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Water levels in the Stamp are currently at an average level for mid-November. The Summer-Fall Steelhead fishing for the past few weeks could be described in two words as �mediocre� or slow. Water levels are too high and there is currently severe flooding along the Somass. The Upper Stamp fishing pressure is very �LOW�. The best angling opportunity when water levels come down will likely be just above the Ash River. The Chinook and Coho wild spawn has thinned out but there are plenty of eggs in the river system. The problem is that with the severe flooding the gravel beds and natural egg spawn may be washed out. The Lower River has seen little fishing lately but expectations are that in the next few weeks or when water levels decrease that some late Fall and Winter Steelhead will begin to show and pick up the Stamp River fishing.
With the Coho spawn being very strong with the fairly decent Coho returns anglers when it is possible to fish the river should mimick what the Steelhead are feeding on. A bait ban been in effect from �the bucket� so fish egg imitations are a must. Guides are using single egg imitations. Jensen eggs are the most popular. Also gorkies, and spin-n-glows will do well.
Ucluelet has already experienced some good Feeder Chinook fishing. The Inner and Outer South Bank earlier in October allowed sport fishermen to have success on salmon up to 17 pounds. This is unusual for the fall but a couple of terrific days for weather permitted a few keen anglers to get out a few miles offshore. Earlier in the fall the T-Rex hootchie was good but recently those anglers fishing on good weather days and close to the Ucluelet Harbor at the �Red Can� Mara Rock, and The Lighthouse Bank have been using white hootchies and also a green needlefish hootchie. A four inch cop car and cookies and cream spoon have also been good lures behind a green or chartreuse hotspot flasher. During the winter Ucluelet offers some of the west coasts best prawn and crab fishing. The Bottom fishing is also very good. One must remember that the Pacific Ocean during the winter can have some magnificent storms but also there are superb days for fishing as the ocean can be completely flat. Winter fishing is often very close to the harbour. Safety of course is always a priority. Ucluelet hopefully will once again be a fisherman�s paradise in the summer of 2017. The migratory fish headed to the large watersheds to the south begin showing as early as late May and continue into late August or early September.
Labor Day weekend is upon us and that means it is Salmon Festival weekend in Port Alberni. The Derby takes place on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday with fishing beginning each day at 6 am. The derby will close on Labor Day Monday at 3 pm with final weigh-in occurring at or before that time. Derby Headquarters and the official weigh-in center will once again be Clutesi Haven Marina located on River Road. There is $55,000 in prizes for those people participating in the Salmon Derby. With this is mind there are plenty of prizes to go around for everyone.
The Alberni Valley and all of Barkley Sound has experienced rain fall over the past few days which has helped many of the migrating salmon swim much more quickly to their natal streams, creeks and rivers. Fresh Chinook and Coho are moving from the vast Pacific Ocean into Barkley Sound. The salmon that have recently reached the waters of Barkley Sound will migrate fairly rapidly up into the Alberni Inlet. The water in much of the Inlet and also Barkley Sound is not stagnant and has cooled down dramatically which help the salmon to migrate a little more quickly. The Chinook and Coho will also be a little more eager to bite the variety of lures put out by many anglers. There are currently plenty of Chinook and Coho Salmon in the system.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has announced that there is a decrease in the Chinook run size returning to the Somass River System. The original forecast of one hundred and twenty thousand Chinook returning to the River system has been cut in half to approximately sixty thousand.
The best salmon fishing currently is in Barkley Sound. The many salmon that were in the Alberni Inlet have moved into the River system. The Inlet will fill with fresh salmon in the coming days. Weather conditions are forecast to improve and warmer air is in the immediate forecast which will slow the salmon migration. This will also be very true of the salmon down in Barkley Sound locations. The ample Chinook and Coho at Swale Rock, Harbor Entrance,Pill Point, Assets Island, and the Bamfield Wall should hold for a few days. The Bamfield Wall has been inconsistent for the last ten days. Pill Point, Swale Rock, Harbor Entrance and Assets have all had very consistent sport fishing over the same amount of time. The salmon in the sound have been biting and feeding very hard around tide changes. The Chinook and Coho are also very active between tides. The same scenario has been true for those fishing in the inlet. The salmon are in fairly shallow water in Barkley Sound and also the Alberni Inlet. Fishing between thirty and fifty feet has not been uncommon. The best lures in the Alberni Inlet are the O-2, 0-15, 0-16, spatterback and AORL 12 hootchies. Anchovy in the Inlet is also working. In Barkley Sound anchovy in a variety of Rhys Davis Teaser Heads seem ideal and for many is working the best. Leader lengths from five and a half to six feet behind gold, green, or burgundy flashers with a gold face are working very well. The AORL 12 hootchie with 38 to 42 inches of leader behind a burgundy and gold flasher or a kinetic flasher is ideal for Coho in Barkley Sound and the Alberni Inlet.
Entries for this year�s Salmon Festival Derby have been remarkably encouraging. There will be many boaters on the water. Safety precautions are always of importance.
The summer months are quickly moving by and the salmon fishing in many areas of Vancouver Island just seem to be now picking up and getting better and better as we move into mid August. The salmon fishing in Barkley Sound and the West Coast off of the Ucluelet Harbor for Chinook and Coho have improved dramatically. The Chinook and Coho on the surf line and the various banks are getting larger and more numerous. Most of these salmon continue to be migratory salmon moving to destinations or watersheds well to the south. Many of the West Coast Vancouver Island salmon are now also beginning to show on surf line areas and on the west and east shorelines of Barkley Sound. We are expecting some of the salmon returning to nearby rivers, streams, and creeks of the Pacific Rim and Alberni Valley regions to be the highest return in a decade. From mid August into the first half of September there should be some world class sport fishing out in most of Barkley Sound. The Port Alberni Inlet with salmon migrating into the Somass River will have a good return of Chinook. By mid August good numbers of these Chinook will begin to show in Inlet areas close to China Creek and the Port Alberni Harbor.
The sport fishing in the Port Alberni Inlet for Sockeye salmon in June and July was incredible. The sockeye return forecast still holds at 1.1 million which was a fantastic run and return. Returns to the system for conservation are at four hundred and fifty thousand. These fish have migrated into Sproat and Great Central Lakes and will sit in deep water until the fall before spawning. The Chinook returns to the Somass system should begin with salmon showing in good numbers in Inlet areas by the middle of August. Pre season forecasts are showing s very high number of Chinook returning to the terminal area of Barkley Sound and the Inlet. Most of these fish will be returning to the Robertson Creek Hatchery. The age class of this year�s return is predominately four and five year old Chinook. With this in mind there should be a good number of Chinook in the twenty to twenty-five to thirty pound class. Coho numbers are hopefully expected to be normal. Coho returns to the Pacific Rim and the many creeks and stream tributaries of the Somass system through conservation have become stronger over the past decade. We should see Somass-Stamp River Coho begin to show in Barkley Sound close to the end of August and peak during the second week of September before moving into the inlet.
Most of Barkley Sound has been mediocre through June and July and the first week of August. Swale Rock, Austin Island, Cree and Pill Point have been the only spots with any consistency. Meares or Effingham Island and Austin Island out to Cree Island has been the best area for the sport fishery for most of the summer months. The salmon have been out in the deep water on the low tide and often on the flood move in towards the rocks and feed on the huge quantities of rich resourced bait fish. Chinook have been in 80 to 120 feet of water and have been averaging from the mid teens to mid twenties in terms of weight. The Chinook that are now showing and returning to local rivers are much shallower. The Coho have been in twety-five to fifty feet of water and are gorging themselves putting on a pound a week and are currently averaging eight to fifteen pounds. Some of the salmon are migratory fish moving to watersheds to the south. The West Coast Vancouver Island salmon are now arriving. This is not to say that some Somass Chinook and Coho have not already arrived as there have been some fairly early returns to the Somass system over the past ten days. When fishing the waters of Barkley Sound it is ideal if sport fishermen have anchovy on board. To this date anchovy has not been essential as the salmon have been hitting various small three and a half inch coyote spoons and some hootchies behind glow and kinetic flashers. In Coyote spoons, silver glow, Cop Car, Cookies and Cream and Irish Cream have all been working. Various small Coho Killers have all been working. The various whites (AORL12) and greens and blues in hootchies have had some great success over the past week. Anchovy should have at least a six foot leader and the army truck, purple haze, and green haze in Rhys Davis Teaser Head have all been working well. We are expecting Barkley Sound to have continued great salmon fishing well into September. With the late summer run of migratory salmon and local salmon returning to their natural streams and creeks there should be some continued terrific fishing right into mid September in all of Barkley Sound for Coho and Chinook salmon.
Areas outside of the Ucluelet Harbor around the Starfish, Hyacinth and Long Beach and as far as the Big Bank or shallows West to Portland Point which is close to Tofino have all had rather phenomenal sport fishing over the last few weeks. Most of the banks have had plenty of bait fish and the migratory salmon have been feeding heavily in these many favorite offshore Ucluelet areas. When bait fish are in the different areas during the summer months the sport fishing is normally extraordinary. The Big Bank (Rats Nose) the Starfish and Hyacinth have been the best areas to fish to date. Hootchies and smaller spoons seem to be working the best offshore. Some sport fishermen are using bait and having great success but like Barkley Sound bait has not been essential. Over the past week the Chinook salmon have been getting bigger as there are many more in the mid to upper twenty pound range being landed by guests on our charter boats. Sport fishermen in their privately owned boats have also been landing some bigger fish. A few Coho offshore are also getting up and over the ten pound mark with a few fish in the low to mid teens being landed. August and September are really exciting months to be on the water. These are the two months that bigger Chinook and Coho begin to arrive along the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C. as they have been spending weeks during their long migration feeding constantly on bait fish.
The saltwater sport fishing for the rest of 2016 should be fantastic on the surf line and offshore west coast Vancouver Island locations. We are really expecting the inshore areas of Barkley Sound to pick up as well as the Port Alberni Inlet during the last two weeks of August. If you are thinking of a fishing trip, this is the year and August and the early part of September is the time to come.
The Port Alberni Salmon festival and Derby takes place during the the Labour Day weekend.
The 2016 saltwater sport fishing season is closing in on some world class angling opportunities on B.C.�s West Coast. The month of August and the first half of September should provide six to seven weeks of fabulous sport fishing for anglers fishing the Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound and offshore Ucluelet. Chinook forecasts are literally off the chart in terms of returning four and five year old Chinook to the rivers, streams and creeks of West Coast Vancouver Island. The forecast of great returns to the Somass, NitiNat, and Sarita River systems are expected to be the best returns over the past fifteen years.
