Fishing Report - Central Vancouver IslandFishing Report: Port Alberni Inlet, Barkleysound, Ucluelet (West Coast), Somass-Stamp River SystemSat, Oct 15th, 2011by Doug Lindores
The 2011 summer sport fishing season has pretty much come to an end in terms of fishing in salt water locations on Port Alberni Inlet Barkley Sound The many Chinook and Coho headed to the Barkley Sound fishing in September and early October has also been relatively spotty due to the huge rains which arrived by mid September. Some good fishing has been occurring around Pill Point and also parts of the Bamfield Wall close to Poet Nook, Summer salmon fishing around
Ucluelet (West Coast) The weather patterns did not hold true during the month of September On the west coast of Tom of Port Alberni with his Chinook caught in the the Alberni Inlet with
Stamp River
About fifty thousand Chinook were forecast to return to the Somass system. Of this number, escapement to the terminal area, is expected to be thirty-three thousand fish. The biggest concern each year is that there are ample females for the Robertson Creek Hatchery Chinook salmon egg harvest and that there is also a natural spawn in the river system. To date twenty-three thousand Chinook have escaped past
The fishing in the Lower Stamp for Chinook and Coho in September and into the first ten days of October has been very good. Recently the salmon fishing in the upper and the lower has been good even though the water level has been quite high. The lower river cotinues to have fresh Coho and Chum salmon enter the system daily. The Upper has plenty of Chinook which are backing up to get into the hatchery and the Coho are still relatively bright and silver. Most guides are taking their guests to some very good fishing spots where most boats are hitting up to twelve salmon per day. The Summer or Fall Steelhead are now in good numbers and they have become very active as the natural salmon spawn is taking place. This is the best time of year for fly fishing which usually continues to Remembrance Day. People world wide wait for this time of year to fly fish the Stamp. Due to the unusual high volume of water it has been difficult to fly fish so most guides have been fishing on the float. Most guides in the upper are using bobbers and fake eggs and bouncing the bottom with a weight for Steelhead. When fishing for salmon spin-n glows and corkies are working as well as spinners for Coho in the Clause had a great trip to fishing will continue to be good for the next month and then we will begin winter Steelhead
For more information: Contact: Doug Lindores 1 888 214 7206 (toll free) 1 250 724 2502 (home) 1 250 731 7389 (cell) Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
Fishing Report: Port Alberni Inlet, Barkleysound, Ucluelet (West Coast), Somass-Stamp River SystemWed, Sep 14th, 2011by Doug LindoresIt is already mid-month September but the salmon fishing in many of the Port Alberni Inlet Barkley Sound The Alberni Inlet caught fire about the 18th of August and the Chinook fishing just got better and better right up to the Labour Day Weekend Derby. Because of the age and structure of the dam water was released on the Friday just before the derby which cooled the inlet and river water temperature down dramatically. This pushed a lot of salmon into the Somass system. The derby was still very successful but the salmon fishing was not anywhere near as good as it had been. This past week has had a variety of reports with some much improved fishing. Chinook and Coho are being landed right in the harbour inside Barkley Sound areas have been hit and miss over the last two weeks. Popular angling locations close to Poett Nook have produced some great Coho catches. Pill Point to The AORL 12 has also been a good hootchie and is often the best in September if using hootchies. With a good number of fish still offshore and many reported to the north of Ucluelet close to the beach we are still expecting some good numbers of salmon to swim into the sound before swimming up the inlet to the Ken from Ontario had a great day with three friends as they fished the
Ucluelet (West Coast) Year after year Ucluelet fishing continues to impress most anglers who are either using their own sport boat or on a guided salmon fishing trip. The many different banks outside the Salmon fishing out of Ucluelet has been very good all spring and summer.
