some steelhead trout, along with resident rainbow and cutthroat trout. In the spring, use tinsel-bodied streamer flies or small shiny spoons to attract piscivorous searun cutthroat trout as they target ocean-bound salmon smolts. Metro Vancouver’s world-
class restaurants offer an exceptional variety of continental, Asian, and fusion cooking. While touring the city, grab a quick, reasonably priced, and often imaginative sidewalk nosh from a licensed vendor in Vancouver’s expanded food-cart program. Do you still have some energy after a day of fishing? Theatres and clubs showcase international as well as local talent. Many public and private galleries display the work of Metro’s vibrant arts community. Only minutes from downtown Vancouver, you can enjoy wintertime night skiing – overlooking glittering views of the city – on Cypress, Grouse, and Seymour mountains. In Vancouver, pay a visit to the world- renowned aquarium in Stanley Park, or the magnificent rock gardens atop Queen Elizabeth Park with a stunning 360° view of the city. Learn about the life cycle of salmon at North Vancouver’s Capilano River Regional Park and Salmon Hatchery; you might even spot that trophy “one-that-got-away” in the fish ladder’s viewing tank. The George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta is a major stop on the Pacific flyway for migratory birds.
Sunshine Coast to Powell River Anglers from the Lower Mainland can use the B.C. Ferry Services’ route from Horseshoe Bay to Langdale to access the fine fishing of the Sunshine Coast, all the way to Powell River. Another ferry, from Comox to Powell River, brings anglers coming from Vancouver Island. Highway 101 (with a small shuttle ferry to cross Jervis Inlet between Egmont and Saltery Bay) joins the Langdale and Powell River terminals. There are plenty of marinas that offer day-charters and boat rentals
for saltwater anglers, as well as moorage for those with their own boats. Find good salmon fishing at the “gap” in Shoal Channel, between the village of Gibsons’ harbour and Keats Island. Follow the shoreline around Gower Point to the Trail Islands just north of Sechelt. While once anglers anchored their boats and “mooched” live herring or “strip-cast” for coho, pink, or chinook salmon at Gower Point, Salmon Rock, Gospel Rock, Camp Byng, and Roberts Creek, most anglers today downrigger-troll either plugs, flashers with herring or anchovy baits in teaser heads, or other small lures. Feeder chinook are available throughout the year; mature coho and chinook arrive in June, and major runs of all salmon species later in the summer through to early autumn. To the north, fishing can be quite good near Secret Cove and Pender Harbour. These protected ports provide bases for travelling south to fish Thormandy, Merry, or Bertha islands and the underwater structure of Bjerre Shoal. To the north, fish along the sharp drop-offs at Ackland Reef, Quarry Bay, Nelson Rock, and Fearney Point on Nelson Island for salmon and bottomfish. Use a car-topper to slip around the corner from the entrance of Pender Harbour to fish the deep, sheltered waters of Lees Bay, and around Daniel Point into Agamemnon Channel. Use a bigger boat to cross Malaspina Strait to troll the eastern end of Texada Island (the “pilings” or Point Upwood), or around the many productive reefs and shoals off Lasqueti (Poor Man’s Rock or Young Point) and Sangster (Seal Reef to Sangster’s Wall) islands. A cruise through the majestic
fjord of Jervis Inlet to fish in the calm waters of Vancouver Bay, with a side-trip to the head of steep- sided Princess Louisa Inlet to see magnificent Chatterbox Falls, is definitely worth the time and effort. At the mouth of Sechelt Inlet at
Egmont Point, fish edges of the swift, swirling tidal currents. Take the short hike from the parking area at Skookumchuck Narrows to stare in awe at the massive tidal whirlpools, eddies and standing waves that form only scant metres from shore during big tidal changes. From Powell River, saltwater salmon and bottomfishing is excellent throughout the year at Scotch Fir Point, to the south, and – closer by – between the “Hulks” breakwater in front of the town’s paper mill and Myrtle Rocks. Between May and September, there is fine fishing for salmon and bottomfish on the western side of Texada Island from Blubber Bay (on the northern tip) south to Kiddie Point; along the southern side of Harwood Island, just a few kilometres to the north across Algerine Passage; and around Rebecca Rocks.
On the Sechelt Peninsula, Ruby and Sakinaw lakes have good freshwater fishing for cutthroat and kokanee. The FFSBC regularly stocks cutthroat trout in smaller lakes like Hotel, Katherine, Garden Bay, and Bear. Hire a guide in Powell River to show you uncrowded, blue-ribbon fishing for huge wild cutthroat trout – up to 4.5 kilograms – in many local lakes. Powell, Inland, and Goat lakes are only open from April 1 to December 31, but other lakes are open all year. Locals boast that some of the best fishing for big, aggressive cutthroat trout occurs in December. To maintain the region’s exceptional trophy cutthroat fishery, there is a size restriction: all lunkers more than 40 centimetres must be released. Take time to cruise the serene beauty of nearby Desolation Sound Marine Park. There are more than sixty kilometres of deeply forested shoreline, with only the thunderous roar from numerous spectacular waterfalls, to break the exquisite tranquillity of British Columbia’s largest marine preserve. n
Enter to win a trip from Charlotte Queen Adventures at
www.thesportfishingguide.com 39
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