The Sport Sockeye Fishery in the Alberni Inlet CONTINUES to be very good. To date the sport Sockeye season has provided some terrific angling opportunities for everyone. The 2016 season is not like the previous year but with forecast returns of almost 1.2 million Sockeye the sport fishery and been very good. Due to cooler water and air temperatures in June and the first half of July the returns of Sockeye to the Somass River system have been excellent. To date escapement has been four hundred and twenty thousand to Sproat and Great Central Lakes. The summer rain and cooler temperatures in the area has led to excellent migration through the salmon ladders.
Currently the Sockeye are schooling from Cous Creek out to the narrows. The Sockeye in the Alberni Inlet are currently sitting in eighty to one hundred and ten feet of water. They are hitting short leader lengths from eighteen to twenty-four inches in length behind a variety of hotspot flashers. The mp2, mp15, pink and blue, pink and black, and the pink with either the green or white head hootchies all seem to be working very well for most of the sport anglers. Many anglers are also using �Black Hooks� behind a green plaid chartreuse hotspot flasher or the purple onion hotspot flasher. Sockeye are attracted to the boat by color. Many anglers will have eight flashers behind their boat. Four are often dummy flashers and the other four with lures of choice. The Sockeye are averaging four to eight pounds. Sockeye are the number one commercial salmon. They are wonderful for summer barbeques and when vacuum packed properly last the winter for those special occasions. With good numbers of fresh Sockeye coming into the system on a daily basis we are hoping the Sockeye Sport fishery will continue into the August Long Weekend.
Sockeye fishing is a wonderful fishing opportunity for the whole family. It is a fun fishery for young and old. Don�t miss out on this opportunity in the Alberni Inlet this July and early August.
The salmon fishing in Barkley Sound has been relatively inconsistent. The best fishing has been out on surf line areas. The islands close to the Ucluelet Harbor Mouth, Meares, Austin, Cree Island, Kirby Point, Edward King and the Bamfield Wall have all had times during the past few weeks with some good Chinook sport fishing. Areas close to the Ucluelet Harbor that have had a few fantastic fishing days are Great Bear and Sail Rock. The inner and outer South Bank, Long Beach, and the Starfish have had some of the transient salmon heading to the big water systems to the south create some wonderful sport salmon fishing opportunity. The salmon in the Sound and inside waters have been hitting anchovy in green glow, army truck, and green haze Rhys Davis Teaser Heads. Small three and a half inch spoons have been working the best. The cookies and cream, Irish cream and the TKO spoons have been excellent. They match up to the very small bait size. The Sonora cuttlefish, Jack Smith and a variety of Turds have been working well out on the banks. The best lures however have been the smaller spoons. Dragging the small spoons close to the bottom has created the best opportunity.
We are looking forward to some great sport fishing opportunities during the last week of July, all of August and the first half of September in the Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound and offshore. The numbers of transient and West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook headed to the big watersheds to the south and local rivers and streams are forecast to be very strong which will provide some world class sport salmon fishing.
It is early June and weather conditions for most of the 2016 spring season have been terrific on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. With this in mind a lack of rainfall is not environmentally good. The salmon fishing has been relatively consistent close to the Ucluelet Harbor and also offshore Ucluelet. Ucluelet is located on the extreme west coast of Vancouver Island British Columbia. The area is often referred to as the highway of migrating salmon. The fishing in various surf line areas of Barkley Sound has been off and on during late May and early June. The early sockeye salmon have already started their long return from the North Pacific to the Somass River in fairly good numbers. There has been a few Sockeye landed by sport fishermen in the China and Cous Creek areas. With the good weather and higher afternoon air temperatures the Sockeye Migration will slow down as the water temperature in the river and the Alberni Inlet warm up. This will possibly help the Sport Sockeye season get underway in the inlet a little earlier than normal. Salmon and halibut fishing on the west coast have been consistent over the past few weeks. The great fishing in local hotspots is very evident by the increase of vehicles on local roads and highways towing a variety of sport fishing boats. Many of the fishermen are either fishing the scenic and pristine waters of Barkley Sound or are travelling out to the west coast to fish close to Vancouver Island�s rugged coastline or in offshore locations.
The 2016 sport salmon fishing season in Ucluelet, Barkley Sound, and the Port Alberni Inlet is forecast to be terrific. In fact this year is predicted to be one of the best seasons in many years. On the west coast the early summer run of Chinook which are currently migrating down the Vancouver Island coastline and stay fairly close to the beach will soon peak and will be followed by the mid summer Chinook returns to southern watersheds. West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook returns will be predominately four year olds. The returns are expected to be more than double the historic numbers. The Sockeye fishing should be extremely good. The return to the Somass River is predicted to be approximately one million in early season forecasts. Don�t miss out on a fabulous 2016 sport salmon fishing year in the Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound, or inshore offshore Ucluelet-Tofino.
The Salmon fishing in Barkley Sound especially out at surf line locations has been mediocre over the past few weeks. Many areas have had big bait balls which will bring those migratory Chinook swimming close to the beach to feed on these rich resources of bait fish. Over the past week Effingham, Austin Island, and Cree have produced some nice salmon. Bamfield areas such as Kirby in the morning and Edward King later in the day and also the Bamfield Wall have reported some nice fish being landed by guides and sport anglers. The best results have been fishing from 80 to 120 feet depending on location but it is important that you are fishing where there is bait. It seems that choice of lure really does not seem to matter as many have been using a variety of spoons, plastic, and bait. The best spoons have been the three and a half inch green and blue nickel coyote spoon and also an Irish Cream behind a green glow or chartreuse hotspot flasher. The 155 needlefish has also been very good. Anchovy in army truck, green haze, green UV, and also chartreuse in a Rhys Davis teaser head have been hot at various times. Many of the salmon have been in the mid to high teens with a few up to twenty-five pounds. We are expecting the fish to get bigger as the mid-summer run of Chinook get underway in the latter half of June. This run of salmon will have a good number of four and five year olds. Barkly Sound should be a hotbed for fishing this summer especially out in surf line locations.
Ucluelet is often referred to as Vancouver Island�s premier salmon and halibut sport fishing destination. Like Barkley Sound the waters inshore and offshore from the Ucluelet Harbor offer some world class fishing. The water is very rich in bait fish (sardines and needlefish) which the salmon feed on throughout the spring and summer months. The summer salmon fishing seems to be changing. August and early September were often considered peak times for Chinook and Coho sport fishing. With the high numbers of transient Chinook salmon passing along the west coast of Vancouver Island from April to August it often seems that the peak of the season is in the month of July. This is not to say that Chinook sport fishing does not continue in August and September. Coho which were often referred to as the number one sport salmon along coastal fishing locations in B.C. are a major highlight in late August through September. This thought is something to consider when thinking about and organizing sport salmon fishing this summer. The Ucluelet fishing has been consistent over the past few weeks with some good fishing out at the inner and outer Lighthouse Bank and also Long Beach. Mara Rock, Great Bear, Sail Rock, and The Lighthouse which are all very close to the Ucluelet Harbor have been choice selections for sport fishing on those days where the weather has not co-operated for boats to get out a little offshore.. The largest salmon have been averaging twelve to eighteen pounds. The fish out at the inner and banks have been close to the bottom between 130 and 160 feet. Guides have done extremely well on salmon and halibut with the largest hali for guests at forty-five pounds. The best lures to date have been anchovy and a few different spoons in the three and a half inch size. Green nickel, Irish Cream and Cookies and Cream have been working well. Other guides and sport anglers have had great success using needle fish hootchies behind a flasher. The needle fish will hide in the sand and on tide changes will come up to higher levels which creates a very good salmon and halibut bite. If trolling and using anchovy it seems that a green or red glow hotspot flasher with a green or army truck Rhys Davis teaser anchovy head with six feet of leader are working well. One important thing to remember is that during the season the food sources often get bigger and when using spoons and plugs the sizes should increase as the bait increases.
The 2016 summer saltwater salmon fishing season is here with many sport fishermen already salmon fishing with success on the Pacific Rim waters for the past few weeks. The 2016 salmon forecasts for salmon migrating to the big watersheds to the south and also returns to West Coast Vancouver Island rivers� and streams look extremely favorable. Many individuals have considered the past few sport fishing seasons as extremely good but the 2016 predictions of transient and local returns especially for Chinook and Sockeye salmon are looking phenomenal. Chinook returning to the big river systems in Washington, Oregon and California are expected to be fantastic. The systems with big returns are predictably the Columbia River, Sacramento River and the Klamath River systems. These transient salmon from late April through August migrate just outside Ucluelet, Bamfield, and beautiful Barkley Sound. Barkley Sound holds huge quantities of rich bait fish as do the many banks off the Vancouver Island West Coast that hold these migrating salmon which normally feed heavily before continuing their long migration. Returns of West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook hatchery fish are forecast to be more than double the average returns. These salmon begin to show along the west coast and into Barkley Sound in early August and peak from mid August into early September. Salmon fishing on the surf line and inner portion of the sound will be excellent through the late spring and all of the summer months as these waves of salmon make their way to their natal river systems. Many of the transient and local returning salmon will be predominately four year olds which means there will be opportunity to land some good sized Chinook in the upper twenty to low thirty pound range. Some of the early summer run Chinook have showed up along the Barkely Sound surf line and the islands outside the Ucluelet Harbor. A large wave of salmon should begin to occur in the second half of May. The early salmon usually migrate relatively close to the beach in May and then along the various sandy banks off the coast in in the summer months. Salmon fishing in the out and inner portion of the sound should be very good through the late spring and all of the summer months as these waves of salmon make their way to their natal river system. To date a low number and Barkley Sound until mid May. The salmon usually migrate fairly close to the beach in May and then along the various sandy banks off the coast in the summer months.
Sockeye Salmon returns to the Aberni Inlet this year will not likely be that of the 2015 returns which was absolutely incredible. Returns this year are looking historically good. The pre season forecast is for eight hundred thousand to one million. There has been suggestion that by mid season due to many indicators that the run size could be upgraded. The Sockeye Sport Fishery usually gets underway by mid June and is a fabulous opportunity for families and al avid sport fishermen of all ages.
The summer of 2016 looks absolutely phenomenal in terms of sport fishing opportunities. Those fisher persons that prefer open water or for those that enjoy areas that have protection from prevailing wind patterns the saltwater salmon fishing no matter where individuals decide their destination on Vancouver Islands west coast, the opportunity to land a Pacific salmon from six pounds to thirty-five pounds should be a dream come true.
