Memories of Corey Hayes
The problem with writing about Corey Hayes is there is a tendency to be sad and rather maudlin about his death at the far too young age of 35.
To do so, however, would be an injustice to a young man who went through life perking up the most dismal of days by simply appearing on the scene. Hell, in my case he could do it with a telephone call.
So I much prefer to write about the ever- so-hardworking, fun loving guy who had a gregarious personality, a marvelous sense of humor and a kind word for everyone.
As I write this on the verge of a deadline, no details are available about the cause of death, so I can only report that he was on a fishing vacation in Australia with Ken Jenkins. They had spent five days offshore on the Great Barrier Reef fishing for Black Marlin, and on the last day of what Ken described as a very successful trip, Corey finished off with a 550-pounder.
They returned to their hotel in Cooktown, Queensland where they were sharing an accommodation and turned in for the night. Ken got up the following morning and made a pot of coffee. Later, after deciding his friend had slept enough, he tried to awaken him and discovered that Corey had died in his sleep…
I vividly recall meeting Corey in early June 2002, while visiting Port Hardy with Dr. Hugh Best, a retired veterinarian from Manotick, Ont. Within 10 minutes of Ken Jenkins introducing us, Corey invited Hugh and me to accompany him the following morning while he took the Silver Lady on a shakedown cruise to check out some work he had finished that day.
As we were running out of Hardy Bay, I suggested to Corey that since Hugh had never caught a saltwater fish off the West Coast, at age 75 it was time he did – like handling anything that was hooked while I conducted an impromptu interview. So, while Hugh derricked a 19-pouind Lingcod, a 17-pound Halibut, two yellow rockfish in the mid teens, and lost a couple of either fair sized Halibut or Lingcod, I listened to our personable host’s interesting story.
As a youngster he had fished often with his father, usually out of Sooke and Sidney, and became proficient enough that he started guiding part time at the age of 13.
At 15 he was hired by Oak Bay Marine Group during school summer break and sent to Hakai Pass to work on the MV Marabell.
After a stint as a deckhand he started guiding, and over the following years with OBMG he worked full time at Langara Island, Work Channel, and on the Salmon Seeker at Kano Inlet.
In addition to his guiding duties, during the winter of 1992 he started diving commercially for geoducks, sea scallops, octopus, sea urchins and sea cucumbers.
Deciding it was time to go into business for himself - after all he was 23 - Corey moved to Port Hardy in 1995 and started guiding. He acquired a commercial fishing license to longline for rockfish, and obtained the first of five licenses for sea urchins.
While most professional fishing guides take a well-earned vacation after chartering practically non-stop form April through September, Corey would take a short break and go hunting, and then reconfigure his boat for either longlining or diving, which kept him busy for most of the winter.
Corey quickly established himself as a highliner in the charter business, earning the admiration and respect of everyone associated with the business, especially Ken Jenkins and Bill Shire at Codfather Charters, with whom the bonds were more like family than friends.
By the end of the 1997 fishing season
Corey knew precisely what he wanted in a boat, so commissioned Armstrong Marine in Sidney to custom build the welded-aluminum Silver Lady to his specifications, and took possession the following spring. Her overall length was 27 feet (extended to 30 feet a few years ago) with a 10 foot beam, and 8˝ foot cabin, and ample free space on the rear deck.
He said rather proudly that reconfiguring the boat from guiding to diving or longlining was merely a matter of minutes. With his new, seaworthy vessel, depending on what he was targeting his winter work schedule might find him anywhere from Victoria to Prince Rupert, or somewhere along the west side of the Queen Charlottes right up to Langara Island.
He expanded his operation last year with the purchase of a new 24-foot fiberglass boat that he dubbed Psycho Tail, and there is no telling where he would have gone had there been more time.
Corey Hayes lived in an adopted area that he loved, enjoyed all the aspects of what he was doing, and was surrounded by friends.
He seemed to live life precisely as he wanted to, and although it was cut much too short I think it is safe to say that he accomplished much more than most of us
who are twice his age – and probably had more fun doing it.
He will be truly missed.
For information on charter fishing in the Port Hardy area, please contact Corey's friend Ken Jenkins of Codfather Charters.
