2nd June, 2015: 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

Twenty Pound Chinook landed offshore outside the Ucluelet Harbor

It is now the beginning of June and the weather is terrific on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. In fact the weather has been so fantastic one would say that it is incredible. But there is one problem which is concerning and that is that much of the West Coast is very DRY and many rivers are low in water. The Weather scenario might sound great but for conservation reasons it is not GOOD. Low river conditions can play havoc with returns of West Coast Vancouver Island. Currently Sockeye Salmon are returning to the Somass River in good numbers. The Somass however is at low historic levels.

Along with the current fantastic weather conditions the salmon fishing has been consistent close to Ucluelet Harbour and offshore Ucluelet. Ucluelet is a very small community located on the extreme west coast of Vancouver Island British Columbia. The salmon fishing was very good through the May Long Weekend but has slowed down in the last ten days. We are awaiting the next flow of transient salmon headed to the BIG Watersheds to the south. Salmon fishing in various surf line areas of Barkley Sound has also been quite good but has slowed down considerably. The early sockeye salmon has already started their long return from somewhere in the North Pacific to the Somass River in fairly good numbers. There has been great catches by many sport fishermen camping at the China Creek site and local sport fishermen from the Alberni area. With the good weather and high afternoon temperatures the Sockeye Migration is already slowing down as the water temperature in the river and the Alberni Inlet are currently very warm. This scenario will develop a very good Sport Sockeye season in the inlet a little earlier than normal.

Guide Al of Wild Pacific fished with these two fishermen and landed one at lighthouse Bank and the other at Long Beach. These two salmon hit a needle fish hootchie. We are expecting some great offshore Ucluelet fishing this summer

Salmon and halibut fishing on the west coast as mentioned has slowed down over the past ten days. Local sport and guide fishermen are awaiting the next push of salmon. The increasing sport fishing opportunities as we now move into June is very evident by the large number of vehicles on local roads and highways towing a variety of sport fishing boats. Many fisher persons are either fishing the scenic and pristine waters of the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound or are traveling out to the west coast to fish close to Vancouver Island’s rugged coastline or in offshore locations.

The 2015 sport salmon fishing season in Ucluelet, Barkley Sound, and the Port Alberni Inlet is forecast once again to be terrific. In fact this year is predicted to be once again one of the best seasons for sport fishing for those targeting Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon. On the west coast the early summer run of Chinook which are currently migrating down the Vancouver Island coastline and stay fairly close to the beach will soon peak and will be followed by what is forecast to be a very large mid summer Chinook return to southern watersheds. Chinook and Coho numbers returning to the Columbia River and Bonneville dam where numbers of returning salmon have been recorded since 1938 are predicted to be quite high once again. The Sockeye fishing in the Alberni Inlet should be extremely good. The return to the Somass River is currently assessed at seven hundred thousand to one million. The early run has already been migrating into the Somass River. Don’t miss out on a fabulous 2015 sport salmon fishing year in the Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound, or inshore offshore Ucluelet-Tofino.

Mel of Port Alberni B.C. shows of his Sockeye catch that he and one guest landed. The sockeye are forecast at an assessed number of 700,000 to one million in terms of returns to the Somass River. Currently the Sockeye retention is four per day with a two day possession limit of eight

The Sockeye sport fishery in the Alberni Inlet has been open since the first of May. Limits are four per person per day. That number should remain the same throughout the season. Sockeye usually school in the Inlet when the water of the Somass River and the Inlet warms to 18 degrees Celsius. When there are big numbers of Sockeye entering the system the schools will hold in the inlet for the salmon ahead to push into the river. The river water and the water of the Inlet is warming considerably. With very little snow in the nearby hills the water has already warmed to over eighteen degrees celsius. The Sockeye that are currently in the system have migrated from Barkley Sound and into the Inlet and are swimming in fairly deep water. Those sport fishermen out fishing for Sockeye have had good success in the China Creek area. The slide and up to Ardens have been relatively good. The warm weather conditions have developed a fairly decent Sockeye salmon sport fishery over the past week. It is often safe to say that June 15th is the time to start fishing Sockeye but that rule of thumb is different this year. Some individual sport fisher persons have already had opportunity to land limits of Sockeye. Sport guides and individual fishermen will find good numbers of Sockeye Salmon at hotspots such as Cous Creek, Dusmuir Point, the China Creek Wall, the slide, and the narrows. Sockeye are attracted to color and having six or even eight flashers hooked to the deep line is not unusual. The most popular lures for Sockeye are the mp 2 and 16 also the bubblegum colored mp 15 hootchies. Leader lengths are best at 22 to 27 inches behind a green or red glow hotspot flasher.

