The Old Days- Cowichan

[Rum Buddies]

I think I did write that very well, I meant compared to all the waters south of Nanaimo the inlet is the worst.

Yes I agree Nanaimo can be good, polier can be good even sansum narrows can be good - inlet not so much.

 

[danthewire]

We used to fish in front of Bamberton years ago,very good spot,there was also a spot over and up the inlet that was very,very good for jigging.Hey Al I think the lady who caught the big coho was Mrs.Halberg,not sure its awhile ago.DAN

 

[cpony]

"If I was to fish these days I'd start at willis point and just work straight down the middle of finlayson arm - or up by pay bay towards wain rock."

I said technique and location. I f you fish that pattern you will never catch fish in the Inlet, even with proper techniques. We're talking deep waters and little tide movement. Like everywhere else location and presentation are everything. 200' and 15lb cannon balls was normal.
When I started fishing Sidney with Inlet techniques I smelled like skunk. Until I learned what the fish feed on and where they hung out.
I fished from the late 60's (with my dad) to early 90's in a 16 foot plywood boat with a 20hp Johnson. No depth sounder, just knowledge of where the rocks jumped up or school of hard knocks.
[B)]

 

[Rum Buddies]

quote:I f you fish that pattern you will never catch fish in the Inlet

What are you talking about? Willis point is a classic old time spot and pat bay to wain rock is probably the most productive stretch in the whole inlet.

To each there own though, I have caught fish at the mouth of Tod Inlet and obviously you pulled a hog out of there last week

I sure would have liked to fish the area in the 60's though.

 

[cpony]

I misuderstood your statement. You said troll down the middle of the Inlet from Willis point. I did not know you ment "work" Willis Point around "Ricky's Roost". That is my personel favorite hole .
You do know the sweet spot there?
Other sweet spot's are Jimmy"s Hole, The Boulder, and off of the tall Tanks on Bamberton, which are gone now just to name a few.
It was great in the 60's, 70's and into the 80,s, go out early ,slay a few then go to work,but like eveywhere else it just crashed. Looks as if things may be returning.

In the Sidney Angler's May derby this year it was won with a 24lbr caught in the Inlet by an OLD Timer husband wife team. He said he lost a bigger one later on that week as well. Two years ago I won another Sidney Angler's derby with a fish from the Inlet.

I think I may have said to much. I hope it doesn't get crowded in there.[^]

 

[Last Chance]

Is it just me, or does the inside (Saanich INlett, Poorlier, Stuart Channel), etc, seem to cough up bigger winters then we get off Sooke?

 

[otter]

Blueback fishing outstanding in March-April,the inlet 8 fish limit per person,slayed them with a spinning rod and green bucktail. Great eh,dosent take much to figure why the depletions. Basically sportsfishers greed and DFOs ignorance back then. Then there was the Lings,knew of people catching them,big, using them whole burying them in their tomatoe garden. I could continue but you wouldnt want to hear more.

 

[chris73]

Otter, yeah please stop - makes me sick to hear this... I hope todays anglers are smarter and would not abuse unreasonable limits anymore...
Buddy of mine was telling me about a large charter boat leaving out of Oak Bay for bottom fish in the 70's. 20 - 30 jigger onboard and everybody - he emphasizes everybody - was coming back with a wheel barrow full of rock fish and ling...Why are people so stupid and reckless?

 

[otter]

Im on a rant now. Then there was the annual NW sponsored herring sale held at New Westminster every winter. Tons of herring brought in for people to buy by the bucket, charity cause,no problem with that but the method? It continued until last year when someone figured the stocks were in trouble. I always thought it was wrong then thought I was over reacting. Like my Dad said once,right and wrong,if you even think its wrong your probably right,get away from it. Sorry for the gloom and doom but there is trouble out there.

 

[Tips Up]

quote:I was the one who caught that fish and had another hit before the winds picked up.There were two other boats out. One of them also caught and released one. I grew up fishing the inlet , still fish around, just nobody is talking. Same techniques, same spots.

Nice to have this confirmed Cpony and congrats on the derby win.
I too was brought up fishing Brentwood. Nice to know there are still some fish around.

quote:Same techniques, same spots.

We mostly jigged back then. (with lots of success). I remember 1 year where the thing to do was to put a white hootchie over a stingzelda, drop it to the bottom and then reel straight up as fast as you could. Bizzar technique but we hammered fish!

Tips

 

[cpony]

Hey Tips I remember seeing you out there.We once watched some guys off of Willis Point catching fish and watched as they drop their lines down and reeled up as fast as possible. I guess that was you.

We noticed you were using something white so we tried it using white Buzz Bombs and holy S#@% it really worked especially Sept-Oct for Coho in Indian Bay. I owe you one for that.

 

[Tips Up]

Cpony
Tried to drop you an e-mail but could not get it through. Is the e-mail in your profile correct? Drop me a line at grice@shaw.ca, I wanted to ask you a couple of questions.

Thanks
Tips

 

[porcupine]

Here's the big one!

 

[Red Monster]

Cool! What book is it from?

 

[porcupine]

alec merriman: SALMON FISHING with the EXPERTS

 

[RobTufnail]

that would have been something to see in person
cool picture

 

[yo mama]

Almost look like a spring head on a coho body.

 

[Roger]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone knows of a list or way to find out what year certain individuals won the Cowichan Bay Salmon Derby? I recently acquired a photo of my late grandfather, who was the $100 first prize winner, and nobody seems to be able to date it exactly.

Thanks so much.

Roger

 

[fishspoon]

I helped the Goldstream Hatchery people to rescue salmon. About five years ago, tonnes of chums and good # of good sized cohoes came in to spawn and few giant chinooks too.

But in previous years, chinooks didn't come back at all, very few chums came in- Pretty scary!

In the 70's, I have heard the Cowichan Bay fall coho fishing was success for many visiting anglers. not now, things got quiet lately.

 

[saltspringer]

in the 40s and 50sUsed to bucktail in the narrows for coho starting in august always tons of fish even got the occasional spring on flies. There was a great run of what we called " northerns " in late September and October,big wild fish off Cherry point all the way in. The old Wilcuma Inn was the center for visiting fishermen similar to Painters lodge.Ordanos made great boats and Cowichan Bay was humming.