The Alberni Inlet is currently very quiet. By mid June however there will be plenty of excitement as sports boat travel the inlet in search of Sockeye Salmon. The returns are expected to to be very good. Environmental conditions are excellent. The sockeye should begin to school in the Inlet in early June. Water conditions should be relatively good for a decent flow into the Somass River and also because of a low snow pack the warmer river and inlet water will likely slow the migration down. Early in the season the Sockeye travel in relatively shallow water but will move into the deep as the air and water temperatures increase. Water temperature of eighteen degrees and above normally slow the migration down. Normally good Sockeye Sport fishing can contine from mid June to the first week of August. Sockeye fishing is a lot of fun and is a great time for families to get out on the water and take part in one of British Columbias best sport fisheries. Sockeye like a slow troll and are attracted to the boats with lots of color in the water fairly close to the boat. Most experienced Sockeye fishermen will have six to eight flashers in the water. Most of the lures are on a short leader from eighteen to twenty-eight inches in length behind a red or green glow hotspot flasher. Sharp hooks are very important as the sockeye gum structure is very soft.
The early transient summer run of Chinook and Winter or feeder Chinook fishing in Barkley Sound has been off and on during the last few weeks The feeder chinook will always be found wherever the bait is found. Feeders are just what they are termed as these hearty salmon feed heavily especially on tides changes. Austin Island, Village Reef, Vernon Bay and Swale Rock have had some good days with Chinook up to seventeen and twenty pounds but on average a lot of the salmon have been ten to thirteen pounds. The salmon have been a mix of transient and feeder Chinook. Anchovy in Rhys Davis green glow and chartreuse teaser head holders have been working as have a variety of coyote spoons with the three and three and a half inch Irish Cream being productive. The green splatter needle fish hootchies and blue and silver gold star spoons have recently been the best lures. Meares and Austin Island from ninety to one hundred and twenty feet have both been fairly with the best fishing opportunity on the tide change when the bait rolls in. Closer to Bamfield, Cape Beale, Whittlestone and the west side of Edward King down to Kirby Point have been very consistent for those sport fishermen out on the water. However like the west side of Barkley Sound an area can be hot one day and completely dead the next. The salmon have been in 140 feet of water but up against the rocks closer to Edward King the feeders have been in twenty-five and thirty-five feet of water. Bait is important if fishermen are to find the salmon. Army Truck Hootchie, needle fish hootchies in blue and green, Irish Cream and Army Truck spoons in smaller sizes, have all been working well. Cape Beale and the protected side of Folger Island have also had some relatively decent Halibut fishing. When the weather has been good the three and seven mile and an area called the chair has produced some salmon and halibut catches off the bottom.
The summer fishing opportunities look more than fabulous for Barkley Sound and the surf line and of course offshore waters. The big numbers of Chinook that will migrate down the Vancouver Island coastline will produce some very good fishing opportunities for local fishermen and of course guides and their guests.
Ucluelet offers magical salmon sport fishing and it is one of those places that one can have opportunity to land a twenty pound salmon twelve months of the year. The salmon fishing continues to be relatively consistent close to the Ucluelet Harbor Mouth. There have been some nice sized clipped Chinook bound for distant rivers. The first big wave of migratory fish will show up in the middle of May. We are expecting some great fishing out on the various banks. Usually in May the fishing will be closer to the Harbor with good spots being The Alley, Beg Island, Great Bear, Mara Rock, Sail Rock and the Red Can to name a few. As we get into June however the hotspots will become the Turtle Head, Inner and Outer South Bank, the Wreck and perhaps for some out as far as The Big Bank. Recently The Alley, Sail Rock and Great Bear have provided some good fishing with limits being bagged on Chinook salmon. The Spatter Back Hootchie and needle fish hootchie in blue, green and a bit of silver have been working very well There have been a few nice fish taken at South Bank that are migrating and these fish have been in the mid teens and have been taking smaller coyote spoons. Green Nickel and Knight Rider have been working fairly well behind a green or red glow hotspot flasher. Needle fish hootchies and army truck hootchies have also been working well with 42 inches of leader behind a flasher. By the middle of this month we should really start seeing the migratory push and by June there will be plenty of tales about the numbers of salmon in the nearby waters and the big one that got away. This will definitely be the year that anyone that desires to land a Pacific salmon will have a genuine opportunity to have this dream come true.
Vancouver Island is a majestic geographical area of tall coniferous forests and breath-taking scenic views of rugged terrain and coastlines battered by winter storms. There are also a continuous display of rugged coastlines with wonderful exquisite and secluded beaches with pristine calm water which can be found in Barkley Sound and the waters of the Alberni Inlet. Not only does the West Coast of British Columbia have an unbelievable landscape but the salmon fishing in many areas is nothing but world class. This is truly one area, of this great nation, where individuals have opportunity of hooking into a twenty pound salmon twelve months of the year.
It is now April and most avid fisher people say that the 2016 saltwater fishing season is officially here. With weather patterns now becoming more predictable anglers can get out on the water with a little more ease in those many areas that are not located in �protected� waters. The migratory flow of early Chinook salmon headed down the coast line to natal streams to the south begins in April. Feeder or winter Chinook salmon are also in local waters in April and into early May. The Migratory salmon and the feeder Chinook gorge on the ample amounts of bait fish. April can certainly have some very good fishing days in Barkley Sound and around the Ucluelet Harbor. Not only is the ocean fishing good but the Stamp River is often very good with large numbers of wild and hatchery Steelhead in the Lower and Upper River. Many say that April can often be the best month of the year to fish winter Steelhead. This is also a month with very little fishing pressure making it a time where keen river anglers can fish the Stamp in solitude.
The 2016 fishing season is shaping up to be a fantastic saltwater season. There are many indicators that show the season should be very good for Chinook and Sockeye salmon. Alberni Inlet Sockeye and West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook Forecasts are excellent for the current year of angling.
Prawn fishing in the Alberni Inlet Sub Area 23-2 opened on April 1st. The China Creek, narrows, and Mctush areas are very popular for sporties. Much of Barkley Sound has been open all winter where the prawn fishing has been very good. Traps are usually set in 175 to 230 feet of water. Often in April and early May the Alberni Inlet is covered with red buoys. Make sure if putting out traps that lots of weight is used to keep your traps down. The best bait for prawn fishing is Carlyle Just Tuna Cat food and Ace of Baits prawn pellets.
We expect that the Sockeye sport season will get underway by June 15th and that limits in the first part of the season will be four per person and a two day possession limit of eight. Last year well over two million Somass Sockeye Salmon returned to the Somass River system. Pre season forecasts for 2016 are indicating that returns will be around 800,000 which is still a very good and ample return.
The salmon fishing in Barkley Sound has been hit and miss for winter Chinook.
The weather at times has made it difficult for sport fishermen to get out on the water. The last week of March and into early April however has been quite the opposite. Water and Weather conditions were more than perfect and salmon fishing has been quite good in many locations. The Sproat Lake Derby which occurred in early March had a twenty-four pound salmon take top spot. Barkley Sound has been �alive� with bait fish over the past month. The herring spawn in Barkley Sound has been spectacular and with the start of the early summer run of Chinook headed to southern watersheds we are expecting some wonderful fishing out on surf line locations. Areas like Kirby Point, Cree, Effingham, and Edward King have recently had a few good reports of hatchery Chinook being landed. Areas on the inside such as Vernon Bay and Swale Rock have also had some good fishing for winter feeders. As time moves forward into late April and early May the fishing should really improve. We are definitely looking for some great fishing during the summer months. Forecasts are showing that the mid summer Chinook migratory flow to the Willamette and Columbia River will be very strong with most of the Chinook predominately being four year olds.
With the weather patterns becoming more reliable those getting out to Barkley Sound should plan on fishing on the troll using hootchies, coyote spoons, or anchovy. One guide boat this past week did well at Effingham and Kirby landing over a two day period eight Chinook in the ten to fifteen pound category. The Chinook were hitting four inch cop car and the green-nickel and blue-nickel coyote spoon. Army Truck and green and blue needlefish hootchies were also working very behind a green glow hot spot flasher. The salmon are deeper. Fishing in one hundred and twenty to one hundred and fifty feet is not uncommon depths to fish. If you get close to the bottom around Swale Rock, Folger Island or opposite the Bamfield Wall don�t be surprised if a halibut hits your bait or lure.
West Coast fishing during the winter months can often be difficult. It can take a day or more for the water to settle after a storm but by mid-April weather conditions become more of a reliable factor. We are currently fishing feeder Chinook and the beginning of the early summer hatchery Chinook migrating to southern streams. The crab fishing is fantastic and up into Barkley Sound the sport prawn fishing is very good.
This is the time of year that we can often fish for a variety of wonderful tasting seafood delights. Often we can fish for what is termed a �seafood safari� and individuals can enjoy a day of crabbing, prawning, and rock and lingcod fishing (opened April 1st) and of course salmon. The salmon fishing close to the Ucluelet Harbor has definitely picked up over the past week. Beg Island, Great Bear, Forbes, Sail Rock, and The Alley has been producing some nice salmon into the mid teens. The herring spawn around Ucluelet has happened and there are big balls of needlefish and pilchards in the area which brings the salmon in close to the beach during tides to feed. Trolling is the best method to fish and it is important to watch the sounder and stay within about thirty feet of the bottom. Usual fishing depths for the areas mentioned are 90 to 120 feet. Coyote spoons have been working. The three and a half and four inch Irish Cream, glow green, and green nickel have been the best. Anchovy in a Rhys Davis teaser head in glow green, chartreuse, or army truck behind purple, red or green glow flashers have been used with success by a few guides although spoons seem to be the best choice at the current time.
Summer fishing out of Ucluelet looks very good. The mid-summer run of migratory Chinook salmon and also West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook are forecast to be quite strong. The Chinook are predicted to be predominately four year olds which suggest some bigger salmon in the high mid to high twenty pound range.
We are looking forward to a great year with some fantastic salt water salmon fishing opportunities in 2016. If you have not done so it is time to organize your 2016 fishing trip.
The month of March has arrived and many individuals living in the Pacific North West and Pacific Rim areas are ready to welcome in spring. The spring months often mean that people living on the West Coast can say good bye to the winter storms that batter the west coast of Vancouver Island British Columbia. March for most sport fishermen often means thinking about summer salmon fishing trips into various Vancouver Island regions. The Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound and offshore Ucluelet are three of the most popular areas for sport fisher people to visit and salt water salmon fish.
March on the West Coast, Barkley Sound, and the Port Alberni area also means the first major fishing derby of the year and also one of the biggest festivals on British Columbia�s West Coast. The first weekend of March celebrates the Sproat Loggers salmon fishing derby. This year the popular derby which has had close to 400 entrants in past years takes place on March 5th and 6th. The derby is hosted out of Poett Nook located at the far end of the Bamfield Wall in Sarita Bay.
