for us." June, 2007...Walter from Seattle August, 2005....Jack from New Jersey Chris & Hannah are dedicated to the fisherman. I knew within minutes of arriving at the Lodge that management & Guides took fishing seriously. My group could not have wished for better fishing with people who know what they are doing and like what they do. The meals Hannah prepared for us were better than most we get at home. We all looked forward to the evening dinner for not only superb food, but to have fun discussing the day. We saw bear, otter, whales & eagles which, for people from the East coast is a real treat, and an unending source of dinner conversation. Although every member of the staff at the Lodge was super, I would personally like to thank my guide Steve, for not only being a fine young man, and a good, hard fisherman, but for also catching me an 80 lb. Halibut and a 34 lb Salmon. His Marine Biology schooling gave him a fascinating knowledge of the environment which he was able to share with to us as we fished. Speaking for myself & our group I want to thank all of you at Blackfish Lodge for one of the best weeks we have ever had in the most beautiful of settings we've ever seen."
Diane & Bob, Northern California But what really made the trip was Chris, Hannah, Carrie and Stephen. Hannah whipped up the most delicious fare from her kitchen. From early morning breakfasts to the the last morsel of dessert at the evening meal we were spoiled with a variety of dishes that kept our taste buds anticipating the next meal. Carrie was a most gracious helper, always with a smile anything one would ask for she was there to make sure it was granted. Hot tea, a sweet with my coffee, even a alcohol swab for a sore ear lobe. Steve, such fun and a good guide. He seemed to really enjoy driving the boats, took care that all occupants were comfortable. And of course making every effort to see that the guests caught some fish. And Chris, this man is one in a million. A true dyed in the wool outdoorsman. He would get more excited that we did when we had a fish on the line. It was just as much fun watching Chris than my husband or me when we had a "fish on". His knowledge of the area, the fishing and the history kept us wanting to see more and venture out into different areas. We had planned to do the Wakeman float trip, but opted to get another day of fishing in. The float trip is put on hold until next year. We hope to return next year around the same time. Thank you again for such a memorable experience."
Caren & Friends, Seattle Thursday the tide change was probably at 4:30 am or so. We got to Flower Island about 6:00. There was no action early. Around 9 or 10 am it seemed like the bite was on. Julie caught a couple of Kings around 22 and 21 lbs. Debbie caught one about 24 lbs. But Liz and I with Alan were skunked for keepers, until about 3 pm when I caught a 27 lb at The Wall. The weather was completely clear skies, but windy with small craft advisories. We saw humpbacks breaching several times that day. Looked to me like they were frolicking in the sun! Also saw Killer whales several times. We went in probably about 7 pm, ate dinner about 8:30. Hannah fixed an amazing bounty of food again for dinner, including eggplant casserole, leg of lamb, and Pavlova for dessert. (The finest Pavlova I have ever had. The fruit was marinated in rum and banana liqueur. Nothing on your web site says anything about "gourmet" cooking!). Friday we were at Flower Island just at tide change (about 5:30am). Debbie caught a 32lb probably around 6 or 6:30. I caught a 19 lb early too. Liz and Julie were fishing with Chris. Liz caught a 15 lb Chinook, and Julie caught a 29lb. At about noon Debbie, Alan and I went to Craig (?) Rock. Julie, Liz and Chris stayed at Flower Island all day. At the end of the day, Debbie, Alan and I just couldn’t quit to go in so we went to fish at Flower Island a bit. We had to fish for just 15 more minutes! Sure enough, Debbie hooked into a nice 22 lb. Everyone caught more Coho that day, but we kind of lost count on how many and how big since we couldn’t keep them. They are fun though!! The weather was beautiful and not as windy as the day before. We saw the humpbacks several times during the day again, and the killer whales. The gourmet dinner this night was baked salmon, T-bone steak, more cracked crab (my request), salad, veggies, and homemade butterscotch pudding.
Should the other girls read this recollection of events,
they might need to correct me as to what time or who caught which fish
where, but there’s no exaggerating here about how great a trip it
was. We have pictures to back it up, so this ain´t no "fish
story"!
The first day we were there, Tim’s step-dad, Gordy, caught a 37 pounder that was absolutely beautiful. I assumed that this would be the "trophy" of the trip. It was a trophy all right, but not the biggest one by far. The next day I caught one that weighed in at 44 lbs (back at the dock 3 or 4 hours later) and was 43 inches long. To say I was excited was an understatement. It looked like a submarine in the water the first time it came to the boat...I kept praying, please don’t let me lose this fish!!!!! Needless to say, that is one Tyee who is currently sitting at the taxidermist as we speak. I’ll send the pictures soon! And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, my uncle lands a monster (55 lbs) the next morning!!!!! Can you believe the luck we had??? Beautiful weather, great fishing, eagles, bears, whales, seals, porpoises, incredible scenery, and wonderful cooking (which oh by the way is causing me to do some drastic dieting this week)!!! All in all, we each limited out on the Kings, caught
and released numerous 12-13 lb Cohos, and had a blast fly-fishing for
trout with flies we tied the night before... one of them on the first
cast of the day with a fly that I tied! I also caught a 38 lb Ling cod
that I hooked within 30 seconds (no lie) of dropping the lure to the bottom.
