British Columbia Fishing Blog

In the past decade or so, the opening of Tidal Fraser River’s coho salmon fishery has almost always been during the Thanksgiving Weekend. I have always made an effort to put in some time during the opening weekend because something exciting always seems to happen. It is an unpredictable fishery, because you never know what you will catch. It is also a very social fishery, the same friends always return to the same spot. Not only do we get to fish, it is also the only time of the year when we get to catch up. I could not fish on opening day, so I was eager to get back at it on Sunday.

The tide was very good. The peak was around Noon, with a gradual outgoing afterward. Not only we had the opportunities to intercept fish following the incoming tide, the gradual outgoing can actually be just as productive at times. I arrived at 10:30am and had planned to put in a few hours of spinning with my new Shimano Clarus/Sustain outfit. Rated 8 to 12lb test, it is a bit heavier than what I would preferred but I was quite happy with how sensitive the tip is. The Sustain 2500 is spooled with 8lb test Maxima Ultragreen, which has always been my go-to line for pink and coho salmon in the Tidal Fraser River.

I decided to leave my cured roe back home, to avoid the mess and concentrate on spincasting for once. Many years ago, I used to have very successful outings by only casting and retrieving lures. In the last few years, I have strayed to trying out bottom fishing with roe as well as casting lures. Both techniques are very enjoyable, but it is never good when you start switching between techniques throughout an outing.

I only managed a few casts with the 1/8oz spinner before a couple of friends passed by on their bikes so we ended up chatting for a good 15 minutes. Once they left, I proceeded to work the spinner while chatting with Nina on the phone. Suddenly, the blade stopped turning and it felt like as if I was dragging it on the bottom. I lifted the rod slightly and felt some solid kicks. “Fish on! I gotta go, bye!”, I said on the phone. At first the light weight suggested that it was a bull trout, but it was in fact coming toward me fast. I picked up the slack line and it immediately bolted to one side where other anglers’ lines were. This was no bull trout, it was clearly a large coho salmon. I could not do anything except holding on and letting the smooth drag working this hot fish. Once it finished the 100ft dash, it came straight back at me again so I was back to reeling madly to tighten the line. The fish surfaced in front of us after a few minutes. One nearby angler was kind enough to have the net ready for me. I carefully guided it into the net and the first coho salmon from the Tidal Fraser River was landed, after only doing a dozen casts!

It was a hatchery marked coho salmon, which was really surprising. For some reason, the likelihood of catching a hatchery marked fish is pretty small in the lower portion of the Fraser River. The last time I was able to capture one, was in 2004. Since then, there have been many large wild fish caught, so no fish have been in the cooler for awhile. It was also incredibly chrome. This is one good thing about fishing in the Tidal Fraser River, the salmon you catch will always be in this state because they are always fresh arrivers from the ocean. I dispatched the fish and Gunther, who just arrived, took the photograph for me. For some reason, I always connect with a coho whenever he arrives, just like two years ago. This buck was approximately 10lb, perhaps bigger. I have never been concerned about weight, all I know is this was now my largest of the season.

Once the fish was cleaned and packed in the cooler, it was back to fishing again. I could feel a few light taps but failed to connect with them. An hour later, I brought in a couple of small bull trout, which explained why the taps were so light. Eventually, I was quite bored with the little spinner so a 3/8oz spoon was tied on. A few more light taps came and went just after Noon. Finally, the line did something strange as if the spoon was being pushed up. This was followed by another solid hit. It was definitely not another bull trout. I set the hook and more solid kicks could be felt. Another coho, similar to the first one in size, swam toward me immediately. The line was kept tight, it did one giant leap before taking a couple more runs. I brought it close to shore where the net was waiting. Just when I thought the second fish was in the bag, the hook popped out, sending the lure flying into the air. Disappointed I was not, because two solid hook-ups in three hours were more than what most anglers could ask for. I was quite lucky today. Satisfied with the result, I packed up at 2:00pm to save the better fishing for another day.