March also welcomes the Pacific Rim Whale Festival. This festival takes place from March 12th to 27th and celebrates the official kickoff to the beginning of the Whale watching season. The vast area of Vancouver Island�s coastal waters between Ucluelet and Tofino witness the migration of over twenty thousand Gray Whales as they make their thirteen thousand kilometre journey from Mexicos Baja Peninsula to the Bering Sea. This event began twenty-nine years ago. The Pacific Rim celebration has many daily events that people of all ages can enjoy. Many events are free and some do have a very minimal charge. One of the biggest features is the Chowder Chowdown which takes place in the Ucluelet Community Centre on Sunday March 20th. Two other spectacular features are the Sweet Indulgence all you can eat dessert and the Blues Concert which takes place at the spectacular Black Rock Resort in Ucluelet. Spring is the beginning of new things and is also the beginning of a spectacular sport salmon saltwater fishing season.
Those people looking forward to salmon sport fishing this summer in British Columbia will again be pleased to hear that the fishing opportunities in many of the more ideal locations will have some fabulous salmon fishing in 2016. Vancouver Islands Pacific Rim area will boast some of British Columbia�s best salmon fishing. The summer of 2015 saw record numbers of sockeye return to the Somass River located in Port Alberni. The migratory flow of Chinook salmon that swam the west coast of Vancouver Island heading to various watersheds to the south stayed close to the beach and created a fantastic inshore sport fishing season. The Chinook Migration also created some very good fishing out on the sandy banks in offshore waters. Many Chinook came into the vast coastlines, various inlets, and sounds to feed on the rich resources of bait fish found along the surfline of Barkley Sound. The migratory flow of Chinook salmon in 2016 is expected to be relatively strong. West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook are expected to be in very good numbers with the average age class at four years. Sockeye returns coming into Barkley Sound and returning to the Somass River system are again expected to be just a little above average for the 2016 summer sport fishing season. One can only hope for the same return as 2015 when well over two million Sockeye salmon migrated into the system. The early Sockeye return to the Somass River often begins in mid May. Sport fishing for these number one commercial salmon in the Port Alberni Inlet usually is well underway by the 15th of June with the peak of the season occurring the second or third week of July. Henderson River Sockeye which are often bigger than the Somass River stock begin to show in the middle of July and often swim as far up the Alberni Inlet to Nahmint Bay before turning back to the mouth of the Kildonan Inlet and the Henderson River. Chinook and Coho returns to the Somass-Stamp River system should be better than average. The Robertson Creek Chinook return is looking better than last year but numbers have not yet been fully discussed or publicized. The early Chinook Salmon which are migrating down the Vancouver Island coastline often appear in April and actually go through three very different runs know as early summer, mid summer, and late summer. The Coho appear in early July and from mid July through September will keep west coast sport fishermen busy during their daily fishing excursions.
Sport fishing in the Alberni Inlet is very quiet during the winter. Prawn sport fishing is closed in the Alberni Inlet although it is available in some Barkley Sound locations. The Sockeye salmon season which begins in June will re-awake the Inlet this summer. Sockeye Salmon fishing in the Port Alberni Inlet is really a family adventure and can be fun for all from the age of four to ninety-four. Barkley Sound is fishable year round due to the protective waters on the east and west coastlines of the Sound. Winter Chinook fishing in Barkley Sound and the Bamfield area has been off and on. Some good feeder Chinook fishing has occurred along the Bamfield Wall with a few Chinook landed up to fifteen pounds. There has also been some Herring spawn which has produced a few good salmon fishing days in Tseshart and Peacock Channels. Lyle Point and Mayne Bay have had some good days with Winter Chinook averaging ten to twelve pounds.
Swale Rock and Vernon Bay have been hit and miss as has Pill Point and Diplock to this date. Winter Chinook fishing along the Bamfield Wall and especially the inside of the Bamfield Harbor mouth have also had some good days. In most of the selected Barkley Sound sport fishing areas the fish are in one hundred to one hundred and forty feet of water.
The Sproat Lake Loggers Derby is closing in and is only a few days away. This years� derby takes place on March 5th and 6th with derby headquarters at Poett Nook. Cost per entry in past years has been $15 to $20. Ticket sales have been at Gone Fishing and Port Boat House which are both located in Port Alberni. If you are planning on fishing the Sproat Lake Derby or just coming fishing for Winter Chinook over the next six to eight weeks remember to fish deep and if using hootchies slightly lengthen up on your leader length. Summer lengths are ofter forty-two inches if behind a flasher. During the late winter and early spring forty-four to forty-six inches is not a bad length. Coyote spoons in three and a half or four inch are also good. Three and a half inch seems to work better with smaller bait especially at this time of year. Cop Car, Irish Cream, silver hordes, green glow and Blue or Green Nickel are great choices. It is never a bad idea to also have bait (anchovy) on board ones sport fishing boat. Usually the feeders are where there is bait. So it is important to find the bait balls. The fishing in Barkley Sound through March, April, and May should really pick up as the feeder Chinook move in with the herring spawn and the early summer run of Chinook make their way to southern watersheds and come into the Sound to rest and feed on the rich resources of bait fish. By late June and into the month of July the Sound should fill up with the summer run of Chinook and Coho which hopefully will once again be in very big numbers.
Those daring to fish the waters of Ucluelet during the late winter have had some success relatively close to the Ucluelet Harbor. There has been some beautiful winter afternoons and mornings with a few sporties salmon fishing the Alley, Mara Rock, Sail Rock, and Great Bear. There have been some nice feeders amongst the bait fish. Great Bear is often the best spot. As mentioned there are some very nice days on the open Pacific during the winter months. Ucluelet does have a great location as boats can go up Peacock Channel and fish in the quiet and protected waters of Mayne Bay, Lyle Point, or Swale Rock. All of these locations over the years have had some great fishing in March and April. We are expecting some great feeder Chinook fishing right through April and even the first half of May. The early summer run of salmon headed to watersheds to the south should begin to show by mid April which should be the beginning of another fabulous summer of fishing for 2016. Remember the west coast has plenty of activities during the early spring. The Pacific Rim Whale Festival begins March 12th and continues until March 27th in Ucluelet and Tofino. It is the beginning of another saltwater summer fishing season. Plan early and enjoy the 2016 salmon sport fishing season in all Pacific Rim areas.
It�s again a New Year for sport salt water fishing and many sport fishermen, guides and potential guests are beginning to think about the many sport fishing opportunities that await them in 2016.
The 2015 salmon sport fishing season was a memorable year on Vancouver Island�s scenic West Coast and the Alberni Inlet. Chinook fishing for migratory salmon headed to distant southern watersheds began in late April and continued well into August. West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook salmon returning to local streams and rivers arrived in August and surprisingly continued in excellent numbers into September. The biggest surprise of all was the huge return of Stamp River Sockeye. Sockeye returns to the Somass system hit well over two million. Sport fishermen began landing Sockeye in the pristine and quiet waters of the Alberni Inlet near the end of May and continued landing Sockeye right into September. This was the largest return ever recorded. Hopefully this kind of return, if it does not occur in 2016, will happen once again in the near future. The 2016 West Coast Vancouver Island and Alberni Inlet sport fishing season will begin in the late spring and should continue well into the summer and early fall months. Pre Season forecasts for West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook are very favorable and much better than what was anticipated for 2015. The Sockeye season in the Alberni Inlet will once again be excellent with numbers hopefully reaching 800,000. The Alberni Inlet is a fantastic area to sport fish as the water is protected from summer storms. The salmon sport fishing out in Barkley Sound and offshore Ucluelet should be strong as good numbers of Chinook and Coho are forecast to migrate to the distant southerly watersheds.
Vancouver Island is a destination on both coastlines of all five salmon species (Chinook, Coho, Sockeye, Pink, and Chum). This gives all avid sport fishermen an opportunity to sport fish a choice of salmon he/she might enjoy to target. Of course these species do arrive at certain times of the summer or fall and each species also peak at specific times. This often means that fisher persons can fish the inlets, sounds and offshore waters for Chinook and Coho and also Sockeye and have opportunity to fish river mouths and various Vancouver Island beaches for Pinks and Coho.
Sport fishing for Winter Steelhead in the Stamp River has been off and on. Of course water clarity, flow, and height of the water play a major role in opportunities for those fishing the Stamp. The peak of the season for Steelhead can occur at any time. It is expected that in 2016 the peak will occur sometime in February. There has been some good sized hatchery Steelhead in the system this year. To date winter (feeder) Chinook fishing in Barkley Sound and around the quiet hamlet of Bamfield and the Ucluelet Harbor has been off and on with some reasonable fishing opportunities on those days that the winter season offers. The Alberni Inlet around China Creek has been the biggest surprise for Winter Chinook. For the past three and a half weeks there has been plenty of bait fish which has pushed the feeders up into the upper Inlet water.
At times during the winter months a few schools of Winter Chinook will make their way up into the inlet and feed on bait fish. The past few weeks the best kept fishing secret has been the Alberni Inlet. Sport fishermen have had success landing Feeder Chinook averaging six and seven pounds in the China Creek area. The largest reported salmon by a local sporty is twelve pounds landed on a beautiful sunny Sunday January 10th afternoon. Both sides of the inlet from Leaning Tree and the Slide to McTush have been the best areas to fish. There is a lot of undersized Chinook in the area so if using anchovy sporty�s can go through a lot of bait. Hootchies in white, blue and green are working. A green lime glow coyote spoon in three and a half and four inch has been excellent. The Alberni Inlet has the best sport fishing from mid June to mid September. We should see this trend in 2016. The Somass River Sockeye begin to migrate into the river in May and usually begin to school in good numbers around the 10th of June. When the Sockeye build up in big numbers the sport fishing action for the number one commercial salmon really heats up and is a lot of fun for all fisher persons young and old.
Sockeye fishing often can continue into the first ten days of August. It is then that the first few Chinook salmon appear in the Inlet. Chinook fishing is followed by Coho with the peak of the Chinook season often occurring around the Labor Day Weekend when the Port Alberni three day Labor Day Weekend fishing derby occurs. The Port Alberni Inlet is a wonderful and very easy area to fish. Many people worry about rough water but the Inlet waters for the most part are very calm. The best fishing time for Sockeye is in the morning hours and the last two hours before dark. Sockeye salmon do seem to be active at any time of the day which makes this sport fishery a very popular opportunity for everyone.
Barkley Sound waters are very much like the Port Alberni Inlet. The Sound is protected on both the east and west coastlines. Fishing in the Sound could occur every month of the year without fear of experiencing the big waters often found offshore in the winter and even during the summer months. Winter Chinook fishing has been off and on. Recently the Bamfield Wall and Samatao Bay has had some very good Winter Chinook fishing. The mid-winter months do have some good weather patterns and fairly productive fishing days. The best fishing areas as mentioned to date have been the Bamfield Harbor mouth, the Bamfield Wall, Samatao Bay as well as Swale Rock, Vernon Bay, and the Canoe Pass outside entry points. Pill Point, Sarita Bay and the Poett Nook area are also other spots worthwhile to fish in February and March. The last few weeks has had some anglers fishing the Bamfield Wall. Anglers have had opportunity to land a few Winter Chinook in the eight to nine pound range. There have been many undersize salmon in the mix. The feeders have been hitting cop car coyote spoons in the three and a half and four inch size. Other coyote spoons that have worked are nasty boy the cop car glow and blue and green nickel. Green Spatter back hootchies have been working as well. Anchovy in Chartreuse Rhys Davis Teaser Heads are good but with lots of undersize feeders in the mix one can go through a lot of bait.
