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Author Topic: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"  (Read 5148 times)

Rodney

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A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« on: February 21, 2022, 10:04:10 PM »
In the last little while, I've become quite aware that I've had my forum for over two decades now. 😲 I've made a career out of this. Some older ones who have been influential to us have left, while some of the younger ones are now full grown adults. I don't really have a point to this lol, but it's just a little mind blowing to me.

Anyway, if you have been around since the beginning, and on Fish BC's forum, you might remember Brennan Baker who was an active member on here. Well, Brennan is now in his mid 30s, and runs a guided drift boat fly fishing service on the Cowichan River. We reconnected in recent years over social media, and last week I was out in his boat filming an episode, targeting rainbows, cutties and browns. Video to come soon next month, but here are some photos, including one that was posted here back in 2003. 😁









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psd1179

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Re: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2022, 08:41:35 AM »
Must be a good trip.
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RalphH

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Re: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2022, 10:17:05 AM »
Thanks Rod! What great photos. I remember young Brennan from the now defunct Fishbc discussion board. He was mentored by Ian Forbes. I wondered what was up with his life and super that he has been able to make his love of sport fishing into a career!.

I have had the opportunity to fish the Cowichan a few times and I look forward to the video. It's one of the best trout streams in BC in the upper section above Skutz Falls. Lots of trail access for those without a drift boat or raft.
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" ...no one predicted Mr. Trump would behave quite so insanely as he has in fact behaved – as always, Mr. Trump exceeds all expectations of how much he would exceed expectations of how much worse he would perform than expected. "
Andrew Coyne, Globe and Mail Feb 13, 2025

Rodney

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Re: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2022, 07:37:58 PM »
I got the same thread going on flybc and you can see Ian and Brennan talking about this over there. :)

I can think of quite a few individuals who were teens on this forum years ago and are now working in fisheries... Hatchery technicians, field biologists, enrolling in BCIT's fishery and wildlife program at the moment, active directors at SSBC, etc....
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RalphH

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Re: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2022, 09:48:29 PM »
Quote from: Rodney on February 22, 2022, 07:37:58 PM
I got the same thread going on flybc and you can see Ian and Brennan talking about this over there. :)



yes I saw it there before you posted it here. Thanks for sharing it.
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" ...no one predicted Mr. Trump would behave quite so insanely as he has in fact behaved – as always, Mr. Trump exceeds all expectations of how much he would exceed expectations of how much worse he would perform than expected. "
Andrew Coyne, Globe and Mail Feb 13, 2025

clarki

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Re: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2022, 11:10:18 PM »
I wish Brennan well in his new business venture.

I've not met him in person, but I had the privilege to learn from him over two evenings last spring when I participated in an online course that he facilitated called Moving Water Mastery.

As I have developed over the past several years into a flyfisherman, it was one of my goals to fly fish the streams of the East Kootenays for westslope cutthroat and I took the course to shorten my learning curve. And shorten it, it did. I caught way more fish my first time out last August than I would have caught had I gone out with what I knew at the time.

But what I appreciated the most his approach. He talked a lot about being slow, deliberate, curious and observant.. and that really resonated with me. That's how I like to approach my angling anyways, but I appreciated him sharing that value and reinforcing the importance of it.
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clarki

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Re: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2022, 08:05:50 AM »
Geez, I see I confused Brennan Baker with Brennan Lund  ::)
There are some similarities between the two guys, and not just their first names either!

Sorry for the error. I’m sure Brennan B would teach a great online course, and I still wish him well in his new guiding venture!  :)
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RalphH

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Re: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2022, 08:32:20 AM »
In the past, books and magazines did what on line resources  do today. On line resources are quickly available and always there. The huge quantity of tying videos from very accomplished tyers just astounds me. Often the only thing that separates them is the quality of the production. The best thing is getting out on the water and if a person can fish with an experienced angler for some time or have as a mentor that's close to perfect. You don't have to fish "The East Kootenay" streams or any sort of 'blue ribbon' water to learn. Backyard creeks will even serve. When I was a kid there was a small creek that ran through the Surrey acreage property we lived on and while it wasn't accessible to salmon, there were resident cutthroat in it and as there were in some of the other creeks within a bicycle ride that were part of the same watershed. The same is true of many small streams throughout the lower mainland. I live close to Byrne Creek in Burnaby and often when I walk through the ravine park I stop to look in little pools and holding spots and can see cutthroat. On occasion I can see quite a number!

Also I have heard from or of anglers inspired to make a related career that often personal fishing all but drops off the list of things they do. Much the same from activists who switch to promoting habitat fish concerns. Guiding as a full time job sounds very demanding and must take particular individual characteristics to make a decent living. Most who do, do much more. A good example is Kelly Gallop who runs the historic Slide Inn on the Madison River in Montana, guides and produces some of the most detailed (and long) series of fly fishing videos On top of that one has to be that 'special' kind of person, in both good and not necessarily so good sense; an entrepreneur! Few can.
« Last Edit: February 23, 2022, 10:03:58 AM by RalphH »
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" ...no one predicted Mr. Trump would behave quite so insanely as he has in fact behaved – as always, Mr. Trump exceeds all expectations of how much he would exceed expectations of how much worse he would perform than expected. "
Andrew Coyne, Globe and Mail Feb 13, 2025

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Re: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2022, 09:52:59 AM »
Cowichan River is beautiful piece of water. I used to fished quite bit back in early 90's when ferry fares was dirt cheap compare to now days. Caught lots of winter steelheads and brown trouts there. I even caught a hatchery brown trout one time. I used to fished with fishing guide Kenzie Cuthbert back when when he first start guiding this river. I remember one trip I told him him I wanted catch nothing but brown trouts yes I caught a few but ended up catching 9 steelheads and one of them was a hatchery. We were fishing below fly fishing area. Look forward in seeing the video.


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Rodney

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Re: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« Reply #9 on: March 28, 2022, 10:13:06 AM »
The episode will be available tonight at 7:00pm. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1KhK6b_6CE
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Arkatek

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Re: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« Reply #10 on: March 28, 2022, 07:27:11 PM »
Quote from: Rodney on March 28, 2022, 10:13:06 AM
The episode will be available tonight at 7:00pm. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1KhK6b_6CE

What a gorgeous place and some pretty fish you two landed!
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Rodney

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Re: A drift down the Cowichan with an "old timer"
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2022, 07:26:09 PM »
Thanks! :)

Some more photographs from this episode.



For this particular trip, I wanted to bring someone who has very little fly fishing experience. My preference is always to capture someone's new experience, which is much more exciting. This was Lauren's first fish on the fly, ever. 21in coastal cutthroat trout...



During this visit, I also poked around Port Renfrew. It was my first time in the area, and we went down to Botanical Beach. I highly recommend it for a non-fishing, sightseeing, exploring day, if you ever decide to do a trip to Vancouver Island.

A short video of it: https://www.instagram.com/p/CbyjBn7MEnx/
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