After a rather awesome first outing on Sunday, I decided to return for more with Nina yesterday. We started at 11:00am, to catch the last portion of the incoming tide and had planned to leave at 3:00pm. The entire incoming tide was very uneventful, unlike yesterday. Beside a couple of coho jacks that we saw hooked and released, we did not any luck at all. That’s the name of the game when it comes to fishing in the tidal portion of the Fraser River. The fish are always travelling, so you will only catch some if you put in the hours. Eventually, you bound to encounter a few fish.

I persuaded Nina to stay for another hour or so, to catch the first part of the outgoing tide because sometimes it can be just as productive. The bites indeed came on at around 3:30pm. I first released a bull trout, then a northern pikeminnow. It is pretty unusual to encounter minnows during this time of the year because water is cooler and keeps them inactive. I guess this year is bit of an exception due to the sunny days. Nina missed a good hit on the bait rod just before 4:00pm. I retrieved the line for her, rebaited, cast it out. As soon as the bait settled, when I tightened the line, another good take occurred. Because I still had the rod in my hands, I set the hook well and in came a good sized coho jack. Our friend netted it for me and we could clearly see the adipose fin so freedom was granted after a couple of photographs were taken.

After the release, I proceeded to miss three light takes on a spoon. There was definitely a school of jacks moving through but it was rather brief. We ended the outing at 4:30pm. This has been another memorable, successful Thanksgiving Weekend in the Tidal Fraser River.

Water clarity during the outgoing tide degraded really fast for some reason. Incoming tide’s water clarity is sitting at between 2 and 3 feet, which is more than enough for spinners and spoons to stay visible in the water.

If you live in the Lower Mainland and fish the Chilliwack River, you will notice that water level is at its all-time low. Many anglers have suggested that these conditions make it impossible for salmon to enter the stream, which explains the poor fishing.

While the bulk of the salmon run is still waiting for higher water, fish have definitely been moving into the river for many weeks now. Fishing is challenging when water is lower not due to a lack of fish, but they tend to be easily spooked under heavy fishing pressure.

In the past week, we have been able to connect with several coho salmon. Best fishing is of course at first light when fish are still unaware of their surroundings. Float fishing with a spinner has been great to me, while fishing with roe seems challenging as the bites are too light at times.

On the weekend, we decided to see how many fish were already in the Chilliwack Salmon Hatchery. The channel leading up to the hatchery is indeed quite full of both chinook salmon and coho salmon. Here are a couple of photographs and video. If you still doubt that there are fish in the river, then perhaps these will boost your confidence during your next outing.

Learn more about Chilliwack River’s fall salmon fishery…

Last week, we spent a few nights at Tunkwa Lake Resort, which is a long-time favourite for many anglers in the Lower Mainland. For decades, grandparents, parents and children have visited this resort and built trout fishing memory together.

Fishing opportunities from Tunkwa Lake Resort are plentiful. If fishing Tunkwa Lake is slow, you have the option to visit one of many lakes in the area. Logan and Leighton Lakes are just two other popular spots where you can visit.

We were spoiled by one of two luxury log cabins available at the resort. This place is fully equipped with a kitchen, hot shower, satellite television and wireless internet access. If luxury is what you want to leave behind when visiting this area, then the rustic cabins are for you. These cabins come in all sizes, catering groups of two to six.

The plan during this particular trip was to complete a couple of filming projects for both our website and Go Fish BC. You will be able to see these video features in a few months from now.

Fishing at Tunkwa Lake was quite challenging due to an ongoing algae bloom in recent weeks. The fishing is usually quite productive in early August, due to the hatching of “bombers”, the larger chironomids found in this area during the summer. The timing of our visit was a little off, those rainbow trout in Tunkwa Lake were definitely not tempted by our flies. In the end, Nina’s Rooster Tail spinner yielded the only large fish.

