15th July, 2009: 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

Tom Of Portland shows of this beautiful salmon he caught close to the Barkley Sound surf line this fish was caught on a cop car coyote spoon. Guide for Tom was Doug of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing

It is already mid July. The weather for most of the summer has been fabulous and in one very simple word, the sport fishing in the Port Alberni Inlet, Barkley Sound, and Vancouver Islands’ West Coast----terrific. The forecast for the West Coast was originally very good but no one really believed that the sport fishing would be as good as it has been. The Coho fishing in Barkley Sound and inshore and offshore off of Ucluelet has been amazing and the Chinook fishing the same, as there has been already been many Chinook landed by sport fishing charter guides and sport fishermen in the mid to high thirty pound range. The West Coast has a much higher return of migrating salmon swimming the shoreline of Vancouver Island. The prediction of two million Coho, one million Chinook, and fifteen to seventeen million pink Salmon and also Sockeye swimming the west coast is relatively close. Lower water temperature which has created excellent salmon survival over the past three years has increased wild salmon populations. High levels of protein which are known as (copepod) plankton, which is a salmon food source has been very plentiful. In the days of the El Nino Current this food source was dramatically depleted which was a concern and did dwindle the salmon stocks, especially Coho and Chinook. The various species of Salmon swimming the coastline also come into Barkley Sound to feed on the rich resources of bait fish. The 2009 summer salmon fishing season is perhaps to date one of the best in years along the West Coast of Vancouver Island and into Barkley Sound.

Jack of Ontario shows off his first ever caught Sockeye Salmon. Jack fished with Doug of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport fishing. jack and good friend Ross limited on Sockeye in the China Creek area of The Alberni Inlet

The Port Alberni Inlet has not had a Sockeye fishery since the summer of 2006. The sport fishery opened on June 15th with limits per day of two and on July 4th was raised to 4 per person because the run size was dramatically upgraded. The forecast return of Somass River Sockeye is now 450,000 pieces. The Counters at the Sproat and Great Central fish way have been fully operational. The last report, dated July 8th reported that escapement into Sproat Lake is 71,765 sockeye and Great Central Lake an escapement total of 68,091. Daily counts to the two lakes during the week to July 8th was 757 to 10,860 through the Sproat fish way and 821 to 12,450 through the Great Central fish way. DFO is expecting an escapement of 336,000 sockeye to for spawning when there is a run size of 450,000 fish. The surplus for commercial, sport and first nation fishing is approximately 114,000 pieces.

Parker Riggs of Utah shows some of the catch of Sockeye he and family caught with guide Mel of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing All fish were caught in Cous Creek of the Port Alberni Inlet

The Port Alberni Inlet sport Sockeye fishery has been spectacular. Sport and charter guide operators have on most days picked up limits of sockeye. Heavy rain mid-week moved many sockeye into the Somass River but fresh salmon are moving into the inlet daily. The rain actually came at a good time for conservation reasons. The best fishing over the last few days has been the China Creek area. Dunsmuir Point down to the slide, Cous Creek, and the Port Alberni Harbor have been very good. The salmon have been in 50 to 85 feet of water. The weather over the last few days has dramatically warmed up and in early morning the fish are shallow but move deeper by mid-morning. Slivers Charters Salmon Sport fishing guides have been predominately using pink lures. Leader lengths depending on speed have been anywhere from 18 to 27 inches behind a green or red glow hotspot flasher. The mp 15 (bubblegum) and blue-pink, black pink hootchies have all been working very well. Some individuals have done very well fishing with spoons. The three and a half inch Halloween and Watermelon coyote spoon have working. Sockeye are attracted to the boat by color. Most fishermen are trolling with at least six flashers which are trolled fairly close to the vessel. With river and lake temperatures now above 18 degrees Celsius the sockeye will not move into the Somass River system that quickly. This should allow the sockeye in the inlet to build into bigger schools which should continue a very good sport fishery. Sockeye fishng should continue in the Port alberni Inlet until the end of July.

This picture is of Mark (center left) with his friends from Vancouver B.C. Guide was Al Salmon were all picked up at the Big Bank off of Ucluelet Coho and Chinook fishing was fantastic

Chinook and Coho fishing usually gets underway in the Port Alberni Inlet by the 10th of August. The fishing should be similar to the last two years. Approximately 50,000 Somass River Chinook are expected to return to Barkley Sound and the Alberni Inlet. Four year old Chinook are the highest count of age composition adults at 80%. At least 33,000 spawners are required for the fifty-eight million egg target. Surplus count for sport and other fisheries is approximately 17,000. The natural (wild) and hatchery Coho return to the Somass
System is expected to be also 50,000. With these totals and the expected return of salmon to tributary rivers and creeks the fishing in August and September in the Alberni Inlet and inner areas of Barkley Sound should be quite good.

