Fishing Report
Doug Lindores
Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
May 25th, 2007
Current
The salmon fishing on the west coast of Vancouver Island and the area of Barkley Sound and Bamfield is picking up quite dramatically. The Ucluelet area very close to the Ucluelet harbor has had some extremely great fishing where sport fishermen have been limiting on chinook.
Port Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound
Guide Doug of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing has been told that there will be a definite closure on the fishing of Sockeye Salmon in the Port Alberni Inlet during the month of June. At a Round Table discussion it was decided that all user groups would not fish in June and that counters would begin in mid May to get a count on returning healthy sockeye in May and June. If returns look strong then there may be some July fishing. This means that there will not be a sport, commercial, or river net fishery in June. For all groups this is a very wise decision in terms of conservation. It is hoped that the cool spring weather and the snow run-off will keep the Somass-Stamp River system fairly cool to enable all of the returning May and June sockeye to easily travel the river and return into Sproat or Great Central Lake. Usually the sockeye will begin to school in the Port Alberni Inlet when water temperatures in the river reach 18 degrees celsius
Barkley Sound fishing has been very good over the past week. The Swale Rock, Meares Bluff, Austin areas have been producing some  very nice chinook in the high teens and low twenties. Guide Mike and Al have been trolling and have had success using white hootchie, anchovy in a chrome teaser head, and a variety of silver coyote spoons. The spoon size has been 4 or 5 inch in size with a five foot leader behind a green hotspot flasher. White hootchie has been best during the first two hours of the morning at 42 to 44 inches in leader length behind a plaid or purple haze flasher. Guide Mike has had a couple of mornings fishing Meares where he has hooked into 10 chinook with the best success rate of landing 6 beautiful chinook. Most of the fish have been picked up in 80 or 90 feet of water. Mikes’ largest fish over the week was 21 pounds. Mike has said that the salmon he has picked up have been full of shrimp and that the krill in the area are very thick. Last year at this time there was very little krill in Barkley Sound. Ocean conditions are currently very good and should be all summer. Guide Al has had most of his success on the ocean side of Swale Rock. Fishing most of the time at 90 feet Al not only has picked up some nice chinook in the high teens but also two 25 pound halibut while trolling. Both halibut hit anchovy in a green Rhys Davis Teaser head. Interestinly Barkley Sound has had some nice halibut recorded early in the season. Sail Rock recorded a halibut at 107 pounds early in the week.
With May more than half over the surf line areas of Barkley Sound should have some excellent fishing days. The first of the west coasts migrating salmon mixed in with a big number of feeder springs should make for some very good fishing. Swale rock, Austin, Meares, Edward King, Folger and Beale should be very good areas to fish. The areas around Bamfield should also pickup.
Ucluelet (West Coast)
The fishing out of Ucluelet seems to be changing daily. Areas close to the Ucluelet Harbor  were very good. Guides Bob, Kevin and Shawn were limiting on very nice sized chinook at Mara Rock, Great Bear, and The Lighthouse. The fishing then seemed to pick up out a 7 mile and then the Big Bank. Over the last few days both Big Bank and 7 mile have been producing. The wreck has also been good. Seven mile has had two types of salmon fishing. Fisherman Willem has been out to 7 mile most days when the water is not too sloppy. He has noticed that the waters straight out of Ucluelet up to Portland Point have produced some of the years’ largest chinook. The water straight out from Ucluelet down to almost Beale has produced smaller fish. The difference is that the area down to Beale has had a lot more fish.
The salmon have been hitting silver and chrome spoons. Four and five inch spoons behind various flashers and five feet of leader have been excellent.
Laparouse or Big Bank has been producing some nice fish also. Guide Mike has been fishing chinook and halibut. The halibut are found from 170 to 200 feet. Mike has been trolling glow white hootchies and anchovy and herring. Other guides are bouncing a spreader bar along the bottom. Bait and white Berkley power grubs have been very effective. 2007 will not only have a very good season for various salmon species but the offshore halibut fishing will also be very good.
Somass-Stamp River
We have not been fishing the river. This fall the fly fishing for coho is expected to be very good. Returns of Robertson Creek chinook and Coho are expected to be very good.
Port Alberni Salmon Fishing Festival
The Port Alberni Labor Day Weekend Salmon Derby is set for August 31st, September 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The derby festivities will again occur at Clutesi Haven Marina on River Road in Port Alberni. There are daily prizes for the biggest three fish, an overall winning fish, and many hidden weight prizes. Join in on the fun.
For more information on West Coast fishing
Port Alberni Inlet fishing and Barkley Sound Fishing
Contact:
Doug Lindores
Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
Home phone 250 724 2502
Cell phone 250 731 73 89
dlindy@shaw.ca
www.catchsalmon-ca.com
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