FISHING REPORT: ALBERNI INLET AND BARKLEY SOUND – Salmon Festival
SEPTEMBER 1st 2021 DOUG LINDORES
2021 ALBERNI VALLEY SALMON FESTIVAL 50th ANNIVERSARY September 4th to 6th
Labor Day weekend is upon us and that means it is Salmon Festival time in the Alberni Valley and areas of Barkley Sound. The Derby takes place on Saturday, Sunday and Monday with fishing beginning each day at 6 am. This year marks the 50th anniversary of this popular Alberni Valley and area event. The derby closes on Labor Day Monday at 3 pm with the final weigh-in. The Derby headquarters once again is once again at Tyee Landing. Any potential winning fish for each of the three days must be weighed in at Tyee Landing. There are fantastic prizes with the winning fish and the top three salmon for each day winning prize money. The largest salmon will win a lucky individual $10,000 with daily prizes for the top largest fish valued at $5.000, 2,000 and $1,000. The cost per rod for 2021 is $50. Some of this money will go to “local” enhancement.
The Alberni Valley and much of Barkley Sound has experienced very warm and dry weather conditions during the summer. The Chinook and Coho are waiting for fresh wter before entering the many streams, creeks and rivers. There has been minimal migration into the Somass River system. In Barkley Sound fresh Chinook and some Coho are moving in with the late August and early September migration. Many of the salmon migrating into the Sound will migrate up to the inlet and into the Somass system.
The best fishing at this time is in Barkley Sound. The Alberni Inlet over the past three weeks has also experienced some excellent Chinook fishing. The inlet has experienced some commercial fishing which has slowed the sport fishing over the last few days. However fish will continue migrating and the inlet should fill up with salmon in time for the derby. Barkley Sound has been fantastic and the fishing has been “World Class”. Swale Rock, Pill Point, Wittlestone, Beale and Little Beale, The Bamfield Wall, Austin, Meares, and Assets have all been fantastic sport fishing locations and should remain this way for the next few weeks. The salmon in the sound have been feeding very hard during much of the day and of course on tide changes the bite is even better. The salmon are in fairly shallow water in the sound and Inlet. Fishing between thirty and fifty feet is not uncommon. The best lures in the inlet have been the Octopus hootchies in the O-2, O-16, purple haze and the AORL 12. The best leader length for these hootchies has been thirty-eight to forty-two inches. Anchovy in the inlet was a very good choice at the beginning of the season and still is a great choice but many sport anglers are have success with hootchies. In Barkley Sound bait in a variety of teaser heads is working the best. Army Truck, green haze, and the herring aid seem to be a great choice with the leader length being six feet. At this time of year green gold and purple gold flashers are by far the best. With approximately 140,000 Chinook salmon returning to West Coast Vancouver Island the Derby weekend should have some great results. The number of five year old’s returning are approximately 17% which means there could be some nice sized fish landed during the derby and into September.
For More information
Contact Doug Lindores
1 888 214 7206
www.catchsalmon-ca.com
AREA REPORT: ALBERNI INLET, BARKLEY SOUND, AND PACIFIC RIM (Late August and September 2021)
Doug Lindores-Late August and September 2021 Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
As we approach the month of September we realize that the days become shorter but with the crisp early mornings and fabulous warm afternoons this is the month that many anglers enjoy as the weather patterns create fabulous settings for many memorable sport fishing days. This is also the month that the bigger Coho and Chinook approach the final destination of their longest life journey. The salmon historically are making their way and waiting for the final push into the many streams, creeks, and rivers of West Coast Vancouver Island. The salmon in Barkley Sound feed frantically before entering fresh water systems and in the Alberni Inlet the Chinook and Coho make their way into the fabulous Somass River system.
September is also that time of year when some of the more prominent fishing derby’s take place. The city of Port Alberni normally hosts the three-day Labour Day Weekend salmon festival. On the west coast Tuna fishing presents an opportunity for what has become known as the “Tuna Shootout”. Tuna fishing has become very popular in September and even late August. The warmer water currents bring the Tuna closer to the beach and make them more accessible for those in good-sized sport boats. Anglers heading out for Tuna have to watch and be aware of the water current, look for the temperature break, and fish the warmer side of what is known as the blue water.
This year (2021) the DFO has forecast Chinook returns to West Coast Vancouver Island to be one of the best in a very long time. Late August and September sport fishing in the Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound has been “World Class”. Pill Point, Swale Rock, Diplock, Assets, and the Bamfield Wall are excellent fishing areas during the later half of August and into the first half of September. The salmon will hold in these areas if there are large quantities of rich resources of bait fish. The salmon on the Bamfield Wall side headed to the Somass River, Sarita, or Nitnat will often hold on a long stretch from Whittlestone to Poett Nook and gorge themselves as they wait for the first fall rains to provide water for their final migratory push. The Coho in September are in very shallow water and can often be found on the surface in the morning and later in the evening. Chinook are often in twenty to sixty feet of water. Anglers at this time of year using anchovy often have the best success. Using teaser heads in glow army truck, Purple Haze, Green Haze, and cop car with six feet or better of leader line behind purple or green-gold flashers usually create the best results. Many Hootchies in a variety of colors are great stand-bys. The Dark Green spatter-back, AORL12, Purple Haze and Army Truck are great choices when using hootchies as a lure.
The Alberni Inlet in the last half of August and first half of September fills with Chinook salmon followed by Coho. In September the Chinook and Coho are in an abundant mix. Hotspots in the Inlet are Lone Tree, The China Creek Wall, Underwood, Couslons, and Dunsmuir Point. The salmon are in fifteen to fifty feet of water and are most aggressive in the early morning and on tide changes. Most sport fishermen have had early success using anchovy. Lately a variety of hootchies have provided excellent success. The O-2 and O-15 which are a pinkly colored hootchie have worked very well as have the mp-2 and mp-15 which are smaller mini plankton colors.
September 2021 will provide sport fisher people with some world class fishing opportunities in this area. The Alberni Inlet and Barkley Sound locations will be definite hotspots in British Columbia and the West Coast for anglers.
Tight lines,
Doug Lindores
Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
toll free 1 888 214 7206
dlindy@shaw.ca
