VANCOUVER ISLAND , VICTORIA & THE GULF ISLANDS
Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C., natural populations are augmented with over a million trout reared at the Vancouver Island Trout Hatchery in Duncan. Look for bigmouth and smallmouth bass, and even catfish, in many lakes in southern Vancouver Island and on Salt Spring Island.
West Coast of Vancouver Island The continental shelf’s relatively
shallow offshore banks reach out from the western coastline of Vancouver Island to plunge abruptly into the Pacific abyss. A continual upwelling of nutrients sustains a nursery for young salmon and a major migratory route for mature salmon. Undersea structure in the form of ocean ridges, shoals, and gravelly depressions provides shelter for bottomfish. You can fish so far offshore that the majestic peaks of Vancouver Island look like out-of- focus hills. Inshore, you can actually feel the spray of the surf while trolling close to rocky outcrops.
Always put safety first. This is open ocean, with long distances to travel, and few safe havens. First- timers should seriously consider hiring a guide to go anywhere on the western coast of Vancouver Island. Sport fishing “highliners” have the knowledge, experience, and equipment to deal with hazards like frequent fog and rough seas – and to know when they shouldn’t even go out. Your own craft or chartered boat should be in top-notch mechanical shape, equipped with VHF radio, radar, a depthsounder, GPS, and an auxiliary motor to augment Coast Guard-mandated safety equipment. And it’s a good idea to carry both a cell phone and a fully waterproof, handheld GPS.
Although the fishing on the west coast is good throughout the year, realistically, the serious saltwater season starts after most severe winter storms have passed in March. Major inlets and sounds offer great fishing for feeder chinook in protected
inshore waters. By late April, offshore fishing targets migrating halibut coming onto the banks from the deep ocean. In late June, the first waves of brawny coho mix with both feeder and mature chinook. Throughout the summer, schools of pink, sockeye, and chum salmon pass through. Sport fishing tapers off once the first big Pacific storms start in early autumn.
Let’s begin a tour of Vancouver Island at the southern town of Port Renfrew, in San Juan Inlet. To the west of this convenient base for fishing, just outside the inlet, the “Beach” is a productive salmon- trolling beat that follows a sand ledge along a 20- to 30-metre-deep contour north from Owen Point to Camper Creek. Start trolling from just inside the 20-metre contour, working out as deep as the 30-metre contour. In August, you’ll find trophy chinook (up to 20 kilograms in weight) in Nitinat Narrows, about midway between Port Renfrew and Bamfield. There is spectacular fishing right inside the inlet, from late August to the end of the season, for big, acrobatic San Juan River coho that can top 10 kilograms. Swiftsure Bank, at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, has consistent salmon and bottom-fishing for halibut. From late summer through autumn, you can find steelhead, huge mature coho, and chinook in the San Juan River and its estuary. The Gordon River has a good run of steelhead. Two nearby popular lakes, Lizard and Fairy, hold stocked rainbow trout, searun Dolly Varden char, and cutthroat trout. While in Port Renfrew, take a walk along the magnificent curve of surf-washed gravel beach at the mouth of the San Juan River. Ask for directions to the Red Creek Fir, Canada’s largest standing Douglas fir. For a challenging multiple-day trek that will test your nerve and stamina, reserve a spot to hike the world-famous West Coast Trail from Port Renfrew to Bamfield. You’ll find
16 The SPORT FISHING Guide 2012
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