The Salmon fishing in Barkley Sound especially out at surf line locations has been also relatively consistent over the past few weeks. Many areas have had big bait balls which will bring those migratory Chinook swimming close to the beach into the Sound to feed on the very rich resources of bait fish. Over the past week Austin Island has had some decent sport fishing as has Vernon Bay. The key to land a few nice Chinook is perseverance. Bamfield areas such as Kirby in the morning and Edward King later in the day and also the Wall have reported some nice fish being landed by guides and sport anglers. The best results have been fishing from 80 to 130 feet depending on location but it is important that you are fishing where there is bait. It seems that choice of lure really does not seem to matter as many sport fishermen have been using a variety of spoons, plastic, and bait. The best spoons have been the four inch green and blue nickel coyote spoon behind a green glow hotspot flasher. The four inch Irish Cream spoon, cookies and cream and silver glow have been working behind a chartreuse hot spot flasher. The 155 needlefish hootchie has also been very good. Anchovy in a green UV teaser head, army truck and also in chartreuse have been hot at various times. Many of the salmon have been in the low to mid teens with a few at twenty pounds. We are expecting the fish to get bigger with the arrival of the mid-summer run which will get underway in the latter half of June. This run of migrating salmon should have a good number of four and five year olds. Barkly Sound should be a hotbed for fishing this summer especially in surf line locations.

Sockeye Sport Fishing is underway in the Alberni Inlet. These Sockeye were landed on the 1st of June and were as deep as 75 feet. The Black and Pink Hootchie and the Mp 15s are working well

Ucluelet is often referred to as Vancouver Island’s premier salmon and halibut sport fishing destination. Like Barkley Sound the waters inshore and offshore from the Ucluelet Harbor offer some world class fishing. The water is very rich in bait fish (sardines and needlefish) which the salmon feed on throughout the spring and summer months. The summer salmon fishing seems to be changing. August and early September were often considered peak times for Chinook and Coho sport fishing. With the high numbers of transient Chinook salmon passing along the west coast of Vancouver Island from April to August it often seems that the peak of the season is in the month of July. This is not to say that Chinook sport fishing does not continue in August and September. Coho which were often referred to as the number one sport salmon along coastal fishing locations in B.C. are a major highlight in late August through September. This thought is something to consider when thinking about and organizing sport salmon fishing this summer. The Ucluelet fishing has been very consistent over the past few weeks with some good fishing out at the inner and outer South Bank. Mara Rock, Great Bear, Sail Rock, Lighthouse Bank, and Long Beach have been excellent choices for sport fishing. The largest salmon have been averaging twelve to eighteen pounds. The largest landed to date by guides and guests hit twenty-six pounds landed at Sail Rock. This Chinook which like many of the other salmon was a hatchery fish and hit a needlefish hootchie. There was a report of a thirty-one pound Chinook at Great Bear. The fish out at the inner and outer South Bank have been close to the bottom between 130 and 160 feet. The best lures to date have been a T-Rex hootchie and an iridescent Turd and also a few different spoons in brass/copper or four and five inch blue and green nickel. Other guides and sport anglers have had great success using needle fish hootchies behind a flasher. The needle fish will hide in the sand and on tide changes will come up to higher levels which creates a very good salmon and halibut bite. If trolling and using anchovy it seems that a green or red glow hotspot flasher with a green or army truck Rhys Davis teaser anchovy head with six feet of leader work well. One important thing to remember is that during the season the food sources often get bigger and when using spoons and plugs the sizes should increase as the bait does.

The 2014 sport salmon fishing season in Port Alberni and the west coast is shaping up just as has been forecast----TERRIFIC!!!! There should not be disappointments this summer. Of course there are highs and lows but the high days will definitely out do any lows

Chinook salmon landed using anchovy in a green haze teaser head in Barkley Sound

The Stamp River is one of B.C.’s healthiest river systems. The salmon fishing this year will open on or about August 26th with what is forecast to be a better than normal season. This however will be depending on the river and the amount of water in the system. The season begins with river anglers using wool, spinners, and plugs. The bait ban should be lifted on the 15th of September. For those that enjoy Steelhead fishing there are three runs of Steelhead in the Stamp. Summer and Fall Steelhead and then later in late November the Winter Steelhead begin to show. October and November are perfect months for summer and fall fish. The Steelhead actively feed during the natural spawn of the salmon in the river which is during October and well into November. There is plenty of opportunity to fish the Stamp but all arrangements for trips that are guided should be organized very early in the summer or late spring. Fishing for Sockeye along the banks will begin very quickly….