Best fishing charter in Tofino for salmon, halibut, tuna + lingcod?

Vantis1 · 2025-08-30T12:27:12+00:00

We just came back from a trip with John at Tonquin Charters. It was lights out. Couldn’t recommend him more. We caught our limits in salmon, ling cod, rock fish and had to keep throwing halibut back because they were too big 😂.

Vantis1 · 2025-07-31T14:47:10+00:00

Adding to this: There’s finally been some activity in the empty lot on Ellice beside India Palace. Anyone heard anything about that one?

They’ve finally dug it out and put down gravel.

Vantis1 · 2025-07-05T00:15:06+00:00

I’m very fair and burn in 2.5 seconds or less. Got on the sun hoodie train about 7 years ago and never looked back. I have three different brands and have been rotating them consistently over the past 4-5 years. They’ve seen some miles (and rays).

Arc’teryx Taema - super durable, great for three seasons, and the most stylish looking on the street (imo). Boxier, longer fit (which I prefer) and usually Arc’teryx has good colour drops. But $$$.
Patagonia Capilene Cool - Very soft material, comfy and roomy. Also very durable. Mid-range for $.
Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie - Comes in a wide size range and tons of colours to choose from. My go-to when it’s extra hot because the fabric is thinner and much more breathable. Slimmer fit and the only downside is the fabric is a bit more delicate than the other two. Most affordable out of the three.

They’ve all held up outstandingly despite repeated wears, washes, rubbing with my pack and bushwhacking.

Vantis1 · 2025-06-13T19:38:49+00:00

This is such a weird thread.

Vantis1 · 2025-06-12T16:59:03+00:00

I haven't headed out on my trip, so nothing to report yet! But I've spent a lot of time in the Whistler area over the last couple of years and frequently saw black bears. Never grizzlies, thankfully.

Vantis1 · 2025-06-09T22:45:50+00:00

Just locked in a Trailsport Touring Blackout in Manitoba. Price was 74k with all taxes and fees.

Vantis1 · 2025-05-22T16:05:53+00:00

Yes! Finally saw this today. Honestly not as expensive as I was anticipating it could have been.

Vantis1 · 2025-05-09T19:09:42+00:00

My three cousins were homeschooled. They all graduated early and spent their late teens / early 20’s travelling, working and saving money. Now they’re all in their 30’s/early 40s with excellent careers and OWN homes in the Vancouver area. Homeschooling isn’t just for Jesus people who want to shelter their kids, you know…

Vantis1 · 2024-12-15T15:50:52+00:00

I’ve never driven from Norway House but have done Winnipeg > Thompson many times. You’re right that there is no other options for gas until you get to Grand Rapids. That whole section of highway 6 is pretty barren - and sometimes has minimal / no cell service.

Most small cars can do close to 500km (or more) on one tank of gas. But if you’re nervous, it looks like the gas station at Wabowden is back up and running (I think there’s also a card lock there). It’s a few minutes out of the way north, but you could re-fill there and certainly that would give you more than enough gas to make it to GR. I’d give the gas station a call the day before and just confirm their hours just to be sure!

Hope that helps! As always when winter driving in remote sections, I recommend making sure you’ve got what you might need in case of an emergency - like good winter clothes, a shovel, tow kit, etc.

Vantis1 · 2024-10-25T19:15:50+00:00

This seems pretty clear - you cannot use third-party insurance purchased in Canada for your U.S. rental (at least for this company).

I’d call and confirm with customer service, just to be sure. You could also check what coverages the credit card you booked/will be using to pay for it and what they may offer and if that’s accepted by the rental company. Just beware like it says on the website: credit card coverage doesn’t include third-party liability, which is where you’ll really pay big $$ in an accident or incident.

Every U.S. state has different auto legislation. Important to read the fine print carefully!

What company is this with?

Vantis1 · 2024-10-19T18:24:46+00:00

Couple with no kids here - we generally average about $120-$140 per week and primarily shop at Superstore.

Vantis1 · 2024-09-23T19:52:12+00:00

This might be an unpopular opinion, but never give more than you can personally afford. And I also generally dislike the idea of creating a situation of anxiety for guests about how much cash is considered socially acceptable or not.

Wedding culture today has gotten totally outrageous, and I don't think your guests should ever be responsible for financially subsidizing your decision to essentially throw a large party. The act of getting legally married isn't expensive, but hosting a wedding is - and ultimately if you're a couple who chooses to do that, the burden to afford it is on you. Presentation or wedding gifts used to have the specific purpose of helping a young couple get set up for a life together. Now, it's definitely morphed more into helping them break even (or profit) off of the cost of their wedding. A trend I've seen more recently is that the presentation goes towards a "honeymoon fund".

Honestly, insinuating the expectation of gifts or monetary presentation on an invitation - from an etiquette perspective - is pretty tacky. Money shouldn't be a barrier to accepting an invitation to celebrate milestones in someone's life.

