#IslanderReels

Chinook Salmon Non-retention and Covid 19

Captain Ivan

Apr 30, 2020
2 min

Chinook Salmon Non-retention and Covid 19

As expected, DFO imposed a non-retention of Chinook Salmon from the top of Vancouver Island on both sides all the way down to the Canadian/USA border with the exception of within 1 mile of the shore line from Nootka Sound to the Cape Scott on the outside from April 1st till further notice. As you can imagine, there is little to no fishing pressure in these remote locations. There has been proposals submitted to DFO for select marked fishery (hatchery Chinook) in certain man

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Last month to catch and retain a Chinook

Captain Ivan

Mar 2, 2020
2 min

Last month to catch and retain a Chinook

It's coming - another lengthy non-retention of Chinook Salmon for our local waters and beyond. Last year, DFO mandated a non-retention of Chinook Salmon from April 15- July 15 in almost every fishery management area surrounding Vancouver Island and throughout the Salish Sea. Our management area of 28 and 29 around Vancouver was extended to August 1st. I won't get into the science and politics of the regulation as much has been argued and written by fish scientists and lobb

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Captain Ivan

Feb 14, 2020
1 min

Roy is in house!

Exciting news....Long time and seriously talented fishing guide Roy Tanami has partnered up with me running his custom built 21' Cope Design welded aluminum fishing machine. Having Roy "on board" we can get more clients out on the water. Hopefully, the winter is leaving us and along with the strong winds, torrential rains and that whole week of snow... We have been getting out on those few weather cooperating days and it's been hit and miss for legal size chinook salmon. Ty

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Wow that was a quick summer and now fall fishing!

Captain Ivan

Sep 17, 2019
1 min

Wow that was a quick summer and now fall fishing!

That was one quick successful summer of fishing Chinook Salmon in area 29 off the North, Middle and South Arms of the Fraser River. Now we are getting into the fall weather of stronger winds and more rain. The next waves of Chinook Salmon are the Harrison and Chilliwack "whites" mixed amongst more coho and then followed by waves of Chum salmon. You can also venture over to the West Vancouver shoreline for the Capilano River fishery. The Chinooks are right on schedule an

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Captain Ivan

Apr 14, 2019
2 min

Spring fishing is "Spring" Time!

After a mild and wonderful winter fishing season in the Vancouver and Howe Sound waters, the Spring fishery has started with a bang! Right on schedule, the Chinook Salmon also known as Spring Salmon have arrived off the south coast of Bowen Island. There is a plateau that is approximately 3 miles offshore that shallows up to 450 - 500 feet from the deep depths and it runs northwest for about 3 miles. The locals call this the "Hump" and for some reason, the Chinook salmon g

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It's a wrap. Engine and gear maintenance time.

Captain Ivan

Oct 7, 2018
2 min

It's a wrap. Engine and gear maintenance time.

Well the 2018 Sockeye run did not disappoint as there were so many fish returning, we fished until the September 27th closure. Even after the closure, we were still marking many schools off the South Arm of the Fraser River. The Capilano returns of Chinook salmon was fast and short lived due to the heavy rains and high tides. A lot of the fish just went straight up the Capilano River towards the hatchery. That being said there will be some of these hatchery salmon for the

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Captain Ivan

Aug 9, 2018
2 min

It's Sockeye Time!

Where has the summer gone? The weather has been gorgeous and so has the fishing. June was very productive in the local Vancouver waters for the Chinook fishery and the Cohoes started to show in July. If the winds weren't blowing, going across the pond over to Thrasher Rock and up to the Nanaimo area, fishing was nothing short of spectacular. I missed most of last month's fishery as I was guiding up at various lodges up in the beautiful and majestic Haida Gwaii. Now it's S

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Captain Ivan

May 3, 2018
1 min

Fishing is off the "hook!"

Someone call 911. Chinook Salmon fishing for the southern half of the Georgia Strait is on fire! We have been getting so many salmon to the boat that we lose count. The salmon have been caught from 80' to 150' and biting on a variety of spoons and hootchies. Many veteran guides have not recalled this kind of fishing in decades. For instance we had a 30 fish day over at Thrasher Rock - 1 quad, 1 triple and 4 doubles and we kept 5 looking for a larger one to complete our li

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Spring is in the air and so are the Spring Salmon

Captain Ivan

Mar 26, 2018
2 min

Spring is in the air and so are the Spring Salmon

Well we made it through the winter with the usual hit an and miss salmon fishery. We had some glorious sun filled days on flat water as well as some wet and lumpy conditions hooking up numerous undersize fish but with persistence, we did manage some tasty winter chinook feeders for the dinner table. The prawning was really consistent and I expect it remain so until the commercial fishery commences mid May. This time of year, we are locating large schools of herring in mid-

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Captain Ivan

Oct 16, 2017
1 min

Mid October Fishing Report

They say all good things must come to an end. Yes this past summer salmon fishery was excellent considering that the Pink salmon never materialized and the government had to shut it down due to poor returns. The chinooks were plentiful and the endless sunshine made for some exciting days for my many valued guests. Basically the Capilano fishery will be over with the rain forecast for this week. The last remaining Chinooks and Coho will head up the river to spawn and compl

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Vancouver Salmon Fishing - September 2017 Report

Captain Ivan

Sep 23, 2017
1 min

Vancouver Salmon Fishing - September 2017 Report

Well there's not much to say other than the Chinook and Coho fishery in local waters is on! The Harrison and Chilliwack white Chinooks have arrived right on schedule after most of the red Chinooks have made their way up the Fraser River. This next wave of fish are the large variety and can easily hit the tyee class. We are fishing Sandheads, T-10 and North Arm for these brutes. Anchovies and Herring in chartreuse, green glow, UV or black/white teaser heads matched with gr

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Vancouver - Howe Sound - Thrasher Rock fishing report

Ivan Chu

May 20, 2017
1 min

Vancouver - Howe Sound - Thrasher Rock fishing report

It's mid May and the fishing has really been good in all areas. The trick is to be there when the salmon are around. It may sound obvious but that's fishing. There has been some spectacular days in the Horseshoe Bay to Sunset Marina and over at Grace Islands in the lower portion of Howe Sound. There is lots of small anchovy in the waters and matching the bait has produced very well and oddly enough, spoons have worked equally as well. My go to teaser heads have been the

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Captain Ivan

Feb 2, 2017
1 min

Winter Chinook Salmon in full swing!

The winter Chinook fishery in Howe Sound, Gulf Islands and Vancouver Harbour is probably the best in the last decade. We really haven't stopped fishing since October 2016. Local guide Dave K. bagged a winter Chinook salmon to 29 lbs last week.! Many in the low teens to low twenties have been reported and numerous in the just under legal limit size and just over legal limit have been caught and released by us local guides. As a bonus, Spot Prawns are abundant as well as l

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Amazing Fishing Charters