First Time Visitor - Access to Fishing without a car

[KislaBlue]

Hello Fishers,

My wife and I are visiting BC for the first time at the end of next month , visiting downtown Vancouver for a week from 24th June , Ucluelet for a week from 1st July and Whistler for a week from 8th July.

I am approaching 65 , reasonably mobile on foot but I will not have a hire car during this visit. Furthermore , budget doesn't permit the use of a private guide which look (for me) eye-wateringly expensive seemingly running to hundreds of dollars for few hours. It doesn't help that I will fish solo and so don't have anyone to share the cost of guiding.

I have fished a fair amount in the past but not for a few years and so Im more than a bit rusty but I can't pass on a visit to BC without wetting a line somewhere.

Can anyone advise me on fishing spots which are easily accessible from the above 3 locations.Im hoping to find some stream and lake fishing for which I will not need waders and which I can reach on foot or by bus. My preference is fly fishing but I will also bring a small spinning rod.

This is by no means a fishing holiday but Im also hoping that I will also find opportunities to throw a line into the ocean at some point - I will post similarly in the salt water forum.

Many thanks in anticipation of any pointers you can give me,

Tight lines,

Peter

 

[UkeeDreamin]

Any of the beaches btwn Ukee and Tofino you can fish surf perch off the beach. Incoming tide is usually best, look for areas that are deeper, have some current or more wave action. Set up spin rod with weight on bottom and dropper with bait hook further up - use shrimp meat or clam necks for bait. Ideally you use enough weight (disc or pyramid lead) that the bigger waves push it to shore a bit and you reel in the slack, recasting once bait makes it to shore.

Depending on how agile you are you can also hike down to half moon bay (beside Florencia bay) and take the hidden trail at the south end over to Wya point. If the sea is calm you can fish off the rocks at wya with a buzz bomb or zinger and have a reasonable chance of hooking a salmon if #s are in the area. Landing is an issue given the amount of sharp rock you’ll be fishing from. I can’t emphasize enough not to attempt this if there is any sizeable surf coming into shore. There will always be randomly larger waves that will knock you off your feet or sweep you out into the ocean.

There are Searun cutts along the beaches and creek mouths of Grice bay that you could fly fish for in July if you had waders or if your willing to wade wet on a nice day. Again, rising tide is usually best timing.

Issue for all these options is how will you get to the beaches, bays or trailheads in the area with no Wheels?

I would be contacting as many charters as possible in Vancouver and Ukee to let them know you’re available to share the cost of a charter. I know it’s costly but for me, no matter the cost or what I had to forego btwn now and then to put the money aside, i’d Regret not being able to get out on the water in Ukee. If you tell them it’s your first time to the west coast of the island, any good guide would make sure you see some whales, Barkley sound, the sea lion rocks etc, so long as you’d be willing to dedicate an hr or so of your charter to see what that amazing area has to Offer!

Another option would be to post another thread to see if any members here will have “open seats” on their boats the weeks you are in Ukee or Vancouver. Etiquette suggests you offer to pay more than your fair share of the gas, ask if ther is anything else you can buy or provide for the captain (eg a couple of his favourite trolling spoons or his favourite brand of adult beverage (for after the trip, of course)) and make sure to stay and help clean the boat and gear following the trip.

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[Dogbreath]

There are 4 or 5 lakes within the municipality of Whistler all reachable (+or-) by transit and they all have fish but size is an issue-I used to drive tours there/had hours off every day but stopped fishing after while because it just wasn't worth it.

 

[KislaBlue]

Any of the beaches btwn Ukee and Tofino you can fish surf perch off the beach. Incoming tide is usually best, look for areas that are deeper, have some current or more wave action. Set up spin rod with weight on bottom and dropper with bait hook further up - use shrimp meat or clam necks for bait. Ideally you use enough weight (disc or pyramid lead) that the bigger waves push it to shore a bit and you reel in the slack, recasting once bait makes it to shore.

