LOCAL FISHING

Chinook Salmon (King Salmon)

Chinook salmon, sometimes referred to as King salmon, are the most consistent salmon species available in Vancouver and the surrounding areas. With several healthy and productive river systems nearby, there are generally solid numbers of large chinook available to catch and fill your freezers. As the weather and temperatures improve into spring time, the first signs of migratory Columbia river summer chinook appear. Chinook’s typically range from 10lb to that elusive 30 lbs Tyee. Chinook can be caught on any charter, however an 8 or 10 hour charter is your best bet for fighting one of these magnificent fish. It also allows us to fish multiple tides or move to more productive locations if needed based on recent fishing, time of year, and weather.

Coho Salmon (Silver Salmon)

Coho Salmon are famous for their acrobatic leaps and pound for pound great fight. These fish begin to show up in late spring and their numbers build in early summer and continue into early Fall. Our local Coho range from 4-12 lbs and are easily identifiable from Chinook by their white gums and the lack of spots on their tails. We have access to excellent Coho fishing as thousands of these fish return every year to the Capilano River in West Vancouver.

Sockeye Salmon

The mighty Fraser River provides the Vancouver saltwater fishing scene with some healthy runs of Sockeye salmon. Sockeye are world-renowned as the best eating of the 5 locally available Pacific salmon. These salmon species tend to school up while feeding so there are often multi-line hook ups! Sockeye fishing is usually best in August and run size varies dramatically from year to year and unfortunately in some years there is no retention of sockeye. When there is an opening for sockeye it is because we literally have millions of fish to chase down.

Pink Salmon

Pink salmon, also known as Humpies, occur in great abundance on a recurring two-year cycle with numbers peaking in the odd numbered years in the southern half of British Columbia’s coastal waters. These smaller Pacific salmon, generally ranging from 4-8 lbs, are feisty and aggressive eaters and can provide some extremely entertaining saltwater trolling, light tackle and fly fishing opportunities. For several weeks, on peak-pink years (odd years), these salmon stack up in the river mouths and estuaries gorging themselves before their final push upriver to spawn. This makes for some exceptional fishing with a very high success rate.

Chum Salmon

If we catch this species we will have some fun, depending on the time of year they can be a great fight. Ultimately not the most desired type of the 5 species for eating, but they go great in the smoker due to their high fat content. In October the Chum salmon start to fun up the Fraser River and as they gather at the mouth these great fighters can fill your day with some epic battles.

Halibut

Pacific halibut is the largest bottom-dwelling flatfish. Its blotchy olive and brownish color disguises it when nestled into the sandy seafloor. Weighing up to 500 pounds halibut primarily live in the cold waters of the North Pacific and Bering Sea, migrating a great distance from shallow coastal waters to the deep sea to spawn each winter. They return to fertile coastal grounds to feed. Halibut are flat and diamond-shaped with a white underbelly and both eyes on its upper side. Males tend to be considerably smaller with a maximum weight of 125 pounds. It is a firm-textured fish and has relatively few bones, making it a popular catch. Halibut cheeks are especially prized because of their sweet flavor. Between the months of March and May I combine halibut fishing and salmon fishing if weather permits to Southern Gulf Island's and Vancouver Island. This will be a 10 – 12 hour round trip which could be turned into a multi-day trip based on availability.

Lingcod

Lingcod live in rocky seafloor habit and camouflage themselves in mottled colors ranging from mustard yellow and deep browns to varied greys and dark greens. The local marine environment often influences its coloring and markings. Fresh lingcod fillets have a natural blue-green shimmer that disappears with cooking. It’s mild flavor and dense flesh is a favorite for fish and chips.