FISHING REPORTS
from some of the BEST PLACES TO FISH !
24th June, 2011: 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 past mid June and as expected the salmon fishing in all of the Port Alberni
and Pacific Rim areas has really picked up. Halibut and Chinook fishing on the
west coast has been very consistent with most days producing some very good
results for those on guided trips or fishing in privately owned sport boats.
Barkley Sound especially along surf line locations has been fantastic with some
great Chinook catches in the high teens and low twenties. The Port Alberni Inlet
has also picked up with some excellent sockeye fishing. The Somass River and
Alberni Inlet water temperatures are still relatively cool in the River but
surface Inlet water temperatures are now about 61 degrees Fahrenheit. There has
been an abundance of early Sockeye moving into the Inlet and then the River
which has produced some Sockeye schooling and some great results for sport
anglers. The 2011 summer fishing should once again be fantastic along Vancouver
Islands west coast inshore and offshore and inland waters close to Port Alberni.
Results to date have proven pre season forecasts to be very accurate.
Port Alberni | Barkley Sound
The
Port Alberni Inlet is expected to see a good return of Sockeye Salmon in 2011.
The Department of Fisheries is still estimating a return of 600,000 pieces to
the Somass River. With this in mind the estimated catch for sport, commercial,
and first nations is approximately 225,000. For the sport fisherman the current
daily possession is four salmon with a two day possession limit of eight. Many
believe that returns will be close to the 2010 return of well over one million
salmon. The early run of Sockeye to date is proving day after day that this
thought by many anglers could very well hold true. With water temperatures very
cool but gradually warming the Somass River and the two major lake conditions
have been perfect for good migratory flow. The counters have well over 47,000
escaped Sockeye already moving into Sproat and Great Central Lakes. The week of
June 13th was the beginning of some good Sockeye Fishing out in the inlet. Some
anglers reported some good fishing with limits of eight and twelve fish per boat
but without any real consistency as some anglers had a much less success rate.
The Sockeye fishing during the last few days has improved even more and has been
simply sensational. The Inlet waters are warming up and the fish are beginning
to school in various spots. The best fishing has been from Ten Mile Point right
to Dunsmuir Point which is straight across from the China Creek Marina and
Campground. The magical depth range for fishing has been from twenty-five to
fifty feet with forty feet being a perfect depth. As we get closer to July and
the waters warm up the Sockeye will go deeper into the water. The normal Sockeye
gear is currently working well as long as plenty of color is out the back of the
boat. The MP 2 and 15 (bubblegum) hootchies are working, as are the pink and
blue and pink and black hootchies and a variety of other pinkish to orange and
red colors. We are expecting the Sockeye fishing to stay relatively good well
into August. There will be Seine testing going on weekly with updates on
numbers. Expect some commercial fishing in the Inlet and also to outer areas but
there will always be plenty of good areas for the sport fishermen. It will not
be a surprise if well over one million Sockeye return to the system this summer.
Barkley
Sound fishing has been very good for the last two weeks. Generally the surflne
areas have produced some nice fish but some great catches have also come out of
more inshore areas like Pill Point, Vernon Bay, and Swale Rock. The inland areas
have produced some salmon just like the surf line spots up to twenty pounds.
There have been reports of some great Coho catches especially close to Swale
Rock. The Chinook have been in deeper water. Pill Point has reported great
catches with the salmon at depths to 110 feet and the Meares and Austin Island
areas as deep as 125 feet. Anchovy and a few coyote spoons in green and blue
nickel and the silver glow have been working but in general the surf line spots
have had the best results with anchovy in a chartreuse, glow green, or purple
haze teaser head behind a glow hotspot flasher. We are expecting some Coho to
move into the mix. There have been a few good days but the Coho have not been as
consistent as the Chinook. Coho catches have been good up the Vancouver Island
coastline and will move into the direction of the Sound. The Coho are big eaters
at this time of year and often put on as much as a pound per week. We are
expecting some great fishing in the Sound through July. One of the biggest runs
of what is termed mid summer run Chinook are forecast to return to the big
watershed systems in southerly waters. These migratory Chinook often stay
relatively close to the beach of Vancouver Island and will move into Barkley
Sound to feed on the rich resources of bait fish. Summer fishing in the scenic
and calm waters of Barkley Sound will be wonderful in 2011.
Ucluelet
One
of the most consistent areas to fish year after year for salmon and halibut has
been Ucluelet B.C. Ucluelet is a small town located on the west coast of British
Columbia with a relatively small year round population. However in the summer
months the population size does swell with many visitors who come to fish the
inshore and offshore waters. Many come on guided trips while others brave the
waters of the Pacific Ocean using their privat sport boats. The fishing has been
very good for Chinook and there have been some good Coho numbers recently and of
course like most years the halibut fishing is really picking up. The best spots
to fish have been Long Beach and recently Lighthouse Bank and the Inner and
Outer South Bank. The salmon like the halibut have been very close to the sandy
bottom and on tide changes do move up to the midwater to feed on the needle fish
and other bait fish. The fish are actively feeding much of the day but on the
tide change it can become crazy and it often seems that whatever one offers as a
lure will work. For some fisher persons bait and for others coyote spoons and
plastic seems to be the way to go. The green nickel four inch coyote spoon has
been good as have several glow hootchies and also the green spatterback and
T-Rex hootchie. Both of these hootchies have done well picking up Chinook and
halibut.
Most of the Chinook landed have
weighed from the mid teens to low twenties with a few in the thirty pound range.
The Ucluelet ladder derby is currently showing a thirty-eight pound Chinook
leading in June. This fish was landed out on the Lighthouse Bank using a glow
hootchie. We are realy expecting the fishing to improve even more. Chinook
abundance for the west coast of Vancouver Island is expected to be the best we
have seen in the past five years. Remember that when you are out on the water
fishing to be sure the lines are in the water at the magical hour of the tide
change. Remember to stay safe out on the west coast and have all of the
necessary equipment for foggy days and watch the winds.
Stamp - Somass River
Those
fishing Sockeye in the Somass River have done extremely well. The possession
limit is currently two. Water conditions for migration are perfect. The fall
river fishing is expected to be very good. Chinook, Coho, and summer run
Steelhead are sensational with good numbers forecast to return. Salmon fishing
for chinook is expected to open on the 25th of August this year. Good fishing
will occur in September using conventional methods with the best fishing on the
fly usually in October when the natural spawn takes place. If you are interested
in guided river trips don’t wait to long as much of the available room is
quickly disappearing.
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
