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March 9 th 2007
The West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia has much to offer. The West Coast is a beautiful area of the world with its rugged but scenic coastline outlined by snowcapped mountains in the background. Ucluelet and Tofino both found on Vancouver Islands coast are located south of Clayoquot Sound, which is full of beaches, islands and rainforests. The Pacific Rim National Park ( Long Beach) is located in the area and has grown into a very popular tourist destination with oceanfront resorts, hotels, motels, lodges, campgrounds, quaint cafes and restaurants and even art galleries. The Pacific Rim National Park is a paradise for surfers and beachcombers. There are large rolling waves and miles of pristine beaches.
Ucluelet is nestled in a small harbor, which is dominated by surf and sandy beaches on the west and rainforests on the east. The area has fantastic walking and hiking trails. The Rainforest Trail, Lighthouse Trail and the sands of Big Beach are areas people can roam for hours. Hi-Tin-Kis Park has spectacular views that people worldwide come to admire.
During the winter Ucluelet and Tofino offer spectacular Storm Watch opportunities. Many of the luxurious resorts, which are scattered along the coastline, offer this as part of their packages from November until early March. March and April often finds visitors watching the migration of Gray Whales, which are passing along the coastline making their way to the Beaufort Sea. The Whale Festival begins this year on the 17 th of March is featured by the “Chowder Chow Down.” The festival continues into mid April.
Ucluelet and Tofino provide some of the best salmon and halibut fishing in the world. People of all ages can visit and learn the art of fishing from Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing’s most experienced guides. The coastline between Ucluelet and Tofino is a feeding and spawning destination of some of the West Coast of British Columbia’s largest runs of chinook and coho. The months of May, June July August and September are considered prime time for sport fishing inshore and offshore. The sport fishing industry is provided with vast amounts of coho, chinook, pink salmon and halibut that are migrating outside the doorstep of Ucluelet.. All of the fish follow the thick balls of bait which most often are herring, sardines, needlefish, squid and krill.
The Ucluelet Sport Fishing season gets underway when the weather changes into early spring. The winter often displays battering storms and huge surf, which makes it most difficult and of course dangerous for guides and sport anglers to get out to the fishing grounds. However, during the winter there are some days that one can fish for winter or feeder springs close the Ucluelet Harbor and Barkley sound. The winter season is also a time when individuals have opportunity to fish for Dungeness Crabs, prawns, oysters, clams, and some rock fish. Late February, all of March, and the early part of April often have feeder chinook close to the Ucluelet Harbor and inner surfline of Barkley Sound. Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing and other guide services will normally fish Begg Island, Mara Rock, Great Bear, the Red Can, Sail Rock and even South Bank during this time of year. Most of the salmon are feeder springs and can range from 8 to 25 pounds. Most guides and local anglers use a variety of lures. Anchovy is often he best bait choice all year and is rolled behind a Rhys Davis Teaser Head in white, green, purple haze, or pearl. Hootchie choices are often glow whites, purple haze, or various blue green white colors and army truck. Various Coyote and Titan Spoons work well also. This year watermelon has been very good along the whole coast as have silver spoons. During the year there is some bottom or rock fishing. The lingcod season opens April 15 th. Slivers charters Salmon sport Fishing is currently offering a “SEAFOOD SAFARI” where clients have opportunity to fish for all of those delicacies found in the vast Pacific. A full day of fishing is often necessary to enable one to bring back all of those tasty ocean clams, oysters, prawns, crabs, rock fish, and salmon. Halibut can also be part of the catch but are often out at the Big Bank. Halibut fishing most years become more fishable in May and can be combined when fishing for the various salmon species migrating down the coast. During the summer months some guides will troll for Halibut and Salmon at the same time. The Halibut are found at the bottom hiding in the sand and the salmon are found in mid water.
During the summer months Ucluelet provides some of the best salmon and halibut fishing in the world. The area has continuous and very consistent fishing due to the migration of salmon which are headed to their spawning grounds. Whatever summer month one decides to fish there will not be disappointment as there is always fish inshore or offshore. Doug at Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing can arrange your fishing package of choice.
People often ask “what should I bring if I am coming to Canada’s West Coast to fish and explore?” Of course bring a camera to take all kinds of pictures. Binoculars are also a great idea. Bring Rain Gear and rubber boots. Most of the guide boats have extra rain gear on board but this is not provided when hiking in a rainforest or walking the beach on an early drizzly foggy morning. Be prepared for sunshine and warm days especially later in the morning and the afternoons. The West Coast is a place to be totally prepared for all weather. Dress in layers. There is a saying “Its easy to dress down but not up”. If you do not have the correct warm clothing one’s day can be miserable to start. It is important to have coolers to take catches home. If flying most airlines now want people to have a correct airline container, which are available on the coast. People can also be prepared to have their catch sent directly to their home as St. Jeans located in Ucluelet will ship directly after our guides have prepared your catch for shipping.
