Rivers Inlet

Rivers Inlet

                       Rivers Inlet offers salmon fishing at its finest, not only for BC (British Columbia) but possibly the best salmon fishing anywhere. There are three reasons for the great fishing in River Inlet. 

1. Rivers Inlet is remote, there are no roads anywhere close and unless you live in Port Hardy on Vancouver island and own a fast boat, the only way to get there quickly is by float plane. 

2. Genetics - The salmon of Rivers Inlet come from a great gene pool. Not only are there large numbers of fish but the average size is exceptional. It has been my experience that a Tyee (30+lb) are caught as frequently as a smaller salmon. 

3. Conservation - There is a combined effort between local government, the local native village led by Mr. Ted Walkus and The Good Hope Cannery Fishing Lodge to promote conservation of the Rivers INlet salmon. Good Hope promotes catch and release and gives out special pins for releasing a salmon. In addition, Good Hope has supported and participated in the local hatchery and have released countless salmon into the inlet. In 2012 many of the released fish returned as Tyees and several lucky anglers landed these special trophies. 

               How does one go about fishing the Rivers Inlet salmon? There are a few lodges in the area, a quick Google search will get you all the info you need. Once you contact them they can fill you in on travel arrangements. My personal preference and recommendation is the Good Hope Cannery, They have the only direct flight from Vancouver, they have the best, biggest and safest boats and the only 5 star lodge near the inlet.

               The weather - Be prepared for anything. It can be very warm and sunny one day then bitterly cold, rainy and windy the next. The better lodges provide excellent rain gear, but you will need both warm weather and cold weather clothes. Also, make sure the lodge you choose has large boats, Rivers Inlet is part of the ocean and when the wind picks up in the afternoon it can get very rough.

              The fish, the real story - Don't expect to catch a boat load of fish every day. Some days you may only catch one or two or even get skunked. Mornings are great at the "Head" and if your lodge is too far away then you will miss much of the prime time. Stay with it, stay in the water and if you have a good guide you will catch salmon, big salmon.

Look for future posts about fishing the BC Salmon in Rivers Inlet

Giant BC Salmon

Giant BC Salmon

The video posted above is from our 2010 trip to the Rivers Inlet Area in BC Canada. This fish weighed 63lbs and it was landed on a flyrod. The salmon was released and was one of many tyees our boat caught that trip to British Columbia. The area is absolutely beautiful and the fishing is what dreams are made of!

In 2011 we returned to the Good Hope Cannery to once again fish for BC Salmon. In addition to many large salmon I was again lucky enough to catch another giant salmon, this one was 64lbs, I will post that video later.

Stay tuned, in upcoming posts I will be discussing in detail my experiences in the Rivers Inlet area and maybe some of it will be helpful to you when you decide to make a trip to catch the giant BC salmon they have there. I will be posting some great pictures as well.

Salmon Fishing at The Good Hope Cannery

An unbelievable but true fish story

                      This story is from the Good Hope Cannery website, though not exactly a typical few days it shows the opportunity for salmon fishing River Inlet. I would suggest if you are serious about salmon fishing, staying at the best lodge around and having the best guides in the business, book your trip now.

 

THE BIG FISH! 

Dear Good Hope Team

Thank you for a trip of a lifetime! My brother Mike and I have been trying for many years to organize a salmon fishing trip on the west coast. To my amazement, both of us were available this year at the same time.

Now, I know you can control most things at Good Hope and I would have never imagined to what extent! We arranged our travel schedules to meet up at the Casino in Vancouver the night before our departure. It was an enjoyable evening where we kindled our relationship with a fantastic dinner followed by drinks and cigars at their outdoor fire pit. The next morning went like clockwork and we 

We were so delighted to see each other again in Vancouver prior to the trip and enjoyed the flight into the lodge. What a place! The staff was so friendly and the cannery itself was amazing. I have fished at many lodges on the west coast over the years however the Cannery was well above my expectations.

We’ve both heard about Good Hope and Rivers Inlet from our friends and it lived up to every bit of the reputation.

Mike and I drew Dwayne as our guide and besides our fishing experience he was a fantastic ambassador and host. In addition, he had a sense of humor which is needed when you spend numerous hours with my brother and me.

The first morning out was flat calm and we were into fish right away. After a couple of missed opportunities, I had one on and what a fight! Instantly, I knew we were into a fish of a lifetime.  After what seemed like a one-hour fight, and fearing each time the salmon took another run it would spit the hook, I was delighted to see one of the largest salmon ever – in the net!  Wow – we were so excited. To think of all these years of fishing to have caught my largest salmon ever with my brother!