Since condition was not favourable at Tunkwa Lake, we decided to take a short drive to Logan Lake for the day. We had been told fishing was much better at this little pond. Our guide of the day was a very knowledgable local angler, who is pretty well known across North America in the fly fishing world. Brian Chan generously took us out to show me the tricks in this trade while Nina documented all with the camera so we can show it to you in a video feature later this year.

The water was clearer and fish were more active, but it took us awhile to finally dialled in. At first we were having trouble with figuring out what exactly they were feeding on. Chironomids were not producing and eventually bloodworms seemed to be the ticket. Stomach content from a throat pump showed that they were feeding on the odd scuds. By the end of the trip, we were able to connect with around a dozen fish, ranging from 1 to 3.5lb.

One of the highlights of these trips that we do is being able to stand outside late at night to view the night sky. Blanketed by total darkness, we were able to see many more objects in the sky. For two nights, the sky was clear above us, while lightning storms were happening in the horizon all around the resort. This resulted in a rather spectacular light show, which we never get to see in the city.

If you still have not experienced fishing opportunities beyond the Lower Mainland, then you should definitely give Tunkwa Lake Resort a try. You can try the trout fishing year round, fly fishing in the summer and ice fishing in the winter. Boats are available for those without one. Once you experience what this region has to offer, you will keep returning and exploring the other hundreds of lakes where hungry trout are waiting for you.

Ucluelet, West Coast Vancouver Island, Gravol, images of large chrome springs, barn door sized halibut and 6 feet high swells had been on my mind for nearly a month as I eagerly waited for the much anticipated day to come.  Fishing from a boat on the ocean for me was something that I had very little experience in.

After catching the afternoon ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo, we drove the scenic and windy road to Ucluelet and arrived at our destination, the beautiful Black Rock Oceanfront Resort where Rod was waiting for Dion and I.

Upon our arrival, we proceeded to oooh and ahhh at the lodgings as the setup was gorgeous! Everything from the in-suite kitchen to the beautiful bathrooms made us feel very welcome.

Situated close to the ocean’s edge, the view from our suite was breathtaking. Apparently, during the winter storms, the ocean waters can come up to within inches of our patio!

The full service resort consists of several complexes, some are built on the black rock cliffs above the water (hence the name!) while others are set off of the beach with all offering spectacular views. Various packages ranging from sea kayaking to more relaxing spa packages are available for the non-fishermen, making this a resort suitable for everyone! If you are looking for a sit-on-top kayak, click here. We conversed and relaxed for a bit to find out what the plan was for the following morning and then headed to bed fairly early, as we were to be on the dock bright and early at 6:00am to meet up with the guide from Big Bear Salmon Charters. Possibly due to excitement and anticipation, sleep did not come easily and the 5:00am alarm came all to quickly. A quick breakfast of coffee and a Gravol, and we were off to the docks to be greeted by our guide Brett and one of Big Bear’s 31ft Grady Whites outfitted with two 225 Yamaha outboards.

As we made our way out to open water, we were greeted by a breathtaking sunrise as the sun slowly rose up from the east, showing itself through the light marine fog. It was determined that we would be fishing inshore as there were 30 knot winds forecasted for the late morning offshore which would make the sea rough and dangerous.

Our boat started the day off in search of chinook salmon as we trolled both hootchies and spoons at various depths. Brett gave us a brief tutorial on the 2 different kind of “hits” that were expected off the trolling rods and how to set the hook accordingly.

As there were four of us on the boat, Dion would get the first fish, myself the second and Brian and Rodney would take the third and fourth. Soon after dropping our gear, we got the first hit and the line was released from the clip on impact but unfortunately for Dion, the fish was not there. On the next hit, Dion was able to set the hook and landed a chrome spring of about 16lbs.

