| Courtney and Comox |
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| Monday, 02 August 2004 00:00 | |||
 This morning we walked along a nature trail that leads from here through the trees and brush, south to Oyster River. It winds between the rocky shore and an estuary and farm that are owned by UBC . Along the way, we encountered several fly-fishermen in hip-waders casting in water up to their waists. On our walk back, we took the beach route and spoke with one of the fisherman who was taking a break. We learned that they are fishing for pink salmon, though evidently, without much luck.
Apparently the fishing here hasn't been really good for two years and there is some research being done to find out why. They have found that the Georgia Strait water temperature is about 4 degrees warmer than norm and it is approximately 7% more salty. At this point in time though, the reason for these changes is unclear. Our friendly fisherman is a retired military man who moved here several years ago though he is originally from Nova Scotia. He also told us he used to be one of only two fisherman who fly-fished here and today at 7:00 AM, he says there were 47 fly-fishermen in a row, casting their lines! The times, they are a changin'! When we got back to the RV, we headed into Comox and walked along the vast "Airforce Beach" or Kye Bay adjacent to the Canadian Armed Forces base. As we strolled along the sand and rocks we encountered dozens of starfish and sand dollars. We also found the odd, red-coloured jellyfish, several crabs of various sizes, some dead, some alive and we were often squirted by the clams as we walked past their sandy hiding spots.
We then headed into Courtney where they were hosting an Art Festival and Car Show. We wandered around for a while admiring the crafts and cars before heading home for a seafood dinner. Though the day had been sunny and warm, some rain clouds moved in dousing the area this evening with some much-needed precipitation. Regardless of the weather, we had a great day and enjoyed the sound of the rain in the evening.
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