Fishing in the River system for salmon got underway on the 26th of August. As fish make their way little by little into the system the fishing has gradually become better. The counters have shown at least 6,000 Chinook having passed through. It seems that early this week the heavy migration has begun. The Chinook and Coho fishing is producing some nice sized salmon that are very bright and silver in color. All of the guide boats are currently either jet or drift and of course the fishing method is either fishing on the drift or on a bank or area where there are some deeper pools. Bait casting is one great method using spinners and spoons as well as blades. Spin n glos or using orange or red wool in the fast water is quite productive. The last two days has seen those guests on guided trips, with guides who have plenty of river experience, leave the river with some great memories. There has been plenty of action for everyone and it is going to get even better. For those that enjoy fly fishing the best time of year is just before the Thanksgiving weekend throught the first week or two of November. Louise and Dave had a good day in the For more information Contact Doug Lindores 1 888- 214-7206 1 250 724 2502 (home) 1 250 731 7389 (cell) www.catchsalmon-ca.com Fishing Report: Port Alberni Inlet, Barkleysound, Ucluelet (West Coast), Somass-Stamp River SystemSat, Aug 6th, 2011by Doug Lindores
Areas right outside the Ucluelet Harbor and as far as the Big Bank or shallows and up to Portland Point which is close to Tofino have all had rather phenomenal sport fishing from the late spring right up until now. The lighthouse bank, inner and outer south bank and the turtle head have all been sensational for Chinook and good sized coho. Most of the banks have had plenty of bait fish and with the migration of salmon they have 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 inner and outer south bank and the turtle head have seen most sport fishermen fishing in the fifty foot level down to almost the sandy bottom at 135 to 150 feet. Fishing Report: Port Alberni Inlet, Barkleysound, Ucluelet (West Coast), Somass-Stamp River SystemWed, Jul 13th, 2011by Doug Lindores
Port Alberni Inlet The Sockeye run in the Port Alberni Inlet has been bumped from 600,000 Sockeye to 1.4 million. The Sockeye Salmon fishing has been fantastic but there has been a slowing effect for the sport fishermen over the last few days. For more information contact: Doug Lindores Fishing Report: Port Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound, West Coast (Ucluelet) Somass-Stamp River SystemWed, Jun 29th, 2011by Doug Lindores
Port Alberni Inlet / Barkley Sound
Ucluelet
Stamp-Somass River Those fishing Sockeye in the Somass River have done extrememly well. The possession limit is currently two. Water conditions for migration are perfect. The fall river fishing is expected to be very good. Chinook, Coho, and summer run Steelhead are sensational with good numbers forecast to return. Salmon fishing for chinook is expected to open on the 25th of August this year. Good fishing will occur in September using conventional methods with the best fishing on the fly usually in October when the natural spawn takes place. If you are interested in guided river trips don’t wait to long as much of the available room is quickly disappearing. For more information contact: Doug Lindores Fishing Report: Port Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound, Ucluelet (West Coast) Somass-Stamp River SystemWed, Jun 1st, 2011by Doug Lindores
The 2011 sport salmon fishing season in Ucluelet, Barkley Sound, and the Port Alberni Inlet is forecast once again to be terriffic. On the west coast, the early season 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 supposed to be one of the biggest mid summer Chinook returns to southern watersheds. Coho numbers this summer are expected to be much better in 2011 and of course this being an odd year the Pink Salmon run is looking like numbers will be extremely high. The Sockeye fishing should be extremely good. The early run has already been swimming into the Somass River with expectations of a possible record run. Port Alberni Inlet / Barkley Sound The Sockeye sport fishery has now been open for approximately two weeks in the Port Alberni Inlet. Limits are two per person per day. Sometime in June we are expecting the limits to be pushed to four per person. Sockeye usually school in the Inlet when the water of the Somass warms to 18 degrees celsius or when there are big number of Sockeye entering the system the schools will hold in the inlet for the salmon ahead to push into the river. The river water is still very cold and with the all of the snow still in the nearby hills it will take some time for the water to warm up. The Sockeye that are currently in the system and have come into Barkley Sound and the Inlet will swim in fairly shallow water. Those out fishing will probably during the next couple of weeks have the best success fishing the Nahmint-Franklin area, the narrows, and perhaps Cous Creek or right in the Port Alberni Harbor trolling from 25 to 35 feet or even at 20 feet. The May and early June weather in 2010 was not quite like this year but conditions were still relatively cool and fairly good Sockeye fishing got underway by approximately the 13th of June. It is often safe to say that anytime between the 15th and 20th of the month the sport fishing gets well underway. We are hoping that by mid month the weather pattern will have changed and conditions in terms of air and water temperatures have warmed up. Sport guides and individual fishermen will find that the salmon will be best found 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 Barkely 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 come in and feed. Effingham has had some good fishing as has Vernon Bay and Alan Point. 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 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 four inch green and blue nickel behind a green glow hotspot flasher and the needlefish 155 hootchie has also been very good. Anchovy in a green UV teaser head and also in chartreuse have been hot.at various times. Many of the salmon have been in the mid to high teens with a few in the low twenties. We are expecting the fish to get bigger as the mid summer run which will get underway in the latter half of June will be predominately four and five year olds. Barkly Sound should be a real hotbed for fishing this summer especially out in surfline locations. Ucluelet
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 seaon 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. Photo: Guide Al on the left and guest Greg of Vancouver B.C. with a forty-five pound halibut landed outside of Ucluelet using a green hootchie as lure. The 2011 fishing season in Port Alberni and the west coast is shaping up just as has been forecast. There should not be disappointments this summer. Of course there are highs and lows but the high days will definitely out do any low days. Somass-Stamp River
