The Fisher Queen: A Deckhand's Tales of the BC Coast

by sylvia taylor

It's 1981, and Sylvia Taylor has signed on as rookie deckhand on a wallowy 40-foot salmon troller. Looking forward to making money for university, she is determined to master the ins and outs of fishing some of the most dangerous waters in the world: the Graveyard of the Pacific. For four months, she helps navigate the waters off northern Vancouver Island, learning the ways of fisherfolk and the habitat in which they breathe, sleep and survive.


The politics of selling fish, the basics of tying gear, near-death experiences, endless boat troubles, the emotional perils of sharing cramped quarters—all are part of a steep and unforgiving learning curve. Taylor's story captures the reality of life on a fishboat and documents the end of an era, a time when the fishing industry wasn't yet marred by unchecked overfishing or hyper-regulation. Her lyrical, simple prose explores the tight-knit relationship of fishers with the west coast's wild, untamed waters. Her memoir bursts with all the humour and hell, peace and upheaval that is the Pacific Ocean.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 14, 2012

Reviews

[Darlene Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truth is indeed more amazing than fiction, especially if it is well written. Such is the case in this gripping tale of adventure on the high seas off North Vancouver Island. This superbly written memoir takes us to places most of us would never venture to, recounting a young woman’s time spent as crew on a fishing trawler. The reader feels the boat lurch and tastes the salt water as she faces her worst fears with determination and grit. You will find yourself cheering for Sylvia on every page and close the book with a deep respect for west coast fishers. Sylvia Taylor truly is the Fisher Queen!

[Barth Siemens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful memoir. There were times that I was reading and could imagine the heartaches and joys of working on a fishing boat. The descriptions were so vivid that I could almost imagine that I was breathing the ocean air. At other times, I just had to slow down and enjoy the pure poetical language, "Nature had created a marine Monet, an impressionist painting of a garden beyond imagination." Pure gold.

[Kendal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique but scattered book. she takes a long time to find focus, but at halfway through the book things start to gel. you're not going to find a ton of books about bc fishing in the 80's told from a woman's perspective, so it's valuable in that regard. the language is over the top and hippy dippy, and the dialogue is arrestingly clunky, but worth getting through to read about that old industry, it's culture, it's people and the geography.

[Vontel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent memoir/book both for the historical perspective of a different era on the west coast of North America in 1981 (personal & industry wise), and for the notes & perspectives of an accomplished & published author who is a conference speaker, presenter & writing judge. I'm sure some of the information about ocean, fishing & boat conditions is still pertinent today.

Great notes at the back about writing, and also about a wonderful meeting with someone at a writing conference in a small BC coastal town, where one of the participants was someone she had met 25 years before during the 'Deckhand" summer, and incorporated into this book.

I have another of Sylvia Taylor's books in my reading pile: "Beckoned By The Sea".

[Jane Rozek · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Fisher Queen took me on as a crew member! I could almost feel the wind and smell the salty air. If you want a book to inspire you to be a strong and adventurous woman, then this will do it. I especially liked the insights the author discovered and portrayed so vividly. More than a coming-of-age story, there was a depth that stays with me!

[Lawrence Verigin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting and entertaining read on a subject I know little about. The west coast of British Columbia is a beautiful and harsh place. To get a perspective of commercial fishing from a woman's view is especially interesting. The characters are likable and the story well told.

[Josianne Haag · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book captured the beauty of the west coast. Seeing the ocean from the author's eyes reinforces the joy I have for my home as well. It's a pleasure to read about a strong woman going off on adventures without fear.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first bought this book because my sister commercial fished on a troller when I was a teenager, and my father was a commercial fisherman, trolling on the west coast of Vancouver Island for all of my life, so it spoke to me. I lent it to my sister, thinking it would take her back and she'd enjoy it. Not so much. Her reaction was not what I was expecting and that disappointed me, I think her life was pretty hard that year. I finally decided to give it a go and thoroughly, absolutely enjoyed the book.

In 1981 Sylvia Taylor was employed as a deckhand on a troller owned by her lover. This book recounts the life she lead and a way of life that is no more. She speaks honestly about the fear she experienced, both of not being accepted by the other fishers for her sweat contribution to the success/failure of the season and the physical fear of being on a wooden boat in one of the dirtiest pieces of water on the planet. If you ever been to Nahwitti Bar, it's one of the most treacherous passages in the world, it's a place to stay away from. I know this from my sailboat racing days. The description of the huge waves that you know could smash you onto the bottom as you pass over a very shallow piece of water, is both terrifying and exciting. And she talks about the politics of fishing, though interesting, can be applied to any endeavour where the outcome is unknown and unknowable and dependent on tides and weather and other humans. The life of a troller at that time was a hard one, you needed to be ready to work long hours and take huge risks to make enough money for the boat payment and fishing license the next year. The interaction between the fishers, the basics of rigging a line, a recipe for salmon candy, endless boat troubles, cramped quarters are some of the highlights . Truly a story of time gone by. Sylvia has written a true representation of her experience that summer and I think it's an interesting and valuable one.

[Shawn Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

The summer I was 23, I was nursing a new baby in an apartment in Calgary's Hillhurst-Sunnyside while my husband studied at U of C. I battled sleeplessness, waves of people on the LRT, and high prices at the Safeway across the street. It was a joy filled adventure, where beauty was in baby's smile.

The summer Sylvia Taylor was 23 she nursed drunken fisher folk, studied the ways of the ocean, battled sleeplessness and ill-fortune, and the high prices of goods at the fish camps and the low stocks of fish that were to pay those bills. It was a joy and terror filled adventure, where beauty was in sea creatures and unexpected kindnesses.

Sylvia's story of determination and survival, hard-work and discipline, failure and success is a fascinating read for anyone who's ever spent time on a boat, and intriguing and astonishing for someone like me, who dislikes everything associated with ocean. I am astounded by Sylvia's pluck and wild adventures. You wouldn't have caught me on that boat for love nor money (and she got neither for her efforts).

I don't envy her the experience, but I was glad to share it.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

“At its heart, The Fisher Queen is about humanity’s oldest story: the primeval quest of the hunter. Sylvia Taylor’s evocative memoir recounts this ancient tale in the form of a summer sojourn aboard a commercial fishing boat in pursuit of salmon. Her panoramic prose is as rhythmic as the swells she sails on. Along the way, Taylor reveals her own rite of passage, an unforgettable odyssey of love, loneliness and longing.”
— Eric Enno Tamm, author of Beyond the Outer Shores: The Untold Odyssey of Ed Ricketts, the Pioneering Ecologist Who Inspired John Steinbeck and Joseph Campbell

“This authentic adventure is the courageous Sylvia Taylor’s marvelous eulogy to a lost way of life.”
— Rupert Macnee, television and documentary producer, Darwin’s Brave New World and The Inside Passage

“Sylvia Taylor’s engaging story of a young woman testing herself in a traditional man’s world is a darn good read.”
— Anthony Dalton, author of The Graveyard of the Pacific and A Long, Dangerous Coastline

[Gosia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written memoir about few months as a fisher. Some aspects seem fabricated or maybe pulled out of other people's experiences in order to 'spice up the story'. What really bothered me is that the author used ever chance possible to speak about her 'wild cat sexual powers'. Wrong type of book lady

[Alexis]

Reviewed for Quill and Quire

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story, loved the west coast vibe and raw emotion.