2020 Port McNeill, Telegragh Cove Reports

[Eden Island]

I absolutely will vouch for Capt Eds report on the number of fish over there ....some days are slower than others however if the fish are moving through...hang on to your rod … I was over there yesterday EI , when was your report of " not the dozens Capt Ed has thrown back " ?? Have you ever been there ?

I guess that would depend where "there" is BB. So far, I don't think he's said, or you. My statement was about two specific locations [Fife and Wells Passage], and was not doubting there are fishier spots. As for whether I've ever been "there", I first launched at TC in 1990, and have been to Eden Island every year since [did you notice my boat name?]. Can't say if I've been where you're taking about until you say where "there" is.

 

[Capt_Ed]

I've

Capt Ed apparently isn't in a sharing mood, but we've often caught good coho in Fife and Wells Passage on the mainland side - not as many as at Malcolm Is, and certainly not the dozens Capt Ed was throwing back.

I've had a couple PM's asking me for the spot where we have been catching the coho and while I'm normally happy to help people in the area here, this spot was given to me in confidence and not mine to share, and no offense, especially to people I've never met in person

 

[Eden Island]

I've

I've had a couple PM's asking me for the spot where we have been catching the coho and while I'm normally happy to help people in the area here, this spot was given to me in confidence and not mine to share, and no offense, especially to people I've never met in person

No worries. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[It'ssooooeasy]

Hi folks

sorry to bother you

I find the dfo site very difficult to understand and follow the ‘flow’

one page says non retention, then under restrictions it states 2 a day

so, am I correct that in area 12 around Malcolm island I can keep 2 coho per day with no restriction as to hatchery or wild?

thanks in advance

chris

 

[Hardy Guy]

2 per day both must be marked (hatchery) around Malcolm.

 

[Eden Island]

Hi folks

sorry to bother you

I find the dfo site very difficult to understand and follow the ‘flow’

one page says non retention, then under restrictions it states 2 a day

so, am I correct that in area 12 around Malcolm island I can keep 2 coho per day with no restriction as to hatchery or wild?

thanks in advance

chris

It gets more complicated. Earlier in the season, you can keep 1 wild in QC strait. Now you can keep 1 wild in the mainland inlet parts of area 12.

The simplest description is in the regs. Go into the online regs, then the area you want, then the tab for salmon. Somewhere on the page there will be a link to a map that codes the different areas and times for coho and one for Chinook. Print that and you are good.

 

[It'ssooooeasy]

Thank you for the quick response

Chris

 

[sam_n_leo]

I just got back from fishing TC for 2 weeks, unfortunately couldn't report anything until now due to a dead laptop. So in summary
- usually only fished a few hours per day, but got at least a line wet 13 of 14 days I was there
- only skunked once, on a short afternoon trip to Flower
- every other day had at least 1 decent spring to the boat, usually more
- no really hot day for me, best was 3 mature springs to boat plus other small stuff
- hit a few pinks and the odd coho, maybe 1 per day, and no chum. definitely less coho than most years, though I didn't head to mainland or do anything to target them
- topside Malcolm Island was reliable as always, less luck for me down the other favorites spots in Blackfish sound, Cracroft, Blackney. No luck at Mitchell Bay for me
- halibut for me a bust--thought I didn't put in a lot of effort. Dragged good bait over Georges Bank for most of a morning without a bite. That place sucks! Reminds of halibut fishing in Victoria, kind of boring! I know there are better spots as some halibut were being brought in, but I'll have to defer that to another year
- lures outfished bait for me--spoons did better than hootchies and 6 inch cop car was the hot lure for the last week. I was getting a lot of smaller fish, and going to the bigger spoons helped.
- overall, great steady fishing, average size of chinooks was small. lots of teen sized springs, but biggest fully to the boat was only 82 cm (~18 lbs). Great place for taking kids out fishing.
- fishing still seems to be holding strong for springs, as of Fri/Sat released a couple of teen sized each day
- amazing showing for marine mammals as always. The humpbacks were present everywhere, probably even stronger numbers than last year.

Also, in TC updates, definitely less boats in the cove this year, and down for whale/grizzly tours, but up for day visitors. The resort cabins were fully booked so good news for the business side of things there. A few things were different this year--the salmon BBQ outside of Killer Whale Cafe was off for covid, and some construction on the east side of the cove, reportedly a new restaurant going in next year. Also Gordie reportedly expanding the fuel dock over the winter. Docks on the west side were as wobbly and terrible looking as ever. Awesome place. Looking forward to 2021.

 

[Capt_Ed]

SnL, It was good to meet you , my buddy still likes your boat

 

[It'ssooooeasy]

Here’s my tc update for the past two days.......mixed bag

day one - 13 hours for a nice 10lb spring ....... long day

Yesterday - tried new spot (a unicorn day for sure ) 25, 20 and 14 lb springs - all done by noon

today - ugh, one good bite and nothing further

Wildlife is incredible

weather great

Good luck to all

 

[sam_n_leo]

SnL, It was good to meet you , my buddy still likes your boat

Nice chatting with you too Capt Ed, even if just for a short bit at the start and end of my trip. 2 weeks goes so fast, busy with kids and dogs and friends etc. Wish I could stretch that time out longer like you fellows! See you next summer.

 

[Capt_Ed]

Well another season is coming to a close for our campsite at Telegraph Cove, fished our last day today and it was only our second skunk of the year so all in all a great 10 weeks. Seems like we just got here and like everything else these days we blame Covid. Hopefully by next year things will be different and we can get here in May like normal. We had some awesome battles his year and I was happy to have released 2 tyees, 1 during the slot and 1 after hopefully both made it as they looked to be in good shape when they left my hand. I have to figure out how to get out tuna fishing over in WH to extend my season but that would probably mean a new boat " hey honey come here I have to ask you something "

 

[SpringFever552]

Well another season is coming to a close for our campsite at Telegraph Cove, fished our last day today and it was only our second skunk of the year so all in all a great 10 weeks. Seems like we just got here and like everything else these days we blame Covid. Hopefully by next year things will be different and we can get here in May like normal. We had some awesome battles his year and I was happy to have released 2 tyees, 1 during the slot and 1 after hopefully both made it as they looked to be in good shape when they left my hand. I have to figure out how to get out tuna fishing over in WH to extend my season but that would probably mean a new boat " hey honey come here I have to ask you something "

Sounds like a good 10wks to me

Son and I saw you out on back side of Malcolm this am..we hit 1 salmon and lost there at 60ft in 120ft?, then went bottom fishing..did great on those.
I took my dad and sister out whale watching later in afternoon in my boat and they weren't disappointed,
Great area to take 1st timers out when weather was like it was today, lots of whales and white sided dolphins

 

[sam_n_leo]

Good luck with the tuna on the west side if you get to that, Capt Ed. I added a few days at WH to our TC trip last year and really enjoyed it. Some folks were really hitting the tuna about 40-50m out but I wasn't up to taking a 22 c-dory out that far. It gave me a bit of the tuna fever for a while and I started thinking I needed an offshore style boat... but the mood passed eventually. I'm a big fan of those flat calm summer days on Queen Charlotte Strait. Already booked cabins in TC for another 2 weeks next Aug around the same time.