Rivers and Hakai trip this Summer!

[Chasin' Dreams]

My buddy and I will be heading across to Rivers and Hakai to hunt the big boys this August. Very excited. Gonna boat across and sleep on the boat. Have all of the logistics worked out and measured my back fish deck today to confirm my buddy is gonna put a water proof pop tent up on the fish deck to sleep in. Measures 7' x 7' square. So lots of room even for my 6' 3 buddy.
And I've got a nice mattress topper now for my cuddy for myself so no more stiff cushions in there to deal with.

 

[Chuck]

Ran up to Central Coast/Milbanke from Vancouver last season and stayed on the boat for 12 days.
Fished all through Central Coast. No monsters but a pile of Springs and beautiful 18# Northerns in Hakai. Was an amazing trip. Doing it again this year but running over from Bella Colla.

 

[Chasin' Dreams]

Ran up to Central Coast/Milbanke from Vancouver last season and stayed on the boat for 12 days.
Fished all through Central Coast. No monsters but a pile of Springs and beautiful 18# Northerns in Hakai. Was an amazing trip. Doing it again this year but running over from Bella Colla.

Right on Chuck sounds great! How is highway 20 from Williams Lake to Bella Coola? Is it paved the whole way and in good shape?

 

[BigHog]

Done this trip many times in larger boats. Run from Van to McNeil or Hardy in a day (10 -12 hours). Do crossing to Rivers early next morning (2.5 hours). Usually fish in Rivers and base our selves out of Duncanby as this is the best place to stay in Rivers. Fuel, water and dinner if you want. Lots of great places to anchor out if needed. Early August is big fish time there. Last year was a bust for large fish in Rivers while we were there but we got our limit of large Coho and managed a 21 pounder! We have fished Hakai and few times but never got too excited about that area. Always moved North to Shearwater and then to Milbanke area and fished with the West Coast lodge boats. Lots of good sized Springs in Milbanke. Coho to about 15 pounds are common - tons of fun. BearCove fishes Spider Group every year and we almost made it down there 2 years ago but stayed in Milbanke. Contact him if you want specific info on Spider - he swears by it.

Good luck on the trip - it is an awesome part of our coast and not many people get to visit it.

 

[Chasin' Dreams]

Done this trip many times in larger boats. Run from Van to McNeil or Hardy in a day (10 -12 hours). Do crossing to Rivers early next morning (2.5 hours). Usually fish in Rivers and base our selves out of Duncanby as this is the best place to stay in Rivers. Fuel, water and dinner if you want. Lots of great places to anchor out if needed. Early August is big fish time there. Last year was a bust for large fish in Rivers while we were there but we got our limit of large Coho and managed a 21 pounder! We have fished Hakai and few times but never got too excited about that area. Always moved North to Shearwater and then to Milbanke area and fished with the West Coast lodge boats. Lots of good sized Springs in Milbanke. Coho to about 15 pounds are common - tons of fun. BearCove fishes Spider Group every year and we almost made it down there 2 years ago but stayed in Milbanke. Contact him if you want specific info on Spider - he swears by it.

Good luck on the trip - it is an awesome part of our coast and not many people get to visit it.

Thank you for the info BigHog! That's exactly what we are doing driving up to Hardy and across and staying at Duncanby. Also having some friends staying down the inlet a ways too we will visit. I heard the big fish were a couple weeks later than usual last year around some areas there. We are gonna go the second week of Aug. Not sure if we will have time to explore too much more north but you've peaked my interest that's for sure. I've heard great things about Milbanke. Saw a video of some big Springs being caught in there in nice shallow water mooching. I love mooching. Did it lots as a youngster but haven't for a long time. Looking forward to it again. I found Spider on the chart in Hakai. I'll message Wade from Bear Cove too to see if he can also offer some advice. Gonna bring my salt fly gear too in case there's some opportunity to cast to some Coho's.

 

[Dogbreath]

....Gonna bring my salt fly gear too in case there's some opportunity to cast to some Coho's.

Drag anything with a bit of Pink right on top & Hang On!

 

[tains]

That's awesome. We're heading across from hardy to rivers. Aug 13 is our depart date. First time going over but going with another boat who's been a few times.

 

[Chasin' Dreams]

Drag anything with a bit of Pink right on top & Hang On!

Haha right on. I tie up my own flash fly's and I agree man pink is a good color! Pink for all species really I have found mixed in with some aqua's and flash and eye's are killer. Haven't cast'd salt fly's though for a long time!

That's awesome. We're heading across from hardy to rivers. Aug 13 is our depart date. First time going over but going with another boat who's been a few times.

Awesome Tains we will see you over there then! Maybe you are going with some guys I know. Ask the guys you are going with that have been a few times if they were given a large custom made (two of them) catch and release cradle net by a guy from Maple Ridge to be used at Rivers. If so tell them it's me that's going. I don't have their number any more cause my old cell phone is cooked that had all my old contacts in it. May not be them but there's a chance.

 

[BearCove]

Your going to have an amazing trip no matter what, it is amazing country up there.

I have sent you a PM Chasin

 

[Chasin' Dreams]

Your going to have an amazing trip no matter what, it is amazing country up there.

I have sent you a PM Chasin

Thank you very much Wade!

 

[Big lefty]

Any updates, have an opportunity to go to rivers inlet at legacy lodge in early august. Any report would be greatly appreciated

 

[Chuck]

Right on Chuck sounds great! How is highway 20 from Williams Lake to Bella Coola? Is it paved the whole way and in good shape?

Launched outta Bella Coola two summers ago.
Pavement is not the greatest as you get closer to Anahim then into a loose gravel through Heckman down to the river then good pavement into Bella Coola. Thats what I think I remember anyway. Going through on Aug 7 so we will see how it goes.