Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[chille51]

Hi all - hoping maybe some members might have familiarity with this river, and specifically the region that is closed between Bore Hole and Boulder Creek.  I have read Rod's write up on this site, which does mention the Bore Hole, and have been doing my research to make sure I know where I am before I start trying to fish.  There seems to be some conflicting info online and in the Backroads Mapbook fishing book for Region 1 - and I have turned up old posts on another forum that has similar confusion to mine. 

I think I have figured it out, but if someone who knows for sure can confirm or correct that would be even better.  I believe the map in the BRMB contains an error - in that it has two pools listed one of which is the Bore Hole - but this is clearly upstream of Boulder Creek as the book shows it, and the regs say the closed area is from Bore Hole upstream to Boulder Creek.  If what the book has labelled as Powerline Pool, closer to Highway 1 and downstream of Boulder Creek is in fact the Bore Hole, that would jive with the regulations.  So that is what I am leaning towards.

I did some surveying on Bing this morning, and below is what I came up with.  For those that aren't aware, as I recently found out the aerial photos on Bing are actually way better than the ones on Google - so good for advance scouting of a river or area.  Tips!

Realize this is out of the area for most of you, but maybe someone has experience on this flow?

[chille51]

Ok I can't make the image link work for some reason, sorry.

[DanTfisherman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emBPWWnv3fc

This video quite clearly shows the Bore Hole as I used to remember it when I fished it.
At the start of the video, you can see the fish would need to shoot up the rapids which are below the power line, and then they enter the deeper canyon section with a few pools and runs to rest in above the power lines.  I remember the run/tail-out just above the power lines to be quite good/best.  There were then 3 pools with small runs/bottlenecks within the bore run, and all of these pools could hold fish at times.  fish would then need to leave the Bore hole to move up through an aggressive set of rapids at the top of the run.  Similar in some ways to the Falls pool on the Stamp.

It was quite a challenge and a hike to get in.  I now see they have put stairs in, so looks super easy and simple now.  I can remember sliding a few times on the slippery soil trying to get in.  My father in law always freaked out about me making my way out on the large, smooth rocks in the river in my cleats, as there were a few guys he knew of who fell in and were swept away.  Not all made it out I gather.

The Bore hole is for sure closed and not open during Steelhead season.  I believe it is closed all year now to protect them, as well as the Springs.  It seems there are a few runs of springs with different timings (I caught the odd Spring at the Bore hole in Steelhead season).

I was shown it and taught how to fish there about 30 years ago now and is where I learned to Steelhead fish.  I have not returned in years.  For some old timers, a good thing is hard to give up, and I hear through the grape vine it can still be very good.  I do not live on the island, have not tried to fish for years on the Nanaimo in particular, tried to read the regs and remember landmarks, but my feelings and the thoughts of a knowledgeable old timer I talk to who knows the river is this area is closed.

Dano

[chille51]

Thanks Dano.  Yes, it is definitely closed from the bore hole up to Boulder Creek, according to the regs.  Hence why I am trying to make damn sure I know where it is, and conversely where I shouldn't be.  I wish I could figure out how to post that mapping I did.  Will give it another shot later today.  But there are two sets of power lines - one down closer to the highway, and one further upriver closer to the lakes.  Do you recall which set of power lines it was?  For the regs to make sense, it would need to be the set down closer to the highway (downriver of Boulder Creek) - but possible the regs have a mistake too?

[chille51]

Still trying to post the photo... lol

[Every Day]

The bore hole is at the powerlines.

49.07330N, 123.90674W

Those are the coordinates.

The river above the highway Bridge is indeed closed for steelhead season, but from the highway up to the bore hole is open from spring through until December 1.

The nanaimo gets multiple runs of chinook. The start as early as February to may (spring fish), June through August (summer fish), and September through to early November (fall runs - the most numerous).

As far as I know, only spring and summer socks ascend past the bore hole and into the lakes.

A side note is that the nanaimo river got absolutely slaughtered this summer. Summer chinook and steelhead were dying by the dozens during that heat wave in June, and the water temps hit near 30C throughout the summer. Many east coast systems will suffer for years from this summer.

I'd encourage anyone wanting to fish the nanaimo to leave that upper section alone and focus lower down from the highway and below to specially target fall stocks. The summer stocks had it rough. The bore hole itself is still a very cool place to walk into, and it's a major recreational area for swimming and rock climbing.

[Wiseguy]

I used to row my drift boat down the Nanaimo river from the hwy bridge down through the lower end during coho season back in the day. Tons of chums and lots of coho we would catch. The coho were chrome and full of fight. Awesome times.

[chille51]

The bore hole is at the powerlines.

49.07330N, 123.90674W

Those are the coordinates.

The river above the highway Bridge is indeed closed for steelhead season, but from the highway up to the bore hole is open from spring through until December 1.

The nanaimo gets multiple runs of chinook. The start as early as February to may (spring fish), June through August (summer fish), and September through to early November (fall runs - the most numerous).

As far as I know, only spring and summer socks ascend past the bore hole and into the lakes.

A side note is that the nanaimo river got absolutely slaughtered this summer. Summer chinook and steelhead were dying by the dozens during that heat wave in June, and the water temps hit near 30C throughout the summer. Many east coast systems will suffer for years from this summer.

I'd encourage anyone wanting to fish the nanaimo to leave that upper section alone and focus lower down from the highway and below to specially target fall stocks. The summer stocks had it rough. The bore hole itself is still a very cool place to walk into, and it's a major recreational area for swimming and rock climbing.

Thanks for confirming the location - that was the conclusion I had arrived at so good to have it confirmed.  Also confirms that the BRMB is indeed incorrect in what it labels the Bore Hole - which it shows much further up river near the confluence with Jump Creek, at the 2nd set of power lines.

Also great points regarding the heat this summer, and I'm not targeting Chinook at all, since they are not open for retention.  I was mostly asking to see if the upper river above the closed area might be worth investigating for the smaller Coho that are open.  I have so far only fished from Highway 1 down as you've suggested, and most likely still will - but can get crowded (by Island standards) down there, especially at the pools - and I don't always like the tactics I have seen at the firehall etc.  The upper river is attractive from an atmosphere/scenery perspective.