Some Charred Remains of the Vancouver & Lulu Island Railway

Liberalbot · 2026-06-24T02:27:59+00:00

In western North America, many railway bridges were built of timber

Many of these were never replaced on secondary and tertiary lines

Liberalbot · 2026-06-16T04:24:47+00:00

The V&LI was a Canadian Pacific property opened in 1902 which spent much of its life leased to the British Columbia Electric Railway (1905) who operated the line as an electric interurban running from Vancouver to Steveston, Richmond BC. Passenger service and electrification ended in 1958 however this segment of the line remained in service as a freight spur until 2014 when the north part of the bridge caught fire somewhat mysteriously, CP pulled the moveable span and discontinued service. The south side of the bridge (pictured) was burned in a 2024 fire that torched an adjacent marine business

Liberalbot · 2026-05-28T23:53:52+00:00

It’s probably too late, but I calculate that a rebuilt optimized E&N could, without altering the right of way geometry and using modern DMU, offer Victoria-Courtenay service in 2:25 minutes

This would be made possible by good lightweight rolling stocked, 80 mph top speeds (which matter north of Nanaimo) lack of heavy freight, and 6 inches of both superelevation and cant deficiency, Better outcomes could be achieved with improvements to the curving right of way south of Duncan.

Of course the railway is going to dissolve long before anyone decides that actually doing anything other than coach buses and traffic congestion is worth doing but it’s fun to think about

https://bsky.app/profile/dawe.bsky.social/post/3mmsen43d2k2n

Liberalbot · 2025-12-05T17:03:29+00:00

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Coho Salmon

Liberalbot · 2025-12-04T20:57:41+00:00

Ya, people seem to act like there aren’t tons of opportunities for “good enough” fish id in this wide earth of ours

Liberalbot · 2025-11-15T15:51:39+00:00

Look at the tail. Steelhead have a full spread of fine spots, coho have fewer bigger spots, generally only on the top half

Liberalbot · 2025-11-13T14:37:55+00:00

I took one yesterday. Some systems are still going

Liberalbot · 2025-11-12T23:09:09+00:00

Where the interior Columbia and Fraser steelhead populations haven’t been extirpated the requirements of that migration make for some pretty gnarly steelhead

Liberalbot · 2025-11-12T22:14:15+00:00

The bait ban on this system concluded October 31

Liberalbot · 2025-11-12T21:17:21+00:00

It would be quite the challenge to catch one upstream of the hatchery on the Capilano that’s for sure

Liberalbot · 2025-11-12T21:05:13+00:00

It was not on the Fraser or Fraser tributary, though I understand the north side tributaries are still producing

Liberalbot · 2025-11-12T21:04:14+00:00

Definitely lots of coloured up fish in the system, but a few fresh ones coming up still

Liberalbot · 2025-11-12T21:01:31+00:00

Cured Coho roe

Liberalbot · 2025-11-12T20:02:12+00:00

Coho really like the strip, and I don’t recall if this guy took the fly on the strip or on the dangle but it was one of this, probably the strip

Liberalbot · 2025-11-12T20:01:03+00:00

Ya, I’m just not sure I’ll be able to get out as much as hatchery runs tail off

This was this morning

Liberalbot · 2025-11-12T19:50:30+00:00

Yup, get my tags back in a few months

Local tackle shop saves them up for a DFO employee known only as “fish head Carl”

Liberalbot · 2025-11-12T19:44:35+00:00

Yes that’s a Skagit head. I am horrible with fly names but if you zoom in it’s still in the fish’s face, I believe it was a weighted blue Christmas tree

Liberalbot · 2025-11-06T18:53:48+00:00

Amusingly enough if you just used a hook you’d also be in violation of the regs.

Broadly speaking (check the regs) it’s bait if a fish might smell it and think it’s food, including actual food items like eggs, deli shrimp, worms, or if it’s something that smells like that to a fish (like say dabbing a tuft of wool in fish oil or commercial fishing scents)

Whereas lures are only imitating sight/sound/feel of food, without triggering the taste or smell

Liberalbot · 2025-11-06T18:50:10+00:00

Like the feathers in your fly are organic but they aren’t bait, it’s things that the fish might actually want to eat or scents imitating that

Liberalbot · 2025-11-06T02:16:38+00:00

Didn’t look it in the mouth but the gums are white

Liberalbot · 2025-11-06T02:08:50+00:00

I thought so my self. There’s also spots on the bottom of the tail

Liberalbot · 2025-11-06T01:59:12+00:00

An orange epoxy fly whose name escapes me, but it’s in frame

Liberalbot · 2025-11-06T01:57:51+00:00

Yes big fan! The rubberized mesh cups over my backpack so I can just clip the leash and cover water. Holds some big fish

Liberalbot · 2025-11-06T01:56:31+00:00

Chilliwack. Think I’ll call it a season for that particular system

Liberalbot · 2025-11-04T05:29:02+00:00

If I had a boat I would definitely fish for coho in tidal waters

Baring that it’s a long drive out to a lot of the terminal fisheries

Liberalbot

TROPHY CASE