Salty Towers Oceanfront Cottages: Report: Vancouver Island B&B

Holiday Spirit Celebration

2009-12-06T17:35:00.000-08:00

Saturday December 5th was Sooke's Spirit Festival, celebrating the holiday spirit right here at home.

The day started with the Santa Claus parade, continued with the annual "Sail Past", with local boat owners lighting up their boats and cruising the Harbour, from Rotary Pier to Whiffin Spit and back. The day ended with a performance with the Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra performing Bach's Oratorio at the Community Theatre.

Sooke Spirit indeed! Ho ho ho!

The photos below are the good ship "Reef Seeker" departing Salty Towers dock with a special guest of honour, making the rounds of Sooke Harbour.

November 2009 Salty Towers News

2009-11-09T20:44:00.000-08:00

Hello to Friends of Salty Towers around the world!

It is November in Sooke, and that means storm watching season. We've seen some pretty interesting weather of late, no shortage of wind and rain, then sunny for a few minutes, then back to the storm again. It is certainly not boring weather...fun to put on your rubber boots and rain slicker and go for a walk on Whiffin Spit.

And with the winter storms comes the winter surf. The area around Sooke has some of the best waves in Canada, and there's a wetsuit-clad local crew chomping at the bit for when a new storm arrives. The picture above could have been taken from the Salty Towers dock, if you stood way up on your tiptoes and had a really good telephoto lens. :-)

The picture below is about 20 minutes up the road at Jordan River. Swells tend to last 1-3 days, and come once or twice per week on average from November to April. So...if you're looking for something different, it's going on in and around Sooke!

For fishing, we are into winter spring salmon fishing mode. Plenty of nice salmon are being caught out front of the Harbour mouth west towards Otter Point. This week has had some reports of fish well into the teens, up to 15 pounds. As is typical, they are usually caught right off the bottom in 130-150' depths, usually with hootchies -- something glow or purple haze are popular.

Here's a photo from October, with Mike Ross from Alberta with a nice coho.

There are an increasing number of boats anchoring up for halibut too, just off Sooke Bluffs....so that is an interesting possibility, bring home some nice white fish for the table, without having to go all the way to Swiftsure or Constance Bank.

It's a nice time to visit, but then again, when isn't it a good time around here? Come by for a visit!

Happy days,

Neil and Maggie

Salty Towers, October report

2009-10-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

Hello to friends of Salty Towers from around the world!

All of a sudden it is October, another whirlwind summer gone by, with so many guests and new friends made. We are so happy to be able to share our little slice of paradise with you all.

But we have not written off summer yet, as the last few days have been pretty summer-like...sunny, warm, no wind. Perfect fishing weather! And the fishing has been pretty good, with excellent coho fishing and now early winter spring salmon. As well, some of the local anglers have been having a bit of luck with halibut, just outside the mouth of Sooke Harbour. Here's a photo of a guest feeding of Sooke Harbour's real locals, from Salty Towers' dock.

There's still plenty of fun to be had out here on Vancouver Island's west coast in Fall....we hope to see you soon.

Have a great day!

Neil and Maggie

Sooke Whale Watching

2009-06-27T17:34:00.000-07:00

The whales have been putting on a pretty good show in Sooke lately. The two pictures here show a couple of Orca (killer) whales passing by while we were out fishing.

Sooke Coastal Explorations reports some fun whale watching expeditions. Today's report: "Today we had a blast on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We started out this morning rounding Whiffin Spit when a friend called me on the radio stating that a group of Orcas past by at 0830. We decided to head West and approx. 1015 we came across 6 Transient Killer Whales making a kill in front of the Sooke Bluffs. The animal was a large male Stellar Sea Lion. It was an incredible sight to see."

When you come visit at Salty Towers, a trip out with Sooke Coastal Explorations Whale Watching is a must! Their phone # is (250)642-2343 and their website is www.sookewhalewatching.com.

Have a great day!

Neil and Maggie

The Finer Things...Sooke Fine Arts

2009-06-18T22:00:00.000-07:00

Amidst all the fishing and outdoor pursuits, Sooke also boast an appreciation the finer things in life, including a vibrant local art scene. For those who enjoy fine arts, in particular the unique styles of the Pacific North-West, there are two summer events not to be missed.

