Fishing Charters on Vancouver Island

[Tex]

My wife and I will be spending a week on Vancouver Island end of July. It's our first trip to that part of Canada and we are really looking forward to it. We would like to get in a couple of days fishing while there, preferably halibut. Looking on the net there are lots and lots of fishing charters and guides listed. Any personal recommendations? Suggestions from those in the know would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Mr. Dean]

Most of the guides will be focusing on the Salmon fishery then.

This guy is from the northern island. Excellent fisherman!! and a good guy to boot. I can recomend him personaly. Check out his web-page - http://www.catalacharters.net/

Hali's are usually still milling about that time of year there. I'll be up there 'combo' fish'n for the last two weeks of July.

Good luck!.



Some like it rough...
Others just puke!.
Mr. Dean

 

[baddogg]

A friend of mine charters in Barclay Sound and is willing to go offshore for halibut. He has a beauty of a boat. Here is his site.

http://bishnson.com/

 

[blueorca]

Tex,
What part on Vancouver Island are you wanting to fish?
I don't Hali fishing unless it's dead calm but can set you up with a charter that specializes in Halibuts, depending on where you want to fish from.


boc

 

[Tex]

Checking out the sites posted tonite. Again, thanks to all of you for taking the time. Our trip schedule is currently semi-flexible so we plan to site-see and stay somewhere around where we fish. Our week is split in the middle by a night in Vancouver (concert), so we will probably only manage the south half (or so) of the island with travel and cool scenery.

Can I assume from what I've read here that late July isn't a great time for halibut (I feel I have to catch one first to earn the right to use 'hali')? This sounds bad, but my wife - in spite of being a lifelong fisherperson - can get really seasick in rough water. I realize no one can predict day-to-day weather, but how rough is offshore generally in late July/early August? Should we opt out of halibut and go for salmon in more protected waters?

Sorry to be such a neophyte. Hope some of y'all need some info or help here in Texas sometime.

 

[Deewar25]

Hey tex, as mentioned, you are coming out of hali season at that time (May/June best) - more importantly, you need to keep an eye on the tides - there look to be a couple decent ones, but it depends on where you go (ie. victoria has bad tides the last few days of July, but Campbell River have some ok ones....need little tide movement for hali so you can keep the gear on the bottom).

If your wife is the seasick kind, I would stay away from west coast - Id say Port Hardy/Port McNeil area or Victoria area would be your best bet. If you want to try salmon though, it will be in peak form all the way up the coastline and there will be plenty of opportunity's for 30-50 pounders pretty much wherever you go (anywhere west coast/Victoria/Courtenay north). Not exactly considered prime fishing from Duncan to Courtenay.

 

[Tex]

Deewar25 - thanks for specifics. We're altering our plans based on some of your advice. I appreciate you making it easier first time out of the chute up there. We're really looking forward to getting into some cooler weather (it's 87F at 10pm as I write this) and great scenery. Head to Texas sometime and I'll return the favor.

quote:
Hey tex, as mentioned, you are coming out of hali season at that time (May/June best) - more importantly, you need to keep an eye on the tides - there look to be a couple decent ones, but it depends on where you go (ie. victoria has bad tides the last few days of July, but Campbell River have some ok ones....need little tide movement for hali so you can keep the gear on the bottom).

If your wife is the seasick kind, I would stay away from west coast - Id say Port Hardy/Port McNeil area or Victoria area would be your best bet. If you want to try salmon though, it will be in peak form all the way up the coastline and there will be plenty of opportunity's for 30-50 pounders pretty much wherever you go (anywhere west coast/Victoria/Courtenay north). Not exactly considered prime fishing from Duncan to Courtenay.

 

[Eagle Eyes]

being from texas i assume you like bass fishing... theres actually some really great smallmouth action on the south island for fish up at around 6 pounds. doesnt quite compare with a nice 30 pound chinook though. Late July/ eary August is great in port hardy, or ucluelet (seasick could be an issue though). try codfathers charters in port hardy if you can get a spot. In ucluelet island west is a great operation.