The Brannick family of Utah show there Sockeye catch from the Alberni Inlet. The retention level for sockeye is now four per person in the Port Alberni Inlet

Over the last week there have been some very good reports out of Barkley Sound. The Diplock area had some good days. One sport angler picked up a whopping 39 pound Chinook in 80 feet of water. On the same and following day there were other low and mid 20 pound Chinook landed in the Diplock and Pill Point fishing areas. Anchovy in various teaser heads and the cop car spoon were working. Over the past weekend the larger salmon had moved out with many Chinook and Coho in the six to eight pound range remaining. Guide Wayne had some spectacular fishing at Meares, Austin Island and Cree on the weekend. Guests from Vancouver were treated to some of the best fishing of the season. Several Chinook from 20 to 29 pounds were landed as were hatchery Coho in the 6 to 9 pound range. The largest Chinook of the weekend was picked up by sport fishing charter guide Chad at Meares. This salmon was weighed in at 38 pounds. His guests were obviously absolutely thrilled. The Chinook Salmon were hitting anchovy in an army truck and purple haze Rhys Davis Teaser Head. Leader length at approximately five feet behind a green hotspot flasher seemed to attract the salmon. A cop car and blue nickel four inch coyote spoon was good for the Chinook and a silver-glow coyote spoon in the top 40 feet of water for the Coho. The area had plenty of bait fish and the salmon seemed to be feeding most of the day. Other areas of Barkley Sound that have had some very bright fishing moments have been Swale Rock and Kirby Point out to Edward King.

The next two or three weeks should have some remarkable fishing along the surf line of the Sound. By the first week of August some of the salmon returning to Barkley Sound and to the Somass River and then Robertson should show up at familiar Barkley Sound sport fishing areas. August and September should have some unbelievable fishing days. When the fish returning to the area show, Swale Rock, Pill Point, Kirby Point and Edward King should all be very good fishing hotspots. August fishing should see anglers using traditional hootchies. The T-Rex, Green Spatterback, white AORL12 and Purple Haze should all work well and should be in all sport fishermen tackle boxes. It is always a good idea to have anchovy and a variety of teaser head colors when fishing Barkley Sound, the surfline and just offshore.

Ucluelet fishing continues to be hot. Depending on the day and the water conditions inshore and offshore spots all have had great fishing possibilities.
The Coho have been simply fabulous. The Coho are putting about a pound on each week as they are feeding vigorously on the rich bait resources. Guides Al and Mike have been fishing close to the Harbor, the southwest corner, South Bank and the Big Bank. On Friday and Saturday charter guide Al had several Chinook hit his choice of lures at the Southwest corner. Using a green-nickel and Kermit four inch coyote spoons guests from Saskatchewan had opportunity to land three Chinook in the mid twenty pound range and five Chinook just under 20 pounds. The four guests on each day limited on eight Chinook and eight hatchery Coho. Three fifteen pound ling Cod and one nineteen pound halibut also came to the boat. All species of fish were landed on the troll. The ling cod and halibut hit a lure known as a Turd bouncing off the ocean floor. The Big Bank fishing has been simply crazy. Like many areas the Coho are in big numbers and are often difficult to get through to the Chinook which are in deeper water. Guide Mike and Al have been doing well on Halibut also at the Big Bank. The halibut have been hitting spoons on the troll and have averaged 15 to 25 pounds. Chinook on the Bank have averaged 15 to 25 pounds also. Coho are generally still 7 to 9 pounds with the odd 11 to 15 pounder in the mix. There is still a couple of months of good fishing on the West Coast. If sport fishermen are bringing their own vessel remember safety is of importance. August can often be a month with dense fog in the early morning when fishing off the coast. A GPS, good VHF radio, radar (good idea) or at least a radar reflector are very important. Of course lifejackets and fire extinguisher are also musts.

The Somass River is plugged with Sockeye Salmon. Anglers are getting limits of four each day. Red Wool or yarn on the cast is traditionally the method of fishing sockeye off the bank. The rain last week kicked good numbers of sockeye into the river system. Fall fishing for Coho and late summer steelhead is looking extremely good. Coho numbers are predicted to be above average.