FISHING REPORTS
from some of the BEST PLACES TO FISH !
12th September, 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
It
is almost mid September and most people are wondering what happened to the
summer, which seemed to sweep by so quickly. The Port Alberni Salmon Derby,
which often marks the Chinook season peak in the Port Alberni Inlet and Barkley
Sound ended just over week ago with rather mediocre results. This year marked
the 37th year for the derby and most people will not deny that the fishing
especially in the Inlet was slow. The total catch was half of that of most years
with only 1,200 salmon recorded. The big rain which began around the 20th of
August and continued until the Friday before the derby sent a lot of salmon
racing to their various rivers. Many of the Chinook and Coho which return to the
Port Alberni Inlet are Robertson Creek Hatchery fish and they entered the Somass
river system very early. With mother nature playing such a huge role in the
sport fishing industry many fisher people went home without any opportunity of
hooking into a big fish. The salmon moved right up into the river mouth by derby
time and have continued this trend up until now. Fishing for a few extremely
fortunate fisher people was lucrative in the upper inlet as some of the derby’s
biggest fish were caught in the area. Peggy Ohama of Port Alberni caught the
derby’s biggest fish which weighed in at 37.8 pounds. The Chinook was caught on
the Monday of the derby at Holm Island on a large pink (bubble gum) hootchie.
This fish won Peggy $3,000 for the biggest fish of the day and an additional
$7,000 for the biggest fish of the derby. The derby’s second largest Chinook was
caught by Joe Vodopija and weighed 36.8 pounds. Joe caught his prize winning
fish at Pill Point located in Barkley Sound on a Purple Haze hootchie. Port
Alberni’s Darrin Olson won second prize and $2,000 on the Labor Day Monday.
Darrin’s prize winning fish was caught around Holm Island where many of the
derby’s daily winning fish were caught. Derby plans for 2009 are already
underway. Salmon Derby President Dan Washington will be gathering with his crew
of volunteers over the next few weeks.
Port Alberni Inlet / Barkley Sound
The
salmon fishing in the Inlet has been very difficult for the sport fisherman.
There are loads of salmon especially in the upper portion of the harbor but
there just does not seem to be a bite. Chair person of the Alberni Sport Fishery
Advisory Committee Bob Cole was quoted just recently as saying “there is clearly
not a lack of fish but the culprits unfortunately have been the rainy weather
conditions, water levels, and outdoor air temperatures which have dramatically
cooled the river water temperatures.” “The Chinook and Coho which usually hold
in the Inlet and school up are continually migrating towards the river which
does not create good sport fishing conditions.” Weather conditions for the next
two weeks look favorable. Incoming Chinook and Coho may very well school in
areas like Lone Tree Point, Polly’s, and China Creek. Coho in past years when
conditions were favorable have schooled in huge numbers down at McTush.
Hopefully this occurs in order that some of the Inlet season is saved.
Barkley Sound has had some
favorable fishing. Many Slivers Charters Sport Fishing guides have been fishing
the sound during and after the derby. Guide John had guests from Calgary and
guide Brent guests from Edmonton for the three days of the derby. Each group
left with a mix of twelve beautiful Chinook and Coho. Johns’ biggest derby catch
was close to30 pounds and Brents’ was 29. Over the past week both Doug and Mel
have had some success. Mel has done well on the Bamfield Wall, Wittlestone and
Kirby Point on Chinook and Coho. Over the past weekend guide Doug had some great
success at Gilbraltor Island and Harbor Entrance. Anchovy in a clear, purple
haze, and chartreuse teaser head all seemed to be working very well. Some of the
old standby hootchies like the white AORL 12 and Spatterback and the Halloween
just seemed not to excite the fish. Dougs biggest Chinook for guests on Saturday
was a bright 22 pound Chinook. The largest Coho weighed in at 15 pounds. This
fish hit a purple haze anchovy teaser head with a 6 foot leader and a green
hotspot flasher. Sunday guests from Vancouver pulled in five salmon in which
three were Chinook and two Coho. The largest Chinook was just under 20 pounds
and the biggest Coho about 12 pounds. Anchovy trolled behind either a gold green
or gold red hotspot flasher were again working well. Pill Point and Assets
Island have both had good reports. The fish seem to be moving because there is
either a good bite in the morning and the next day the bite is in the evening
which often means the fish have moved up into the Inlet and a new school has
arrived. Blood Bay behind Pill Point has been fairly steady each day. There
seems to be a good number of fish at Little Beach off of Ucluelet which tend to
be Barkley Sound and Robertson Creek fish. These fish will come into the Sound
daily. Often if you are at the right place at the right time one can get into a
decent number of biting fish. We are anticipating another 10 days of decent
fishing in Barkley Sound. The weather looks great and there should be some
wonderful Coho fishing.
Ucluelet
Guides
Mike and Al have continued to have some excellent halibut and salmon fishing.
The Big Bank has offered some great September halibut fishing. Jigging for Mike
has been the answer as guests are pulling in their limits daily. After the early
morning hali fish Little Beach and The Wreck and also South Bank have been the
main choices for salmon. Little Beach has been often the number one choice as a
good number of fish are running through as they make their way into the Sound.
Various white and green hootchies are working as are anchovy which again seem to
be fishing salmon well. Both guides have found the glow teaser heads to be
working well. We are expecting the Ucluelet fishing to continue into October.
September is often the no wind and no fog month and the ocean can be wonderful
on a late summer early fall day.
Somass - Stamp River
Fishing in the river aboard jet
boats is just beginning. The river will have a surplus of Chinook and Coho. In
the mix will be late summer steelhead. This fishery in the Stamp River is going
to be very good. There are still openings in October and November for a fishing-accomodation
package. Call Doug for details.
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