The Stamp River is one of B.C.’s healthiest river systems. The salmon fishing this year will open on August 25th with what is forecast to be a better than normal season. Retention at the moment is forecast to be two Coho and two Chinook. 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. For more information contact: Doug Lindores Port Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound, Ucluelet (West Coast), Somass-Stamp RiverThu, May 5th, 2011by Doug LindoresThe west coast of Vancouver Island is a wonderful area to visit and spend on vacation. Known for it unique settings and rugged coastlines Vancouver Islands west coast not only offers world class salmon fishing but also offers other adventures and unique cultural activities. Those visiting Vancouver Island during the late spring and summer months must take in not ony 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 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 in 2009 and 2010. The 2011 season is expected to be no different. The expectation of high numbers of migratory salmon headed to distant southern watersheds is already looking fantastic. Salmon fishing around Ucluelet and the protected waters of scenic Barkley Sound has already been good with many clipped salmon in the high teens being landed by guides and their guests and also sport anglers fishing in their private boats. We are expecting the Port Alberni Inlet to have another remarkable Sockeye season with forecast return numbers at about 650,000. The Sockeye season usually begins in mid June and continues into the first week of August. Salmon fishing in Barkely Sound, along the surf line and also offshore waters will continue from now through mid September or longer. Look for another banner sport salmon fishing year on British Columbia's west coast---Vancouver Island. Port Alberni / Barkley Sound
The month of April and May is often quiet in the Alberni Inlet except for the many prawners who are out on the water daily. Prawn season opened on April 1st and was very good through the month with some great catches of prawns. This has also been very true in Barkley Sound. Guide boats in the early spring include in their salmon fishing trips, 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 dramatically picked up over the last couple of weeks. Swale Rock, Vernon Bay, and Alan Point have all been producing some nice salmon in the eleven to fifteen pound range. Many of the Chinook as of late have been clipped with thought 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 125 feet. A variety of coyote spoons have been working. Green glow has been a favorite in the four inch size as has the green nickel and silver glow. Some guides and sport fishermen have been just using silver spoons Photo (right): Migratory Chinook Salmon landed fishing in 125 feet of water near Swale Rock in Barkley Sound Vancouver Island. These fish were landed using a variety of hootchies and coyote spoons. There have also been a few favorable reports in Samatao Bay, Pill Point and Diplock. One angler reported playing four nice salmon in Samatao in fifty feet of water. A green glow four inch coyote spoon was working well behind a green glow hotspot flasher. Fishermen trolling with anchovy have had their best success using a chartreuse or green Rhys Davis teaser head with a six foot tail. There have been some good sized bait balls in many of the areas. We are expecting the fishing to be very good through the summer months . The mid summer run of Chinook and Coho which begins in late June and run into early August is expected to be one of the largest run of salmon headed to the Columbia and Willamette systems to the south. Many of the salmon will be four and five year olds which often means some good sized Chinook over thirty pounds. The surf line areas of the Sound as well as areas such as Kirby Point, Gilbrlator, and Swale Rock should have some great fishing as the rich resources of bait fish come into those areas which bring in the big tyee. Ucluelet
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 makes it possible for keen anglers to get ot on the water. The full month of March right up to mid April the fishing close to the Ucluelet Harbor had been quite consistent. The Alley, Great Bear, Forbes, Sail Rock and Beg Island were all producing some nice feeder Chinook. With the weather changing the last few weeks guided trips and sports anglers have been able to get further offshore. The Inner South Bank has been good, especially over the past weekend. The guided trips have had some great fishing with limits on Chinook weighing up to seventeen and eighteen pounds. The Inner South Bank has been most favorable for those fishing close to the bottom at 135 feet. Some have had success using purple haze and army truck glow hootchies. The white Turd and the T-Rex hootchie have been very good for some guides and sport fishermen with both pieces of plastic producing the best catches for a couple of our Ucluelet guides. The past weekend also saw some of the first halibut of the season. The Halis have been migrating back to the deep and usually by the third week of May have migrated back to the shallows. The white Turd for one guide was good for two fifteen pound halibut fishing the Inner South. May and June should prove to be two very good 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 great fish in the high thirties and low forties this summer. The Ucluelet ladder derby began on May 1st and will continue until the Labor Day Weekend with the final derby the second weekend of September. The cost of the Ucluelet ladder derby is $50 for the year or for each trip out on a guided trip the cost is $10. There are great monthly prizes for the top fish. Stamp River Photo (right): Winter Steelhead fishing on the Stamp continued well into April with some beautiful Steelhead landed right up to the end of the month. The winter Steelhead season is all but over. Many of the spawned out fish are heading back down the river and out to the waters of the vast Pacific. The Fall of 2011 is once expected to be very good with plenty of early chinook and 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. For more information contact: Doug Lindores Port Alberni, Barkley Sound, Ucluelet, Somass-Stamp RiverMon, Apr 11th, 2011by Doug LindoresVancouver 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. We are closing in on mid-April and the 2011 saltwater fishing season is 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 migraory flow of the early Chinook salmon headed down the coastline to natal streams to the south has just started. With feeder or winter Chinook salmon also still in the system April and early May can have some very good fishing days. 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 2011 fishing season is shaping up to be as good or if not better than 2010. There are many indicators that show the season should be very good for Chinook and Sockeye salmon. Coho salmon indicators look good also and with it being an odd year pink salmon will be an added bonus with close to twenty million pinks swimming down the west coast to the Fraser River.
