Tough question

[Saxe Point]

I’m thinking about boating from Sooke (where I moor my boat) to Renfrew on a beautiful calm day, fishing for a while, and then heading back at the end of the day.

With my luck as of late, I’ll catch no salmon. If I catch and keep one spring, no issue.

But what if I caught and kept 2 springs, which you are allowed to do in Renfrew? I then boat back to Sooke. Even if unlikely, a couple of things could happen. DFO stops and checks me between East Point and Sheringham. Or they stop and check me between Sheringham and my dock in Sooke. They are saying either I caught the fish where it was closed to salmon fishing or I’ve got one too many.

Any ideas on how to deal with this? No simple solution it seems to me. Is the only answer to keep one spring?

Or is it a non-issue as they can’t prove where you caught the fish unless they saw you catch them or have witnesses or other evidence to establish where they were caught?

Anyone with experience or knowledge about this?

 

[wildmanyeah]

It’s a non issue and you always have your gps tracks.

 

[Andrew P]

Take a picture in renfrew of the two fish with the licence beside it with your fish written on with the area. If you have a GPS track that can also be proof of fishing location. You are completely allowed to catch in one area and go to another with your catch.

 

[walleyes]

Make sure your tracks are on on your GPS to show where you were and you’ll be all right. We were checked a couple years ago when we were in Ukee. We stopped on the inside for a couple hours late one morning after spending the day on the outside. We picked up a couple wild coho. We ended up getting checked at the dock and the officer asked where we got them and we explained. He asked to see our GPS. We showed him and were able to show him our tracks from our fishing and he was good with that.

 

[wildmanyeah]

They almost never charge people for being over their daily limit. Usually only if you are over your possession limit.

 

[Trophy21]

Umm...you mark your salmon in ink on your licence and what area you caught it in immediately. Not an issue if one was caught in Renfrew.

 

[Saxe Point]

Thanks to all.

 

[pescador]

The regs change from area to area. The regs can be different 100 feet in that direction. It would be impossible for DFO to enforce the 1 fish law in Sooke if you came from PR. Bread crumbs or no breadcrumbs. And if they gave you hassle and charged you, I will throw in the first $250 to buy legal counsel to defend you. We are all so cautious/lawful and mindful of setting the right example. These regs are freaking us all out. Enjoy yourself and go get two fish.