FISHING REPORTS
from some of the BEST PLACES TO FISH !
20th November, 2010: 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
It
is mid-November and rather than thinking about the past summer of fishing and
the many great days all sport anglers had on local bodies of water we are now
preparing for the summer of 2011. Pre seasonal 2011 forecasts for local Sockeye
and migratory salmon runs migrating to southern watersheds look rather
promising. There will be more information about 2011 summer salmon runs in the
early part of the New Year.
November has been not a month of
wind and rain but in truth there have been some great sunny and rather warm
days. This is not to say that there have not been a few heavy rains. The Stamp
River has had high water and at the moment is at an average level. There have
been times that fishing the Stamp for Fall-Summer Steelhead has been difficult
because of the water abundance but it looks like with cooler weather on its way
the Stamp will stay lower and allow for some great Steelhead fishing for the
better part of the last half of November.
Salmon
returns to the Somass system have not been high in number this fall. November
the 5th was the last count for the Somass River Escapement Bulletin. The Somass
system is a key stream for Sockeye, Chinook, and Coho. In 2010 the summer Somass
River Sockeye returns were well over 1.1 million which was well over the 600,000
projected number. However Chinook at 27,000 and Coho around 22,000 were very low
in returns. The Chinook numbers in terms of return still allowed for the
necessary 57 million egg count at Robertson Creek Hatchery. Fisheries and Oceans
Canada in partnership with Hupacasath First Nations facilitate a counting
operation from late May to early November. The fish way is open daily and the
salmon are counted by trained observers. The salmon migration is also videotaped
and with this observations and counts are better than 95% accurate.
Stamp River
Water levels in the Stamp are currently at an average level for mid-November.
The Summer-Fall Steelhead fishing for the past few weeks could be described in
one word as “mediocre”. There have been some better than average days but most
guide boats are averaging 5 to 8 hookups in terms of Steelhead and 5 to 6 trout
hookups per day. With water levels decreasing we are expecting some good fishing
over the next few weeks. The Chinook wild spawn has thinned out and the Coho
spawn is taking place.
The
best fishing is in the Upper River with boat pressure on weekends being quite
high in fishing areas below or above the hatchery. Weekdays in terms of fishing
pressure has been quite low. Fishing above the Ash has been very good. The
bridge area of Great Central has been good for those sport anglers not operating
a drift or jet boat. The Lower River has seen little fishing but expectations
are that in the next few weeks there will be some late Fall and Winter Steelhead
will begin to show which will move some of the weekend pressure to other areas.
With the Coho spawn, anglers are
using or mimicking what the Steelhead are feeding on. A bait ban is in effect
from “the bucket” so fish egg imitations are a must. Guides are using single egg
imitations. Jensen eggs are the most popular. Also gorkies, and spin-n-glows are
doing well. Most individuals are float fishing and only a few are bouncing off
the river bottom which is currently because of river conditions an unsuccessful
type of fishing.
When the fishing in the Lower
River picks up bait can and should be used (below the bucket) as well as
gooey-bobs, pink worms, and spin-n-glows in bc orange and regular orange colors.
We are expecting the Stamp River which is British Columbia’s premiere fishing
destination river to have some terrific Steelhead fishing right through March of
2011.
Alberni Inlet | Barkley Sound | Ucluelet
Sport
prawn fishing reopened on the 15th of November in the Alberni Inlet. The opening
will be for 15 days. Please check all DFO regulations and openings. Most
individuals at this time of year will prawn close to China Creek, the narrows
and Cous Creek. Currently salmon fishing is Nil but often Winter Chinook will
travel up as far as China Creek if there is bait in the area. We are expecting a
healthy return of Sockeye salmon in June, July and early August of 2011. Of
course all fisher people are hoping that returns next summer will be similar to
this past year which was well over 1.1 million. Sockeye usually begin schooling
in big numbers by mid June as the water in the Somass River begins to warm up.
Those individuals who have summer plans to come to Port Alberni and are planning
on using a guide should arrange their trip fairly soon as boats and guides may
very well be sparse.
Barkley Sound is one area on the
west coast that is protected on the east and west shorelines. It is an area that
can often be comfortable for winter fishing. Winter or Feeder Chinook fishing
usually picks up in December and carries on well into early April. The rule is
often where one finds the bait the salmon will
be
there. The Chinook are usually in deep water from 115 to 140 feet. Good areas of
the Sound to fish are areas close to Poett Nook and Sarita Bay. Vernon Bay,
Swale Rock, Mayne Bay, and the back end of Canoe Pass can also be excellent
areas to fish. Often hootchies in blue, green, various whites and blue-green
colors are the best lures. Of course there are days when the fish will touch
nothing but anchovy. Winter Chinook trips also include some prawn and crab
fishing.
Ucluelet has already been
experiencing some good Feeder Chinook fishing. The Inner and Outer South Bank
have allowed sport fishermen to have success on salmon up to 17 and 18 pounds.
Earlier the T-Rex hootchie was good but recently those fishing offshore, on good
days, and those fishing close to the Ucluelet Harbor at the “red can” Mara Rock,
and The Lighthouse Bank have been using white hootchies and also a green
needlefish hootchie. A four inch cop car and a four inch nasty boy coyote spoon
have also been good lures all fished behind a green or red hotspot flasher.
During the winter Ucluelet offers some of the west coasts best prawn and crab
fishing. The
Bottom
fishing is also very good. We have a great Seafood Safari in the spring. One
must remember that the Pacific Ocean during the winter can have some magnificent
storms but also there are superb days for fishing as the ocean can be completely
flat. Winter fishing is often very close to the harbour. Safety of course is
always a priority. Ucluelet will once again be a fisherman’s paradise in the
summer of 2011 as preseason predictions are showing a very healthy return of
four year old migratory salmon swimming the coast and destined to watersheds to
the south. These fish swim as early, mid, and late summer fish. If things remain
true to past years the best fishing is from the second week of June through to
mid August.
For more information
Contact:
Doug Lindores
Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
www.catchsalmon-ca.com
www.catchsalmon.ca
[email protected]
+1 250 724 2502 (h)
+1 250 731 7389 ©
Toll Free Number: 1-
888 214 7206