Dundas Bay

 I received phone calls from two different friends last week letting me know that the weather was great and the fishing was good out in Cross Sound. It was the incentive I needed to bite the bullet and get my behind out there. I've been dealing with some health issues this year and haven't felt up to spending the night on the boat, which a trip to the sound entails. It takes me six hours to get there, so it's not like you can just turn around and leave if you don't like it, at least not very easily. Anyway, on Tuesday I made the trip. I always have heart palpitations when I get close to South Inian Pass. Years ago when I was on my way through the pass with one of the boys, the placid water built up a wall of tidal disturbance that seemed to be about ten feet high. It's one of those places that you can't very well turn around and go back because the current is really smoking through there. We went through and buried the boat a couple times and came out on the other side grateful to have made it, but I get nervous whenever I have to go through there now. Anyway, I made it through and could see out into the sound and there weren't any boats fishing, which, while a little odd wasn't totally uncommon since it was near supper time and lots of boats start early so they end the day early. The next day there still weren't too many boats around, and little sign of fish or feed on the video sounder. I was starting to feel like maybe I made a mistake coming out. Then I talked to one of the guys who had called and he said the fish and the fleet had moved on... go figure. Well, I was already there so I dropped in the gear and fished- for all of two hours. I could feel my blood pressure starting to rise and made the wise decision to bag it and go back through the pass and head towards home and take my chances where I had been fishing. Fortunately the weather was good and I decided to check out North Inian Pass where Dundas Bay is located. It turned out to be a good decision for once. Just one other boat was there and pretty soon I started catching some nice coho salmon. It wasn't record breaking, but I caught enough to make it worth the while. I anchored that night in Earl Cove anticipating a great day tomorrow. When I awoke in the morning the fog was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I managed to work my way over to Dundas Point, but I couldn't even see the shoreline fifty yards away. There is a lot of current there and I was afraid that I would get washed up on the beach while I was distracted out back so I left after a few hours. As you can see I got some nice pictures though. The top two are of Dundas Bay. The third is looking at Middle Pass. I believe that the seiners used to call it the laundry because of all the tidal action there. On the left hand side of the pass is Inian Cove. I anchored there last year and sold my fish to a packer there. What a blow hole! It blew all night long with the wind screaming in the rigging and the boat swinging on the anchor. It sounded like we were experiencing hurricane Elmo in there. Has there ever been a hurricane Elmo? If not, there should be. I think they should give hurricanes last names as well. Elmo Zumwalt was the admiral  in charge of the navy when I was in. I think they should name a hurricane after him. Anyway, when you go around the corner from  the cove it can be flat calm. What is that about? Middle Pass has a sea lion rookery. Oh joy! With sea lions eating a steady diet of fish all day and not caring too much about hygiene you can imagine the stench of that place. I think they should let the boneheads that put them on the endangered species list spend a few nights camping out on the rookery and see if they still love them so much. The last picture is looking out into Cross Sound towards Cape Spencer. It seldom is so calm. I doubt that I'll be making the trip out that way again this year, but at least I have the pictures to remind me that I made the trip.