Over the years I’ve spent a steady amount of time in Barkley Sound.
In early Big Coast days I fished the Sound ton with Mikey Evans and Jes McFarlen at Parksville Boathouse and spent time on the troll with a number of nefarious West Coast Vancouver Island characters. Like the slightly famous Kenny Myers, Mel Stella of Julia Pass infamy and an odd assortment of Oak Bay types from Ucluelet. Over the years that strange Barkley Sound realm expanded to include all the tuna yahoos in Bamfield and Jeff Hanak and Dan Brunet rom Eagle Nook.
And it was through one of those early Bamfield Tuna Shootout chats with Jeff and Dan the Eagle Nook seed was sewn. My work with Jeff has evolved as well after he took on the roll of main Garmin guy for BC. I’m a big fan of all things Garmin and working with Jeff on all things boat electronics on our Bridgeview BV30 is just awesome!
So the time came after talk at Vancouver Boat Show and BC Outdoors Show that I’d make the run to Barkley Sound. This wasn’t a big deal in old Big Coast days as we kept the boat in Parksville and simply towed it across to Port Alberni to launch. Now my summer base is Bella Bella so the Eagle Nook trip necessitated a big 5-hour run down to Port Hardy then an additional 8-hour rip down through Johnstone Strait to Parksville. Then a beauty tow from All-Tow to the Clutesi Launch.
When time came to make the trip in June, we fired up the big Mercury Twin 350 V10 SeaPros and sent her Southbound. The trip was sweet and the tow easy. In no time I was on the old Howard Point tack before making my way to Eagle Nook Resort.
Now Eagle Nook is a truly special place. The lodge itself is set on a wonderful piece of land adjacent to Vernon Bay in Barkley Sound…as fine a BC West Coast setting as anywhere. And the access to fishing is incredible. Salmon tacks are everywhere…situated in protected inside waters or on the outside and wide open Pacific (depending on time of year of course). And the Eagle Nook guys are decidedly multi-species with a ton of halibut and ling cod skills.
Eagle Nook may also have the best guide room in the business, with Dan and Jeff leading the show and a veteran cast which includes Pat Ahern and Chris Gurr. The fishing is early morning and typically done mid-afternoon. Fish processing is almost too good…and Jeff wields one of the meanest knives on the Coast.The lodge is super comfortable and dining top-notch. You can sign up for a fully guided program or even bring your own boat. Above all, the whole crew and culture at Eagle Nook is perfect laid back West Coast style!
I was incredibly fortunate to fish with Jeff and Ted Lloyd from Garmin for our trip and the salmon, halibut and ling cod fishing was incredible. The good times and coastal camaraderie were even better. Please kick back and enjoy our trip to Eagle Nook. The teaser is on YouTube and episode airs this weekend on World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel Canada, CHEKTV, CKPGTV, CFJCTV and CHATTV. Please check https://bigcoasttv.com/tvsked/ for TV schedule.
A Big Coast thanks to Jeff, Dan and the whole Eagle Nook family for hosting us in Barkley Sound and West Coast Vancouver Island.
This…is Big Coast!
