16th July 2013: 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

There have been plenty of Coho out in Barkley Sound. The Coho have been averaging six to eight pounds with a few up to ten points. Marcus and family from Calgary fished with Doug of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing and had a great day of Chinook and Coho fishing. These two Coho were landed at Swale Rock located in Barkley Sound Vancouver Island

The salmon fishing is exactly how it should be expected in most of the Pacific Rim fishing areas for this time of year. It is already mid July and it seems like it should only be the beginning of May. Time continues to press on. The West Coast Vancouver Island Salmon fishing has been rather phenomenal to this date. Barkley Sound, the Port Alberni Inlet and offshore inshore Ucluelelt-Tofino have all had some very consistent sport salmon fishing with some fantastic Coho, Chinook, and Sockeye fishing action. The Alberni Inlet has dramatically improved since the July 1st long weekend. A weather change with very high air temperatures, have warmed the water of the Somass River and the Alberni Inlet. This much needed change has helped slow the migration of the Sockeye. These great salmon have schooled in good numbers in the Port Alberni Inlet and have created a very good sport fishery for many local anglers and those visiting the area from afar. Barkley Sound Salmon fishing has had some very consistent sport fishing since late May. Rich resources of bait fish have been in many of the areas and the Chinook and most recently Coho that are migrating to the big watersheds to the south have come into surf line locations and also inshore areas as far as Pill Point and Chup Point. Ucluelet fishing has been hampered by poor weather conditions for many sport anglers over the past couple of weeks. However Long Beach, the Inner and Outer South Bank, and the Big Bank have all had some great Chinook and Coho fishing on days that are suitable for small craft to get out on the offshore water locations. We are expecting the salmon fishing on the west coast, Barkley Sound to have some excellent fishing right into September. The Coho fishing opportunities in the Alberni Inlet should be very good in late August and early September. Everyone fishing the outside and inshore areas of West Vancouver Island will have a great opportunity of landing a Pacific Salmon this summer.

This Sockeye was landed by Scott in the Alberni Inlet Scott fished with his family and limited on Sockeye fishing with Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing and guide Chad

The first half of July 2013 has been a very good month for all sport fisher persons fishing the quiet pristine water of the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound. The Alberni Inlet, which is forecast to have only 300,000 Somass River Sockeye return, has warmed up and the Sockeye have schooled and moved to deeper water. This has created a very good sport fishery for these number one salmon. Cous Creek, and all of the China Creek areas down to the narrows has been consistently good morning after morning since early July. The salmon have moved in the early part of this month from forty and forty-five feet of water down to seventy-five to as much as a hundred feet. The Sockeye are attracted to the boat by color. Many guides and sport fisher persons have up to eight flashers behind their boat. Four of the flashers are usually termed “dummy flashers” and the other four have small mp 15 hootchies (bubble gum color) and hootchies that are in pink and blue or pink and black behind a variety of different colours of flashers types. Leader lengths vary according to boat speed and can be from eighteen to twenty-eight inches in length. Many sport anglers have their boats travelling from 1.7 to 2.1 mph. Conservation at this point in time is obviously an important factor in the sport fishery for the Inlet. Good numbers have returned to the Somass River system with current migration to Sproat and Great Central Lakes slowing due to higher water temperatures. The counters to Sproat Lake and Great Central Lake have recorded 135,000 Sockeye escaping through the fish way. The two lakes that the Sockeye salmon sit in during the summer months before spawning in the fall months are currently showing 50,000 migrating to Great Central Lake and 85,000 to Sproat Lake. Current retention for the sport fishery is at four per person per day with a two day possession limit. Please check daily with DFO regulations concerning sport retention limits. Also please check fishing area closures. Currently there is no fishing or retention or fishing for Sockeye Salmon from Paper Mill Dam to Lone Tree Point.

Captain Mel of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing and guest show off their Sockeye catch in the Alberni Inlet. The Sockeye Fishing in the Port Alberni Inlet has really picked up during the last few weeks and is proving to be another great year of summer fishing.

Barkley Sound fishing has been fabulous for well over six weeks. Good numbers of transient Chinook and now also Coho have made their way into not only surf line locations but also the very inner waters of one of the most beautiful areas on the west coast to salmon fish. The migratory salmon that are headed to distant watersheds are feeding on the rich sources of needle fish, anchovies, and sardines that are found in Barkley Sound. The salmon come into the sound in waves and gorge on these bait fish and rest for a short time before continuing their long journey. Cree Island, Austin Island, Meares, Vernon Bay, Pill Point, and Diplock have all been very good. Swale Rock seems to have been one of the most consistent areas. Austin Island, Cree and Meares have also been very similar. The Bamfield Wall and areas such as Kirby Point, Sanford, and Edward King have been good but not near as good as the areas on the western shoreline of the Sound. The Chinook have been hitting anchovy in a green haze, army truck, or chartreuse Rhys Davis Teaser Heads. Army truck, Green Spatterback, and various green patterns of needle fish hootchies have been fantastic if using plastic. Many of the three and a half to five inch coyote spoons have also been excellent choices with a five to six foot leader behind a glow hotspot flasher. Green nickel, blue nickel, silver glow and green glow have all worked well for Chinook and Coho. When using bait the Coho can really begin to eat up ones anchovy. (Batrix works?? If one wishes not to use up all the anchovy in the bait box). We are expecting the great salmon fishing in Barkley Sound to continue. The transient salmon will continue down the west coast well into September. West Coast Chinook are not strong this summer but Coho returns are expected to be phenomenal. Look for another eight wonderful fishing weeks in beautiful Barkley Sound located at the end of the Alberni Inlet.

A Couple of nice Chinook landed by Mansel and Brett Jones The father and son combination from Calgary fished Barkley Sound with Guide Doug of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing Limited on Chinook salmon ranging eleven to twenty-two pounds plus some Coho which were in the mix.

Ucluelet British Columbia is comfortably hidden on the outer west coast of Vancouver Island. The consistency of many excellent salmon fishing days in this area is hard to beat anywhere on the coast of British Columbia. The inshore and offshore fishing for Chinook and Coho has been very good. Halibut fishing has also picked up somewhat. Salmon and halibut have been consistent on Long Beach, Lighthouse Bank, South Bank, and also out on the Big Bank. Coyote Spoons from three and a half to five inch are working as are a number of hootchies in green coloured patterns. Spoons and Hootchies trolled behind a variety of flashers in glow seem to be a relatively good method of producing some nice salmon. Pilchards are also beginning to show on the banks and some guides are beginning to switch to six and seven inch spoons. South Bank Locations have had some of the best Chinook fishing from ninety to one hundred and thirty feet in depth. Coho have been in the mid water and some days are difficult to get through. Halibut are out on the banks and are lying in the sand. Many guides and sport anglers are fishing for halibut on the troll and bouncing off the bottom. If trolling does not work then many are turning to jigs and spreader bars. The migration of Chinook and Coho Salmon of the west coast are in good numbers. We are expecting the fishing to continue to be tremendous well into August and September with some good sized Chinook to show when the late summer run of salmon begin their migration down the west coast.

Don’t forget the Ucluelet Ladder Derby with great monthly cash prizes right through August with the fish off the second weekend in September. The Port Alberni Salmon festival will continue this year with the derby set to be a Coho derby.