26th January, 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

Ashtyn of Saskatoon Saskatchewan shows his 18 pound Chinook caught at Cree Island. This fish hit a four inch green-nickel coyote spoon. Ashtyn and family fished with John of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing.

It’s again a New Year and everyone is beginning to think about the many sport fishing opportunities that await them in 2011. 2010 was a memorable year on the scenic West Coast of Vancouver Island. Chinook fishing for migratory salmon headed to distant southern watersheds began in April and continued through the spring and summer. Salmon returning to local streams and rivers arrived in August and continued in good numbers until September. In the Alberni Inlet Sockeye returns forecast to be approximately 600,000 grew to well over 1.2 million. The 2011 sport fishing season which begins in the late spring and continues into the summer and early fall months looks to be very similar if not better than last year. This year should be rather remarkable. The Sockeye season in the Alberni Inlet will again be unbelievable for all that take time and opportunity to fish the Alberni Inlets quiet and pristine waters.

Vancouver Island is a destination on both coastlines of all five salmon species (Chinook, Coho, Sockeye, Pink, and Chum). This gives all avid sport fishermen an opportunity to sport fish a choice of salmon he/she might enjoy to target. The weather on the west coast of British Columbia Vancouver Island has improved as has the fishing. Fish was caught around Great Bear just outside the Ucluelet Harbor on a hootchie by Kevin Of Victoria

The weather on the west coast of British Columbia Vancouver Island has improved as has the fishing. Fish was caught around Great Bear just outside the Ucluelet Harbor on a hootchie by Kevin Of Victoria

Of course these species do arrive at certain times of the summer or fall and each species also peak at specific times. This often means that fisher persons can fish the inlets, sounds and offshore waters for Chinook and Coho and also Sockeye and have opportunity to fish river mouths and various Vancouver Island beaches for Pinks and Coho.

Winter fishing for Winter Steelhead in the Stamp River has been steady and winter (feeder) Chinook fishing in Barkley Sound and around the quiet hamlet of Bamfield and also the Ucluelet Harbor has been off and on with some reasonable fishing opportunities on those days that the winter season offers. The Stamp River had excellent returns in terms of the summer run of Steelhead and to date returns of winter Steelhead have been good with the peak of the current season expected in February. There have been some good sized hatchery Steelhead in the mid teens with a few reaching almost twenty pounds.

Port Alberni | Barkley Sound

Graham of Vancouver had a great trip on the Stamp River this past weekend. Best fishing was in the lower Stamp.

At times during the winter months a few schools of Winter Chinook will make their way up into the inlet and feed on bait fish in the Bells Bay and Nahmint-Franklin areas. This happens periodically but most years the Alberni Inlet has the best sport fishing from mid June to mid September. The Somass River Sockeye begin to return to the river in May and usually begin to school around the 10th or so of June. When the Sockeye school in big numbers, the action for the number one tasting salmon, really heats up and is a lot of fun for all fisher persons young and old. Sockeye fishing most years can continue into the first ten days of August. It is then that the first few Chinook salmon appear in the Inlet. Chinook fishing is followed by Coho with the peak of the Chinook season often occurring around the Labor Day Weekend when the Port Alberni three day fishing derby takes place. The Port Alberni Inlet is a wonderful and very easy area to fish. Many people worry about rough water but the Inlet waters for the most part are calm and pristine. The best fishing is in the morning hours and the last two hours before dark. Sockeye salmon do seem to bite at any time of the day which makes this sport fishery a very popular opportunity for everyone.

For those individuals that enjoy prawn sport fishing the season in the Alberni Inlet closed on December 31st and will not reopen until April. Please check all DFO regulations.

Barkley Sound waters are very much like the Port Alberni Inlet. The Sound is protected on both the east and west coastlines.

Summer fishing in the Sound especially on the surf line most years occurs from late May to early August and is expected to be this year very good due to the migratory movement of salmon along the west coast. Good numbers of Chinook, Coho and Pink Salmon will be moving to watersheds to the South. The migratory flow of Chinook should predominately be 4 year olds. The vast amounts of rich resources of bait fish in the Barkley Sound area during the summer months often bring the salmon into feed and rest before they continue their journey. Some world class fishing usually occurs at Meares, Cree, Edward King, Beale and as far in as Kirby Point and Swale Rock. We are really excited about the great sport salmon fishing opportunity we should have this summer in both the Sound and the Port Alberni Inlet.

Mark had a great guided Winter Steelhead trip on the Stamp River close to Port Alberni Vancouver Island. The Steelhead fishing Has been very consistent over the past few weeks with guides hooking into 6 to 10 Steelhead for guests each day

It is fairly difficult to go to far offshore during the winter months. There have however been some reasonably nice days on the water where the swell and water lump has been low. The best winter Chinook fishing is often fairly close to the Ucluelet Harbor. This year has been no different. Beg Island, Mara Rock and Big Bear have had some reasonably good results. Needle fish, white hootchies, and various green hootchies, anchovy, and nasty boy, cop car, green glow, and silver glow coyote spoons have been the best bets to attract the feeder Chinook. In February the feeder Chinook fishing really picks up and gets much better as the herring spawn gets close and these bait fish move toward the beach. In the early spring we will feature our Seafood Safari. This is a great trip on the open Pacific where guests can be treated to some excellent winter Chinook fishing, bottom fishing, prawn and crab fishing. There might even be opportunity to find some oysters along some of the magnificent beaches of the west coast. The end of the day often has guests preparing a wonderful gourmet seafood dinner at a local resort or bed and breakfast. There are spots that the preparation of the days catch will be prepared for our guests.

Summer sport salmon fishing out of Ucluelet looks again very promising. Year after year Ucluelet has some of British Columbia’s best and most wonderful fishing opportunities. The outlook for Chinook and Coho migrations look similar if not better than 2009 and 2010. We expect late May into mid August to have some of the best salmon fishing. For those that enjoy Pink Salmon fishing the odd year is back and returns of Pinks to various rivers along the west coast should be very good.

Fishing for Steelhead on Vancouver Islands’ very own Stamp River which is close to Port Alberni B.C. is a great way to spend some leisure time. The Steelhead fishing is good and the Winter Steelhead now are spread out all over the Stamp. The Lower area below the bucket does not have a bait ban and roe, roe bags and shrimp are still popular to attract the Steelhead.

The Stamp to date has provided some very good winter Steelhead fishing. The fishing in one simple word has been “consistent”. The fish are beginning to spread out and can be found in the upper and lower river. The best fishing with guides aboard jet boats is still in the Lower River below the bucket. Guided trips on average have been hooking into six to ten fish per guest group each day. The mix of hatchery Steelhead compared to wild have been almost 50-50 on a percentage basis. For those on foot the most popular area is the falls pool which over the past few weeks has been very congested with sport anglers, especially on weekend days. The Sproat has also had some great fishing days as of late. Those individuals on guided and non-guided trips fishing with a float and below “the bucket” have had good success using natural bait in roe, roe bags, and shrimp. Spin’n’glows, corkies, rubber eggs and various jigs have also been working. One sport angler fishing close to the confluence was using a pink jig which like pink worms, for the most part, works best in the Upper River, had an unbelievably successful day during the past week by hooking into five or six Steelhead. The Winter Steelhead to date have been of good size. There have been some good sized fish in the mid teens to almost twenty pounds. The River as of right now is medium-high and moving quickly and for clarity is clearing up. We are expecting the February and March Stamp River winter Steelhead fishing to be very good right through until the end of March.