I was up next and as we trolled around, I couldn’t help but think that I should have gone to the washroom while Dion was waiting for his fish. I decided to relieve myself, when sure enough, as I was in the head, fish number 3 hit! Because everybody was being polite and wondering where I was, we were late to grab the rod and set the hook. By the time we grabbed it the fish was long gone! Need to be quick!

Fortunately for me, we didn’t have to wait long for the next opportunity and I was ready! With the rod bouncing up and down, I reeled in and set the hook hard. After a spirited battle with multiple runs, dives and head shakes, a chrome spring of about 18lbs was expertly netted by Brett. It was my first ocean caught spring and I still have a grin on my face as I type this.

Actions seemed to slow down after that and we ended up with four hits and two springs landed. Fishing this year was not as good as in previous years because the fish were either late or just not there, but we seemed to do better than most, if not all of the other boats in the area where we were fishing.

The second half of the day was spent looking for halibut. Backtrolling with two bait rods and jigging with another, we went to the grounds where our guide, Brett, had landed a 140 pounder just two days prior to our trip. Despite of Brett’s best efforts, we were unable to hook up with any halibut but we did find enough lingcod and rockfish to keep us entertained.

After our day was over and the fish were cleaned, we returned to the resort for some rest before grabbing our light gear to fish for the plentiful mackerel that were hanging around the dock.

Fishing from a big boat, whether in fresh or saltwater, is something that for whatever reason makes me feel like a little kid again. The excitement of speeding through the waves and the ocean spray make fishing almost seems like a bonus.

Click here to watch the 30 minute video feature of this trip!

A big thank you to Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, which offers beautiful lodgings set in an equally breathtaking location with lots to do even for the non-fisherman in us. Another big thank you to Big Bear Salmon Charters, which worked hard to get us into fish even though the fishing in general has been challenging this year. If you are interested in a memorable fishing trip to the West Coast of Vancouver Island, definitely consider asking for a special fishing/accommodation package from Big Bear Salmon Charters and Black Rock Oceanfront Resort!

While we were in Ucluelet last week, we couldn’t stop noticing the high abundance of mackerel that were swimming in the harbour. Mackerel, or chub mackerel to be precise, typically reside in the Pacific Ocean further south from British Columbia. They creep into this part of the ocean during years when warmer ocean current makes its way to the north. It can be problematic, as these pelagic fish predate on juvenile Pacific salmon as they travel from the estuary to the ocean. They travel in large schools and are highly efficient when feeding.

After our salmon and halibut fishing trip with Big Bear Salmon Charters, we just had to try getting a few of these mackerel on our light tackle from their floating dock. These fish are in fact very fun to catch when matched with the right gear setup. It is a species that I used to target while living in Australia during my teen years, so I was rather excited to be able to experience it again.

We brought our ultralight spinning rod and 3wt fly fishing rod. The choice of lures and flies did not really matter, because they seemed to be chasing anything that moves in the water. Whenever a fish was hooked, a few dozens would chase behind it. This made some pretty spectacular feeding action. Most of these fish were in the 12 to 14 inches range, but the odd ones were much bigger than the rest. A few fish that we hauled in were easily three or four times bigger than the rest.

While British Columbians are pretty familiar with eating our salmon and trout, we know very little about eating mackerel. This is in fact a rather widely eaten species around the world. They are grilled in Asia, pan fried in Southern Europe, smoked in Northern Europe. They are rich in oil and flavour, which can be quite delicious when cleaned and prepared properly. We brought a few dozens back home to enjoy.

We also had the opportunity to help Ucluelet Aquarium during our stay. They needed some live mackerel to be transported to Vancouver Aquarium for display and we were glad to assist. If you drop by the aquarium in the near future, perhaps you’ll get a chance to see some of these fish caught by yours truly.

Here is a seven minute video feature of our mackerel fishing experience!

If you are heading over to the West Coast of Vancouver Island in the next couple of months, be sure to pack a light rod so you can also experience this fishery.