Winter Springs are in deep water. It is not uncommon to find them in most areas of Barkley Sound from 100 to 145 feet. The Winter Chinook will always be found where one finds good sized bait balls. Coyote Spoons in the three and a half to four inch have been working. Other great spoons to have on board are glow cop car, nasty boy, Green glow, and green and blue nickel. Hootchies are popular but use a shorter leader length than in the summer. Leader lengths from 34 to 38 inches behind a glow green or glow red hotspot flasher are a good choice. The Purple Haze hootchie as well as various whites and greens are also excellent choices. Anchovy is also something all sport fisher persons should have on board. There are days when the salmon will touch nothing else but anchovy. Anchovy in chartreuse or a green glow Rhys Davis Teaser Head is a good choice. Most of the current feeder Chinook landed has been in the 100 to 130 foot level.
The first salmon fishing derby on Vancouver Island�s West Coast will once again occur in Barkley Sound and is based out of Poett Nook. The Sproat Loggers Derby will take place the first Saturday and Sunday of March. The Derby is very popular and offers some great prizes and often some great weather and fishing. The derby surprisingly has some good sized feeders landed. It is not uncommon to have fish over twenty pounds entered.
Summer fishing in Barkley Sound especially on the surf line most years occurs from late May to early September and is expected in 2016 to be relatively good due to the migratory movement of salmon along the west coast. Good numbers of Chinook and Coho salmon will be moving to watersheds to the South. The migratory flow of Chinook should predominately be 4 year olds. The vast amounts of rich resources of bait fish in the Barkley Sound area during the summer months often bring the salmon into feed and rest before they continue their journey. Some world class fishing usually occurs at Meares, Cree, Edward King, Beale and as far in as Kirby Point and Swale Rock. We are really excited about the great sport salmon fishing opportunity we should have this summer in both the Sound and the Port Alberni Inlet.
It is already mid September and fantastic Salmon Sport Fishing continues especially in Barkley Sound along the Bamfield Wall and outside the Ucluelet Harbor close to the beach in Florencia Bay and Wya Point. The Somass-Stamp River system has also picked up dramatically with plenty of Coho and Chinook salmon in the river system as the fish are migrating to their spawning grounds. The Alberni Inlet sport fishing has been slower as the salmon are not holding and making their way to the mouth of the Somass River. Some sport fisher persons are spending time close to the Franklin Wall and have had a little success landing a few good sized Coho.
The forty-forth annual Port Alberni Salmon Fest Derby was a huge success over the three day Labor Day Weekend. People worldwide enjoyed themselves either fishing in the derby or just spending time on the grounds at Clutesi Haven Marina. The winning fish was landed by Langley B.C. resident Bob Moulton. His fish was landed on Sunday morning September 6th just outside the Bamfield Harbor using a pink fluorescent hootchie. The fish won Moulton $5,000 for the biggest salmon of the day and another $10,000 for landing the largest fish of the derby. Local Port Alberni sport fisher persons winning daily prizes were Trevor Cootes, Joe VeenKamp, and Brad Jasken.
The Alberni Valley did experience some ample rainfall early in the month which provided enough water for Sockeye Salmon to migrate into Sproat and Great Central Lakes. The Return of Sockeye Salmon to the Somass River system in 2015 was the largest return �ever� recorded. Final number in the DFO forecast is just over Two Million. Over five Hundred Thousand have escaped into one of the two lakes mentioned. Sockeye are still in good numbers in the system as they continue their migration. Fresh Chinook and Coho are moving into the Somass system. The salmon in Barkley Sound that are creating a very good sport fishery are headed towards the Somass, the Sarita River, Nitnat, and also to larger watersheds to the south. Rain is in the forecast for the end of this week which means fish will move to their natal creeks, streams and rivers. The salmon that are still offshore will make their way into the system as they continue their long journey.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has announced that there is a dramatic increase in the Chinook run size returning to the Somass. The original forecast of only twenty-five thousand Chinook returning to the Somass River System has been increased to Sixty Thousand Chinook. In early September the rule of retaining salmon under 77 cm was changed. Sport Fisher persons fishing the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound can now land one salmon over 77 cm per day and have in possession two Chinook salmon with one over 77 cm and one under 77cm each day. A two day possession level of two and two (two under and two over) is now in effect. This was great news for those many individuals fishing in the Port Alberni Salmon Festival Derby and those many sport fishermen taking advantage of fishing during the month of September.
The best salmon fishing currently is in Barkley Sound. The many salmon that are migrating into the Alberni Inlet are rapidly swimming into the River system. The Inlet is filling daily with fresh Chinook and Coho. This is also very true in Barkley Sound as Coho and Chinook salmon are still feeding heavily but are getting close to their spawning grounds. The salmon generally end their feeding cycle when they enter fresh water systems or get close to fresh water influences. The Bamfield Wall has been absolutely on �FIRE� since the last week of August. Pill Point and Assets have both been very consistent but have not experienced the same �SPORT Fishing� that �THE WALL� has experienced. The salmon in the sound have been feeding very hard around tide changes but have also been very active between tides. The salmon are in fairly shallow water in Barkley Sound and also the Alberni Inlet. Fishing between thirty and fifty feet has not been uncommon in Barkley Sound. The best fishing has been just outside The Bamfield Harbor mouth down to Kelp Bay. Yankee Bay and Wittlestone have also had excellent sport fishing. There is a huge amount of bait fish in the area that has brought in local and transient salmon. The best lures depending on where one fishes are the 0-15, 0-16 (Alberni Inlet), spatterback and AORL 12 hootchies. Using anchovy in both the Inlet and the Sound seems ideal and for many is working the best. Leader lengths from five and a half to six feet behind green, red, or burgundy flashers with a gold face are working very well. The glow army truck, purple haze, and green haze Rhys Davis Teaser Heads are working by far the best. The AORL 12, purple haze and spatter back hootchie with 38 to 42 inches of leader behind a green, red, and purple gold flasher are also ideal for Chinook and Coho in Barkley Sound and the Alberni Inlet.
Salmon fishing for Coho and Chinook are now under way in the Somass-Stamp River system. There will also be some fantastic Fall Steelhead fishing as we get into October.
The Port Alberni Salmon festival and Derby takes place during the three days of the Labour Day weekend.
Labor Day weekend is upon us and that means it is Salmon Festival weekend in Port Alberni. The Derby takes place on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday with fishing beginning each day at 6 am. The derby will close on Labor Day Monday at 3 pm with final weigh-in occurring at or before that time. Derby Headquarters and the official weigh-in center will be Clutesi Haven Marina located on River Road. There is $55,000 in prizes for those people participating in the Salmon Derby. With this is mind there are plenty of prizes to go around for everyone.
The Alberni Valley has experienced ample rainfall over the past few days meaning salmon are migrating to their natal streams, creeks and rivers. Fresh Chinook and Coho will move from the vast Pacific Ocean into Barkley Sound. Those fish in the Sound will migrate fairly rapidly up into the inlet. The water is no longer stagnant and has cooled down dramatically meaning the fish will be moving and will be a little more eager to bite the variety of lures put out by the many sport fisher people. There are plenty of Chinook and Coho Salmon in the system.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has announced that there is a dramatic increase in the Chinook run size returning to the Somass. The original forecast of only twenty-five thousand Chinook returning to the River system has been increased by a much higher number of returning Chinook. With this in mind, the rule of retaining salmon under 77 cm has also been changed. Sport Fisher persons fishing the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound can now land one salmon over 77 cm per day and have in possession two Chinook salmon with one over 77 cm and one under 77cm each day. A two day possession level of two and two (two under and two over) is now in effect. This is great news for those many individuals fishing in the Salmon Festival Derby.
The best salmon fishing currently is in Barkley Sound. The many salmon that were in the Alberni Inlet have moved into the River system. However the Inlet will fill with fresh salmon in the coming days. Weather conditions are drying and warmer air is in the immediate forecast which will slow the migration. This will also be very true of the salmon down in Barkley Sound locations. The ample Chinook and Coho at Pill Point, Assets Island, and the Bamfield Wall should hold for a few days. The Wall has been very good for the last ten days. Pill Point and Assets have both been very consistent. The salmon in the sound have been biting and feeding very hard around tide changes but have also been very active between tides. The same scenario has been true for those fishing in the inlet. The salmon are in fairly shallow water in Barkley Sound and also the Alberni Inlet. Fishing between thirty and fifty feet has not been uncommon. Some fisher people fishing everyday in the Inlet are saying that the salmon they are landing for some reason are in seventy-five to ninety feet of water. The best lures depending on where one fishes are the 0-15, 0-16, spatterback and AORL 12 hootchies. Using anchovy in both the Inlet and the Sound seems ideal and for many is working the best. Leader lengths from five and a half to six feet behind green, red, or burgundy flashers with a gold face are working very well. The AORL 12 hootchie with 38 to 42 inches of leader behind a burgundy and gold flasher is ideal for Coho in Barkley Sound and the Alberni Inlet.
Entries for this year�s Salmon Festival Derby have been remarkably encouraging. There will be many boaters on the water. Safety precautions are always of importance. Good Luck to all those fishing.
The salmon fishing in Barkley Sound for Chinook under 77cm�s and Coho has been quite consistent. Many of these salmon will make their way into Alberni Inlet waters which will thrive on some continued good fishing opportunities into September. The hotspots in Barkley Sound have been the Bamfield Wall, Wittlestone, Swale Rock, and Pill Point. Most of the salmon in these areas are returning to Pacific Rim Rivers and streams and are not in deep water. A variety of hootchies and spoons have been working but anchovy again seems to create the best success for sport fisher persons. The green haze, bloody nose, and army truck Rhys Davis Teaser heads are working very well. The salmon also seem to be holding in those areas that have bait fish in good numbers. The Coho are still putting on a pound a week and will actively feed throughout the day. Finding bait in the sound is often essential. With the many creeks, streams and rivers found in Barkley Sound and with the lack of water in these vital waterways the salmon will sit in Barkley sound actively feeding until the waterways fill with water.