On the last morning of the trip, I hooked into a monster halibut that
snapped 100lb test line and busted the handle off a reel.....It would
have taken us all day to reel him in. My next trip I will have to prepare
with some weight training!!!!! This has indeed been the trip I have always
dreamed about. Like McArthur said, I shall return. "
Flying with Dave as "co-pilot" on the Otter was a blast. Get two old pilots in the front seat and fly 500 feet off the water sets the scene for the making of a GREAT Fishing Trip...... Needless to say, I got some fantastic video from the right seat of the Otter. The ocean bay, rivers, islands, pines, mountains, fresh air, stars, and all its settings made a beautiful background for this ole Texan. I would have to say it is the "Fishing trip of a lifetime ". Ah yes, fishing. We caught several Kings (Tyees) in the neighborhood of 30+ lbs. We also caught a Ling Cod about 25 lbs. We caught and released Cohos daily in the 8 to 20 pounds class. We also caught and brought home several pink salmon. My son-in -law is still in the clouds. We really enjoyed the deep water fishing and catching the big fish, but Wakeman River trip was the most fun. I tackled three Cohos between 8 to 15 lbs. in the river which I fought for at least two hours all together. Scott also got a few Coho in the river and also hooked several cutthroat trout. It made my trip; catching, fighting, and releasing some of the nicest fish that I have ever caught in my life. Meeting Steve...on the Wakeman River was a "Hoot". I would have loved to have visited with him more. After a long day fishing 12 to 14 hours, nothing was better that setting down to a glass of wine and a gourmet meal. Even on the boat, I couldn’t wait to see what the girls had packed for our lunch. I only gained five pounds. Chris is the best guide that I have ever been with. I have fished U.S. Mexico etc.. and no one I have fished with has met his professional ability that he showed to us. He is patient, knowledgeable, fun, and has a burning desire to please his clients and catch fish. The bottom line is that he will see that his clients will hook lots of fish and have fun. I also want to thank you for your many emails and information.
Things went very smoothly as far as getting there and back home. Without
all your emails, etc.., this trip would have not been nearly as pleasant.
Now its time to close, light up a cigar, sip some Glenlevitt, and reminisce
of a fishing trip of a lifetime. Thanks partner!"
Our hosts provided a most friendly and cozy retreat, just as advertised. The food was superb, the fishing was great, and our hard working personal guide, ( Al Johnson ), did an incredible job of keeping our bait in the water, while tending the motor and netting fish. My son Paul, landed his first real salmon, a 28 pounder, which was followed a short time later by a 33 pounder. I also landed a 28 pound king and an 18 pound hooknose silver. Together we must have caught and released over a dozen other nice sized silvers. We were able to bring back well over 100 pounds of cleaned fresh salmon, ( kings and silvers), which Al had packed into a large Styrofoam cooler for our travel back home. The combination of Pacific Coastal from Vancouver, and CorilAir from Campbell River, worked out very well, with no more than a one hour stopover in each direction. CorilAir charged $ .75 (CAN) a pound for the extra weight of fish, and Pacific Coastal did not charge extra since we were under the limit by carrying one of our bags onto the plane. The shuttle van service from the main airport in Campbell River arrived promptly and delivered us to the seaplane base about ten minutes later. This was a wonderful trip that I would recommend to
anybody looking for a smaller, quieter, and more personalized resort experience.
Thanks for your help Rick.”
Chris is unequaled as a fishing guide. .......We caught a good number of fish every day and at the end we got a couple of "tyees" [chinook salmon 30 lbs or more], which was a fitting pinnacle to the trip. If you have customers who are fishing fanatics, Chris
is the guide for them. The lodge at Blackfish was a welcome comfortable
haven with delicious food and soft warm beds. All in all, it was a hard
place to leave at the end of the trip."
It was a real pleasure to watch a true professional
fishing guide at work. Chris Bennett combines the skill of a man who knows
the waters of the area with someone who respects nature......It is a pleasure
to highly recommend Blackfish Lodge to anyone who is interested in salmon
fishing as we remember it in the past.....It was hard to leave after 3
days, but we will be back next year."
Back at the lodge Chris has a great team. He has a wonderful cook. She will get up at 3 a.m. to make sure you’ll get the right breakfast for a hard fishing day, she will supply you with freshly baked cakes, crab sandwiches and soups for the boat and when you get back at night she will have her four course dinner ready. To sum it up: I enjoy nature and wildlife, I enjoy
good fishing in nice company and I enjoy great food; Black Fish Lodge
offered me exactly that!" |
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