S
p
With over 27,000 kilometres of
Sound, Goble Point in
coastline, and thousands of lakes and
Edye Pass, and Whale
e
streams, British Columbia is blessed
and Douglas channels
with outstanding saltwater and
are a few of many good
c
freshwater fishing year-round in every
salmon- and bottom-
part of our vast province. As guides
fishing spots in this part
t
like to say, of course, “it’s called
of the north coast.
a
fishing, not catching.” There are
Late spring bodes well
definitely fishing hot spots, and times
for freshwater fishers.
c
when anglers can greatly improve
The warming lakes bring
their odds of hooking fish — even
on prolific insect hatches
u
trophies.
in the interior of British
Excellent salmon and halibut fishing
Columbia. Fishing for
l
begin in earnest soon after the
rainbow trout, Eastern
a
Pacific Ocean’s major late-spring
brook trout, and
storms subside. Starting in late May,
kokanee is at its best.
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and continuing through to mid-
Tunkwa, Leighton,
September, both near- and offshore
Roche, Stump, Mamit,
F
waters along the west coast offer
Nicola, Paul, Heffley
consistent fishing.
and Little Heffley, Bare,
i
The Queen Charlotte Islands are
Shuswap, Tuloon,
s
among the first major land masses
Thuya, Bolean, Mabel,
and Sugar lakes can
h
that all species of mature salmon
encounter as they leave the Gulf of
get anglers started
Alaska on their spawning migrations.
in the Thompson-
i
Halibut and other bottomfish hug the
Okanagan region.
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shallower waters of near-shore banks
The Cariboo boasts
at the very edge of the continental
exceptional lakes
along or near
Oak
Bay
Ma
rine
grO
up p
hO
g
shelf. Langara Island, on the
tO
northwest corner of Graham Island;
Highway 24, a.k.a.
the “fishing highway.” Notable in
Port Louis, Kano Inlet, Skidegate
lakes include Bridge, Sheridan, Lac Cultus Sound at the mouth
A
Channel, Tasu, and Englefield Bay
along the west side of Graham and
Des Roches, Fawn, Horse, Canim, of Hunter Channel, Spider Island, and
South Moresby Islands; Virago Sound
Hathaway, and Deka. In the Chilcotin, fabled Hakai Pass offer a myriad of
d
at the entrance to Naden Harbour;
anglers can access superb fishing at excellent fishing spots to choose from
and the northern shore of Graham
Alexis, Anahim, Charlotte, One Eye, for both salmon and bottomfish. With
Tatla, Puntzi, Horn, Chaunigan, Elkin, airports and BC Ferries terminals on
v
Island to Masset are all renowned for
producing trophy fish. Anglers can
and Vedan lakes from Highway 20, or Denny and Campbell Islands, as well
take a spectacular, scenic floatplane as floatplane service from Port Hardy
e
hook tyee-sized chinook over 13.6
kilograms, prized coho salmon over
flight to Crazy Bear, Eliguk, Tsacha, on northern Vancouver Island, the
Tsilbekuz, or Junker lakes. In the region offers good access and many
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9 kilograms, and “barn-door” halibut
over 50 kilograms as well as abundant
east Kootenays, follow Highway 95 full-service fishing lodges and resorts.
smaller salmon, and bottomfish like
from Golden south, and fish with a
More fishing hot spots lie along the
t
ling cod and the orange-hued Pacific
spectacular Rocky Mountain backdrop
50-fathom bottom contour line that
at Cartwright, Enid, Whitetail,
u
Yelloweye rockfish.
runs the entire length of Vancouver
Larchwood, Tamarak, Whiteswan,
The Queen Charlotte Islands are also
Island’s west coast. This route, along
Alces, and Premier lakes.
the edge of the continental shelf, is
r
known for their winter steelhead
Later in the summer, it’s back to nicknamed the “salmon highway.”
e
fishery, with these highly coveted sea-
going rainbows topping 10 kilograms.
saltwater fishing around the central From early August until autumn’s
The Kumdis, Yakoun, and Tlell rivers
coast’s great archipelago. Mighty fierce storms arrive in September,
s
on Graham Island, and the Copper
tyee and other maturing species migrating salmon (as well as halibut
River on Moresby, are among the
of salmon swarm into the region, and other bottomfish) seem to
better-known spots with car access.
bound for their spawning streams congregate along this corridor.
in the Bella Coola system or Rivers Anglers can find great offshore
The waters from Stewart, at the head Inlet, on Vancouver Island, and in salmon and bottom-fishing almost
of the Portland Canal in the north, southern river systems like the Fraser anywhere along the “highway” at
past Prince Rupert on Kaien Island, and Columbia. The waters around Quatsino, Kyuquot, Nootka, Clayquot,
and south to Kitimat are positioned to the McInnes lighthouse, Day Point, or Barkley sounds, and at Swiftsure
intercept huge, early-season chinook Cape Mark, Wurtele Island, Cheney Bank.
from the Nass, Skeena, and Kitimat Point in St. John’s Harbour, and Idol
river systems. Later in the summer, Point on Dufferin Island in Seaforth
jumbo-sized, aerobatic northern coho Channel are fine places to intercept
Now,
pass through these same waters. southward-migrating salmon fresh
Work Channel, Dundas and Zayas from the Pacific Ocean. Further south, Go find them!
islands, the TreeNob Group, Chatham Fitzhugh Passage, Superstition Point
by David Y. Wei
Suzanne L. Clouth
1
ie
0
r
Win a fly in fishing adventure courtesy of Escott Sportfishing at
www.bcfroa.ca/escott Win a fly in fishing adventure courtesy of Escott Sportfishing at
www.bcfroa.ca/escott
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