Port Alberni Inlet / Barkley Sound
Prawn fishing in the Alberni Inlet again opens in April. 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 prawning 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 possesion limit of eight. Last year over one million Somass Sockeye Salmon returned to the Alberni Inlet. Pre season forecasts are indicating that this number could be higher for the 2011 season. The salmon fishing in Barkley Sound has been hit and miss for winter Chinook. The Sproat Lake Derby which occurred in early March had a twenty-four pound salmon take top spot. Fishing early in the year was quite good but has been spotty since. With herring coming to the beach and with the start of the early summer run of Chinook headed to southern watersheds we are expecting some good fishing out in surfline locations. Areas like Kirby Point, Cree, Effingham, and Edward King have recently had a few good reports of hatchery Chinook being landed and as time moves forward into late April and early May the fishing should really improve. Look out 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 and five year olds. With the weather patterns becoming more reliable those getting out to Barkley Sound should plan on fishing on the troll using either hootchies, coyote spoons, or anchovy. One guide boat recently did well at Effingham and Kirby landing over a two day period eight Chinook in the ten to seventeen pound category. The Chinook were hitting four inch cop car and the green-nickel and blue-nickel coyote spoon. Army Truck needlefish hootchie was also a great choice behind a green glow hot spot flasher. If you get close to the bottom from Swale rock out the Meares don’t be surprised if a halibut hits your bait or lure.
Ucluelet
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 last ten days. Beg Island, Great Bear, Forbes, Sail Rock, and an Area termed The Alley has been producing some nice salmon into the high teens. The herring have been moving in and there is also plenty of needlefish and pilchards in the area which brings the salmon in close to the beach during tides to feed. Trolling has been the best method 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 army truck and glow green 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 Coho are forecast to be quite strong. The Chinook are predicted to be predominately four and five year olds which suggests some bigger salmon in the thirty and maybe even forty pound range. The Ucluelet ladder derby gets started on May 1st and continues through Labor Day Weekend. The final Derby is the weekend following. Cost is $50 for the full year. There are great money prizes monthly for the top fish.
Stamp River
One of the biggest kept secrets is the great fishing that occurs in the Stamp for Winter Steelhead in April. Very few people are on the river and there are plenty of fish. In fact there are some fresh steelhead still coming into the Lower. Guides generally have their clients in the Upper River aboard drift boats and those that are bank fishermen are mostly fishing in the Upper river also. The bait ban is still in effect. Those looking for fresh new fish in the Lower River below “the bucket” can still use roe and roebags. The Upper River bank or shore walkers have had some great success using one eighth and quarter ounce jigs in pink or purple or both of these predominant colors with some white mixed in. The guides in the jet boats have been using four inch pink worms, goey bobs and spin n glow. Spoons are now beginning to work fairly well. With the fishing pressure ridiculously low and the river water warming the Steelhead have become more active. The mix of wild and hatchery fish is almonst 50-50 and some of the fish that have been landed over the last few days have excellent color. In fact some of the fish have been chromers. The size of most of the fish have been averaging eight to twelve pounds. There still are a few in the mid teens. Late September through mid November is a very popular time to fish the Stamp. It is the time of year when not only Chinook and Coho have come in for their natural spawn if they do not go to the hatchery but also a time when there are plenty of feeding summer Steelhead. It is also the ideal time for fly fishermen to take advantage of the opportunity to witness some of the best fly fishing one can find.
For more information contact: Doug Lindores Port Alberni, Barkley Sound, Ucluelet, Stamp RiverThu, Feb 24th, 2011by Doug LindoresIt's again a New Year and everyone is beginning to think about the many sport fishing opportunities that await them in 2011. 2010 was a memorable year on the scenic West Coast of Vancouver Island. Chinook fishing for migratory salmon headed to distant southern watersheds began in April and continued through the spring and summer. Salmon returning to local streams and rivers arrived in August and continued in good numbers until September. In the Alberni Inlet Sockeye returns forecast to be approximately 600,000 grew to well over 1.2 million. The 2011 sport fishing season which begins in the late spring and continues into the summer and early fall months looks to be very similar if not better than last year. This year should be rather remarkable. The Sockeye season in the Alberni Inlet will again be unbelievable for all that take time and opportunity to fish the Alberni Inlets quiet and pristine waters.