The Salmon Fishing in many of the Pacific Rim areas on West Coast Vancouver Island has been very good. The Alberni Inlet has been fabulous for Sockeye Salmon, which are the number 1 commercial salmon, for sport fishermen. The return of Sockeye to the Alberni Inlet is forecast to be at 1.8 million. Escapement for conservation measurements however has been low due to the lack of water in streams and rivers. Chinook and Coho are just beginning to migrate into Alberni Inlet waters and it is apparent that much needed water in the form of rain is of necessity.
The sport fishing in Barkley Sound has been on and off as salmon come into the area to feed on the rich resources of bait fish as they migrate to the big watersheds to the south. The best salmon fishing for Chinook and Coho has been the Bamfield Wall, Swale Rock and Gilbraltor Island. Offshore salmon fishing out of Ucluelet and Bamfield has been fantastic as South Bank areas and the Big Bank have been recently very good for Chinook in the high teens to mid twenty pound area in terms of weight. Coho salmon at times are in good numbers and are averaging seven to ten pounds. The Sport fishing up to this time has been consistently very good. August and September should continue to have some GREAT sport fishing opportunities especially for those many anglers visiting West Coast Vancouver Island and fishing with Guided trips or in their own sport fishing boats.
The sport fishing in Port Alberni for Sockeye Salmon began in very late May and continues relatively strong right into the first half of August. Numbers of returning sockeye have been absolutely phenomenal. Sockeye are a fun fishery for all fishermen of all ages. The fishing is currently best in the China Creek area. Dunsmuir Point out to McTush has plenty of sockeye that are sitting in deper and cooler water from ninety to one hundred and thirty feet. Anglers are continuing to use mp15 hootchies and also the blue and pink and black and pink hootchies with eighteen to twenty-four inches of leader length. Chinook Salmon are beginning to show in the Inlet. The numbers of returning Chinook is unclear but the strength will be in the three year old class. There have been some early Chinook landed out on the Franklin Wall and also in the narrows and Underwood. The current Rule published by DFO beginning August 1st 2015 is that all Chinook salmon retained in the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound must be under 77cm in length. Those anglers that are beginning to target Chinook in the Alberni Inlet will often have the best success using bait in either a green haze or army truck Rhys Davis Teaser Head with a six foot leader behind green or chartreuse hotspot flashers.
Fishing in Barkley Sound has been on and off. There are some West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook and Coho migrating into the area on a daily basis. There are still plenty of migrating fish headed to the big watersheds to the south. The Bamfield Wall up to Whittlestone has had some great Chinook fishing. Swale Rock, Harbor Entrance and Gilbraltor Island at times have all been fantastic. Bait, and hootchies in a variety of green colors have been working very well. Some anglers that like using coyote spoons have done well on silver glow and green and blue nickel. August and the first half of September should see some fantastic fishing opportunities for many sport anglers.
As usual the banks outside the Ucluelet Harbor and for that matter the Bamfield Harbor have been consistently very good all summer. The Big Bank, the Chair, Turtle head, Adipose and the inside and outside light located on South Bank have been fantastic fishing destinations. The salmon throughout the summer months have been in water from eighty feet right to the bottom. Over the past week South Bank locations have been extremely good with Chinook salmon sitting in water from ninety to one hundred and thirty feet. Anglers using anchovy, hootchies, and five and six inch spoons have all had great success. South Bank areas are all very close to the Ucluelet Harbor and the protected water of Barkley Sound and are fairly easy for those to fish in smaller sport fishing boats.
We are looking forward to some great sport fishing in all areas of West Coast Vancouver Island right through until mid September.
The salmon fishing in Barkley Sound has been relatively inconsistent. The best fishing has been out on surf line areas. The islands close to the Ucluelet Harbor Mouth, Meares, Austin, Cree Island, Kirby Point, Edward King and the Bamfield Wall have all had times during the past few weeks with some hot Chinook and Coho sport fishing. Areas close to the Ucluelet Harbor that have had a few fantastic fishing days are Great Bear and Sail Rock. The inner and outer South bank and Long Beach have had some of the transient salmon linger creating some good sport salmon fishing opportunity. The Rats Nose however has had the best offshore sport fishing. The Bank is full of large herring which have moved good numbers of migrating Chinook and Coho onto the Bank to feed as they migrate to the big watersheds to the south. Spoons and plugs in the six inch and some five inch have been working the best. Spoons with no flasher have been fantastic. TheThe salmon in the Sound and inside waters have been hitting anchovy in green glow, army truck, and green haze Rhys Davis Teaser Heads. Needle fish hootchies and hootchies in green (spatterback), blue and white have worked well. A few guides have done very well with the army truck glow hootchie and the cuttlefish J-79. The Sonora cuttlefish, Jack Smith, and Blue Meaney Hootchies have been very good out on the banks. Anchovy and a variety of four and five inch coyote spoons have also been working very well. We are looking forward to some great sport fishing opportunities during the second half of July and August in Barkley Sound offshore. The numbers of transient Chinook and Coho headed to the big watersheds to the south are forecast to be very strong which will provide some very excellent sport salmon fishing.
The Sport Sockeye Fishery in the Alberni Inlet CONTINUES to be absolutely incredible. To date this has been one of the best, if not the best Sockeye Sport season in many years. Due to very low and warm water in the Somass River, the Alberni Inlet, and the warm air temperatures the Sockeye salmon which are returning in an abundant number are schooling in very large numbers out in the Inlet water. We have had some rain and cooler temperatures in the area which has led to some migration through the salmon ladders. Almost one hundred thousand Sockeye have migrated through the system. The Sockeye are schooling from Cous Creek out to the Nahmint Franklin area. The projected outlook for Sockeye returns to the Somass River has been upgraded to 1.3 million. The Sockeye migrate into the Somass River and then into Sproat and Great Central Lakes. Projected migration into the lakes with a 1.3 million return should be close to four hundred thousand with the updated forecast return. With much of Vancouver Island in drought like conditions it is hoped that some more moisture will arrive to help the migration of all west coast Vancouver Island Salmon returning to the Somass River System.
The Sockeye in the Alberni Inlet are currently sitting in eighty to one hundred and twenty feet of water. They are hitting short leader lengths from eighteen to twenty-five inches in length behind a variety of hotspot flashers. The mp2, mp15, pink and blue, pink and black, and the pink with either the green or white head hootchies all seem to be working very well for most of the sport anglers. Sockeye are attracted to the boat by color. Many sport fishermen will often have eight flashers behind their boat. Four are often dummy flashers and the other four with hootchies of choice. The Sockeye are averaging four to eight pounds. Sockeye are the number one commercial salmon. They are wonderful for summer barbeques and when vacuum packed properly last the winter for those special occasions. With good numbers of fresh Sockeye coming into the system on a daily basis we are hoping the Sockeye Sport fishery will continue into the August Long Weekend.
The Sport Sockeye Fishery in the Alberni Inlet is currently described as fabulous. To date this has been one of the best Sockeye Sport Seasons in many years. Due to very low and warm water in the Somass River, the Alberni Inlet, and the warm air temperatures the Sockeye salmon which are returning in an abundant number are schooling in very large numbers out in the Inlet water. The Sockeye are schooling from Cous Creek out to the Nahmint Franklin area. The projected outlook for Sockeye returns to the Somass River has been upgraded to 1.2 million. The test fishery boat with testing analysis has projected that over two hundred and forty thousand sockeye salmon schooling in the Inlet area as of the 26th of June. The Sockeye migrate into the Somass River and then into Sproat and Great Central Lakes. Projected migration into the lakes should be close to three hundred and fifty thousand with the updated forecast return. To Date only sixty thousand Sockeye have gone through the fish ways. With much of Vancouver Island in drought like conditions it is hoped that some moisture will come in due time to help the migration of all west coast Vancouver Island Salmon and of course the Sockeye returning to the Somass River System.
The Sockeye in the Alberni Inlet are currently sitting in fifty to ninety feet of water. They are hitting short leader lengths from twenty to twenty-four inches in length behind a variety of hotspot flashers. The mp2, mp15, pink and blue, pink and black, and the pink with either the green or white head hootchies all seem to be working very well for most of the sport anglers. Sockeye are attracted to the boat by color. Many sport fishermen will often have eight flashers behind their boat. Four are often dummy flashers and the other four with hootchies of choice. The Sockeye are averaging four to eight pounds. Sockeye are the number one commercial salmon. They are wonderful for summer barbeques and when vacuum packed properly last the winter for those special occasions.
Sockeye fishing is a wonderful fishing opportunity for the whole family. It is a fun fishery for young and older. Don�t miss out on this opportunity in the Alberni Inlet this July. The sport fishery will likely last through the end of July and perhaps into early August.
The salmon fishing in Barkley Sound has been off and on. The Best fishing has been out on surf line areas or offshore Ucluelet and inshore Ucluelet around some of the islands outside the Ucluelet Harbor. Meares, Austin, Cree Island, Kirby Point, Edward King and the Bamfield Wall have all had time during June when each area has had some hot Chinook sport fishing. Areas close to the Ucluelet Harbor that have had fantastic fishing days are Great Bear and Sail Rock. The inner and outer South bank and Long Beach have had some of the transient salmon linger creating some good sport salmon fishing opportunity. The Big Bank and the Rats Nose however have had the best offshore sport fishing. The fishing out in this area has been fabulous but due to the very high pressure system sitting over the south coast high outflow winds have played detrimental to the number of days in June that sport anglers and guides have been able to get out to the banks. The salmon in the Sound and inside waters have been hitting anchovy in green glow, army truck, and green haze Rhys Davis Teaser Heads. Needle fish hootchies and hootchies in green (spatterback), blue and white have been working. A few guides have done very well with the army truck glow hootchie and the cuttlefish J-79. The Sonora cuttlefish, Jack Smith, and Blue Meaney Hootchies have been very good out on the banks. Anchovy and a variety of four and five inch coyote spoons have also been working very well. We are looking forward to some great sport fishing opportunities during July in Barkley Sound and the outside waters offshore. The numbers of transient Chinook and Coho headed to the big watersheds to the south are forecast to be very strong which will provide some very excellent sport salmon fishing.
It is now the beginning of June and the weather is terrific on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. In fact the weather has been so fantastic one would say that it is incredible. But there is one problem which is concerning and that is that much of the West Coast is very DRY and many rivers are low in water. The Weather scenario might sound great but for conservation reasons it is not GOOD. Low river conditions can play havoc with returns of West Coast Vancouver Island. Currently Sockeye Salmon are returning to the Somass River in good numbers. The Somass however is at low historic levels.