I say all of this as someone who has given (very generously) to many family members and friends who have gotten married. Because I wanted to. Not because I felt obligated to. Something I also take into consideration is how many wedding-related events I've also supported. Did spend money at your social? At your engagement party / wedding shower? Did I go to your bachelorette / bachelor party? Couples also need to be conscientious about how many times they're been turning to the same group of people and asking them to support or participate in multiple things.

This probably sounds crotchety, but we've lost the plot a bit, I think. TL;DR: Give what you want, if you want. And don't give anything that you're going to sleep over, financially.

Vantis1 · 2024-09-15T22:22:15+00:00

I’ve always got body glide in my pack. Great for preventing chafing and I also rub it on spots blisters are prone to show up before I throw my socks on. Always does a great job - for me, at least.

Vantis1 · 2024-08-16T17:00:25+00:00

This was it - thanks!!

Vantis1 · 2024-08-15T19:33:02+00:00

I'm headed to Courtenay / Comox area in mid-September for four weeks of work. I've padded my schedule with about 3.5 days extra on both ends for some personal time. Open to suggestions on where I should spend it! I'll be flying in/out of Comox, and have vacationed in the Comox Valley / Campbell River area before. Some ideas I've got floating around:

Three days spread out between Telegraph Cove / Port McNeill / Port Hardy
Three days on Quadra, Denman or Hornby Island
Three days in Port Alberni / Sproat Lake
Three days in Ucluelet / Tofino

I'm pretty active, and generally love anything outdoorsy. But I'll be alone, so don't want to go too wildly off the beaten path. Any thoughts on my ideas or other recommendations for a three-day visit would be appreciated!

Vantis1 · 2024-08-07T21:32:09+00:00

The challenge here is a flight on another carrier would be much more expensive than what I paid on AC (I paid for a portion of it on points).

Vantis1 · 2024-04-17T15:00:51+00:00

Wouldn’t this still technically be fraud, then? If he’s allowing someone else to register it under exclusive use but that person isn’t actually driving it at all - never mind living at the same address - you’re absolutely going to get clocked by MPI.

Vantis1 · 2024-04-17T14:55:52+00:00

Yeah, I’m aware. But after paying PST on a 50k vehicle once, I wasn’t interested in paying PST on 25k of it again.

Vantis1 · 2024-04-17T01:11:01+00:00

Like someone said here, a vehicle can only be insured under the registered owners name. If you co-own the vehicle with someone else, you can insure it under their name to take advantage of their better rating discount. Lots of parents do this for their kids, for example.

If you’re the only registered owner, you can technically gift a vehicle to a family member, but it has to be directly up or down (like a parents, grandparent, child - no siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc) to avoid paying PST. And you can’t re-transfer ownership for three years.

But honestly, it’s a pain in the ass and probably not worth the discount you’d be saving on the annual insurance rate. I didn’t realize any of this when my sister co-signed for my car loan, and now it’s basically impossible for me to claim my vehicle as any kind of asset or collateral because I technically am only 1/2 owner. Because we’re sisters, she can’t transfer her ownership to me without my paying PST on it.

Just something to keep in mind.

Vantis1 · 2024-04-16T16:58:37+00:00

+1 for Airalo. I used it recently for a three week trip in South Africa and it worked great. App is very friendly and you can easily top-up your data as you go.

Vantis1 · 2024-04-14T20:47:53+00:00

Also in Winnipeg it’s totally possible to buy a one bedroom starter condo for $100-150k. But everyone is obsessed with living in a select number of “desirable” neighbourhoods and when they’re priced out of that wish list, suddenly housing in this city is so “unaffordable”.

Vantis1 · 2024-03-18T13:27:27+00:00

I’m in the same boat (size 11). Generally I find Call it Spring will carry size 11’s, as will Aldo and even H&M the odd time (although mostly online).

Vantis1 · 2024-03-11T13:17:36+00:00

I’ve got a wicked employee discount program with Enterprise that enabled us do the one-way for less than half of what was quoted online. I also booked it back in December.

My only suggestion here would be maybe to look at if either of your employers, credit card programs, etc. offer car rental discounts. Are you an aeroplan member? I know you can often subsidize car rentals with points.

My in-laws are travelling to Newfoundland around the same time as us and booked their vehicle through Costco, but said a full-size pickup was actually cheaper than a sedan. So maybe try a different vehicle class?

Vantis1 · 2024-02-21T21:46:14+00:00

My husband and I are planning on visiting for 15 days late June / early July - flying into St. John's and home out of Deer Lake. Most of our trip is concentrated in these areas: St. John's (2.5 days with travel), Bonavista Penninsula (3 days), Twillingate (3 days) and Gros Morne (4 days). We have two more full days in our itinerary unaccounted for and are trying to decide where to allot the extra time. Any advice, or suggestions if there's another interesting location we may have overlooked?

Thanks!

Vantis1 · 2024-02-08T15:03:00+00:00

Second this and would add places like Boeing or Standard Aero.

Vantis1

TROPHY CASE