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. Port Alberni Inlet / Barkley Sound 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 in the Bells Bay and Nahmint-Franklin areas. This happens periodically but most years the Alberni Inlet has the best sport fishing from mid June to mid September. The Somass River Sockeye begin to return to the river in May and usually begin to school around the 10th or so of June. When the Sockeye school in big numbers, the action for the number one tasting salmon, really heats up and is a lot of fun for all fisher persons young and old. For those individuals that enjoy prawn sport fishing the season in the Alberni Inlet closed on December 31st and will not reopen until April. Please check all DFO regulations. 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. The Christmas season was very good as the weather co-operated just prior to Christmas and also during the New Years weekend. 2011 has also seen some good weather patterns and fairly productive fishing days. To date the best fishing areas have been the Bamfield Harbor mouth and the Bamfield Wall as well as Swale Rock, Vernon Bay, and the Canoe Pass outside entry points. Pill Point, Sarita Bay and the Nook are also other areas worthwhile to fish in February and March. Last winter the largest recorded Winter Chinook salmon was landed during the Sproat Lake Loggers Derby which annually takes place during the first weekend of March. The 2010 winning fish was in the 28 pound range. We are expecting that some nice salmon in the teens up to the mid twenties will be lurking in the mix this year. Winter Springs are in deep water. It is not uncommon to find them in the Sound from 100 to 145 feet. Coyote Spoons in the three and a half to four inch in cop car or glow cop car, nasty boy, Summer fishing in the Sound especially on the surf line most years occurs from late May to early August and is expected to be this year very good due to the migratory movement of salmon along the west coast. Good numbers of Chinook, Coho and Pink 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. Ucluelet
It is fairly difficult to go to far offshore during the winter months. There have however been some reasonably nice days on the water where the swell and water lump has been low. The best winter Chinook fishing is often fairly close to the Ucluelet Harbor. This year has been no different. Beg Island, Mara Rock and Big Bear have had some reasonably good results. Needle fish, white hootchies, and various green hootchies, anchovy, and nasty boy, cop car, green glow, and silver glow coyote spoons have been the best bets to attract the feeder Chinook. In February the feeder Chinook fishing really picks up and gets much better as the herring spawn gets close and these bait fish move toward the beach. In the early spring we will feature our Seafood Safari. This is a great trip on the open Pacific where guests can be treated to some excellent winter Chinook fishing, bottom fishing, prawn and crab fishing. There might even be opportunity to find some oysters along some of the magnificent beaches of the west coast. The end of the day often has guests preparing a wonderful gourmet seafood dinner at a local resort or bed and breakfast. There are spots that the preparation of the days catch will be prepared for our guests. Summer sport salmon fishing out of Ucluelet looks again very promising. Year after year Ucluelet has some of British Columbia's best and most wonderful fishing opportunities. The outlook for Chinook and Coho migrations look similar if not better than 2009 and 2010. We expect late May into mid August to have some of the best salmon fishing. For those that enjoy Pink Salmon fishing the odd year is back and returns of Pinks to various rivers along the west coast should be very good. Stamp River
The Stamp to date has provided some very good winter Steelhead fishing. The fishing in one simple word has been "consistent". The fish are beginning to spread out and can be found in the upper and lower river. The best fishing with guides aboard jet boats is still in the Lower River below the bucket. Guided trips on average have been hooking into six to ten fish per guest group each day. The mix of hatchery Steelhead compared to wild have been almost 50-50 on a percentage basis. For those on foot the most popular area is the falls pool which over the past few weeks has been very congested with sport anglers, especially on weekend days. The Sproat has also had some great fishing days as of late. Those individuals on guided and non-guided trips fishing with a float and below "the bucket" have had good success using natural bait in roe, roe bags, and shrimp. Spin'n'glows, corkies, rubber eggs and various jigs have also been working. One sport angler fishing close to the confluence was using a pink jig which like pink worms, for the most part, works best in the Upper River, had an unbelievably successful day during the past week by hooking into five or six Steelhead. The Winter Steelhead to date have been of good size. There have been some good sized fish in the mid teens to almost twenty pounds. The River as of right now is medium-high and moving quickly and for clarity is clearing up. We are expecting the February and March Stamp River winter Steelhead fishing to be very good right through until the end of March. For more information contact: Doug Lindores If you would like to contribute a fishing report to our website, please contact us at reports@sportfishingbc.com. |
The summer months are quickly moving by and the salmon fishing in many areas of Vancouver Island just seems to be getting better and better as we move into early August. The salmon fishing in Barkley Sound and the West Coast off of the Ucluelet Harbor for Chinook, Coho, and Pink Salmon has been extremely good. Unfortuately the Port Alberni Sockeye fishing for natural or mother nature reasons has not been what it should have been. The Chinook and Coho on the surf line and the various banks are getting bigger by the week. Most of these salmon continue to be migratory salmon moving to destinations or watersheds well to the south. We are expecting some of the salmon returning to nearby rivers, streams, and creeks of the Pacific Rim and Alberni Valley regions to appear by the second week of August. This should in fact develop into an even a much stronger sport fishery. August and the early part of September should have fascinating sport fishing out on the coast and also most of Barkley Sound. The Port Alberni Inlet should have a good return of Chinook and Coho and usually by the 15th of August good numbers of these Chinook begin to show in Inlet areas close to China Creek and the Port Alberni Harbor.
The sport fishing in the Port Alberni Inlet unfortunately has been almost non existent since the 12th of July. The sockeye return forecast still holds at 1.4 million which is a fantastic run and return but because of the huge winter snow pack in nearby mountain ranges which drain into the Somass system and also the very unusual cool spring and summer the Sockeye salmon filled both Sproat and Great Central Lakes with approximately 400,000 fish very early. The DFO responded with this fast return to the Somass system and the two lakes by opening a full Alberni Inlet gill and seine net Sockeye commercial fishery which completely decimated the sport fishery. DFO was concerned about the salmon survival in the two lakes with the huge early returns and is the basic reason why the Inlet to as far as the Bamfield Harbor mouth was scattered with gill nets. The Chinook return to the Somass system should begin with salmon showing in good numbers in Inlet areas by the 15th of August. Pre season forecasts are showing appoximately 50,000 Chinook returning to the terminal area of Barkley Sound and the Inlet. Most of these fish will be returning to the Robertson Creek Hatchery. Approximately 32,500 spawners will be needed meaning that there will be 18,000 Chinook available for harvest. 
