Who We Are

Quadra Island Fisheries is made up of couple Lance Underwood and Lindsay Cowan, and their team of long time crew. Lance and Lindsay live and fish together with their Great Dane Hank on Quadra Island. The two love fishing, each other, and sharing their catch with their community.

Lance has been the brawn behind Quadra Island Fisheries, and some would say Lindsay has been the brains! In 2020 when the seafood markets crashed due to Covid, Lindsay suggested moving the business online and marketing their catch direct to the consumer in Canada.

These two make an amazing team, and are very proud and gracious of what this little fishing company has become.

Lance was born in Michigan, but his love of fishing took him to Kodiak, Alaska at a young age. Lance started working in the commercial fishing industry seasonally in his teens before becoming a full time fisherman at age 19.

Lance has fished the waters of the West Coast of the US, Canada, and the Bering Sea, working as a skipper, deckhand and engineer before eventually buying his first boat in 2014. Lance has fished for every commercial species of crab in the North Pacific and Bering Sea, Halibut, Black Cod, Rockfish, Ling Cod, Salmon, Tuna, Shrimp, Prawns, Herring, and Pacific Cod.

Lance's 8 year old son Eli joins them on the boat when he can, and Lance hopes that one day Eli will become a captain on his very own boat.

Lance enjoys listening to and making music, sport fishing, reading, being outside, and travelling with his wonderful First Mate Lindsay.

Lindsay was born and raised in Sicamous British Columbia. Lindsay moved to Prince Rupert when she was 16 and began observing on commercial fishing vessels and working in the biological side of the commercial fishing industry, for JO Thomas, Archipelago Marine Research, and IPHC. Not long after working in the industry, Lindsay began working as a deckhand on the commercial fishing boats.

Lindsay has worked the waters of Southern British Columbia all the way to Haida Gwaii fishing for Salmon, Halibut, Black Cod, Crab, Shrimp, Rockfish, and Prawns. 

Lindsay is a very talented and multi faceted woman, who is also a Manual Osteopath, RMT, and Reiki practitioner. Lindsay loves yoga, being in nature, music, reading, and traveling.

Max started off as our dog sitter, but made it clear that he had what it takes to fish. In the last year, Max went from being a greenhorn, to an old salt. Max works in trucking for us, and also fishes crab, prawns, and tuna for us. Max is always keen to work, has a positive attitude, and is training up to run boats for Quadra Island Fisheries. We love Max.

Ben is as local as it gets on Quadra Island, having spent his life here. Ben was one of the first friends we made when we moved to Quadra. He started off filling in on the odd crab trip, and became a full

time truck driver and deckhand for the team. Ben always pulls through when we need him, and has been a blessing to this crew. Ben has only been commercial fishing since his 30’s, but it’s safe to say, he’s found his knack.  

Tammy is originally from the East Coast of Canada and has a long history in the commercial fishing industry. Tammy now lives on Vancouver Island, but began her west coast fishing career in Prince Rupert and has been fishing for more than 30 years.

Tammy worked in the seafood processing industry in Prince Rupert, as well as on Vancouver Island as a quality control manager for years, and has commercial fished for just about everything that swims and crawls in the Pacific Ocean

When Tammy is not on the boats commercial fishing, her and her partner Brent do a lot of the trucking and delivering for the company.

Brent is a lifelong commercial fisherman, starting at the age of 12. Brent has also fished for just about everything that you can possibly fish for in British Columbia.

Brent holds his Fishing Master 4 certification, and when he's not working with Quadra Island Fisheries, he runs the large seiner the Progressor for Salmon.

Brent and Tammy love working together and have been an instrumental part of the team. We are so lucky to have them!