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