Depending on how agile you are you can also hike down to half moon bay (beside Florencia bay) and take the hidden trail at the south end over to Wya point. If the sea is calm you can fish off the rocks at wya with a buzz bomb or zinger and have a reasonable chance of hooking a salmon if #s are in the area. Landing is an issue given the amount of sharp rock you’ll be fishing from. I can’t emphasize enough not to attempt this if there is any sizeable surf coming into shore. There will always be randomly larger waves that will knock you off your feet or sweep you out into the ocean.

There are Searun cutts along the beaches and creek mouths of Grice bay that you could fly fish for in July if you had waders or if your willing to wade wet on a nice day. Again, rising tide is usually best timing.

Issue for all these options is how will you get to the beaches, bays or trailheads in the area with no Wheels?

I would be contacting as many charters as possible in Vancouver and Ukee to let them know you’re available to share the cost of a charter. I know it’s costly but for me, no matter the cost or what I had to forego btwn now and then to put the money aside, i’d Regret not being able to get out on the water in Ukee. If you tell them it’s your first time to the west coast of the island, any good guide would make sure you see some whales, Barkley sound, the sea lion rocks etc, so long as you’d be willing to dedicate an hr or so of your charter to see what that amazing area has to Offer!

Another option would be to post another thread to see if any members here will have “open seats” on their boats the weeks you are in Ukee or Vancouver. Etiquette suggests you offer to pay more than your fair share of the gas, ask if ther is anything else you can buy or provide for the captain (eg a couple of his favourite trolling spoons or his favourite brand of adult beverage (for after the trip, of course)) and make sure to stay and help clean the boat and gear following the trip.

Cheers!

Ukee

Hi Ukee , many thanks for such a quick reply.Really helpful and just what I was hoping for.Some great information and advice. as to to how I can maybe find a space on a charter although to be honest I do get the impression that many of these are devoted to

There are 4 or 5 lakes within the municipality of Whistler all reachable (+or-) by transit and they all have fish but size is an issue-I used to drive tours there/had hours off every day but stopped fishing after while because it just wasn't worth it.

There are 4 or 5 lakes within the municipality of Whistler all reachable (+or-) by transit and they all have fish but size is an issue-I used to drive tours there/had hours off every day but stopped fishing after while because it just wasn't worth it.

Hi Dogbreath , thanks for your reply.I'm well used to catching small fish and given I'm only looking for somewhere to wave a rod for a couple of hours , I think I'd be happy to fish one of those lakes. I did find some info on some of the lakes around Whistler and Ive now discovered that Green Lake is only a short walk from our Timeshare accommodation although this seems to be part of a recreation area and so no doubt busy with swimmers , boaters etc.

 

[KislaBlue]

Hi Ukee , many thanks for such a quick reply.Really helpful and just what I was hoping for.Some great information and advice. as to to how I can maybe find a space on a charter although to be honest I do get the impression that many of these are devoted to



Hi Dogbreath , thanks for your reply.I'm well used to catching small fish and given I'm only looking for somewhere to wave a rod for a couple of hours , I think I'd be happy to fish one of those lakes. I did find some info on some of the lakes around Whistler and Ive now discovered that Green Lake is only a short walk from our Timeshare accommodation although this seems to be part of a recreation area and so no doubt busy with swimmers , boaters etc.

Oops , correction. The lake close to our accommodation is actually Alta Lake.

 

[adanac]

River of golden dreams while you are in whistler, lots of foot access and lots of 10 - 14 inch river rainbows, also some larger 16 - 22 inch cutthroat that come up from Alta at times. Bait ban but spinners , or dry flies and nymphs if fly fishing

 

[Damien]

Alta is a very good bet. You can rent a canoe or kayak there as well. It will suit you very nicely. Think early in the morning (on the water for sunrise) and dusk, 6pm to dark, weather and rental permitting.

Here is more info on Alta (also check youtube searching Fishing With Rod Alta);
http://www.fishingwithrod.com/articles/region_two/alta_lake.html

Make sure you purchase the proper licenses whereever you wind up fishing.

