Prince Rupert & Northern Coast
Village, a National Historic Site, which homeward migrations to streams in
Fierce winter storms with hurricane-
features one of the most intact salmon the archipelago, on Vancouver Island,
canneries left on the British Columbia
force winds rock the northern coast
and on the British Columbia mainland.
coast. Take a charter tour to the
during the winter months, limiting
The islands are among the very first
Khutzamateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary
saltwater sport fishing in the northern
shallows that salmon and bottomfish
to see Ursus arctos horribilis up close
coastal region to the spring and
contact after spending most of their
in its own environment. For a leisurely,
summer. Charter operators and fishing
lives feeding and growing fat in the
scenic alternative to flying into Prince
resorts usually open their saltwater
Gulf of Alaska and the open Pacific.
Rupert, consider booking VIA Rail’s
operations in May, and finish by mid-
Skeena Line from Jasper, or a cruise
Brawny chinook (averaging almost
September; however, a few stay open
from Port Hardy through the Inside
10 kilograms) are the rule, with an
from November until April to offer river
Passage aboard B.C. Ferries’ M.V.
excellent chance of hooking a tyee-
fishing for steelhead, salmon, cutthroat
Northern Adventure.
sized slab (over 13.6 kilograms) on
trout, and Dolly Varden. any outing. Trophy northern coho will
From Prince Rupert, near the mouth
Haida Gwaii
amaze you with their reel-squealing
of the Skeena River, you have access
(Queen Charlotte Islands) runs, and almost instantaneous
to major salmon runs entering rivers For thousands of years, the Haida
reversals of direction that are often
like the Nass and Kitimat as well as First Nation has occupied the great
punctuated with high-flying, acrobatic
the Skeena, and to offshore waters archipelago of Haida Gwaii, or “Islands
leaps. Opportunistic pink or chum
teeming with halibut, lingcod, and of the People.” Known as the Queen
salmon will attack any dangling bait,
rockfish. A big charter fleet operates Charlotte Islands since Captain George
even right beside your boat.
out of Prince Rupert’s protected Dixon named them to honour the
Haida Gwaii’s deep offshore banks
harbour, offering single- or multiple- wife of england’s King George III in
and rocky shoals are a bottom-fisher’s
day fishing excursions. Several remote 1787, the name reverted back to Haida
heaven. each season, the depths
saltwater locales in these northern Gwaii with the signing of a historic
consistently produce monster halibut
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.
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waters have full-service resorts with new agreement between the Haida
over 50 kilograms, as well as plenty
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fully- or self-guided fishing. First Nation and the British Columbia
.
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of tasty and tender “chicken” halibut
Government on December 11, 2009.
www
About 60 kilometres north of Prince
that are perfect for cooking. Ferocious
www
Rupert, there is exceptional fishing for There are only a few communities
lingcod and orange-hued Pacific
Nass and Skeena tyee and trophy coho
on the two biggest islands, South yelloweye rockfish are always eager
8 I
around Dundas and Zayas islands. The
Moresby and Graham, and two small to strike any deeply drifted lure or
vast kelp forests on the north side of
commercial airports at Sandspit and bait. Nowadays, anglers are strongly
9 I
Zayas Island offer remarkable ocean
Masset. Most of the smaller islands are encouraged to release really big lings
I 6
fly-fishing for salmon. Closer to the
uninhabited. Perched on the extreme and halibut (after a “photo capture,”
mouth of the Nass River, Work Channel
western edge of the North American of course), as these are all females.
I 6
and Portland Canal are northern
continental shelf, the very isolation Rockfish often do not survive catch- e
u
i
d
e
mainland haunts for salmon and
of Haida Gwaii allows for the highest
and-release, so anglers should vacate u
i
d
bottomfish. To the west, find excellent
quality sport fishing in uncrowded
any deepwater holding spots after
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fishing in Chatham Sound and among
waters.
hooking a few of these willing strikers.
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the islands and islets of the nearby Tree
The cold, nutrient-rich North Pacific
The most convenient way to fish
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Knob Group. South of Prince Rupert,
Ocean is home to massive schools of
Haida Gwaii’s fabled waters is to hire
p
o
r
the big back eddy that forms off Goble
baitfish — krill, herring, needlefish, and
p
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a charter service out of Sandspit or
C S Point, near the mouth of the Skeena, is
squid. This abundant feed attracts run
Masset, or to book space in one of the
C S
a popular place to motor-mooch or troll
after run of mature salmon on their
floating or land-based resorts located
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2
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for coho, chum salmon, and tyee-sized
2
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chinook. Try nearby Warrior Rocks for
Nestled within the ‘Great Bear Rainforest’ lies
great bottom fishing.
Pioneer Fishing Lodge
Still further south, Douglas Channel
BC CANADA
— which leads to the town of Kitimat
— and nearby Whale Channel have
excellent year-round fishing for Kitimat
River chinook. Mature tyee can be real
trophies weighing over 30 kilograms.
The two deepwater channels have
Pioneer Fishing Lodge specializes in professionally guided steelhead and salmon
great bottom fishing with abundant
fishing adventures on the Skeena River and its tributaries. At Pioneer, you will not only
lingcod, rockfish, and monster halibut.
find a relaxed and friendly atmosphere but, just as important, a professional approach
to all aspects of salmon and steelhead fishing.
Near Port edward on the Skeena River, Ph. (250) 635 3022 I Cell (250) 641 0071 I
lodge@pioneerfishing.com
visit the North Pacific Historic Fishing
PO Box 501, Terrace, British Columbia, V8G 4B5
Northern British Columbia Win a Dream Fishing Adventure.
www.bcfroa.ca/duncanby
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