First is the Stinking Fish Studio Tour and Art Sale. A tour of 20 art studios in East Sooke and Metchosin, July 25th-August 5th, where you can find some spectacular home-grown treasures.

Second is the Sooke Fine Arts Show, July 25th-August 3rd.
"The 2009 Sooke Fine Arts Show provides the opportunity for both well-known and emerging artists from Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands to showcase their work. Along with the 7,500 annual visitors who attend the art show, the show draws hundreds of art patrons from British Columbia, and throughout western Canada and the United States.

Sooke is steeped in artistic talent and natural beauty, making it the perfect host for the premier juried art show on Vancouver Island. 2009 provides an opportunity to enjoy the twenty-third year of the Sooke Fine Arts Show, and its’ third year under the sponsorship of the Sooke Fine Arts Society."

Come join us at Salty Towers for a wild west coast Vancouver Island adventure...and get a taste of local culture while you're here!

Maggie & Neil

***

PS...in case you're wondering, Why Stinking Fish?

How the Stinking Fish Studio Tour got its name!

In the 1840's, when explorer James Douglas asked the First Nations people of this region what they called the area now known as Metchosin, they answered
S-met-sho-sun, which literally means "stinking fish".

We have adopted this evocative and historic name for our annual juried studio tours.

Sooke also got its name from a fish. It was named for the local natives, the T'Sou-kes who took their name from a small fish, the "stickleback".

The T'Sou-kes reef-netted salmon around Becher Bay, and collected shellfish, berries and roots for winter months spent at Pedder Bay. Spanish Explorer Manuel Quimper was the first European to sail into the Sooke Inlet in 1790. Within 5 years the British and Spanish governments signed a treaty at Nootka by which all lands north of the Juan de Fuca Strait became British. 3 years later Vancouver Island was granted to the Hudson's Bay Company. Settlers began arriving in the Metchosin/Sooke area in the 1860's. Farmers, prospectors, miners, loggers and fisherman plied their trades. By the late 1800's the area had large sailing ships and dugout canoes running supplies to and from Fort Victoria as well as a steam-powered sawmill providing lumber for the community.

Sooke's Canada Day Celebration

2009-06-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

Sooke has a Canada Day Celebration planned at the Sooke Flats.

The day features logging sports demos, dog show, kids activities, live music, and fireworks.

The annual Rotary Club Raft Race should be fun as usual...see your favourite Sooke-ites race across Sooke River and back, or at least not to fall into the river trying. [they are still looking for teams, so if you are interested in joining in, please contact the Rotary Club]

Come on out July 1st, starting at noon, and join in the fun!

June 8 Sooke Fishing Report

2009-06-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

Nice salmon for the lad from Toronto. Colin just move to Vancouver and was spending the weekend with family in Sooke.

A few hours of fishing produced a bright 29 pound Chinook Salmon. This was Colin's biggest fish ever (his only fish ever). An hour later we were surrounded by a large number of porpoise, playing in the area, zooming past the boat in all directions. The day finished with an encounter with some river otters and fresh crab in the pots that we had dropped in the harbour.

A pretty darn good day on the water!

June 2nd Fishing Update from Salty Towers

2009-06-02T21:40:00.001-07:00

We have been rather busy around Salty Towers, but I finally had time to get in the boat with Salty Dawg and go fishing. The weather has been great and the fishing reports were pretty good. Quite a few fish have been coming in and most are of a good size. Well, when breakfast was over we headed for Possession Point for a couple of hours. After a couple of nibbles, the big one hit.A good fight. My first fish of the season, a 31 pound stubby Chinook salmon. That felt REEL good.

Neil and Salty

Salty Towers Update for May 2009

2009-05-30T12:10:00.001-07:00

Hello to Friends of Salty Towers around the world.

It has been a while since our last update...we hope the winter has treated you all well. We are happy to report that after a slow Spring, Sooke is finally getting some beautiful early summer weather.

Bird watching near Whiffin Spit has been amazing of late. With the seasons changing, there is a constant flow of migratory birds. The Rufous Hummingbirds are here in great numbers as they travel north, while the Anna's Hummingbirds are here all year long. The eagles are also here year-round...here's one on perched on Salty Towers dock, looking for an intertidal zone snack.