Along with the current fantastic weather conditions the salmon fishing has been consistent close to Ucluelet Harbour and offshore Ucluelet. Ucluelet is a very small community located on the extreme west coast of Vancouver Island British Columbia. The salmon fishing was very good through the May Long Weekend but has slowed down in the last ten days. We are awaiting the next flow of transient salmon headed to the BIG Watersheds to the south. Salmon fishing in various surf line areas of Barkley Sound has also been quite good but has slowed down considerably. The early sockeye salmon has already started their long return from somewhere in the North Pacific to the Somass River in fairly good numbers. There has been great catches by many sport fishermen camping at the China Creek site and local sport fishermen from the Alberni area. With the good weather and high afternoon temperatures the Sockeye Migration is already slowing down as the water temperature in the river and the Alberni Inlet are currently very warm. This scenario will develop a very good Sport Sockeye season in the inlet a little earlier than normal.
Salmon and halibut fishing on the west coast as mentioned has slowed down over the past ten days. Local sport and guide fishermen are awaiting the next push of salmon. The increasing sport fishing opportunities as we now move into June is very evident by the large number of vehicles on local roads and highways towing a variety of sport fishing boats. Many fisher persons are either fishing the scenic and pristine waters of the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound or are travelling out to the west coast to fish close to Vancouver Island�s rugged coastline or in offshore locations.
The 2015 sport salmon fishing season in Ucluelet, Barkley Sound, and the Port Alberni Inlet is forecast once again to be terrific. In fact this year is predicted to be once again one of the best seasons for sport fishing for those targeting Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon. On the west coast the early summer run of Chinook which are currently migrating down the Vancouver Island coastline and stay fairly close to the beach will soon peak and will be followed by what is forecast to be a very large mid summer Chinook return to southern watersheds. Chinook and Coho numbers returning to the Columbia River and Bonneville dam where numbers of returning salmon have been recorded since 1938 are predicted to be quite high once again. The Sockeye fishing in the Alberni Inlet should be extremely good. The return to the Somass River is currently assessed at seven hundred thousand to one million. The early run has already been migrating into the Somass River. Don�t miss out on a fabulous 2015 sport salmon fishing year in the Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound, or inshore offshore Ucluelet-Tofino.
The Sockeye sport fishery in the Alberni Inlet has been open since the first of May. Limits are four per person per day. That number should remain the same throughout the season. Sockeye usually school in the Inlet when the water of the Somass River and the Inlet warms to 18 degrees Celsius. When there are big numbers of Sockeye entering the system the schools will hold in the inlet for the salmon ahead to push into the river. The river water and the water of the Inlet is warming considerably. With very little snow in the nearby hills the water has already warmed to over eighteen degrees celsius. The Sockeye that are currently in the system have migrated from Barkley Sound and into the Inlet and are swimming in fairly deep water. Those sport fishermen out fishing for Sockeye have had good success in the China Creek area. The slide and up to Ardens have been relatively good. The warm weather conditions have developed a fairly decent Sockeye salmon sport fishery over the past week. It is often safe to say that June 15th is the time to start fishing Sockeye but that rule of thumb is different this year. Some individual sport fisher persons have already had opportunity to land limits of Sockeye. Sport guides and individual fishermen will find good numbers of Sockeye Salmon at hotspots such as Cous Creek, Dusmuir Point, the China Creek Wall, the slide, and the narrows. Sockeye are attracted to color and having six or even eight flashers hooked to the deep line is not unusual. The most popular lures for Sockeye are the mp 2 and 16 also the bubblegum colored mp 15 hootchies. Leader lengths are best at 22 to 27 inches behind a green or red glow hotspot flasher.
The Salmon fishing in Barkley Sound especially out at surf line locations has been also relatively consistent over the past few weeks. Many areas have had big bait balls which will bring those migratory Chinook swimming close to the beach into the Sound to feed on the very rich resources of bait fish. Over the past week Austin Island has had some decent sport fishing as has Vernon Bay. The key to land a few nice Chinook is perseverance. Bamfield areas such as Kirby in the morning and Edward King later in the day and also the Wall have reported some nice fish being landed by guides and sport anglers. The best results have been fishing from 80 to 130 feet depending on location but it is important that you are fishing where there is bait. It seems that choice of lure really does not seem to matter as many sport fishermen have been using a variety of spoons, plastic, and bait. The best spoons have been the four inch green and blue nickel coyote spoon behind a green glow hotspot flasher. The four inch Irish Cream spoon, cookies and cream and silver glow have been working behind a chartreuse hot spot flasher. The 155 needlefish hootchie has also been very good. Anchovy in a green UV teaser head, army truck and also in chartreuse have been hot at various times. Many of the salmon have been in the low to mid teens with a few at twenty pounds. We are expecting the fish to get bigger with the arrival of the mid-summer run which will get underway in the latter half of June. This run of migrating salmon should have a good number of four and five year olds. Barkly Sound should be a hotbed for fishing this summer especially in surf line locations.
Ucluelet is often referred to as Vancouver Island�s premier salmon and halibut sport fishing destination. Like Barkley Sound the waters inshore and offshore from the Ucluelet Harbor offer some world class fishing. The water is very rich in bait fish (sardines and needlefish) which the salmon feed on throughout the spring and summer months. The summer salmon fishing seems to be changing. August and early September were often considered peak times for Chinook and Coho sport fishing. With the high numbers of transient Chinook salmon passing along the west coast of Vancouver Island from April to August it often seems that the peak of the season is in the month of July. This is not to say that Chinook sport fishing does not continue in August and September. Coho which were often referred to as the number one sport salmon along coastal fishing locations in B.C. are a major highlight in late August through September. This thought is something to consider when thinking about and organizing sport salmon fishing this summer. The Ucluelet fishing has been very consistent over the past few weeks with some good fishing out at the inner and outer South Bank. Mara Rock, Great Bear, Sail Rock, Lighthouse Bank, and Long Beach have been excellent choices for sport fishing. The largest salmon have been averaging twelve to eighteen pounds. The largest landed to date by guides and guests hit twenty-six pounds landed at Sail Rock. This Chinook which like many of the other salmon was a hatchery fish and hit a needlefish hootchie. There was a report of a thirty-one pound Chinook at Great Bear. The fish out at the inner and outer South Bank have been close to the bottom between 130 and 160 feet. The best lures to date have been a T-Rex hootchie and an iridescent Turd and also a few different spoons in brass/copper or four and five inch blue and green nickel. Other guides and sport anglers have had great success using needle fish hootchies behind a flasher. The needle fish will hide in the sand and on tide changes will come up to higher levels which creates a very good salmon and halibut bite. If trolling and using anchovy it seems that a green or red glow hotspot flasher with a green or army truck Rhys Davis teaser anchovy head with six feet of leader work well. One important thing to remember is that during the season the food sources often get bigger and when using spoons and plugs the sizes should increase as the bait does.
The Stamp River is one of B.C.�s healthiest river systems. The salmon fishing this year will open on or about August 26th with what is forecast to be a better than normal season. This however will be depending on the river and the amount of water in the system. The season begins with river anglers using wool, spinners, and plugs. The bait ban should be lifted on the 15th of September. For those that enjoy Steelhead fishing there are three runs of Steelhead in the Stamp. Summer and Fall Steelhead and then later in late November the Winter Steelhead begin to show. October and November are perfect months for summer and fall fish. The Steelhead actively feed during the natural spawn of the salmon in the river which is during October and well into November. There is plenty of opportunity to fish the Stamp but all arrangements for trips that are guided should be organized very early in the summer or late spring. Fishing for Sockeye along the banks will begin very quickly�.
The West Coast of Vancouver Island is a wonderful area to visit and spend valued time for many people worldwide when on vacation. Known for its unique settings and rugged coastlines, Vancouver Islands west coast also better known as the Pacific Rim, not only offers world class salmon fishing but also offers other adventures and unique cultural activities. The whole of Vancouver Island is located only twenty miles off of British Columbia�s mainland. On this vast island there exists a majestic geographical area of tall coniferous forests and breath-taking scenic views of rugged terrain and coastlines that have been battered by winter storms. There is also a display of wonderful exquisite and secluded white sandy beaches located in areas of pristine and calm water. Those visiting Vancouver Island during the late spring and summer months must take in not only a �fishing adventure� but also explore the great rainforests, beaches, and lakes. When fishing out in scenic Barkley Sound or offshore one can view wildlife and also whale watch. When on land and visiting the many local communities, visitors can seek out west coast culture, spa retreats, and of course take in some great west coast cuisine.
Vancouver Islands West Coast has had superb salmon fishing over the years. Salmon fishing in many of the so called �hot spots� has been nothing better than world class. The West Coast is also one of the only spots on Canada�s West Coast where one has opportunity of hooking into a twenty pound salmon twelve months of the year. Of course every year is not entirely the same because predicted run sizes returning to many of the natal rivers, creeks and streams to West Vancouver Island are not as good as other years. When fishing the Pacific Rim and many parts of Vancouver Island�s West Coast the opportunities for landing a Chinook or Coho salmon during the late spring or the summer months are very probable. In the Pacific Rim area we have the opportunity during these fair weather sport fishing months to target the vast quantities of migratory or transient salmon headed for the big watersheds to the south. The 2015 sport salmon fishing season is expected to be �Very� good on the west coast surf line and offshore. Scenic Barkley Sound during the months of June and July and the early part of August should be fabulous. The expectation of high numbers of transient salmon headed to distant southern watersheds is already looking fantastic. Salmon fishing around Ucluelet and a few areas of Barkley Sound has been successful for a few avid fishermen. A few Chinook salmon in the high teens and low twenties have been landed by guides and their guests and also sport anglers fishing in their private boats. Salmon fishing in Barkley Sound, along the surf line, and also offshore waters will continue from now through mid September or longer. There will be great opportunities to fish for Chinook and Coho in the waters of Barkley Sound during the months of May, June, and July. Coho salmon will become predominant in Barkley Sound in August and September with opportunity for Chinook in offshore waters. Look for another banner sport salmon fishing year on British Columbia�s West Coast ---Vancouver Island.
The month of April and May is often quiet in the Alberni Inlet except for those individuals fishing for prawns if and when the opportunity for this sport fishing is available. The Prawn fishing in the Alberni Inlet during the year when open has been very slow. Barkley Sound on the other hand has had some good areas for prawn fishing. Guide boats in the early spring often include in their salmon fishing trips to Barkley Sound, prawn fishing. Usually the prawn traps are dropped before fishing and then after fishing the traps are picked up to find the great prize coming up from the ocean floor. Barkley Sound fishing has been fairly consistent over the last few months although one would have to sum up the fishing as being very mediocre. When fishing for feeder or winter Chinook the rule is often where one finds bait there will be Chinook salmon. Swale Rock, Vernon Bay, and Alan Point have all produced some nice salmon in the eleven to fifteen pound range. Austin and Cree Island have also had the odd salmon up to twenty pounds. The Bamfield Wall and the Harbor Mouth have also produced some good salmon fishing. Some of the Chinook as of late have been clipped and the thought is that many of these Chinook are the early run of salmon migrating to rivers to the south. The salmon have been relatively deep from 85 to 150 feet. A variety of coyote spoons have been working. Green glow has been a favorite in the three and a half and four inch size as has the green and blue nickel. White spoons and white hootchies have also been on and off. Green glow, chartreuse, and purple glow hotspot flashers seem to be ideal when using spoons. Needle fish hootchies in army truck and mint tulip have also been working very well. Fishermen trolling with anchovy have had their best success using a chartreuse Rhys Davis teaser head with a six foot tail behind either a Chartreuse or green glow hotspot flasher. There are a good number of undersize salmon so at times it is best to fish with spoons, needlefish and hootchies.
