29th April, 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

This was Alexs' first ever winter steelhead. Alex is from Saskatchewan. The steelhead was picked up on the Stamp River close to Port Alberni B.C.

May is now here and the first few months of fishing in Barkley Sound and Ucluelet have shown some promise. May is often termed as the true start to saltwater fishing in this area.

Barkley Sound is located in a vast area just south of Ucluelet and north of Bamfield. Barkley Sound is situated in protected waters which cover 800 square kilometers and hundreds of islands. Most months of the year one can often easily fish these waters. Charter guide fishermen and sport anglers will often cruise into the protected and pristine waters of the Sound when a southeasterly is blowing on the open ocean.

May, June, and July are the months that many migrating salmon are making their way down the Vancouver Island coastline and enter into Barkley Sound to feed on the rich bait fish. Usually many of the local salmon fishing charter guides and sport fishermen will be fishing on the outer edge of the Sound known as the surf-line. Some of the years’ best fishing can occur at Meares, Cree, Austin Island, and Edward King during this time. We are expecting some excellent Chinook and Coho fishing during the next several months. Predictions of mid-summer and late summer returns to the various spawning grounds down the coast are very favorable. Of course in August the return of the Robertson Creek Hatchery salmon and the Nitnat Hatchery salmon come into Barkley Sound also.

Port Alberni Inlet & Barkley Sound

There currently is not any fishing in the Port Alberni Inlet. Predictions for a lower than normal return of Sockeye Salmon (150,000) to the Somass River system means that a sport fishery in the Inlet will not begin until August. Returns of Chinook and Coho in August and September to the Robertson Creek Hatchery and the various tributary streams in the area are forecast to allow for some extremely good fishing. The Labor Day Weekend Salmon Fishing Derby should have excellent fishing opportunities for all anglers. The Port Alberni Inlet should have a very good return of five year old returning Chinook which means some very large salmon will be swimming the waters of the Inlet during the Derby. The Port Alberni salmon Derby dates are August 30th through September 1st.

This is a family from Alberta the Thompsons' who experienced a great Seafood Safari Day The halibut and rockfish and salmon were caught a few miles out from Ucluelet The prawns and Crabs were picked up in Barkley Sound close to Mayne Bay. Guide was Mike Marriott.

Barkley Sound salmon fishing has been on the slow side over the past few days. Meares and Mayne Bay have produced some nice Ten to fifteen pound feeder Chinook. Watermelon and Cop Car Coyote spoons in the four inch variety have been working as have various colored hootchies in whites and blue-green. Forty-two to forty-four inch leader has been working behind either a green or red hotspot flasher. Many guest have been enjoying the prawn and crab catches on each day of our Barkley Sound trips. We are expecting the Barkley Sound Salmon fishing to really pickup in May as the migratory fish begin to make their way down the coast to their spawning grounds to the south.

Ucluelet

Like Barkley Sound the fishing in the waters close to Ucluelet has been on and off. We have already picked up our first few halibut of the year. Beginning May 1st we will begin fishing the big bank with salmon-halibut combo fishing. The largest recorded fish to date is thirty pounds which was picked up by some very excited guests who were fishing with guide Kevin. Guide Mike has been fishing fairly close to the Ucluelet Harbor and has had some great days near the light house, Sail Rock, and Beg Island. Just a few miles out Mike has been doing well on halibut up to 25 pounds. The salmon which are weighing up to fifteen pounds have been best in 100 feet of water and have been hitting brass spoons with five feet of leader either with a flasher or without. The watermelon and copcar coyote spoon have also been reasonably good.

Included in our spring fishing packages is the Seafood Safari. We have had tremendous success with prawn and crab fishing. The rock fish and ling cod fishing has also really picked up. The days in May will become wonderfully warmer and longer and the Seafood safari is a great opportunity to fish in Barkley Sound for shellfish and the open Pacific for halibut and salmon.
We are looking for some good sized halibut in May. Last year we had a few halibut over 100 pounds which guide Mike picked up at the area close to Sail Rock with guests. May and June should also produce some good sized Chinook migrating down the coast.

Somass- Stamp River

We are now finished the Winter Steelhead fishery in the Stamp. The last few weeks saw some very good fishing in both the upper and lower river. We are now organizing for the fall Coho-Chinook and summer Steelhead fishery. This is a great fishing opportunity for those keen anglers who prefer guided or non guided freshwater fishing aboard drift and jet-boats. For those keen fly-fishing enthusiasts this is again is a remarkable fishing adventure.

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