FISHING REPORTS
from some of the BEST PLACES TO FISH !
22nd December, 2010: 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 the Christmas Season and winters first day arrives on December 21st. Winter
often can mean few fishing days, due to poor weather conditions, and only those
hearty enough to explore and fish the water along the shoreline of Vancouver
Islands’ vast coast for Winter Chinook get out on the ocean. This scenario
really needs not to be true as many boats have heaters and many of the harbor
entrances and inlets on the Vancouver Island coastline offer protected waters to
fish salmon and even some bottom fish. The majestic waters of Barkley Sound and
the lower half of the Alberni Inlet and geographical areas close to the Ucluelet
Harbor are very fishable throughout the winter season. Ucluelet in fact is one
of the areas on the west coast that offers fishing 12 months of the year where
it is very possible to hook into a 20 pound salmon. Other spots such as the
Sooke Harbor and the Victoria waterfront are areas one can find a gathering of
sport boats out on the water many days of the winter season. River fishing for
Steelhead during the winter season is very popular on many Vancouver Island
streams. The Somass-Stamp System is one of B.C.’s premier rivers and is world
renown for Steelhead fishing. December through March is the Winter Steelhead
fishing season with the peak often occurring in early to mid February. The
season’s peak is often that time of year when the largest school of Steelhead
enters the system. Don’t let winter be a discouraging time of year to fish as
there really is a lot of opportunity on Vancouver Island which is British
Columbia’s premier fishing destination.
Port Alberni | Barkley Sound
The
Port Alberni Inlet has been busy with sport boats out on the water fishing for
prawns. The areas around China Creek and Cous Creek are very favorable to
sportys as there are areas with water from 250 to 300 feet that are very popular
to drop prawn traps. The season does close on the 31st of December and will not
reopen until April. Areas of Barkley Sound will be open during the winter
months. Winter Chinook trips to the sound include prawn fishing. The Alberni
Inlet during the winter months have some feeder Chinook swim up from the surf
line and Barkley Sound. Bells Bay and the Nahmint-Franklin areas have some bait
fish move in which will bring up some of the feeding salmon. A few local sport
fishermen who spend a lot of time on the water are often fortunate enough to be
on the water at the right time to take in some of this local fishing
opportunity. The Inlet in the summer of 2011 should once again be very good for
Sockeye Salmon fishing. The early season forecast looks very similar if not
better than the 2010 summer. The Sockeye fishery is a lucrative sport fishery to
the Port Alberni community. This has been ongoing for just over 20 years.
Sockeye at one time was strictly only a commercial fishery but continues to be
one of the most important fisheries on the Pacific Coast. Sockeye swim into
Barkley Sound from distant waters in the North Pacific beginning sometime in May
of each year. The schools of Sockeye swim through the sound and up the inlet and
enter the Somass River in late May. The early returning Sockeye swim in the top
30 to 35 feet of water and as the water in the river warms up they go deeper and
begin to school in various inlet locations. Favorite Alberni Inlet Sockeye sport
fishing locations are Nahmint-Franklin, the narrows, Underwood, Dunsmuir, the
slide, and Cous Creek. Sockeye fishing is perfect for all ages and is very much
a family fishing activity as the inlet waters are pristine and calm and Sockeye
although sometimes difficult to land are reasonably easy to handle with a sport
reel and rod.
A
few sport fishermen have fished Barkley Sound for Winter Chinook over the last
few weeks. These Chinook are not migrating salmon and are classified as local
salmon that remain in local areas and feed on the rich resources of bait fish
(herring, needlefish, sardines). Winter Chinook can range from six or seven
pounds to just over 20 pounds. The Winter Chinook season in the Sound usually
occurs from January to the beginning of April. The first weekend of March is
often a peak time and is also the Sproat Loggers Derby weekend which is hosted
out of Poett Nook. The 2010 derby had a whopping fish just over 28 pounds as a
winner. When fishing for Winter Chinook or feeders which again are not migrating
salmon look for slack tides and also shorten up on normal leader lengths when
using hootchies. Summer Chinook hootchie leader lengths are often 42 inches in
length and in the winter range from 34 to 38 inches behind a flasher. Leader
lengths also depend on boat speed while trolling. When using spoons (Coyotes or
Titans) behind a flasher, leader lengths are often four and a half to five feet
in length. When trolling bait behind a flasher a good rule of thumb is five to
six feet of leader. The Winter Chinook that have been recorded to date have
ranged from seven to ten pounds and were landed around the Swale Rock area. The
salmon are in deeper water, ranging from 100 to 140 feet depending on where the
fishing is occurring. Hootchies, bait, and coyote spoons in a three and a half
or four inch size are popular. Nasty Boy, green-glow, green nickel, blue nickel
and Cop Car coyote spoons are often a good choice to have in the tackle box.
Green glow flashers and purple haze flashers are often a good choice when
fishing with plastics, spoons, and bait.
Ucluelet
Ucluelet
is a great destination for 12 month of the year salmon fishing opportunity. Of
course this area is also known for winter storm watching, making days from
November through April where one cannot get out on the water for safety reasons.
There are many areas close to the Ucluelet Harbor that sport fishermen and
charters boats can get out to for Winter Chinook fishing, prawning and crabbing.
The lighthouse, Mara Rock, and Great Bear have been reliable areas over the
years and on those days that one can fish we have had some favorable reports to
date for some nice feeders from eight to twelve pounds. The area has plenty of
needlefish. Guides have been using needlefish hootchies in green and blue. Like
other areas along the coast the feeders are actively feeding and are not
migrating. The salmon are in deeper water and besides hitting the needlefish
hootchie they will hit anchovies behind flashers. Some hootchies worth having in
the tackle box are an army truck, tiger prawn, Purple Haze, green glows, and a
green spatterback. In the early to late spring we offer our adventurous seafood
safari. This is a majestic trip and at the end of the day a seafood dinner of
salmon, crab, prawns, and rock fish with some great B.C. wine is a fine ending
to a delightful day on the open Pacific. The migratory flow this summer in early
season predictions looks very good. Like the last few years some of the best
fishing will be from early June to the middle of August.
Stamp River
This
has been one of the best seasons for summer and fall Steelhead. The winters are
now entering the system with a few in the Upper River already and some coming
into the lower river daily. Those walking the river have not had an easy time
hooking into fish. The water is still a bit high but the clarity over the past
few days has been very good. The best fishing has been aboard jet boats in terms
of action and success. The past couple of weekends have been very busy on the
Stamp. Guests fishing the lower have had success as well as those still fishing
in areas termed the upper and in a couple of mid-river areas. The use of bait
below “the bucket” has had some great results. The use of roe and roe bags has
been great. In the Upper Stamp areas spin-n-glos and corkies in pinks and red
have been good. Some individuals have been using trout beads with success. When
the river becomes high and the water much darker a switch to Pink Worms is best
as they produce some better visibility. We are really expecting the steelhead
fishing for winters to be rather spectacular in terms of returns. Good returns
of summer salmon (sockeye) often mean that steelhead returns in the fall and
winter will also be quite good.
The Winter Steelhead run often runs from now right in April. Fishing the Stamp
for Winter Steelhead can be a fantastic adventure but most often in a very safe
environment when fishing with guides who have many years of experience on the
Stamp River----British Columbia’s premier Steelhead river.
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