 

[KislaBlue]

Dear adanac and Damien, many thanks for your tips.Greatly appreciated. We will be staying in a condo ( Ironwood) only a few minutes walk from Alta so this sounds ideal.

The missus and I plan to do a lot of hiking during our week long stay in Whistler so I'm packing a travel rod (7 foot 3w rod) which will be in my back pack. I'm hoping to find a few other brooks/streams/creeks off the beaten track but at the moment I'm struggling to find a detailed map.I really love small streams and care not that the fish will usually be small - my home stream back in the UK is a wild trout unstocked brook where a 1lb brown trout fish is truly a monster - but its great fun! Hopefully I'll find some better maps locally.

I'll read up some more and watch the videos as suggested but can I get away without waders on this trip? I'll be travelling from Turkey ( where I am now) and couldn't get hold of a pair of waders here even if wanted to and to be honest I don't want to shell out on a pair of expensive waders . That said , there seem to be many more budget options for waders here than there are in the UK but I haven't heard of any of the brands ( other than Simms and the like ). I wonder if anyone can recommend a decent budget pair of lightweight waders (foot-in type) that will see me through BC and hopefully some fishing around Seattle and Portland when I get there. Our first week in Canada will be spent in Vancouver (followed by a week in Ucluelet and then Whistler) so I could hopefully buy some cheap waders there.Which would be the best fishing store accessible from Downtown Vancouver where we are staying?

Once again , many thanks for taking the time to reply.

Peter

PS Is there any small stream fishing to be had in the Vancouver area which is accessible but off the beaten track - or will everywhere be rammed with tourists in July?

 

[Damien]

You can pick up a pair of 'cheap' (under $100) waders at a store such as Canadian Tire which are located all over the place. Or stop by BassProShops in Richmond when you get off the plane.

Stump, Fawn and Edith Lakes south of Whistler are nice hike in lakes that will offer up consistent trout action. As would the Squamish and Mamquam Rivers, but not much in the offering in terms of streams right in Whistler. From what I remember, they are all extremely fast, steep outflows, not really meandering streams with trout holding in them. Many more steams on the Island to explore.

Around Vancouver, there is Lynn Creek, the Seymour River and Capilano Rivers. The later has potentially the best fishing (Coho) but access is difficult and it will be busy, you will be outgunned in terms of the limit of your gear as well. Lynn Creek and Seymour River have a lot of trails and paths off the beaten path where you can stalk some small resident trout and there wont be crowds.

As others have mentioned, seeing if you can find a shared charter out of Vancouver and/or Ukee would be something that shouldn't missed out on.

 

[KislaBlue]

Cheers Damien, more lakes to walk to . Brilliant!

I have had a look at Capilano and pretty much ruled it out of my fishing thinking as too touristic/too busy. Haven’t found too much info on fishing as far as Lynn Creek is concerned but it seems there’s some nice hiking to be had. Not really investigated Seymour as I wondered if this might be a bit of a stretch without a car.Good to know these are doable on the hoof and will likely provide some streams a bit quieter than Capilano. Incidentally ,my understanding is that such fishing is free if not on private land - am I right on this?I do understand the situation re licences , of course , much the same as the UK and Europe.

Regarding tackle , I’m also bringing a 9 foot 8# saltwater rod and reel which of course I could use in salt or fresh .I thought I would give the Ucluelet beaches a thrashing with this and I suppose it might be good for later in the season but maybe over- gunning for most rivers in July? I’m also bringing a capable spinning rod for beaches although to be honest spinning isn’t really my thing . I much prefer fly fishing as I will catch (hopefully) and release. Over the years , my spinning fishing has largely been on big waters on the Spey in Scotland , the Moy in Ireland and similar big rivers when water conditions have demanded spin rather than fly.


