Fishing rowboat Spirit® Tyee 14

Campbell River is a coastal community on the east coast of Vancouver Island where in early fall a large run of Chinook Salmon returns to the river to spawn. Those fish that have matured to over 30 lbs are called “Tyee” salmon. Around 1910 Ned Painter, a local boatbuilder, began building beautiful lapstrake cedar-planked rowboats 14′ in length and 4’2″ in the beam. These rowboats became very popular with local sport fishermen. Painter’s boats were renowned for the way they carried a heavy load and still comfortably handled the choppy tidal waters around Campbell River. A local industry grew up around these boats featuring professional salmon guides who worked the “Tyee Hole” every season. In 1924 the world-famous “Tyee Club of British Columbia in Campbell River” was founded. To qualify as a member, one must, while fishing from a rowboat handled under oars alone, land a Tyee salmon over 30 lbs (7kg) Many celebrities of the day fished from these boats A hundred years later flotillas of these rowboats still ply the river mouth every fall, a fishing guide at the oars and one or two sportsmen holding their rods anticipating a strike. In 1988 professional guides Bill Herkus and Mike Barker asked if we could we build a Whitehall Spirit® quality Tyee boat for themselves and other fishing guides. The lines were taken from an original boat owned by Bill Herkus who has guided for over forty seasons. ”. Since then the Tyee 14 fishing model has received great acceptance in Campbell River with over fifty boats Whitehall Spirit® Tyee 14s located there. We have shipped several fishing models to Wisconsin and Michigan to fishermen and professional guides who row troll for muskies.