Canada’s West Coast of Vancouver Island is a fantastic area to visit. Those who live in the area take it for granted. This area of the world has a lot to offer and is still undiscovered by many. It is part of super natural B.C. Take some time and come to visit and yes come fishing as this is the place to be in the summer of 2007. Contact Doug at Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing for all your fishing and accommodation needs. Call 250 724 2502 or e mail dlindy@shaw.ca
Current Fishing
UCLUELET
Over the past couple of days the guides have found some nice size bait balls. There have been some small feeder chinook off of The Red Can and Mara Island. Guide Mike had two small 10 pound halibut on March 1 st at South Bank. The Herring Spawn is getting close. There should be some good size winter chinook showing up in Barkley Sound. Besides fishing tight to the beach near the Ucluelet Harbor we will be fishing Mayne Bay, Sail rock, and Meares to Swale rock over the next 10 days. Over the last few days Tofino has had the best fishing on the West Coast for winter chinook. Anchovy and Coyote spoons in silver have been good as lures. We are expecting the winter chinook fishing to pick up over the next week in the Ucluelet area.
BARKLEY SOUND
This past weekend the Sproat Lake Derby took place with Port Alberni local resident Ted Dawes taking first place with a 19 and a half pound winter chinook. The Derby Headquarters was Poet Nook located in Barkley Sound. Great prizes from Electric Downriggers to colored GPS’s were offered to the many fishermen from all over the island and mainland who were eligible to win a prize. There were a fairly high number of chinook picked up. In fact the fish total this year was much higher than the last two years. Sarita Bay and the Green Can just off of Sarita had lots of feeder chinook but most were in the 6 to 7 pound range. Local Fishermen Bob and Dallas and 2 out of town friends picked up 7 chinook in Sarita on Saturday and Sunday using nasty boy spoons. As Bob said “we tried everything but the only thing the fish would bite was our nasty boy coyote spoons behind any type of flasher.” Those that stayed in the PillPoint and Diplock area left disappointed as nothing was picked up. Guide Joel fished the area for a number of hours Saturday and did not have one hit. On Sunday he mover to Sarita and picked up some nice small but silver feeder chinook. His fish were all caught on a silver M.T. coyote spoon. The spoon size was 4 inches. The best fishing for numbers and big fish was the Vernon Bay, Swale Rock and Canoe Pass area. Guide Jon had 7 fish on Saturday and 5 on Sunday. Fishing from 90 to 130 feet Jon was able to pull in a number Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing of fish in the 13 to 16 pound range. Most of these were equally caught at Swale Rock and Vernon Bay. Anchovy rolled on a pearl Rhys Davis Teaser Head was working well as was Super Strip on a Clear Super Strip holder. Purple Haze Hootchies at 46 inches behind a plaid or purple haze flasher worked well also. Various silver coyote spoons especially green nickel were working well. There were some fish also picked up in the Bamfield area. Brady’s Beach has some smaller chinook.
We are expecting the fishing to continue to be good. Bigger chinook should move into Barkley Sound as the Herring Spawn gets closer.
Barkley Sound should have some very good chinook and coho fishing this summer. It is forecast that the Robertson Creek return will be strong with a good number of 4, 5, and 6 year olds returning. Robertson Creek fish usually come into the area in late July. The Robertson Creek coho return should be back to normal as indicators last fall showed a healthy return for 2007. Contact Doug: at 250 724-2502 for Barkley Sound Packages. Packages can include accommodation and multi-day fishing. has experienced guides that will take you to some unbelievable summer fishing. June and July can have some great days as thousands of salmon are migrating and come into the sound to feed on the great amounts of bait which can be either needle fish, herring, or sardines (pilchards).
SOMASS-STAMP RIVER
The winter steelhead fishing over the last two weeks has been spotty and at times difficult. The guides have been doing okay hitting 6 or 7 fish each day but the average sports angler who does not get on the river very often is lucky to get one or two hits in a full day. The water has warmed up a little and this past Sunday and Monday fishing was a little better. New fish are still coming into the system but they are difficult to get to bite. The upper and lower rive have been about the same as there are ample fish in both areas. The lower river is busier on weekends. Most sport anglers and sport guides are using bait in the lower while in the upper river spin and glows have been by far the best. Guide Shaun has been using gooey bobs and has had some success. On Sunday he had 8 fish on for guests from Germany. There are a fairly large number of wild fish in the system. Fishermen must remember that there is a bait ban above “the bucket” and to have a freshwater license and steelhead tag. There have been occasions during the winter where people have forgotten some of the crucial and important rules.
We are expecting fresh fish to continue coming into the system daily. Fishing should pick up and continue to improve if the water warms up even a little. Trips can be booked through to the end of March and early April (Easter).
For more information
Contact
Doug Lindores
Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
www.catchsalmon.ca
www.catchsalmon-ca.com
dlindy@shaw.ca
250 724 2502
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