24th September, 2008: 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

Kim Housholder from Layton Utah caught this 20lb Coho while fishing with guide Doug Lindores of slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing in Barkley Sound near Pill Point

Sport fishing in the area for charter guides and sport fisher persons has been much better up until the middle of September than what it was at the end of August and during the Port Alberni Salmon Derby which took place at the beginning of September. The big rains the last two weeks of August moved a lot of Chinook and Coho into various rivers and creeks. The sport fishing either side of the Labor Day weekend was not at all that good in the Port Alberni Inlet and various areas of Barkley Sound. However things have dried out and the salmon have been holding in the Port Alberni Inlet and various Barkley Sound locations. The sport fishing in the Stamp River has also picked up dramatically as plenty of Coho and Chinook are in the system as are many late summer steelhead

Port Alberni Inlet / Barkley Sound

Barkley Sound Coho Guests from Calgary had a great day with Doug from slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing. Fish picked up in Barkley Sound and two in the inlet. Coho like this will be available in the Stamp River through November. Call Doug of Slivers Charters for info.

Barkley Sound Coho Guests from Calgary had a great day with Doug from slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing. Fish picked up in Barkley Sound and two in the inlet. Coho like this will be available in the Stamp River through November. Call Doug of Slivers Charters for info.

The Port Alberni Inlet has had some good days lately in the mouth of the river, the Holm Island area and in McTush Bay. Coho fishing has been the best salmon fishing. McTush Bay has produced some beautiful Coho as schools have been holding in the area. Guide Mel has been guiding some fairly happy guests as limits or close to limits have been picked up daily. The Coho have been in 20 to 40 feet of water and have been hitting green and white colored hootchies. The silver-glow and the cop car coyote spoons have also been very good lures. Most of the hootchies have been trolled behind a green hotspot flasher with a 32 to 36 inch leader. The McTush area has been producing in the morning and ends suddenly by mid-day. There has also been a good evening bite. The Harbor area has produced some good Chinook and Coho fishing. Over the last two weeks it seems that the Coho lay in one area of the Harbor while the Chinook are in another area. The Coho have been hitting the same gear as what had been used further down the Inlet at McTush but lately they have become a little picky. This past weekend sport fishermen using small apex lures had some great success. A four inch apex trolled in the top 20 feet of water and orange-white in color had excellent results. A couple of fortunate sport fishermen and one guide using the orangey-white apex with no flasher were able to land up to 8 nice sized brightly colored Coho. Chinook have also been fairly picky at what they want to hit but a few fishermen who still have the old T-Spoons hidden away in their tackle boxes have done extremely well. Some fishermen who have gone out at day break and have fished all morning and have had little success are hearing stories of those going out during the afternoon tide change and within two hours have four big 20 plus pound Chinook using the old T-Spoons. We are expecting Coho to continue moving into the Port Alberni Inlet until mid October. This should create some excellent sport fishing.

Pill Point has been a great Barkley Sound fishing location for guides Doug and John of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing. The days in Barkley Sound have been just gorgeous. The sun has been warm and the breeze from the ocean has kept temperatures just perfect. Pill Point, Ecoole, and Diplock have had some very good Coho fishing in September. For guide Doug the Coho have been mainly in 18 to 45 feet of water. The fish are hitting the green spatterback, T Rex, and the AORL12 hootchies as well as the silver-glow coyote spoon. Doug and John have been trolling a 39 to 42 inch leader behind a green hotspot flasher and have also hit Chinook and the odd Chum salmon which have weighed up to 20 plus pounds. The Coho have been big and have averaged 14 pounds. The biggest Coho to date has been close to 20 pounds. The last few days has slowed down but there is still promise of some great early fall fishing days. There should be some Chum salmon which are tremendous battlers show up in good numbers in the Sarita Bay area. Reports of a few of these being landed have already occurred. Chum salmon also known as Dog Salmon are great on the barbecue. Chum often are in the Nahmint area and also Cous Bay in the Inlet. One guide has reported landing a couple using a big red hootchie in McTush Bay.

Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing is also organizing some Chum Fishing Charters in Browns Bay which is just north of Campbell River. Please call doug at 250 731 7389 for information or just e mail [email protected]

Ucluelet

Guides Mike and Al are still have some great success on inside and outside waters. The waters of the Pacific have been just wonderful. There have been many days when the water is as flat as any well known lake. The Big Bank is still producing Halibut up to 40 pounds. The Rats Nose has produced some Chinook (a few) up to 28 and 30 pounds. The halibut have been picked up by jigging, using a spreader bar, or by trolling hootchies and spoons. Most of the hootchies are glows and have been working very well. The Chinook on the outside have been hitting bait in glow teaser heads and various glow hootchies. There are also plenty of Coho with the biggest to date coming in at 20 pounds. The South Bank area has been also producing. Chinook 12 to 14 pounds have been hitting white hootchies and a hootchie known as the UGLY. Coho in this area are up to 14 pounds. Fishing out of Ucluelet should continue into October with plenty of migratory fish on the move. Halibut and other bottom fish should remain outstanding until mid October.

Barkely Sound on a beautiful morning with a lone boat and the rising sun and fading fog in the background. Barkley Sound not only offers great salmon sport fishing but beautiful scenery

River fishing has really picked up. There were a couple of days after a commercial opening in the Port Alberni Harbor that really slowed fishing down but the salmon are coming into the river in good numbers. Many guests are aboard jet boats with a guide and are fly fishing. Many guides are putting a small piece of red wool on the fly to add color. Some are not only using red but are also adding a blue or a yellow color. One can easily walk the river. B.C. Hydro recently released some water from the Ash River which is to help the salmon migrate with ease up to Robertson Creek Hatchery. This was done on Sunday which actually raised the water level of the river quite dramatically. Those walking the river may have to work very hard as the fish are there but might not be in the first couple of spots one comes to. Those that work the river hard are limiting each time out with Chinook and Coho. Guides are treating their guests with up to 12 to 14 fish per day which they have opportunity to play. Many guests are only keeping a couple of salmon per day. All of the salmon to date have been bright silver. There are becoming more and more late summer steelhead in the system also. We are offering a great accommodation-fishing package into mid November. Call or email Doug of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing for this wonderful fishing opportunity. The river is a wonderful and beautiful area for the sport fisher person.