The age class of this years return is 8% three year olds, 81% four year olds and 11% five year olds. With this in mind there should be a good number of Chinook in the twenty to twenty-five pound class. Coho numbers are expected to be above average. Coho returns to the Pacific Rim and the many creeks and stream tributaries of the Somass system through conservation have become very strong 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. 
Anchovy should have at least a six foot leader and the army truck, purple haze, UV green and bloody nose Rhys Davis Teaser Head have all been working well. A few sport fishermen are using a variety of six inch plugs and tomic spoons with or without flashers. These have been working only when the bait fish are big in size. We are expecting Barkley Sound to have some continued great salmon fishing. With the late summer run of migratory salmon and local salmon returning to their natural streams and creeks their should be some continued terriffic fishing right into mid September in all of Barkley Sound for Coho and Chinook salmon. 
Hootchies, coyote spoons, and a variety of five and six inch tomic plugs and spoons seem to all be working relatively well. 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 thirties being landed by guests on our charter boats. Sport fishermen in their privately owned boats have also been landing some bigger fish. The 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.
There has been some phenomenal fishing on Vancouver Islands West Coast and also in the Port Alberni Inlet and many areas of the protected waters of Barkley Sound. The West Coast has had very consistent salmon fishing with some great Chinook fishing in the many inshore and offshore locations. Barkley Sound has had vast quantities of bait fish which have brought the many migratory Chinook into surfline and inshore areas as far as Pill Point. The Port Alberni Inlet has filled with Sockeye salmon which has pleased the hundreds of sport fishermen fishing the pristine and very quiet waters of the Alberni Inlet. We are expecting the West Coast and Barkley Sound regions to have some excellent Chinook and Coho fishing right through August. Pink Salmon should also be in fantastic numbers also by the middle of this month. Everyone fishing the outside and inner areas of Vancouver Island will have a great opportunity to land a pacific salmon this summer.
The winter had huge snowfall amounts on the nearby Vancouver Island mountain ranges and with a very cool spring the huge snow packs have been slow in melting. The Sockeye began to arrive in May and moved into the two major nearby lakes which are Sproat and Great Central Lake. The Sockeye usually begin to school in the Inlet but because the Somass River and Port Alberni Inlet water has remained cool the Sockeye have moved quickly into the Somass system. Currently there are well over 560,000 Sockeye swimming the waters of the two lakes where they will sit in deep water until the fall when the streams and creeks fill with water where the Sockeye will spawn. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is concerned about the numbers of returning Sockeye and that the lakes will be to full of these most delicate of the all salmon species for good survival rates. To slow the continued movement of Sockeye moving into the lakes the DFO has opened a Seine and Gill Net commercial fishery for one full week. The Seines can pickup fish in any area from the surface to 80 to 100 feet down and the gill nets are picking up all those Sockeye in the top 30 feet of water headed to the river. The commercial fishery has hammered the sport fleet. Sport boats that were limiting on Sockeye are now fortunate to land two or three Sockeye per morning. We are hoping the commercial fleet moves rather quickly and gets their allocated numbers. New salmon should move in and hopefully for the sake of the Port Alberni Community the sockeye fishing for all sport fishermen can once again improve to what it was in the last two weeks of June and the first week of July. The fish that are hitting the sport lines are still hitting a variety of pink colors mixed in with blue and black. Leader lengths should be from 22 to 27 inches in length with green, red, purple haze or other colored hotspot flashers. Dummy flashers are also important as the Sockeye are attracted to the boat by color. 
The expectation of some good fishing in the last two weeks of July and first fifteen days of August is still predicted. Check with Doug of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport fishing.
Ucluelet has had some of the best fishing on Vancouver Islands West Coast since early May. The consistency of many excellent salmon fishing days is difficult to beat anywhere in British Columbia. The inshore and offshore fishing for Chinook and Coho have been excellent and the halibut fishing has also been good in most locations. Recently the inner and outer southbank as well as the long beach bank and the lighthouse bank have been good. The Wreck and the Big Bank have been consistent but the fish have been a little smaller further out. The bait seems to be changing. There is still a lot of needle fish but bigger pilchards are beginning to show up. Coyote spoons in the three and a half and four inch size behind a variety of flasher colors espcecially glows are working but with the Pilchards showing up many guides and sport fishermen are no longer using flashers but are trolling with big six and seven inch spoons and plugs. If using a flasher with the larger spoons keep the leader up to seven feet and use a blue or purple mirror. There are plenty of salmon out on the various banks offshore of Vancouver Island in which many are close to the bottom or in the midwater.. The halibut hide in the sand on these various banks and many fisher persons and guides are still bringing their lower lines close the the bottom and are picking up halibut on the troll. If this method is not working go to halibut jigs or a spreader bar. The Chinook and Coho numbers are increasing daily on the coast and with this being an odd year look for millions of pink salmon destined for the Fraser River. July and August will be excellent fishing months out on the west coast. Ucluelet has a mothly ladder derby. Each month the three biggest salmon are awarded cash prizes with all of the top fish entries from each month from May to early September in a fish off for a grand prize during the second weekend of September. The yearly cost for the salmon ladder derby is $50 and daily it is $10 and can be picked up while in Ucluelet. Ask your guides or get in for at the information center.
