I’m sure that many of you have a similar place where you just feel like your home. For me this place is British Columbia in western Canada, to be more precise the Lower Mainland area and Vancouver Island. The fishing is awesome, the people are the nicest people you will find anywhere and it is very easy to move around and do things. The scenery is pretty nice also.
The mix of all these things makes it just a darn nice place to be and with the current euro vs CAD currency rate, pretty much the cheapest world class fishery there is.
I know that the renowned steelhead waters of the Skeena area get most of the media hype, but there really is world class fishing in the south as well. I’ve caught all 5 species of salmon, trout and steelhead there and I just love fishing there. What could be more fun then catching chrome Chinook and Chum on the fly? In my book not many things.
Especially the Chum fishing is very underrated and carry a bad rep. They just are super fun when you target the fish that are pushing in with the tide. For me they are more of a fly fishers fish then the mighty Chinook as you can target them in slower and shallower water and don’t need heavy sinking heads to catch them. Many times have I fished tidal areas where you see a school of Chums come in and then you just put the fly in front of them and get ready for one hell of a ride. It’s like sight fishing for Bonefish in a river! In my book they are also the toughest fighting fish that swim in freshwater. I have caught Atlantic salmon and Chinook up to 40lb and several saltwater species including Tarpon, Tuna and Bones and have to say that the fresh Chums are right up there with the best. When you hook a fresh, 20-25lb male Chum you are in to the best ride there is in freshwater. They will test your gear and fish fighting ability’s with their brute strength and unpredictable behavior.
So, if you have nothing planned for this fall, go ahead and book your flights to Vancouver. They are predicting a huge run of salmon this year. I’m going for sure!
Contact my friend and super guide Perry Wilson for more info on Vancouver island fishing and me if you want to hook up with a good guide on the Lower Mainland. No, I’m not guiding there, but can recommend someone to you if your looking. You can find Perry’s website here: http://www.northlandfly.com/index.htm
Tight lines!
[fbls]