OCC Members Cast for a Cause in
Haida Gwaii By Rachel Wagenman
Finney has been fishing at Langara Fishing Lodge since its early days, often going solo and piloting her own boat. “I wasn’t a fisherman until I went there. I fish all over the world now,” she says. St. John, meanwhile, grew up on the waters of Michigan in a family of fishers and boaters. It didn’t take long for Finney to convince her to join a trip to the lodge. “It’s safer to have a partner,” Finney adds, “but it’s even better to have a partner who knows how to drive a boat and can bait her own hook!” “I know there isn’t anyone else I would go fishing with like I do with Tiare,” St. John says with a smile. “She’s the one who brought me, taught me, and shared all these years with me. I’m just so grateful.”
➳ For Outrigger Canoe Club members Tiare Finney and Michele St. John, their friendship began in 1979 while braving the Kaiwi Channel in the inaugural Na Wahine O Ke Kai. Over the years, that bond has only deepened. Each summer, the pair helicopter to the remote Langara Fishing Lodge on the northern tip of Canada’s Haida Gwaii— Finney for 37 seasons and St. John for 18—trading paddles for fishing rods at a fundraiser that helps send a local graduate to college. “Michele and I drive our own boat and go to sea on our own. We don’t use guides,” Finney says. “We bait the hook—cut it, gut it, and put it on,” St. John adds. Their days start early, well before the sun rises. After a quick cup of coffee at the lodge’s Coho Cafe and filling bags with cookies, sweets, and savory pas- tries, they grab their bait, head to the boat, and spend the entire day on the water until evening. “You see the most amazing sunris- es,” St. John recalls. She says one of the highlights of this last trip was tossing bait to a bald eagle and watching it dive, claws out, snatching it from the air. “The land is beautiful. The air is cold,” Finney adds. “There's orca, sea lions— humpback whales coming through on their way to Hawai‘i, so we fish right along with them.” This year, Finney and St. John brought home more than 100 pounds of fish. By the end of the week, the lodge had shipped off a total of 6,000 pounds, making for a truly memorable season. Their annual trip coincides with the Scholarship Foundation of the Pacific’s signature fundraiser, which provides a full college scholarship to a deserving student from Haida Gwaii. Year after year, the tradition blends the thrill of the catch with the satisfaction of help- ing a local graduate pursue higher ed- ucation. “It’s life-changing for these kids—re- ally life-changing,” Finney adds. Photo: 2025 Pipeline Bodyboarding Championships by Dominick Valdivia
PHOTO: COURTESY TIARE FINNEY AND MICHELE ST. JOHN
LIVE YOUR LIVE YOUR DREAM
LIVE THE DREAM Ayako Ide Ancheta Broker in Charge (RB-21503)
Ayako Ide Ancheta 井手 彩子 アンチェタ Sachi Hawaii - Pacific Century Properties LLC Broker in Charge (RB-21503) Real Estate Sales on the Gold Coast Vacation & Long-Term Rentals Vacant Home/Concierge Services AyakoAnchetaHawaii.com . 808.351.7151 DREAM Find Your New Home in Paradise
• Real Estate Sales on the Gold Coast • Vacation and Long Term Rentals Consultant
• Off Market Opportunities AyakoAnchetaHawaii.com 808.351.7151
2025 Pipeline Bodyboarding Championships Photo by: Dominick Valdivia
2025 Pipeline Bodyboarding Championships Photo by: Kal Schultz Ayako Ide Ancheta Broker in Charge (RB-21503) • Real Estate Sales on the Gold Coast • Vacation and Long Term Rentals Consultant • Off Market Opportunities AyakoAnchetaHawaii.com | 808.351.7151
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online