We are expecting the fishing during June and July to be terrific. The mid- summer run of Chinook and Coho which are migrating to the big southerly watersheds historically begins in mid June and runs into mid July followed by the fall or �late run� with expected large numbers of these transient salmon headed to the Columbia, Sacremento, and Willamette systems to the south. Many of the salmon migrating down the Vancouver Island West Coast are forecasted to be four and five year olds which often means some good sized Chinook over thirty pounds. The surf line areas of Barkley Sound and out to offshore area at three to seven miles should have some great fishing as the rich resources of bait fish come into these areas which bring in the bigger Chinook.
Ucluelet is one of those spots where it is possible to land a twenty pound salmon every month of the year. Of course weather plays an important role in terms of getting out onto the water. During the winter months it seems there are breaks in the weather patterns which make it possible for keen anglers to get out on the water. Some nice quality fish up to twenty pounds have been landed during the latter part of March and the month of April. The Chinook have been feeding on sand lance and needle fish. Great Bear has been relatively good. The Alley, Forbes, Sail Rock and Beg Island have all produced some nice feeder Chinook. Most of the feeders are averaging seven to twelve pounds. With the weather pattern changing and becoming more favorable over the last few weeks guided trips and sports anglers have been periodically able to get further offshore. April 17th to 20th were wonderful days on the Pacific with no wind and little swell. The Inner South Bank as example was perfect with some feeder Chinook and halibut sitting on the bottom feeding on sand lance and needle fish. Sport Fishermen and a few guided trips have at times had some great fishing with a few Chinook weighing up to seventeen and eighteen pounds. As mentioned the Inner South has been most favorable for those fishing close to the bottom at 135 to 150 feet. Some fisher people have had success using purple haze and army truck glow hootchies. However the white Turd and the T-Rex hootchie have been very good for some sport fishermen with both of these lures producing the best catches. The past few weeks has also produced some of the first halibut of the season. The five mile (inside south) and the seven mile (outside south) for those offshore have produced relatively well. Halibut fishing has been best on the ebb tides and using a spreader bar with six inch white grubs. The Halis have been migrating back to the deep after their spawn and by the third week of May will have migrated back to the shallows. The white turd for three sport anglers was good for two perfect sized halibut while fishing the Inner South. May, June, and July should prove to be three very good fishing months with some nice Coho coming into the mix in late June when the big migratory flow of the mid-summer run begins. Look for some salmon in the mid to high thirties this summer.
The winter Steelhead season is all but over. Many of the spawned out fish are heading back down the river and making their way out to the waters of the vast Pacific. The Fall of 2015 is once expected to be very good with plenty of early Coho and summer Steelhead in the mix. Those keen on fly fishing should look at booking trips from the 10th of October into the first ten days of November.
Joe and three of his grandchildren show off some of their salmon and halibut landed offshore from Bamfield B.C.
The West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia has much to offer. The West Coast is a beautiful area of the world with its rugged but scenic coastline outlined by snowcapped mountains in the background. Ucluelet and Tofino both found on Vancouver Islands coast are located south of Clayoquot Sound, which is full of beaches, islands and rainforests. The Pacific Rim National Park (Long Beach) is located in the area and has grown into a very popular tourist destination with oceanfront resorts, hotels, motels, lodges, campgrounds, quaint cafes and restaurants and even art galleries. The Pacific Rim National Park is a paradise for surfers and beachcombers. There are large rolling waves and miles of pristine beaches.
Ucluelet is nestled in a small harbor, which is dominated by surf and sandy beaches on the west and rainforests on the east. The area has fantastic walking and hiking trails. The Rainforest Trail, Lighthouse Trail and the sands of Big Beach are areas people can roam for hours. Hi-Tin-Kis Park has spectacular views that people worldwide come to admire.
During the winter Ucluelet and Tofino offer spectacular Storm Watch opportunities. Many of the luxurious resorts, which are scattered along the coastline, offer this as part of their packages from November until early March. March and April often finds visitors watching the migration of Gray Whales, which are passing along the coastline making their way to the Beaufort Sea. The Whale Festival begins this year on the 17th of March is featured by the �Chowder Chow Down.� The festival continues into mid April.
Ucluelet and Tofino provide some of the best salmon and halibut fishing in the world. The coastline between Ucluelet and Tofino is a feeding and spawning destination of some of the West Coast of British Columbia�s largest runs of chinook and coho. The months of May, June July August and September are considered prime time for sport fishing inshore and offshore. The sport fishing industry is provided with vast amounts of coho, chinook, pink salmon and halibut that are migrating outside the doorstep of Ucluelet.. All of the fish follow the thick balls of bait which most often are herring, sardines, needlefish, squid and krill.
The Ucluelet Sport Fishing season gets underway when the wather changes into early spring. The winter often displays battering storms and huge surf, which makes it most difficult and of course dangerous for guides and sport anglers to get out to the fishing grounds. However, during the winter there are some days that one can fish for winter or feeder springs close the Ucluelet Harbor and Barkley sound. The winter season is also a time when individuals have opportunity to fish for Dungeness Crabs, prawns, oysters, clams, and some rock fish. Late February, all of March, and the early part of April often have feeder chinook close to the Ucluelet Harbor and inner surfline of Barkley Sound. Slivers Charters Salmon sport Fishing and other guide services will normally fish Begg Island, Mara Rock, Great Bear, the Red Can, Sail Rock and even South Bank during this time of year. Most of the salmon are feeder springs and can range from 8 to 25 pounds. Most guides and local anglers use a variety of lures. Anchovy is often he best bait choice all year and is rolled behind a Rhys Davis Teaser Head in white, green, purple haze, or pearl. Hootchie choices are often glow whites, purple haze, or various blue green white colors and army truck. Various Coyote and Titan Spoons work well also. This year watermelon has been very good along the whole coast as have silver spoons. During the year there is some bottom or rock fishing. The lingcod season opens April 15th. Halibut fishing most years become more fishable in May and can be combined when fishing for the various salmon species migrating down the coast. During the summer months some guides will troll for Halibut and Salmon at the same time. The Halibut are found at the bottom hiding in the sand and the salmon are found in mid water.
During the summer months Ucluelet provides some of the best salmon and halibut fishing in the world. The area has continuous and very consistent fishing due to the migration of salmon which are headed to their spawning grounds. Whatever summer month one decides to fish there will not be disappointment as there is always fish inshore or offshore.
People often ask �what should I bring if I am coming to Canada�s West Coast to fish and explore. Of course bring a camera to take all kinds of pictures. Binoculars are also a great idea. Bring Rain Gear and rubber boots. Most of the guide boats have extra rain gear on board but this is not provided when hiking in a rainforest or walking the beach on an early drizzly foggy morning. Be prepared for sunshine and warm days especially later in the morning and the afternoons. The West Coast is a place to be totally prepared for all weather. Dress in layers. There is a saying �Its easy to dress down but not up�. If you do not have the correct warm clothing ones day can be miserable to start. It is important to have coolers to take catches home. If flying most airlines now want people to have a correct airline container, which are available on the coast. People can also be prepared to have their catch sent directly to their home as St. Jeans located in Ucluelet will ship directly after our guides have prepared your catch for shipping.
Canada�s West Coast of Vancouver Island is a fantastic area to visit. Those who live in the area take it for granted. This area of the world has a lot to offer and is still undiscovered by many. It is part of super natural B.C. Take some time and come to visit and yes come fishing as this is the place to be in the summer of 2007.
Port Alberni is fortunate enough to have a very healthy river system and hatchery (Roberson Creek Hatchery). Chinook and Coho return to the Hatchery and Sockeye return naturally to the river and then to Sproat and Great Central Lake. From the lakes the sockeye move out to tributary streams and then spawn.
Chinook 43,000 return as of October 15th. Numbers may have reached 55 to 60,000 by now as many late fish have arrived.
Jack chinook 1,000 This number is low and will probably see a low return in three year olds in 2007. Four, Five and Six year olds should be strong in numbers.
Adult Coho 11,000 Low in return but enough for hatchery program.
Jack Coho 6,142 Great numbers which should give us a very healthy return of adult coho in 2007. These Adult returns should be back to normal in 2007.
Adult Sockeye 137,000 return through the counters. Not a strong return as the early prediction was almost 800,000.
Winter Spring The Alberni Inlet and the Barkley Sound offer year round fishing at its best. Springs, often referred to as Black Mouths, start showing up in the Barkley Sound in the middle of March. These feisty fish stay and feed in the Sound on the bountiful herring and anchovy that are spawning in the area. These fish range from 5 to 25 pounds and as active feeders provide action filled days for the fishermen.
SPRING AND SUMMER This season offers a great opportunity for fishing for many different species of salmon. In May, the Springs are still in the Barkley Sound and the early running Tyees are beginning to appear as they begin their migration up the Alberni Inlet. This season provides excellent fishing for Springs, Tyee and also the famous Sockeye. The Sockeye are the best eating salmon and run in our area is huge. In late June and July, the Sockeye start running up the Alberni Inlet in huge quantities. In 1987, there were an estimated 750,000 Sockeye that came up the Alberni Inlet. You can imagine the success rate for anglers! The Sockeye run continues through August.
SUMMER AND FALL The months of July, August and September yield the largest fish of them all - the magnificent Tyee or Chinook Salmon. These fish range from 15 to 70 pounds on average size. At this time of year, the salmon are within 15 minutes of the inner harbour and the Coho are running as well.
FRESH WATER FISHING January, February and March is the winter run of Steelhead in the Ash, Stamp and Nahmint Rivers and of the Cutthroat in China Creek. April and May are good months for Steelhead and Cutthroat in Nahmint and Sproat Lake and for Rainbow Trout in Great Central and Loon Lake. June is the start of the best months for the middle of resident runs of coastal Cutthroat in most lakes including Sproat and Great Central Lake. October, November, and December, Rainbow and Cutthroat season ends. The Steelhead season begins in china Creek. All year Trout can be caught in McBride and View Lakes, Brown Trout in Cameron Lake and Rainbow and Cutthroat in Cameron Lake.

industry_corpus2: Agriculture & Fisheries