It is past mid June and as expected the salmon fishing in all of the Port Alberni and Pacific Rim areas has really picked up. Halibut and Chinook fishing on the west coast has been very consistent with most days producing some very good results for those on guided trips or fishing in privately owned sport boats. Barkley Sound especially along surf line locations has been fantastic with some great Chinook catches in the high teens and low twenties. The Port Alberni Inlet has also picked up with some excellent sockeye fishing. The Somass River and Alberni Inlet water temperatures are still relatively cool in the River but surface Inlet water temperatures are now about 61 degrees farenheit. There has been an abundance of early Sockeye moving into the Inlet and then the River which has produced some Sockeye schooling and some great results for sport anglers. The 2011 summer fishing should once again be fantastic along Vancouver Islands west coast inshore and offshore and inland waters close to Port Alberni. Results to date have proven pre season forecasts to be very accurate.
The Port Alberni Inlet is expected to see a good return of Sockeye Salmon in 2011. The Department of Fisheries is still estimating a return of 600,000 pieces to the Somass River. With this in mind the estimated catch for sport, commercial, and first nations is approximately 225,000. For the sport fisherman the current daily possession is four salmon with a two day possession limit of eight. Many believe that returns will be close to the 2010 return of well over one million salmon. The early run of Sockeye to date is proving day after day that this thought by many anglers could very well hold true. With water temperatures very cool but gradually warming the Somass River and the two major lake conditions have been perfect for good migratory flow. The counters have well over 47,000 escaped Sockeye already moving into Sproat and Great Central Lakes. The week of June 13th was the beginning of some good Sockeye Fishing out in the inlet. Some anglers reported some good fishing with limits of eight and twelve fish per boat but without any real consistency as some anglers had a much less success rate. The Sockeye fishing during the last few days has improved even more and has been simply sensational. The Inlet waters are warming up and the fish are beginning to school in various spots. The best fishing has been from Ten Mile Point right to Dunsmuir Point which is straight across from the China Creek Marina and Campground. The magical depth range for fishing has been from twenty-five to fifty feet with forty feet being a perfect depth. As we get closer to July and the waters warm up the Sockeye will go deeper into the water. The normal Sockeye gear is currently working well as long as plenty of color is out the back of the boat. The MP 2 and 15 (bubblegum) hootchies are working, as are the pink and blue and pink and black hootchies and a variety of other pinkish to orange and red colors. We are expecting the Sockeye fishing to stay relatively good well into August. There will be Seine testing going on weekly with updates on numbers. Expect some commercial fishing in the Inlet and also to outer areas but there will always be plenty of good areas for the sport fishermen. It will not be a surprise if well over one million Sockeye return to the system this summer.
Barkley Sound fishing has been very good for the last two weeks. Generally the surflne areas have produced some nice fish but some great catches have also come out of more inshore areas like Pill Point, Vernon Bay, and Swale Rock. The inland areas have produced some salmon just like the surf line spots up to twenty pounds. There have been reports of some great Coho catches especially close to Swale Rock. The Chinook have been in deeper water. Pill Point has reported great catches with the salmon at depths to 110 feet and the Meares and Austin Island areas as deep as 125 feet. Anchovy and a few coyote spoons in green and blue nickel and the silver glow have been working but in general the surf line spots have had the best results with anchovy in a chartreuse, glow green, or purple haze teaser head behind a glow hotspot flasher. We are expecting some Coho to move into the mix. There have been a few good days but the Coho have not been as consistent as the Chinook. Coho catches have been good up the Vancouver Island coastline and will move into the direction of the Sound. The Coho are big eaters at this time of year and often put on as much as a pound per week. We are expecting some great fishing in the Sound through July. One of the biggest runs of what is termed mid summer run Chinook are forecast to return to the big watershed systems in southerly waters. These migratory Chinook often stay relatively close to the beach of Vancouver Island and will move into Barkley Sound to feed on the rich resources of bait fish. Summer fishing in the scenic and calm waters of Barkley Sound will be wonderful in 2011.
One of the most consistent areas to fish year after year for salmon and halibut has been Ucluelet B.C. Ucluelet is a small town located on the west coast of British Columbia with a relatively small year round population. However in the summer months the population size does swell with many visitors who come to fish the inshore and offshore waters. Many come on guided trips while others brave the waters of the Pacific Ocean using their privat sport boats. The fishing has been very good for Chinook and there have been some good Coho numbers recently and of course like most years the halibut fishing is really picking up. The best spots to fish have been Long Beach and recently Lighthouse Bank and the Inner and Outer South Bank. The salmon like the halibut have been very close to the sandy bottom and on tide changes do move up to the midwater to feed on the needle fish and other bait fish. The fish are actively feeding much of the day but on the tide change it can become crazy and it often seems that whatever one offers as a lure will work. For some fisher persons bait and for others coyote spoons and plastic seems to be the way to go. The green nickel four inch coyote spoon has been good as have several glow hootchies and also the green spatterback and T-Rex hootchie. Both of these hootchies have done well picking up Chinook and halibut.Most of the Chinook landed have weighed from the mid teens to low twenties with a few in the thirty pound range. The Ucluelet ladder derby is currently showing a thirty-eight pound Chinook leading in June. This fish was landed out on the Lighthouse Bank using a glow hootchie. We are realy expecting the fishing to improve even more. Chinook abundance for the west coast of Vancouver Island is expected to be the best we have seen in the past five years. Remember that when you are out on the water fishing to be sure the lines are in the water at the magical hour of the tide change. 
