Being on the water is how I find solace, which comes in many forms. One of which, new to me, came after an invitation to go salmon fishing in a remote area of British Columbia.

It’s a place that’s long been on my list as a sailor, and so it was fishing that opened the door to a remarkable recce. The scale and remoteness are breathtaking. Access, without time and a liveaboard boat, makes for mind-boggling logistics.

An hour’s flight north from Vancouver is followed by a helicopter for the final hop. Something that we would baulk at but seems bread and butter to the locals. A marked drop in temperature heralds Alaska, which is clearly visible above the horizon.

The flight north offers a bird’s eye view of the coast with its innumerable islands, bays, glaciers, icebergs and snug anchorages. Swirling tides are clearly visible as they heave through the many choke points. Irresistible to any yachtsman with a bit of adventure in their blood. Through the porthole I find myself cooking up a plan.

Why not ship Oddity to Quebec, sail the Great Lakes, strap her to a truck and drive through the Rockies to Vancouver. Just the sort of thing she was designed for.

It always amazes me how the planets can line up. I randomly fly into Vancouver just as Adriano and Marissa sail in on Voyager. You may recall a previous column: in a year, they went from rookies who needed to be shown how to pole out a headsail to crossing the Atlantic, exploring the Caribbean, sailing up the eastern seaboard and pushing through the North West Passage. Their stories of derring-do are irresistible.

What’s a fishing trip like? Pretty cool actually, particularly if you’ve never done it before. I wondered if I might get a bit bored hanging about for a fish to grab the hook, but not at all. Much like a non-sailor marvelling that you can spend hours on the helm staring at tell tail and compass, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

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There’s something otherworldly when it all comes together and so we find ourselves unconsciously whispering in reverence as the line slices still waters to leave a delicate ‘v’ in its wake. Beneath the mirror lies an unseen world we plumb with hook and bait. It’s a game of hope, skill, patience and camaraderie. A family united by wilderness and common cause.

It’s not really about the fish, it’s far more than that. A timeless activity passed down through time from early man to modern. The equipment might have changed but the spirit hasn’t. A link in our DNA chain between nature’s heartbeat and mankind. Peace is broken by the twitch of a rod and the thrill of the catch. Barbless hooks mean many get away but the success of the hunter-gatherer is primal.

Catches are restricted and everything recorded for purposes of conservation. Everything is eaten, there is no waste and so balance is maintained. The guides are passionate fishermen who seem at one with the delicate balance of nature. Indeed, Canada as a whole seems well aware of its natural blessings; within the false construct of national borders they won the lottery with the encompassing of an amazing wilderness. They are nice people and it’s a civilised country.

I’m well aware that my introduction to fishing was about the best you can get but going forward I shall invest in a rod and some tackle for Oddity. I have a speargun which I was never without when we cruised Pearl of Penzance, but why not drop a line over the side. It’ll open up what lies below and put fresh food on the table.

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