September 2013 Fishing Report

FISHING REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2^nd

(All the pictures in this report were of catches between August 31^st& September 4^th)

Salmon fishing is ON FIRE

The projections were all wrong- fish is way BETTER than anyone predicted. That is a very GOOD thing.

Chinook- DFO originally thought the Conuma River hatchery run was going to be adequate for good fishing and encampment stocks to the river. Though they had concerns about the makeup of the returning stocks (an abundance of 3 yr. males/ possibly not enough female brood stocks). As well as the early and mid-season rain was none existent causing the rivers and streams to go nearly dry and warm up. Well on August 23 Mother Nature fixed those issues.

Today, 11 days after fall came to the region, we have had 2 major rain storms. Nearly 28cm/11in of rain have fallen and the rivers & streams are full. Most local rivers have gone from having NO Chinook holding in the low river/stream pools to a nice showing. The other thing that the rain did was pull inside NOOTKA SOUND & ESPERANZA INLET a whole new large group of bright Springs. Fishing is over the top GOOD again, both inside the inlet/sound & outside on the highway. Waters are now generally flat outside & in. A strong showing of TYEE (30lb+) white Spring are being caught outside, fishing in depths of 200-300ft using large spoons (6in.) with any kind of GLOW pattern on them. There continues to be lots of under 77cm Chinook in inside areas were that regulation applies.

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Coho- DFO announced in April of this year a proposal to raise the limits to 4 fish per day out to the surf line based on the projections of the strength of the West Coast Vancouver Island (WCVI) Coho runs. For the most part that proposal became a reality thanks to a lot of negotiating by the local Sports Fish Advisory Committee (SFAC). DFO was correct in that the run was, and remains huge. The early fish were 6-8lb now they have grown to 12 -18lbs. We expect to see the Northern Coho in the 18-24 rang arriving soon, probably by the time you are reading this report.

There are literally hundreds of Coho stacked up on the up island side of Center Island in Esperanza they can be caught at any depth from the top on a fly down to 40ft on Coho killer spoons. Out on the highway the fishers are cursing them, since there are so many, you have to work to get through them to find the Chinook. Nice problem!!