An angler, above, from Langara Island Lodge with a chinook, or king, salmon. Chinook run from April to October. The photo at top shows the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort on Vancouver Island.

Photos by Mary L. Peachin FOR the arizona daily star

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In the days early hours, anglers gather in the south terminal of Vancouver International Airport.

Many boast T-shirts from other fishing destinations, and a few lovingly grasp new rod cases. Though a good number are exhausted by jet lag or late night pre-fishing parties, their excitement permeates the small building.

Those arriving on inbound flights from fishing camps stand patiently at baggage claim. They are eager to show off trophies of personally caught cases of fresh, smoked or canned salmon and share stories with outgoing anglers headed north to the Queen Charlottes, the Upper Mainland, Princess Royal Island or inland for fly fishing in the Chilcotin region of British Columbia.

Wildlife abounds throughout the province. In the rain forest, bald eagles outnumber sparrows, and in the Charlottes its easy to spot peregrine falcons and tufted puffins. Well-fed black bears scavenge the beaches during low tide, ignoring the small-racked Sitka deer. In the interior, anglers share the wilderness with both grizzlies and black bears, while lakes echo the distinctive call of the loon.

Serious anglers are inclined to head to the Queen Charlotte Islands, about 50 miles southwest of Alaska. The rugged beauty of this remote landscape of volcanic rock pinnacles and craggy shorelines shows the impact of years of exposure to the elements.

The West Coast Fishing Club Outpost is 26 miles (as the helicopter flies) south of the Haida Gwaii village of Masset. This luxurious eight-room lodge, which is not a private club, is tucked among the pines on a hillside high above the protected natural harbor of Port Louis. Fine art hangs on hand-hewn log walls, gourmet meals featuring local Dungeness crab are served up daily, a hot tub soothes tired muscles after a long day on the water.

Here, the fishing is unprotected by bays or coves. Salmon fishing on the open water is done with downriggers, and on a rough day fighting one of these trophy-size salmon can be quite a balancing act as the boat tosses. Both lures and herring, when available, are used as bait.

Fishing in the Queen Charlottes, as spectacular as it may be, is for the hard-core angler. The land of the Haida Gwaii is rugged, regularly host to gale-force winds and rough water. This is not a place for the faint of stomach, or for those who melt in the rain. But the salmon average 25 pounds, and many visitors catch 30-plus-pounders, or "tyees."

At Langara Lodge, they e serious about fishing. No sooner does the floatplane tie up at the lodges dock than the orientation begins. Theres a quick review of the catching limits for each fish taken, procedures for salmon that will be cleaned, filleted and flash-frozen or canned. Then its on to the locker room to pick up rubber boots and bright red survivor suits (for emergency flotation as well as weather protection).

There is no coddling at this lodge. The morning wake-up knock reverberates down the hallway at 5 a.m. By 6, the anglers are heading through the fog-filled Parry Passage for the 15-minute trip to the fishing grounds at Coho Point.

Here, in one of the most remote and beautiful places in British Columbia, they meet up with the boats from the other lodges based in Henslung Cove. Under swooping and diving eagles that fish the same waters, the boats huddle together, "mooching," or trolling, just above idle speed.

As the day progresses, the anglers follow the ebb or flood of the tide into waters where they hope "the bite" will happen. Once the "meat hunters" catch their limit, they might cruise by Humpback Alley for some whale watching, quietly following the huge creatures until they sound with a flip of their enormous tails.

For anglers who want easy fishing without the need for seasickness meds, King Pacific Lodge on Princess Royal Island — an hour by floatplane south of Prince Rupert — is one of the worlds most luxurious and romantic floating lodges.

King Pacific boasts a majestic dining room, video and game room, spa with hot tub and treadmill and an on-call massage therapist. The main room of the lodge features a massive two-story stone fireplace. The slate floor leads to a "dry room" housing each guests bright-red Mustang survival suit and pair of rubber boots.

An outside porch leads to the dock, where visitors can enjoy a westerly view of the mountains surrounding the harbor. Upstairs, each of 18 spacious bedrooms, with wall-to-wall windows framing views of the harbor or rain forest, has a king-size duvet-covered bed, a full shower and a large soaker tub. A basket of amenities includes a nubby massage roller designed to sooth sore fishing muscles.

Guests are pampered from the moment of arrival, and gourmet meals take priority over the fish bite. Theres plenty of great salmon fishing to be enjoyed, plus hiking, kayaking and whale watching. Then theres the heli-fishing, which the anglers would bill as the ultimate fly-fishing experience.

Like ocean anglers, those who prefer freshwater fishing have a wide variety of options in British Columbia. Many lodges throughout the province offer daily fly-in, fly-out floatplane trips to lakes or rivers. And in the Chilcotin region near Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, Stewarts Lodge offers outpost camping, a great opportunity for family bonding.

Families can be dropped by floatplane for three or four days at one of several lakeside cabins to enjoy a total wilderness experience. Shetler Lake has a waterfront single-room log cabin. There is a room with five small beds with sleeping bags and a ladder to a loft. A wood-burning stove is used for both cooking and warmth after a dash to the  nearby outhouse. In the event enough rainbow trout aren caught for dinner, Stewarts provisions the cabin with fresh meat, vegetables and staples.

West Coast Resorts (not to be confused with the West Coast Fishing Club) owns Englefield Bay, Whale Channel, Tasu and Milbanke Sound, all lodges lining the mid-provincial coastline. Their couples getaway gourmet wine-taster weekend has featured renowned British Columbia vintners Quails Gate and Gray Monk. A classical guitarist adds to the evening. And in the morning, its time to fish.

On lakes, rivers or oceans, luxury or bare-bones, serious fishing surrounded by natural beauty earns British Columbia its reputation as an anglers Mecca. Just ask those weary anglers at the Vancouver airport, clutching their cases of salmon or wonderful memories, and trading just one more story. Theyll be back.