FISHING REPORTS
from some of the BEST PLACES TO FISH !

7th August, 2008: 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

Salmon and halibut fishing in the area continues to be reasonably good, especially offshore. Chinook and Coho in Barkley Sound areas have slowed down although some days have great bites and other days are slower. This is often the scenario for the last few days of July and early August. Halibut and salmon fishing at South Bank and at the Big Bank is very good. There are good numbers of Coho showing on the surface, especially at South Bank. Chinook are in deeper water but are smaller in size and range ten to fourteen pounds in weight. Areas close to the Ucluelet Harbor such as Beg Island and The Lighthouse Bank have had mixed results although there are times when large schools of migratory Coho are going through. Barkley Sound fishing has had best results from the surf line out to three or four miles offshore. Swale Rock seems to be recording the best Sound fishing.

Sockeye returns have been favorable. The last document sent by the DFO on July 24th showed that approximately 142,000 Sockeye had returned to the Somass River system. The DFO upgraded their forecast to 170,000 from 150,000. Since the last document the area has received heavy rains. Hopefully the targeted forecast goes beyond this number. There have been a good number of fish up at Stamp Falls. The possibility of Sockeye returning until almost the beginning of September, there is hope that the return will reach almost 200,000. This would be fantastic and would help with the re-building of Sockeye returns in the Port Alberni Inlet and Somass-Stamp River system.

Port Alberni Inlet / Barkley Sound

The Alberni Inlet is getting ready for what should be a very busy August and September. There are a good number of three and five year old Chinook forecast to return to Robertson Creek Hatchery. The DFO is still forecasting a surplus of Chinook and Coho. The August long weekend at one time used to sound the beginning of the Chinook season. Often, local hotspots like Lone Tree Point, Underwood, Hunters (Coulson’s Mill) and Cous Creek would be crawling with boats. Lately it seems that the season gets going sometime around the middle of August. Franklin River can often be hot beginning about the 10th of August. (Sport anglers camping in the China Creek and Mctush Campgrounds have been fishing the boundary line since August the 2nd. There have not been any catch reports during the first four or five days). Fish come into Bells Bay and school before pushing up into the China Creek area and The Harbor. Inlet fishing often requires patience. The salmon when in the Inlet are actually no longer feeding as they were in Barkley Sound. The fresh water influence slows them and in fact many local salmon fishing experts will tell you that the Chinook are often showing temperament when biting the lures of the many sport fisher persons lures. When fishing the Inlet one will find that three of every four lines are flying either a red or pink hootchie. There are a variety of colors but the Octopus 15, 16, and 2 or the mini-plankton in the same numbers is a good bet behind a green or red glow hotspot flasher. A variety of other hootchies such as the AORL 12, the spatterback, army-truck glow, blood and bones, and a white –glow are good to throw out. Some guides and sport fishermen use anchovy early in the Inlet season while others use just a variety of coyote spoons. If planning a trip to fish the Port Alberni Inlet in August and September and you are in need of a boat, and hotel, lodge, motel, or campground accommodation organize now as space is running very low.

Barkley Sound fishing over the past days has been best out on the surf line and just beyond. There have been some good days at Swale Rock, Effingham, Diplock, and Kirby Point but these spots as of late have not been as consistent on a daily basis as earlier in the summer. These hotspots and many other favorite salmon fishing areas will fill up with salmon returning to various Barkley Sound Creeks and Rivers and also those Chinook and Coho making their journey up to Port Alberni’s Robertson Creek Hatchery. These fish will begin to show up on the outside of the Sound probably by the end of the first week of August and will swim into different Barkley Sound areas to rest and feed before making their journey home.

The last few days and during the August long weekend guides Doug and John had some success at Edward King and Ship Island. The water has been like a pond and is forecast to continue that way for the next number of days. The area up against the rocks in 70 feet of water has had a few Chinook in the 15 to 20 pound range. There are also some good sized Coho in the area. The mix has been 50-50 in wild and hatchery. (Only hatchery Coho on the surf line can be retained) One hatchery Coho picked up by guests with guide Doug weighed in at 14 pounds. Beale just opposite Ship Island has also been hot with some good sized Chinook. However the best fishing over the past few days has been just offshore three to five miles. Many boats have been fishing the area with great success. Guide Wayne with four guests, returned home from fishing on the holiday Monday with seven hatchery Coho, four Chinook, the biggest weighing in at 27 pounds, three pinks, (which are wonderful barbecued) and one forty pound Halibut caught on the troll with a black and white hootchie in 180 feet of water three miles out. The Coho have been thick and are in the top forty feet of water. Chinook have been picked up from 80 to 100 feet. Most of these fish continue to be migratory salmon going down the coastline of Vancouver Island. Some of the salmon, especially a few of the Chinook, which are reds, look to be Robertson Creek Hatchery fish.
The salmon on the surf line and just offshore have really been hitting the silver-glow four inch coyote spoon. Guide Doug has been flying one of these spoons with a five foot leader behind a green hotspot flasher most days and has had plenty of success with Chinook and Coho. The UV green anchovy teaser head has also continued good with a five to six foot leader. Guide Wayne has been flying up to three of the silver-glow spoons. Guides John and Mel have had plenty of success with anchovy and the four inch cop car coyote. Barkley Sound will have some phenomenal fishing during August and September. The salmon will move into some of the more protected and closer popular fishing areas of the Sound which makes travelling on a daily basis much simpler for fisher people travelling from Port Alberni.



Ucluelet

Guides in Ucluelet have been doing very well. It seems that spots such as the Southwest Corner, South Bank, The Wreck, and a few of the areas close to the Ucluelet Harbor have had excellent fishing. Coho are in big numbers close to the surface and Chinook have been in deeper water. Guide Mike has been fishing two trips a day and has had some excellent trips. The August long weekend had Mike fishing morning and evenings. Morning fishing trips have been predominately salmon-halibut combo trips. On Monday Mike had three guests from Montana who managed to bring back five Coho, Five Chinook up to 20 pounds, four halibut also up to 20 pounds, and three lings. On Monday evening on the shallows in calm water Mike on a bottom fishing trip with four guests had seven halibut, four big lings and four salmon.

Guide Mike has been fishing halibut on the troll and has also been using jigs and a spreader bar with large herring and salmon parts. The Coho and Chinook have been hitting glow hootchies and anchovy in a glow and purple haze Rhys Davis anchovy teaser head. Mike like most guides has been using various other hootchie colors and coyote spoons. Little Beach is open to fishing for salmon this year. Often the salmon returning to Barkley Sound and up into the creeks and rivers of the Port Alberni Inlet will stay close to the beach which will develop Little Beach into a very favorable fishing area in August and September. Most of our Ucluelet fishing trips in the morning are for 8 hours while afternoon trips can be arranged for 6 hours.

 

Port Alberni Salmon Fishing Derby

Do not forget about the Port Alberni Salmon Fishing Derby which takes place during the Labor Day Weekend. There are great prizes and some fantastic entertainment has been lined up on the grounds located at Clutesi Have Marina on River Road.

 

Somas - Stamp River

The Somass-Stamp River fall fishing should be absolutely wonderful. There will be ample Chinook and Coho in the system. This is also an excellent time for late summer steelhead. We have a great fishing package in October and November. September and part of October is completely sold out.


For more information

Contact:

Doug Lindores
Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
www.catchsalmon-ca.com
www.catchsalmon.ca
dlindy@shaw.ca
+1 250 724 2502 (h)
+1 250 731 7389 ©
Toll Free Number:  1- 888 214 7206