Fishing the Salt in and Around Vancouver

[snakeman]

Hey folks, I moved to Vancouver a couple years ago and am having a hard time fishing here. I cut my teeth fly fishing mountain streams and this is a whole new world. I really want to fish for saltwater species like perch, greenling, dogfish etc. The variety available in the pacific reminds me of the Canadian shield but I have had terrible luck fishing at the over-populated piers in town here. I have found some nice looking spots to fish from shore but don't really know where to start with gear/bait etc. (most info I've found is geared towards salmonids, but I'm more interested in the 'coarse' ocean fish). If someone could point me in the direction of some resources to learn more about this kind of fishing I'd greatly appreciate it. I never see people fishing the ocean here (aside from at piers), so I'm thinking it's either an overlooked fishery or a dead fishery. Only one way to find out.

Also regarding the regs: is area 28-10 closed entirely for catch and release fishing? It's listed as closed to harvesting but I'm wondering if that means no fishing whatsoever (I've seen guys fishing east of the Lions Gate in Stanley Park...)

Thanks!

 

[Rain City]

You'll see guys doing all kinds of illegal stuff in this town. Best to know the regs.

 

[Zodiac fisher]

Watch some Fishing with Rod videos on his website/YouTube. I recall seeing some on coarse fish in the tidal portions of the Fraser. Great resource to get familiar with a variety of local fishing options. Good luck!

 

[Dogbreath]

English Bay isn't dead but it has been scraped clean for over 100 years now-you might find a spot to fish for Sole/Flounder but in all my times snorkeling around the bay have never seen one larger than about 8"-what I have seen are seabirds killing everything and that goes on day & night if you don't believe me spend some time under the Burrard St bridge after dark and listen to the splashes as Cormorants, Grebes & diving ducks stuff themselves; there are remnant populations of Sole & Flounder to be targeted off north shore beaches use a sliding rig and a small piece of meat or Mussel harvested along the shore-a simple ledger rig is all you need.

There was a time when you could head over to the Sunshine Coast and fish bottomfish but that's been hit hard by organised groups that and the loss of kelp beds due to pollution
means there's no place for bottomfish to grow.

It it possible off some of the Gulf Islands but Beware the RCA's and don't get caught fishing in one-steep rocky shores, heavy currents and lots of private property means options are limited.

Vancouver Island offers lots of choice but again it's tough-RCA's and private property are a fact of life plus if you do see a kelp bed how do you fish it from shore?

You're on the 'wrong side' of the kelp so expect to lose lots of gear experimenting there's at least one fakebook group dedicated to shore fishing over there for more info.

The sad fact is that you're 4o-50 years too late.

 

[snakeman]

Thanks for the replies folks, I really appreciate it. It sounds like I'll need to get myself a boat eventually!

 

[RiverBoy]

Thanks for the replies folks, I really appreciate it. It sounds like I'll need to get myself a boat eventually!

there’s gonna be more and more coming up for sale

 

[Tinny]

From the shore it is tough. Maybe some very limited coho opportunities but do your homework. Odd years are pinks so maybe something there but again do homework. Flounders are tough from shore. Summer months you can catch dogfish from piers - if nothing in first half hour with bait they are not there. Try a week later. They will show up. When I was a kid (early 80s) caught a nice ling cod casting a jig from shore at low tide at the Stanley Park Lighthouse. I'm sure they are still there today, but that isn't allowed anymore.