Continued from page 31 port renfrew


Places to Fish: Offshore The area’s most consistent salmon and halibut fishing happens offshore at Swiftsure Bank, at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, about 25 kilometres west of Port Renfrew. This is big, open water — best left to charter operators like Pete Hovey and the other professionals who run well-equipped, seaworthy craft with powerful dual outboard motors, and an additional kicker motor for trolling that could also be used as a backup. Swiftsure Bank acts as a stopper at the west end of the Juan de Fuca Strait. The deep waters of the strait rise sharply to between 34 and 90 metres over the bank. This assures continual upwelling of nutrients during tidal flows, which in turn attracts abundant bait and its predators. Huge flocks of common murres, pigeon guillemots, and murrelets — so loaded with feed that they can’t get airborne — mark the general location of the bank. Scores of gulls swoop and dive- bomb the crests of rollers to pick off cripples left by voracious coho and dogfish. The coho and dogfish swim right on the surface, attacking immense shoals of krill, needlefish,


Port Renfrew Resorts and Charters Trailhead Resort, Charters, and Tackle Shop Offers fully-guided offshore fishing charters with meals and accommodations. Custom filletting, vacuum-packaging and blast freezing available for all anglers. Phone: (250) 647-5468 www.trailhead-resort.com info@trailhead-resort.com


Swiftsure Fishing Charters Offers fully-guided offshore fishing charters with meals and accommodations. Phone toll-free: 1-800-580-0026 www.swiftsurefishingcharters.com info@ swiftsurefishingcharters.com


90 The SPORT FISHING Guide 2012


pilchard and herring while massive humpback whales feed nearby. Swiftsure Bank is a nursery for immature salmon, and a major feeding stop for mature migrating salmon. The bank also attracts every variety of bottomfish, most notably halibut, ling cod, and Pacific Yelloweye rockfish. For obvious conservation reasons, most of the bank is closed to fishing. Check the pamphlet of federal saltwater sport fishing regulations for the actual boundaries. With so many dogfish and coho


around, using any small lures or any kind of bait will not allow you to get deep enough for either chinook of halibut. The best lures for chinook are seven-inch Tomic plugs of almost any colour, big spoons (green- and-glow, gold, silver, UV purple, 50/50 brass/nickel, holographic, or police car), #3 5.5-inch Apex Hot Spot trolling lures, or big Firefish. Fast-troll (3.5 to 4 knots, and even faster if dogfish are still striking) these big lures 25 metres behind the downrigger clip, at depths of 30 to 45 metres.


For halibut or other bottomfish,


use a spreader bar with a one- kilogram cylinder weight. Bait the


Campgrounds and Marinas Port Renfrew Marina and R.V. Park Boat launch, fuel dock, bait, ice, and ample protected moorage in the San Juan River.


Fishing charters. Phone: (250) 647-0002


cactusdevelopments@home.com


Pacheedaht First Nations Campground and Moorage Boat launch and ample protected moorage in the San Juan River. Phone: (250) 647-0090 pacheedaht@portrenfrew.com


spreader with a scented, white eight-inch curly-tail Delta Tackle Hali Hawg, Berkley Power Grub, or Storm Thunder Grub. Delta Tackle has recently introduced 10-inch and 12-inch scented Hali Hawgs. For halibut, bigger is always better. Drop these lures to the bottom in 65 to 100 metres of water, and backtroll to keep the lines almost vertical for best contact with the bottom without snagging.


If You Go


Port Renfrew is located at the end of Highway 14 West via Sooke, about two hours from Victoria or the B.C. Ferries terminal at Swartz Bay. Visitors coming from the ferry terminal at Departure Bay in Nanaimo, or from northern Vancouver Island, can take an alternate route via Highway 18 West through Lake Cowichan. The route involves driving a well-maintained, active gravel logging road to the left past Lake Cowichan. This alternate route is about a two-hour drive from Nanaimo. Be sure to buy fuel for your vehicle in either Sooke or Lake Cowichan, as there are no gas stations in Port Renfrew. n


Get information about services available in Port Renfrew from their website: www.portrenfrew.com


Travel Information Tourism B.C. Phone: 1-800-HELLO BC www.hellobc.com


B.C. Ferries Phone: 1-888-BC FERRY www.bcferries.com


Call for sailing information and reservations. Reservations are highly recommended during the busy summer season.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92