FISHING REPORTS
from some of the BEST PLACES TO FISH !
22nd September, 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 first day of fall and the summer seems already so long ago. The summer
and for that matter the late and early spring was a great year for salmon
fishing in this area. The Sockeye fishing was unbelievable and the Chinook
fishing especially for migratory salmon as predicted, on the surf line of
Barkley Sound and also the area of water just two to five miles off the coast of
the jagged shorelines of Vancouver Island was phenomenal. The areas just out of
the Ucluelet Harbor and areas just outside of Effingham Island located near the
Broken Group of Barkley Sound are currently experiencing some fantastic Coho
fishing. The Coho are currently split between hatchery and wild. Only hatchery
Coho outside of a line (seaward) from Coaster Channel on a line across to
Satellite Pass can be retained. Hatchery and Wild Coho inside this line can both
be retained. We are expecting the Coho fishing to be reasonably good for the
next two weeks in outside waters and also the inner waters of Barkley Sound.
There are many reports that the Coho fishing as far as Kyoquot is very good and
we are expecting these fish to swim by and for that matter many could be headed
for the Stamp River. Summer of 2010 is over but the salmon fishing opportunities
are not.
The
Stamp River is the best sport fishing area close to Port Alberni. Good numbers
of Chinook are entering the river which has great conditions for the salmon
headed to their spawning grounds. The Department of Fisheries just recently
released a number showing that close to six thousand Chinook that have swam
through the Stamp Falls fish way counters and/or are already upstream from Stamp
Falls. The average Chinook count entering the counter per day is currently 300.
DFO is still predicting a return of 43,000 Robertson Creek Chinook to the
terminal area.
With summer coming to a close so
have the two big fishing derbies. The 39th Port Alberni Salmon Festival ended on
Labor Day Monday. The three days of fishing saw only a handful of fish come into
the weigh station at Clutesi Haven Marina that were over thirty pounds. John
Robertson of Parksville won the derby and the $10,000 grand prize with a 40.3
pound Chinook. The salmon was caught near Poett Nook in 55 feet of water using
anchovy in a Pearl Teaser head. Shawn Hackwell was the only big Port Alberni
winner as he won the biggest fish on the Saturday of the derby. Shawn’s fish
weighed in at 32.4 pounds which won him $3,000 and also the Fred Duncan Memorial
Trophy for being the Alberni resident with the biggest weighed in salmon. Derby
numbers were down in not only participants but also fish caught. There were a
total of only 1,600 anglers and only 701 fish were weighed in at the various
weigh-in stations.
The
weekend of September 11th and 12th was the final of the Ucluelet ladder derby.
This derby lasted from May 24th to September 3rd. The top five derby entrants
with the five biggest fish for each month were automatically included along with
the summers other top 50 fish for the fish off in September. Colin Campbell won
the derby with a 24 pound 6 ounce salmon. This fish won him $8,000 and another
$2,000 in a fish charter prize. Colin’s guide was Ken Meyer. This winning fish
was only half the size of a couple of the qualifying fish that came in during
late August. The biggest fish was just over 49 pounds with several more big fish
in the mid to high forties. The weather in the open water for the derby was not
very good and made for some difficult fishing. It is expected that this ladder
fishing derby will once again occur next year and will be based out of Ucluelet.
Ucluelet (West Coast) / Port Alberni Inlet
/ Barkley Sound
The
September weather has not been terribly favorable for offshore fishing out of
Ucluelet. On the days that have been good the water has been very flat with some
great salmon fishing at the outer and inner South Bank. Coho have been generally
found in the top 60 feet of water and a few bigger Chinook in the high teens and
low twenties have also been in the same area. There are good numbers of Feeder
Chinook close to the bottom between 120 and 145 feet. Some guides have had their
best success using a T-Rex and a spatterback hootchie and also a hootchie known
as “cotton candy”. The four inch watermelon and cop car coyote spoons have both
done fairly well for guides and various sport fisher persons. The Coho fishing
is expected to improve during the last week of September. There have been great
reports of big Coho being landed to the north. These salmon should make their
way down the coastline into the Ucluelet inner and outer waters and also the
surf line areas of Barkley Sound.
Barkley Sound and the Port
Alberni Inlet have generally been areas of hit and miss fishing since the
beginning of September. The salmon just do not seem to want to hold in many of
the local holding areas. Is seems as if the salmon are just making their way
straight to the Somass river or other streams and creeks in the immediate area.
We are hoping that current reports of some good Coho fishing at swale Rock and
Pill Point in Barkley Sound are true. If the Coho come in bigger schools they
just may hold as mentioned and make for some good fall fishing days.
Stamp River
The
Stamp River has had some great salmon fishing since early September. There is
currently good numbers of Chinook and Coho in the Lower River. The Lower River
is the area below “the bucket” and is an area that anglers can use bait which
came into effect on September 15th. Many anglers fishing with river guides
aboard jet boats have hooked into as many as twelve to fifteen Coho per day.
There have also been many good sized Chinook that anglers have hooked into. Many
of these big Chinook have been released. Anglers can retain up to 2 Chinook per
day in the river but only one can be over 77cm’s. Coho retention is also at two
per day.
The best fly fishing for summer
Steelhead usually begins after the 10th of October. By this time there are
plenty of salmon eggs floating in the river and river bottom which creates great
Steelhead activity and excellent fly fishing for those avid fly fishers. We are
expecting some great Stamp river fishing through until late November.
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