Remember to stay safe out on the west coast and have all of the necessary equipment for foggy days and watch the winds.
The month of June has now rolled in and one would think that with the cool damp weather the West Coast has received over the past weeks that it was still late February or early March. However on the bright side the salmon fishing has been pretty good close to Ucluelet which is located on the extreme west coast of Vancouver Island B.C. The fishing in various outside areas of Barkley Sound has also been recently quite good and the early sockeye salmon have already began their long return from somewhere in the North Pacific to the Somass River in fairly big numbers. There have been a few third hand reports that some avid sport fishermen camping at the China Creek site have already had some luck picking up a few sockeye in the Nahmint-Franklin area in 25 to 30 feet of water. Also an area in Barkley Sound, Vernon Bay has had some great Sockeye fishing. If the stories are true these fish would have been more than likely in a big school but moving quickly towards the fresh but very cool waters of the Somass River. The salmon and halibut fishing on the west coast has 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 fisher persons are either fishing the scenic and pristine waters of Barkley Sound or are travelling out to the west coast to fish close to Vancouver Islands rugged coastline or on those in between very nice days, which should become much more frequent, to salmon fish offshore.
Photo: Linda is all smiles as she shows her Chinook Salmon which was picked up on the lighthouse bank using a coyote spoon in four inch size known as blue-nickel. Many of the early run chinook have been from thirteen to twenty pounds.
Photo: Happy fishermen Greg, Gordon, and Ron had a great day with some nice Chinook and halibut on the west coast fishing out of Ucluelet on the 3oth of May 2011. Outer South Bank had some great fishing using hootchies and spoons.
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, and The Alley which are all very close to the Ucluelet Harbor have also been excellent choices for sport fishing especially on those days where the weather has not co-operated for boats to get out a little offshore.. The largest fish landed over the past 10 days in inshore locations was a thirty-five pound Chinook at Sail Rock. This Chinook which like many of the other salmon was a hatchery fish and hit a needlefish hootchie. Most of the Chinook Salmon have been averaging sixteen to twenty-two pounds in the inshore and offshore locations. The fish out at the inner and outer South Bank have been close to the bottom between 130 and 160 feet. Guide Al has done extremely well on salmon and halibut with his largest hali for guests at forty-five pounds. The best lures to date have been a T-Rex hootchie or 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 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 does.
Photo: Salmon fishing on the Stamp River will get underway on the 25th of August this year. This happy lady from Victoria had a grea day in 2010 with opportunity to play Chinook and Coho.
Photo (left): Barkley Sound located on Vancouver Island has had some greatly improved salmon fishing over the past few days. Some guests had a terriffic trip with some great sunny skies and calm water. These fish were landed using coyote spoons.
while others are doing well using a variety of white hootchies.
Photo (left): Fishing out of Ucluelet has really picked up over the last week. Beside Chinook salmon the first few halibut have also been landed. We are expecting the fishing to really pickup over the next month. All of these fish were landed out on the Inner South Bank.
Last year there were some excellent money wins per month by a variety of very happy fishing individuals.
Photo: Sockeye fishing in the Alberni Inlet is fun and very exciting. It is very much a full family fishing opportunity as those young and hold have a great opportunity of landing a salmon. Jack of Ontario shows off his first ever caught Sockeye Salmon. Jack fished with Doug of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport fishing. jack and good friend Ross limited on Sockeye in the China Creek area of The Alberni Inlet in the summer of 2010. Fishing in 2011 is forecast to exceed 2010.
Photo: Fishing offshore out of Ucluelet B.C. often finds plenty of fish for all. Most summer days those on guided trips can have a wonderful day fishing Chinook, Coho and Halibut. This summer will be excellent with many of the returning or migratory Chinook being predominately four and five year olds.
Photo: Guest from Vancouver Island had a great day on the Stamp river. This beautiful chrome fish took quite a long time to land. April Steelhead fishing on the Stamp is often very good with lots of great action.
Photo: Ashtyn of Saskatoon Saskatchewan shows his 18 pound Chinook caught at Cree Island. This fish hit a four inch green-nickel coyote spoon. Ashtyn and family fished with John of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing.
Photo: Mark had a great guided Winter Steelhead trip on the Stamp River close to Port Alberni Vancouver Island. The Steelhead fishing has been very consistent over the past few weeks with guides hooking into 6 to 10 Steelhead for guests each day.
Photo: The weather on the west coast of British Columbia Vancouver Island has improved as has the fishing. This fish was caught around Great Bear just outside the Ucluelet Harbor on a hootchie by Kevin of Victoria.
Photo: Graham of Vancouver had a great trip on the Stamp River this past weekend. Best fishing was in the lower Stamp.