During this first day, other fish came and went and what a day to spend together! My trophy ended up weighing in at 58 pounds!

Mike handled all the evenings fanfare and my bragging like a gentlemen and not once questioned how quickly I was at the rod when it bit.  I was clearly in the right spot at the right time.

That evening, I recall Mike and Dwayne strategizing for the next day. Mike suggested he would indeed catch a big fish and when asked how big – his response was what I expected. “Doesn’t matter – doesn’t have to be huge – just one pound larger than Bernie’s to get that smirk off his face!”

And wouldn’t you know it…

The very next day we’re out on the water first thing. Again we were right into the action with a smaller fish and the rod buckled down. Dwayne was quick to get Mike on it and what a fight! The fish circled the boat several times, jumped and just as we thought it would have spat the hooks for sure it was in the net! The rest of the morning was nearly as exciting and we hooked several more fish – all in the “Tyee” class for Rivers Inlet.

And, back at the dock - any guilt I may have had in beating Mike to the rod on the first morning became a distant memory. His fish beat mine at 60 pounds! Best of all it was Mike’s first tyee. What a way to break his personal best!

Oh, that smirk……

To everyone at Good Hope – This trip was a defining moment for Mike and I. All other trips will be measured by this experience!

Thank You and we look forward to seeing you again. You have a great team up there. We have a photo of Mike and me giving a kiss to Dwayne on the cheeks – not how I envisioned my first kiss with a local! Don’t tell my wife!

Cheers to the next visit!

Bernie Owens

                                

Record Salmon caught in BC

Fishing is great in BC 

                        In August of 2012 I had the chance to experience salmon fishing at its finest out of the Good Hope Cannery in BC. On one eventful morning up at a place called "the head" or Marker 16, the salmon action was crazy. Just after getting set up that morning, guide Tyler Mills had one of his guests (Deborah Whitman-Perry), hook up with a monster BC salmon. After a long fight and a lot of excitement the salmon was landed, measured, photographed and released. The fish weighed an estimated 83.3 lbs!!!! This is the new lodge record at Good Hope Cannery and I have heard it is the third largest ever caught while fishing with a fishing rod and reel. 

                     I got to enjoy the battle and hear a few shouts of celebration carrying over the otherwise quiet bay.    Then to make this day of fishing in BC even more amazing, another Good Hope boat landed a 72lb salmon. This monster BC salmon was also measured, photographed and released. That morning I saw many more salmon landed in the range of 25-50lbs, it was a great day for fishing! 

                    I am looking forward to my trip back to BC for some quality salmon fishing.

Fishing BC

Fishing BC

                      There is a new "king of salmon fishing" location in the world and it is Rivers Inlet in British Columbia (BC), Canada. The area is just north of Port Hardy, BC on the west coast of BC. The area has, in my opinion, replaced the Kenai River in Alaska for the best place for salmon fishing based on the numbers and size of the salmon. 

                      The area is about a 1 1/2 hour float plane ride from the Vancouver, BC airport. and there are several lodges in the area. The closest lodge to the great fishing is also the best one, Good Hope Cannery. We will have more on the Good Hope Cannery in later postings as well as more information on Salmon fishing in BC.

Good Hope - The best salmon fishing in BC

Taken in 2012, this is the 3rd largest salmon ever recorded. Rivers Inlet, BC

Fishing mile marker 16 can be non-stop some mornings.

Another monster BC salmon

BC salmon are the biggest 

another good day salmon fishing

Good Hope is a great family resort

The ladies of Good Hope

The Salmon fleet at Good Hope

Another BC monster Salmon

Nice morning of fishing in Rivers Inlet

A BC Keeper salmon

Great place to take the family 

Yet another big BC salmon

BC has halibut too!

One boat, one morning = 4 big salmon

a trophy BC salmon

The best salmon resort, the best guides.

Another BC-Good Hope monster salmon

One for the freezer

Welcome to the Salmon Fishing Blog

Welcome

                        

                        This blog is dedicated to salmon fishing, specifically the area known for giant salmon, Rivers Inlet off the coast of British Columbia. I hope you enjoy the pictures, stories and interesting articles from the area and about salmon fishing in general. Hopefully it will inspire you to go on a trip to my favorite lodge or to one in the area of Rivers Inlet.