Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
Doug LIndores
August 26th 2008
PORT ALBERNI SALMON FESTIVAL
The Labor Day Weekend is only a few days away and many avid fisher people are gearing up for the 37th annual Port Alberni Labor Day weekend salmon derby (August 29th to September 1st). The derby occurs during all three days of the weekend. Fishing on Saturday, Sunday and Monday officially begins at 6 am and ends with final weigh-in at 9 pm. Mondays’ fishing ends at 3 pm with the closing ceremonies and awards following at the end of the day. The derby headquarters and official weigh-in center is Clutesi Haven Marina located on River Road, Port Alberni B.C. There is entertainment for the whole family each day with the fireworks display actually beginning on Friday evening August 28th at approximately 9pm. The derby has many prizes for the largest fish of the day and a bonus prize of $7,000 for the derby’s biggest fish. Each day the largest salmon weighed in at the weigh-in scale wins $3,000. The second and third biggest fish win $2,000 and $1,000. There are also many hidden weight prizes and many opportunities for those not fishing to get into the action.
Many people come down to the grounds and just enjoy the on-going entertainment and have a wonderful salmon dinner which also occurs each day. This year the derby tickets are $30 per rod and can be obtained at local outlets in the valley. Derby tickets will also be available on the derby grounds each morning beginning at 5am. For more information contact derby president Dan at: e-mail rivercityborn@hotmail.com .
Current Fishing
Port Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound
There have been some great fishing days in the Port Alberni Inlet and in Barkley Sound. During the past week Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing guides had their best morning at the beginning of the week and again on Friday. Saturday and Sunday were a little slower. Guides Mel, John, and Henri had high days of five salmon landed with some of the biggest fish weighing in the 30 to 35 pound range. Midweek was slow as a big low pressure center kicked in heavy rainfall which shot a lot of Chinook and Coho into the Somass River. The Inlet fishing is definitely feeling the effects of this heavy rain as the river is quite high with very good flow. New fish are coming into the system daily but seem to be only hanging around for a few days before moving. After morning fishing many guests have been visiting Stamp River Falls and are reporting many salmon moving up through the ladders. Hopefully the weather will dry and the Chinook and Coho will stay in the Inlet for a bit longer which will again create a very good fishery. Chinook returns to the Robertson Creek Hatchery are forecast to be approximately 55,000. The big push of fish should come near the end of August which is right around Derby time.
To date some of the best fishing has been around Lone Tree Point, China Creek, and many fishermen have had plenty of success in Bells Bay on the Franklin River side. This past weekend saw some very good fishing in the back of Bells Bay. Guides were having their best success using various teaser heads with anchovy. There was a good school of Chinook followed by Coho in the area on Saturday and Sunday. Many fisher people are fishing in the upper section of the Inlet. It seems that most mornings most of the boats are south of the old Boy Scout Cabin landmark. Most of the consistent gear has been working. Those who like the Octopus Pink and Red hootchies seem to be fairing quite well. Those using the mini-plankton or mp 2’s and 15’s (bubble gum) and 16’s are also doing well. Guides Doug and John have been flying one anchovy in a purple haze teaser head behind a plaid flasher and have been getting up to three or four hits each day. The fish seem to be in 30 and up to 70 or more feet of water. Most guides and sport fishermen are hitting their salmon in 40 to 55 feet of water. Those coming fishing and planning to fish just the inlet are probably better off to have a variety of lures to throw at the fish. Those fisher people and sport fishing guides using a shorter leader and are using hootchies or a variety of coyote spoons are also landing some nice sized Coho. Many guides fishing with hootchies and targeting Chinook are using 38 to 42 inches of leader behind a variety of flashers. If temperatures remain cool the Chinook and Coho will make a run for the river at high tide. One might find some of the best fishing at derby time north of Lone Tree point around Coulsons, the island, and right in the harbor or river mouth if the rain continues during the week before Labor Day.
There should be plenty of Chinook and Coho coming into the Inlet over the next couple of weeks which should result in some fairly wonderful fishing days if weather conditions improve.
The fishing in Barkley Sound has been very much like the Inlet. The holding patterns of the Chinook have been changing and the heavy rainfall and now cooler weather seems to be moving the Chinook and early Coho right up the Port Alberni Inlet and into the river. Local areas in the Sound such as Pill Point and Diplock which have been very good over the years, especially in August and September have been mediocre. One day the fishing is great and the next nothing appears to be in the location and one needs to begin to run and try other areas. Over the past week guide Doug and Wayne fished three days in the Sound with two of the days being quite slow. Those two days saw heavy rainfall and very stormy conditions. Thursday of last week saw some great fishing at Swale Rock, Gilbraltor Island, and Assets Island. Guide Doug landed 9 salmon ranging 12 to 23 pounds at Swale and Wayne had fish from 12 pounds to 32 pounds at Effingham, Austin and Cree. Most of the fish at Swale were in 75 to 90 feet of water. The Gilbrlator fish were in 30 to 50 feet of water, and in some cases 25 feet. 
Anchovy, green hootchies and the silver-glow coyote spoon were working very well. On Friday the fishing just off of Cree about a mile was excellent for both Coho and Chinook. On Saturday these fish had moved and it was difficult to find fish. Guide Wayne and John were able to find some Coho at Meares, Swale and Pill Point but the whereabouts of any Chinook was unknown. The latter part of August and into the first half of August should see a good number of Chinook and Coho push into the Sound. Not only fish from the nearby streams and creeks will come in but there should still be an abundance of migratory fish. September is often the no wind month and with little fog there will be some wonderful days of fishing in and about the many islands of Barkley Sound.
Ucluelet (West Coast)
Fishing out of Ucluelet continues to be good for salmon and halibut. With the exception of one day last week and most of this past Sunday the water offshore and close to the Ucluelet Harbor has been fairly good. Guides Mike and Bob have had some great salmon days at South Bank and the South West Corner as well as at The Wreck and in close at the Lighthouse Bank, Beg Island, and Little Beach.
The morning bite seems to be paying off a little better than in the evening. Guide Mike has been doing up to two trips per day. The halibut and salmon bite has been very good during the morning trips. On Friday and Saturday Mike did very well fishing at Little Beach for Chinook. Halibut and Coho were in greater abundance at South Bank. However, The Wreck seems to be producing the best Halibut bite. The salmon still continue to be deep although the evening fishing at the Lighthouse Bank has guides fishing at 30 and 40 feet. Many of the Chinook that seem to be trickling down the coastline appear to be Robertson Creek Fish. The Chinook out at South Bank are white springs and appear to be Fraser River fish.
Ucluelet fishing should continue well into September. Chinook and Halibut will continue and we are really looking forward to some great Coho fishing also.
For more information
Contact:
Doug Lindores
Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
250 724 2502 (home)
250 731 7389 (cell)
dlindy@shaw.ca