On the fishing front, this Spring has been about halibut and more halibut. The last couple of months have been great for halibut fishing around Sooke, with local anglers bringing home plenty of nice halibut from Jordan River to the west or Race Rocks to the east towards Victoria. Not unlike last year, the early salmon fishing has been spectacular. The first of the big salmon have arrived with Chinook Salmon up to 40 pound landing on local docks.

There are good times to be had in Sooke year-round, but late spring is primetime! We hope to see you soon at Salty Towers.

Neil & Maggie

Salty Towers Update: March 2009

2009-03-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

Hello to Friends of Salty Towers around the world

In an effort to make our Alberta guests feel more at home, the photo at right shows a new feature we are adding this year to Salty Towers...drilling for oil in Sooke Harbour.

Just kidding! That is a pile driver, helping us make repairs to the dock. The winter storms of December have provided lots of work to do in February.

We are happy to report that the repairs are almost complete. Then everything can return to normal: fishing, fishing, and then some more fishing. Maggie can hardly wait!

We hope to see you soon.

Neil and Maggie

Salty Towers Update: February 26, 2009

2009-02-26T17:02:00.000-08:00

A big event is happening in Sooke on Labour Day weekend.

September 3-5, 2009, the Sooke Harbour Resort & Marina will host a world-class salmon fishing derby. The Vancouver Island Salmon Classic offers $175,000 in prize money, with a cool $100,000 to the winner!

It costs $6,000 to enter a team, with 75 teams maximum. That is pretty decent odds for a fishing derby. Boats may be self-guided, or entrants may choose to hire one of Sooke's many fine fishing guides.

It will be an exciting couple of days of fishing, with that much on the line. With $100,000 on the line, your fishing buddy better not make a mistake with that net (hint: not tail first).

The Sooke fishing community is proud to host this derby, showcasing the great fishing our area offers, as well as the beauty of our local scenery.

Salty Towers Update: Feb 2009

2009-02-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

It has been quite a while since our last update here, but we've been quite busy of late...

West Coast winter storms hit the South Coast again in 2008, and unfortunately, early December brought damage to the Salty Towers Dock. With access to the dock limited and dangerous, we have had to move most of the boats away. Reconstruction and repairs have begun this month and we expect everything will be back in place by early March.

Never a dull moment here on Canada's wild west coast.

September 19 Sooke Whale Watching

2008-09-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

There's fun to be had in Sooke in September!

Fishing: we caught a couple of smaller spring salmon out front today. We have settled early into our "winter" fishing pattern, deeper and just off the bottom (150 feet), right in front of the Harbour, chasing the "feeder" resident chinook salmon (6-10 lbs). Not the big tyees of summer, but tends to be very consistent and easy fishing....dinner on the table.

Whale watching: a report from Russ & Megan at Sooke Coastal Explorations .
"Well today was one of the best days on the water. We had the Super Pod for both tours and 5 Gray Whales from Jordan River to Port Renfrew. It was an excellent show which also started with a Brown Pelican right off Sooke. We do have availability. If you have any guests that would like to join, please call (250-642-2343). Cheers!"

September 15, Sooke Whale Watching

2008-09-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

Last week, we received a phone call from Sooke Coastal Exploration, our famous local whale watching operation, saying the Orcas were passing by Sooke -- J-Pod and a handful of L-Pod are back. Our visiting family, Melody and Lonnie, were anxious to see killer whales in the wild, so we headed out and had a wonderful experience. Photos by Melody.

September 8 Salty Towers Report

2008-09-08T17:23:00.000-07:00

Plenty of big Chinook Salmon have come onto the dock in the last week. Greg brought a hockey bag full back to North Battleford, Saskatchewan.

Some big fish came in next door yesterday afternoon, from West of Sooke.

Coho are showing up in larger numbers each day and a few big Chum have been caught lately.

And how about this for a souvenir from your visit to Sooke? (photo courtesy of fishtactics.com)

Come visit us and enjoy September, one of Sooke's nicest months of the year...

Neil and Maggie

Summer Fishing from Salty Towers

2008-08-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

A few fishing reports out of Sooke from the past week...

