Written by Doug Lindores, Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
The 2024 Port Alberni Salmon Festival and Derby took place during the Labour Day Weekend. Organizers felt the Derby and all the various festivities created a positive buzz of success for the city. The largest fish of the Derby was landed close to Bamfield along the Bamfield Wall on Saturday by Surrey, B.C. resident, formerly from Port Alberni, Sean Falkenberg. The happy group fishing with Sean for the three days and for the past sixteen years at this event landed a 28.8 pound Chinook using anchovy. The winning prize for the largest derby salmon and the largest fish of the day was $15,000. Sean and his fishing partners stated that “they would share the winnings”. The top fish landed on Sunday was 26.10 pounds by Andrew McVie at Kirby in Barkley Sound. Dwight Dockendorf of Port Alberni had the largest Chinook on Monday landed at San Mateo Bay and came in at 21.1 pounds. Both fisher persons won $5000.00 for the largest fish of the day. Second and third place daily prizes gave the winners $2000 and $1000. Craig Martin of Nanaimo had a second place fish on Sunday and a third place fish on Saturday. There were also a good number of hidden weight prizes that ranged from $250 to $50.
The fishing in much of Barkley Sound has been termed slow for this time of year. The big rainfall during the full week of August 19th played havoc on the fishing as many Chinook and Coho migrated to their natal streams, creeks and rivers. The Alberni Inlet did improve dramatically especially during the Labour Day Weekend Derby. Many of the fish landed in the Inlet were from forty to fifty feet using white hoochies (AORL 12) and glow hoochies . Anchovies in purple haze and Chartreuse teaser heads were working as well. The large abundant return forecast to West Coast Vancouver Island has not yet materialized. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans is still predicting a surplus of Chinook Salmon to return. Up to August 28th the Escapement of Chinook Salmon through the counters and into the Stamp was 3,900 pieces. Sockeye total returns into Great Central and Sproat Lake are 347,000 (very good escapement) with Great Central Lake receiving the abundant return of 275,000 and Sproat Lake 72,000. Coho returns up to August 28th into the Stamp and Sproat were at 4,770 combined.
The Sport Fishing out in Barkley Sound hopefully will pick up over the next few weeks. With dry weather for a period of time may areas close to Bamfield have historically had great Coho and Chinook fishing. The Bamfield Wall from Nanat Island to the Bamfield Harbour Mouth and up to Brady’s Beach and Wittlestone are usually very good. Anchovy, a variety of spoons especially the skinny G’s and hoochies in green and white are normally excellent lure choices for the first half of September. Areas around Ucluelet from Little Beach, and Black Rock to Wya Point and Florencia are normally very good for the first two or three weeks of September.
We are hoping the large surplus of Chinook salmon find their way to West Coast Vancouver Island. If this seasonal forecast holds true the sport fishing should be absolutely phenomenal in September.
Tight lines and Good Fishing
Doug Lindores
Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing
email dlindy@shaw.ca
1 888 214 7206 (toll free)
www.catchsalmon-ca.com
Larry and Adrian from Red Deer Alberta fished with Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing and landed these two Chinook on a late August morning.
These two happy Vancouver guests salmon sport fished with John of Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing and had a few excellent salmon fishing days in the Barkley Sound area.
Fathers and sons from Chilliwack B.C. fished with Slivers Charters and had a great trip for three days out in Barkley Sound in late August.
Some fantastic sport fishing was experienced by this Kelowna father and son during late August fishing with Slivers Charters Salmon Sport Fishing in late August in Barkley Sound.