I take your point about hooking up with a shared charter in Ucluelet but I’ve written to several and fallen on deaf ears with all but one Guy who promised to put my name on his calendar on the off chance someone needed an extra fisher to make up the numbers.It doesn’t help that I’m not interested in trolling or bottom fishing. To be fair, my missus says I should go for it but I would really prefer to fish a stream for small trout rather than tow a lump of metal .Apart from that I’m prepared to go for it if the right opportunity arises - tempered with the fact that I really can’t justify the spend of a few hundred dollars for a few hours fishing! Maybe I need to return to BC next year but a bit later in the year when conditions might be better for fishing with fly - and isn’t next year the year of the pinks?

Thanks again Damien,

Best

Peter

 

[Pippen]

I take your point about hooking up with a shared charter in Ucluelet but I’ve written to several and fallen on deaf ears with all but one Guy who promised to put my name on his calendar on the off chance someone needed an extra fisher to make up the numbers.It doesn’t help that I’m not interested in trolling or bottom fishing. To be fair, my missus says I should go for it but I would really prefer to fish a stream for small trout rather than tow a lump of metal .Apart from that I’m prepared to go for it if the right opportunity arises - tempered with the fact that I really can’t justify the spend of a few hundred dollars for a few hours fishing! Maybe I need to return to BC next year but a bit later in the year when conditions might be better for fishing with fly - and isn’t next year the year of the pinks?

Peter....you'll find that on any charter you WILL be trolling or bottom fishing as that's how we fish in the ocean for salmon for the most part (you can jig for them but the majority troll) and bouncing lures down deep for halibut, lings and things. If not wanting to fish like this I wouldn't spend too much of your time chasing down a shared charter but I can tell you it's a great way to experience the west coast of BC's saltwater fishing. Fish aside....the views and chances of seeing some of our many marine mammals add to the experience.

In saying that.....having a big spring salmon on the end of the line peeling line out is a whole lotta fun.

 

[KislaBlue]

Hi Pippen , good to hear from you. I fully understand how it is regarding ocean fishing for Salmon out in BC and I don’t have a problem with it - it’s just not my style . I fished for god know’s how many years before I caught my first salmon on the fly on the Tweed in Scotland and , having landed the fish , I was pressured into killing it because it was my first .It was around 16lb , a decent fish in Scotland .I killed it and immediately regretted it ,mainly because I’m not a great lover of Salmon.I havent killed a Salmon since.I don’t have a problem taking fish it’s just that I prefer to eat trout and especially sea trout direct from the ocean - sea trout is the best eating fish ever in my opinion.Having said that , I can see what a buzz it must be to fight and land a very big Salmon and I might well relent and go for it just for the experience.Someone else can eat it

Cheers

Peter

 

[Aces]

British Columbia is a huge area and you are really limiting yourself not renting a car. Just my opinion.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

Given the type of fishing you’re interested in this may not be the best forum for the info you’re looking for. I highly suggest you check out flybc.ca which is probably the most active BC flyfishing forum. I’m sure the active members on there will happily point you in the right direction in each of the areas you’ll be visiting and I wouldn’t be surprised if you got an offer or two from folks willing to take you to a creek or river.
Cheers!

Ukee

 

[KislaBlue]

Thank you Fishtofino and Ukee (again) .

As far as a car is concerned , if this were a fishing holiday or if we were staying longer to tour the region then we would certainly hire a car - in fact I’m already planning a second trip in my head with a longer stay to do the area justice and to include a trip to Alaska .However , our stay in Ucluelet is only for 4 days.I am going book myself onto a charter and with this and a wildlife cruise and other activities already booked , we have decided we really don’t need a car.

Whistler seems to be full of activities with plenty of fishing opportunities right on the doorstep , more than enough to give me the hour or two fishing per day that I’m looking for whilst out hiking with the missus.However ,we might well hire a car for 2 or 3 days to make some excursions beyond Whistler.

Thanks for the suggestion re fly.bc. I’ll get right on to it.

Once again , thanks to all for your helpful suggestions and tips.Much appreciated.

Peter