*****

It is Friday morning. The weather was dead calm and I had time for an hour and a half of fishing if I got out early. Salty the dog and I made the short trip to Possession Point before daylight. Wow, what a beautiful sunrise, even Salty appreciated it. We were back on the dock by 7:10 AM and in the house in time for breakfast.

*****

Bert, Ray & Luke were out early as well. On their last day in Sooke, they had a fine morning as well, bringing in a pair of nice Chinook Salmon before noon.

*****

This morning, I had the pleasure of being a guest onboard Footloose Salmon Fishing Charters. Skipper Mark Price and I headed out at 7 AM on a short excursion to Secretary Island. With numerous bites over two and a quarter hours, we came home with a 21 pound Chinook and a 41 pound Chinook, both caught in the same spot about one hour apart. Both fish hit on the OKI Tackle red - chrome blade. I had the pleasure of bringing them in on an Islander reel and a light eleven foot rod.

*****

We live in a truly beautiful part of the world...and we look forward to sharing it with you all sometime soon. Come visit us at Salty Towers.

Neil & Maggie

June 2008, Salty Towers Update

2008-06-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

Hiking and biking the South Coast of Vancouver Island is a world class experience. The experience can vary form a walk around Sooke, to biking the Galloping Goose Trail, or to a multi-day hike of the West Coast Trail or the Juan de Fuca Trail. The options are limitless and the scenery is amazing.

You can walk around Sooke on the new Boardwalk, up to the Sooke Pot Holes Park along the Galloping Goose Trail, or choose among a variety of nature trails and parks in the Sooke area.

The more adventurous can head up into the Sooke Hills along the Kludak Trail or explore the many beach trails such as a day hike to Botanical Beach. There is no end to the hiking, biking, and outdoor possibilities from Sooke to Port Renfrew.

Sooke Community Trails and Walking Guide

List of Parks and Trails from the Salty Towers website

May 2008 Fish Tales

2008-05-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Sidetrack made the trip back from Victoria to Sooke on Saturday after two weeks of annual maintenance. They stopped of at one of the Halibut holes on the way by and dropped the anchor. Ron and his guests were rewarded with an 82 pound halibut, a great way to start the season. Sidetrack will be out searching for trophy Chinook Salmon now that the weather has warmed up the big fish are arriving.

Sooke's Winter Diving from Salty Towers

2007-12-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

Diving the West Coast is amongst the most rewarding diving in the world. The water is cold, but the diving is exceptional.

Simon, David, and I made a couple of interesting dives in the Sooke area last week. We boarded the "Reef Seeker" at our dock and within five minutes, we were setting anchor and ready to explore. Fortunately, the weather was perfect, with a clear sky and calm seas. Visibility down deep was almost as good as up top and there was plenty to see. The highlight was finding a couple of Puget Sound King Crab.

We are anxious to get out there again soon, as there are endless dive sites along the south coast waiting to be explored. On the way back to the dock, David questioned "I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges"?

New Dock / Art Show

2007-11-03T22:43:00.001-07:00

Hello From Salty Towers

We've been busy rebuilding our dock. It is coming along slowly and surely. It looks great and promises to be an excellent platform for Sooke salmon fishing adventures for many years to come.

In terms of what's going on around Sooke, the Stinking Fish Studio Tour has another round coming up in late November. This is a very impressive art show and is highly recommended. Bring your chequebook, as these treasures are hard to resist!

Happy November to one and all.

Maggie and Neil

Fall Tour 2007
November 23^rd to 25^th
10 am - 5 pm

MAP/BROCHURE | SPONSORS/LINKS | ART EVENTS | CONTACT | WHY STINKING FISH?

Metchosin and East Sooke are located in a beautiful coastal area of Vancouver Island near Victoria, BC. Many artists and artisans have chosen to live and work here, finding inspiration amidst the rolling landscape and lush rain forests near the sea. The Stinking Fish Studio Tour features the best of fine art and fine craft on the southern island, surrounded by its natural beauty.

Come explore one of the richest “art trails” on the island – meet the artists, see their work and take some home with you! Admission is free. All are welcome. Artworks are for sale.

