How To Catch Fish and Trap Crabs – Part 1

The First Mate may not be a consummate sailor person, but she is determined to be a successful fisher person. Aboard Avante, we are going to fish for salmon and trap crabs! The Captain is not so enthusiastic. In fact, he is downright negative, but she forges ahead. When we were first in Sidney, she had dragged him into a store to purchase a collapsible crab trap. As it’s not a small thing, she wanted to make sure he at least approved that it could go on the boat, even if he really didn’t approve the need or the use of it. She found out that the crab trap was only one part of the whole set up. We also needed a bait box, a floating marker and about 100 feet of sinkable line. She was told we were lucky this trap came with a weight or we’d have to buy that too. She is now $100.00 into this venture, but all that remains is to purchase a license or licenses for the various sea life she hopes to capture. The Captain is too impatient to traipse with her to the shop where such licenses are sold, but that can be done in Victoria. At least, she has the trap. She may not be sure how to use it or where and when to use it, but at least she has it.

Now in Victoria, she finally finds out where to buy a license. None of this “finding of fishing information” is coming easily. When she goes to the store, she is told that she just needs one license. That’s a relief. One license will cover fishing, crabbing and digging for sea life. That sounds good to her, but it will be $6.35 more to be able to keep the salmon she catches. Now why else would anyone want to fish? Fishing, crabbing — it’s all about food to her; putting dinner on the table. So, she tells the nice young man that, of course, she wants to be able to keep her salmon and how much will the total be? $117 !!!, but it’s good for a year. That’s nice. Can she get a refund if she only needs it for 4 ½ months? Of course not. So now she is $217 into this venture without a salmon or crab in sight, and she is still not sure how to use any of the equipment. She next is told that she is at a fly fishing store, and they don’t know anything about her type of ocean fishing, but they know where she can go. Off she marches to a store with the improbable name of “Iron Works” for fishing gear. Naturally, the guy she needs to talk to is out to lunch. She hangs around looking at these impossible looking fishing gadgets until he returns. He doesn’t appear to know much more than she does, or she starts to suspect he just doesn’t want to let her in on trade secrets, but he does sell her some crazy looking bright metal things with nasty hooks on the end and 2 books: “How to Catch Crabs” and “103 Fishing Secrets”. She still doesn’t know much more than when she started out the day except that she is now $267 into this and still doesn’t know how to get the food on the table. She figures that she and The Captain could have at least 2 crab dinners with wine at a nice restaurant overlooking the boats in the harbor, and life would be much easier, less complicated, and marital bliss aboard the good ship would continue.

It is now the end of the day, and she is not much further along in her quest for equipment and enlightenment on crabbing or fishing. So, her next brainstorm is to ask the 3 guys on the small fishing boat at the dock ahead of us if they would not help a damsel in need. They, of course, are flattered to be asked, and she gets her first chuckle of the day watching the three of them trying to give her a life time’s lesson on fishing for salmon. They rig up a line for her. It starts with a weight (8 – 10 oz.) which she does not have, as the man in “Iron Works” didn’t think of or want to clue her in about weights. Then about 3 feet of line before a “flasher” is attached. Doesn’t have that either because of the same reasons above. Then another 3-4 feet of line before something called a “spoon” is attached with a hook at the very end. She is now told that there are different sizes of weights, different flashy flashers and same applies to the spoons. Each man has his own opinion about which works best and/or which the fish (the fish?) like best, all of which she dutifully writes down in her little book. Meanwhile, she is looking at this contraption wondering if they are just trying to put one over on her for a good laugh later that evening, for if they are telling her the Gospel truth, she is sure now that salmon are really, really dumb. All these shiny metal gadgets to attract the fish’s interest, but nary a worm or bit of fish food in sight? Why would any living body even think of putting that thing in its mouth? The fish are making her feel good. She may have spent $267 so far with nothing to show, but at least she doesn’t go chasing after shiny objects ending up with a hook down her throat and on somebody’s dinner plate. The guys take pity on her and give her the contraption they rigged up. Only they don’t have a spare weight but assure her that one can be purchased at the fuel dock on the way out of the harbor tomorrow. Sure — and The Captain’s going to stop at that fuel dock on the way out of the harbor when we are already fueled and ready to go? Maybe she can buy one somewhere in Desolation Sound. If not, she just better break even on the crabs. Eighteen, just a mere 18, ought to do it.

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The blog entries for 2006 have been transferred over from another site, but the comments from friends could not be brought over into the “Comments” section of this blog, they have been added below, for we do want to keep them as a memory.

Beth Moore said: OK, this one gave me quite a laugh tonight. I do hope you get your crabs. I am enjoying reading your blog. I may try this on our next trip. BethMay 29, 2007 at 11:05 PM

Anonymous said: What a great adventure- worth every penny, and crab- who would have thought– Good to hear from you and with some humor- keep Bill smiling. take care, Deb May 30, 2007 at 6:06 AM

Anonymous said: Hi Sue, Good luck on the crabbing and fishing. You’re learning! You need to bait the crab traps, so use fish heads, etc., from all those salmon you catch. Instead of a weight on your salmon rig, you can use a “dippsy diver”, which takes the line deep but releases the diver function when the fish pulls on the line– I think it is easier than weights. Salmon fishing spoons and flashers come in hundreds of sizes, colors, etc. You need to have a good inventory and a tackle box, of course. (More $). And you need a big net on a pole to lift the fish out of the water up onto the boat, otherwise you will lose fish as the hook gets torn out of the mouth when you lift it up on the line–Bill will enjoy storing that net! Some regulations require you only can keep crabs of a certain size and sex– good luck sorting out the keepers from all of those crabs you will get in your trap! This is called “sport fishing”, which, as you will learn, means “totally uneconomic, but fun, fishing”. Sounds like a great time. John May 30, 2007 at 8:50 AM

Sheila & Stephen Wald said: Sue, We were in stitches reading your tome on crabs. You missed your calling as a comedy writer. Sheila has had some experience in Alaskan fishing waters herself, having caught many crab and halibut. She will be glad to give you the benefit of her techincal experience, however you will be an expert by the time we are on board. May 30, 2007 at 1:00 PM