8th September 2012: FISHING REPORT: Port Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound, Ucluelet (West Coast), Somas-Stamp River System.

by Doug Lindores of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
Toll Free Number: 1- 888 214 7206

Cheryl of Kentucky fished with Doug of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport fishing Offshore and in Barkley Sound in August and had a successful trip. Landing Chinook and Coho was a first time experience. This Chinook was landed using a green- nickel four inch coyote spoon

We are now into the month of September and not only has there been some great salmon fishing in the Port Alberni and Pacific Rim regions but the weather is sensational with sunny skies and afternoon temperatures from eighty to eighty-four degrees farenheit. These temperatures have made fishing in Barkley Sound and offshore areas out of Ucluelet fairly comfortable and very summerlike for those anglers seeking the big late summer Chinook and the ample Coho found in many of this regions areas. The salmon are currently migrating to their natal rivers, streams and creeks which will create a fantastic fall fishing opportunity in the Stamp, Nahmint, and Sarita River systems.

The first few weeks of September not only includes great Chinook and Coho Salmon fishing but is also the time of this areas two biggest salmon derbies. The forty-first Port Alberni Labour Day Weekend fishing derby just wrapped up. Over two thousand ticket entrants participated this year with local Port Alberni angler Alice Kempton winning the derby with a thirty-four pound Chinook which she landed using a white AORL 12 hootchie on the Saturday morning of the long weekend in the Port Alberni Inlet close to Polly Point. This big fish won Kempton $3,000.00 f

or biggest fish of the day and also the $7,000.00 prize money for biggest fish of the Derby. Alice fished with husband Walter and while she was playing her big fish he was busy bringing in a seventeen pound Chinook. Other local winners in the derby were Glen Wallman with a (32.8) and Doug Croxen with a (30.8) both landed for second and third place on Saturday. On Sunday Roland Goehl and Paul Wagner finished first and second with 33.6 and 33.5 pound fish respectively. On Monday there were not any local fishermen in the top three fish. The biggest fish of each day was worth a cash prize of $3,000.00 while second place was $2,000.00 and third place winners each day won $1,000.00. The derby also awards several hidden weight awards.

The Ucluelet Ladder Derby runs from May 1st until the Labour Day Weekend and awards mothly cash prizes and gifts. All of the net proceeds of this ongoing four month derby goes to local Ucluelet enhancement projects. The FISH OFF will occur on September 7th and 8th. The top 15 fish of each month along with the next top 65 fish are invited to the final derby. This derby also awards big money and gift prizes with all awards being given out on Sunday September 9th. The biggest fish of the year was landed in August out on the Starfish and weighed just over thirty-eight pounds. Good Luck to all participants and guides this weekend.

Jim of Winnipeg had four wonderful days of fishing in Port Alberni in late August. Jim and his group fished with Mel for three days on the Port Alberni Inlet and landed a good number of Chinook and Coho. Jim also fished the Stamp River during the last few days of August and landed this large Chinook using a spinner.

The fishing in the Inlet for Chinook and Coho got underway about mid August. The salmon pushed into the Inlet quite quickly but really have not held for long periods of time. Currently there is a good push of Chinook and Coho headed for the Somass and Stamp River systems and also Robertson Creek Hatchery. The early Chinook in the the first ten days of the season were hitting anchovy in various Rhys Davis teaser heads and a now seem to be more interested in the white AORL12 hootchie and the big O-15, O-2 and O-16 hootchies. A variety of Four inch Coyote spoons are also working quite well. The salmon in the first half of the morning are found in the top forty feet of water with some of the biggest Chinook that are being landed found in the top twenty-five feet. Most of the Chinook and Coho have been quite bright. As mentioned the fish are not holding and are heading right to the river mouth. This means that every other day there seems to be a new school of salmon moving in that are almost chrome in color. This is a bit odd as the salmon often hang in various locations of Barkley Sound and feed heavily on bait fish before finishing their long journey to their spawning grounds. The salmon in Barkley Sound are there one day and gone the next as they quickly make their way up the Port Alberni Inlet migrating to the Somass River Mouth. We are expecting the first half of September to continue to have some good salmon fishing. Coho are becoming quite dominant for many anglers and guide guests to land. The weather at this time of year can play a major role. If early fall rains occur the Chinook and Coho will make their way into the Somass River very quickly which will deteriorate the Port Alberni Inlet fishing.

Barkley Sound salmon fishing has picked up over the last week. Wittlestone, Cape Beale, Assets, and areas along the Bamfield Wall have been producing some great Chinook and Coho catches. The salmon are running in the top eighty feet of water and are hitting bait, white hootchies and green hootchies plus a variety of different four and five inch coyote spoons. The watermelon four inch coyote has been very prominent along the Bamfield wall for Coho. Diplock and Pill Point have been off and on. The Port Alberni salmon Derby had some excellent entrants from the Diplock area as a few Chinook over thirty pounds were weighed in from this great location. September salmon fishing in Barkley Sound can often be very good especially for big Coho that are making their way to their spawning grounds. The Coho are still actively feeding in the sound and can often be swimming in shallower water. Shortening leader lengths and trolling a little faster can result in better catches. Weather change in September can often hurry the salmon along to their natal streams and creeks. The long term forecast is looking extremely good with the only possiblility of a small amount of rain early in the week of September 10th.

Greg of Edmonton Alberta fished with guide Doug of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing and landed this Chinook in the Port Alberni Inlet using an anchovy in a green haze teaser head. This was Greggs first time fishing in Port Alberni. His group landed five Chinook fishing on this late August 2012 morning.

The Ucluelet Ladder Derby finishes this weekend with the annual fish off. Derby finalists will be fishing for great cash and gift prizes. Awards will take place on Sunday September 11th. West Coast fishing has been rather slow the last few weeks. It seems some of the big Chinook have travelled a much different route than what they do most years. Many are blaming the warm water current that has moved into the offshore and inshore area. Mackeral are very high in numbers and water temperatures that are normally in the summer from 53 to 58 degrees farenhiet are above 60 farenheit degrees.

The big bank continues to be very good for Coho and smaller Chinook. The halibut fishing has also been excellent. Halibut fishing on the west coast does close on Sunday September 9th. South Bank and Long Beach over the last week have had some good fishing for Chinook in the high teens and low twenty pound range. The fish are taking spoons from the four inch coyote to spoons up to six and seven inches. White hootchies and also halloween and green spatterback are working quite well especially for Coho that are ranging from ten to sixteen pounds. It should be noted that Coho limits offshore are only at two per day and must be hatchery fish. All wild Coho are to be released.

Paul of the Netherlands fished with Doug of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing. Paul and Dad Larry had two great days of fishing in Barkley Sound in August. This thirty pound Chinook was landed using anchovy in a green Rhys Davis Teaser head. Paul and Larry have fished several years in the Barkley Sound area and have had some great success

Salmon fishing got underway on the 26th of August on the Stamp River. Their has already been some excellent catches of bright Chinook and Coho. The salmon should begin entering the system in very high numbers beginning the week of September 10th. The peak is usually sometime during the third week of September. Good Chinook and Coho fishing should continue into October. October is often an excellent month for Coho and fall or summer Steelhead. For good results anglers should use wool, spinners and spin n glows. Bait can be used beginning the 15th of September. We are expecting some great returns of Chinook and Coho and with fairly high numbers of Steelhead already in the system there should be a fantastic fall fishery in the world reknown Stamp River.