All Stinking Fish artists are juried by peer professionals to assure the highest quality in fine art and fine craft. Follow the Stinking Fish MAP to find unusual gifts and treasures you won’t find anywhere else! Search for sample galleries and info on artists by ARTIST, MEDIUM or STUDIO.

www.stinkingfishstudiotour.com

Sooke: Gateway to Canadian Fall/Winter Surfing

2007-10-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

Little known fact...not many people would consider jumping into the Pacific Ocean in the middle of a Canadian winter, but that's what a whole bunch of people around here do. Just to the west of Sooke is some of the best surfing in Canada. This isn't California and surfing around here isn't about hot sun in the summertime. In fact, there is little or no surf in Juan de Fuca Strait in summer -- when the leaves start to fall and the temperature dips, that's when the Gulf of Alaska wakes up and starts reeling storms westward, bringing rainy weather and waves.

The water is cold year-round, requiring 5mm hooded wetsuits, booties, and gloves. But on its day, the waves make up for it. The jewel in the crown is Jordan River, a rivermouth point break that on its day can offer rides 200-300 metres or more. Sombrio Beach is consistently bigger, offering several powerful reef breaks. At the end of the road is Port Renfrew, with its freezing river water, strong current, but once in a while legendary waves.

The surf west of Sooke isn't as easily accessible or beginner friendly as the beach breaks in Tofino. However, the breaks offer great views of the surfing action, with the waves breaking close to shore. Essential items for winter surf watchers: umbrella, rubber boots, toque, thermos of hot coffee, and a little cash for after, to buy a bellyfull of fish&chips at Shakey's Drive-In (at Jordan River).

So, stormwatchers out there -- keep your eyes on the weather channel. When you see those big low pressure systems swirling in the Gulf of Alaska, a couple of days later you're certain to see a few dozen trucks speeding west on Highway 14, heading to the watery playgrounds beyond Sooke.

Fall Fishing Update

2007-10-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

ith September behind us, the big Springs have headed up the rivers to spawn. Next month will be winter fishing for the always plentiful feeder Chinooks. October is Coho season.

The thrill of battling a Great Northern Coho weighing in the mid twenty pounds is as good as it gets. A quick morning trip with Mark and Sharon of Footloose Salmon Charters, with the Strait of Juan de Fuca flat calm, produced some real nice fish.

Just the kind of morning fishing that we dream about!

Salty Towers, What's New in September

2007-09-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

We had a visit from Brian & Brenda the other weekend. We always look forward to their visits to Vancouver Island. Maggie and Brenda ran away to check on some of the fabulous Art Galleries and Studios in the Sooke area. Brian and Neil did a little fishing, of course, and then took in one of Sooke's newest, fun attractions, ZipWest Eco Adventures. We spent two hours zooming through the tree tops, what a blast!

We also had a Salty Towers dock work party last weekend, and in six hours replaced the entire dock surface. A lot of tired "old salts" that evening, but a job well done.

Sooke Fall Fair and Stinking Fish Art Tour

2007-09-05T22:42:00.001-07:00

What's going on in Sooke this weekend!

Welcome to the Sooke Fall Fair Official Website.

Established in 1913, the Sooke Fall Fair is one of the Sooke community's longest running annual events and has been a staple of the rural life of Sooke residents for longer than most people can remember. It continues to maintain its reputation of being one of the best "small town" agricultural fairs in BC.

In keeping with this year's theme of "Down to Earth" reflecting the International Year of the Planet Earth, there will be themed entries in most sections. New for 2007 is a Literary Arts Section which encompasses all aspects of the written word, from short story, poetry and journalist to musical lyrics.

Raffle tickets now on sale!

And keep this amazing Art Tour in mind for November.

Fall Tour 2007
November 23^rd to 25^th
10 am - 4 pm

Report from Salty Towers dock

2007-09-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

A very busy August is now behind us. Finally there was a little time to fish with Ron at Sidetrack Charters and Mark at Footloose Salmon Fishing Charters. There are plenty of big salmon in the Sooke area, including some of the 'TYEE' that Vancouver Island is so famous for. To add to that, the big Northern Coho are arriving. There is a ton of fun in a 25 pound Coho. It will be a couple of months before the Salmon have headed up the rivers to spawn. By then the winter Chinooks will be plentiful. Pretty much any time is a good time for fishing around here, in southern Vancouver Island's ocean paradise.