McNaughton Group, Queens Sound

Queens Sound is the outer coastal region between the northern end of Calvert Island and Seaforth Channel. The area is best described as undeveloped wilderness... an archipelago with empty outside waters extending as far as the eye can see... exposed rugged shorelines piled high with jumbles of storm-tossed logs... rolling hills covered with a bristling crew cut of struggling evergreens... an amazing maze of channels and passages winding through countless islands, islets and rocks... and more interesting coves and niches than we could visit in a lifetime of cruising. In short, it is a cruising paradise in settled weather and a challenge during storms and/or dense for. This week brought sunshine, warm weather and occasional peppy winds to keep the biting black flies away. Perfect!

The region is well know for its salmon fishery, good fishing but no longer great as in past decades. The canneries have long since disappeared and fishing lodges are now reduced in number, but this week kings, coho and pinks were all plentiful in the area. What? all three species running at the same time? It seemed surprising but it made for fun fishing and great eating. The VHF radio crackled for days with fishermen bragging about their catch-and-release numbers of 20-30-40-50 salmon a day. All right, let's go fishing!

After you admire the blue sky, the perfectly still water and the amazing reflections, then add the anticipation of a just-caught salmon on the barbecue for dinner at night. What a perfect day/week/month in northern B.C.