“Campbell River is the birthplace of guided sport fishing on B.C.’s west coast”, says Gene Berkey of Sea Beyond Adventures. Fishing tourism has long been fueled by the writing of people like Haig-Brown, painting a picture of British Columbia through his words that is rich in both authenticity and adventure.
Many are familiar with names such as Tyee Pool, a tidal area that lies adjacent to Campbell River itself, famous for giant Chinook salmon. But this does not take away from the abundant runs of both salmon and steelhead that are available year-round within a short drive of town.
“He was an avid fly fisherman, especially in his younger days and wrote extensively about fishing rivers” says Ericka Anderson from inside the walls of the Haig-Brown house, describing Roderick’s ability to marry the synchronicities between fly fishing and the written word.
“Without the spirit of man, there could be no wonders”, though Roderick Haig-Brown may have left the physical world long ago, his writing will continue to inspire anglers and bring new faces to British Columbia’s sport fishing realm.
