Halibut - Remarque #4/10

Halibut - Remarque #4/10Edition Date: 2007 Artist: Roy Henry Vickers Medium: Serigraph Paper Size: 27" x 19" Edition Size: 10 Remarques Story This past summer, I had the privilege of returning to the country known as Rivers Inlet. Those of you who have read my book Copperman will know my connection to this beautiful part of the coast. My brother Ted Wakas treated me and my sons, Gord and William, to a fishing trip to Good Hope cannery, which is one of the oldest cannery

Story

This past summer, I had the privilege of returning to the country known as River’s Inlet. Those of you who have read my book Copperman will know my connection to this beautiful part of the coast. My brother Ted Wakas treated me and my sons, Gord and William, to a fishing trip to Good Hope cannery, which is one of the oldest cannery sites left on the West Coast, with many of the original buildings still standing.

My name, Tlakwagila, comes from the House of Wakas at the head of Rivers Inlet, and my brother, Ted, is the head Chief of the House of Wakas, so this would be a special trip for us all. Ted and his brother, Dwayne Wakas are guides at the Good Hope Cannery, and Ted had reserved time to guide my two sons and me for our entire four days of fishing.

The inspiration for this work, titled Halibut, comes from a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The morning began with a beautiful sunrise as we made our way to the halibut fishing grounds near the mouth of Rivers Inlet. We had planned to spend the day fishing for halibut, and so it began with a cruise through the coastal waters where humpback whales put on a show with numerous breaches, where they jumped clear of the ocean and land, with a monstrous splash. So amidst whales, eagles, and the ever-present seagulls, we arrived and began jigging for Halibut. 

I sang the song of my grandfather and told some of his stories as we fished. The first bite came on my rod, and before I could start the fight, my son William had a hit on his rod. The excitement increased considerably as we realized a doubleheader. As Will and I began the task of bringing our halibut to the surface, Ted and Gord coached and remained beside each of us to help. All of a sudden, Ted shouted to Gord as his rod began to dance. There we were, Dad and two sons, all with halibut on at the same time. Ted stayed calm and figured my halibut was the biggest and would take the longest to bring in, so he concentrated on Will and Gord. By the end of it all, we had three halibut in the boat and our hearts full of Joy. 

I’ll never forget that day and can think of it every time as I look at a copy of the silk-screened print of Halibut hanging on my wall at home. The octopus in the belly of the halibut harkens back to a story I always tell of seeing my first large halibut on the dock with sucker marks all over it from a fight with a large octopus, which is the favorite food of halibut. There’s another story I tell of my grandfather, Henry Vickers, and his experience of watching a halibut break the surface of the sea with a large octopus as they battled in the ongoing struggle between hunter and prey.

There are so many stories, and this one I share with you of Halibut is as exciting for me to tell as any of the great stories I’ve heard.

Thank you, Ted, and thank you, Tony, and Good Hope Cannery staff, you made this one of the most outstanding experiences of my life.