I will be out chasing winter Chinook on Tuesday and Wednesday this coming week with some regular clients from Alberta. I'll take my camera along and give you a report. It might surprise you guys how nice the water and weather are up here in the winter and how many fish are available all year long as well.

Well it turns out the my trips were Wednesday and Thursday. Out today from 10am till 3pm. Kept 5 Kings from 5 to 14 pounds, let one go and lost 3 more. Beauty day for mid November. Supposed to be the same tomorrow. The fishing today was out at Constance Bank which is 4 miles offshore from Victoria, B.C's capital city. It is also my home town and in the winter months the fishing here is typically very good. I only live 4 blocks from the ramp and docks so it is a convenient place to fish during the off season. Here are some pics of the day. I was in such a hurry to get home (wifes birthday) I forgot to take pics of the fish.

That's some pretty water.

Its been awhile since I last reported. This winter has been on the slower side for numbers of winter Chinook. (kings) There are a couple of areas producing fish between 8 and 12 pounds but some of the usual hot spots are quiet for this time of the year. We had lots of rain and wind the past 2 months but that has changed to more sun and slightly cooler the past couple of weeks. Contrary to what you may think, we don't get much snow here on the southern end of Vancouver Island. We haven't had any this year yet. The next fishery to look forward to is the spring halibut season which normally opens March 1st. March through May is the most popular time here to fish halibut because of the great tides/currents during this time. Also the summer Chinook (kings) won't arrive until mid May. So we fish halibut first to get our halibut meat and then fish for the big Chinook salmon when they arrive.
Its looking like a fairly busy summer ahead for me as the phone is now ringing with repeat clients making their reservations for the upcoming season. It might be a good time to remind you guys in Texas that up here in the summer the fishing is awesome, it averages 75 to 80 degrees, low humidity and on the coast there are no bugs. Oh and the beer is excellent too!!! lol

This is cool. I love hearing about fishing in other areas, gets me dreaming about trips.

I should give you some background on one of the pictures above....the one with the boat backing down the ramp. That facility is located about 5 minutes from downtown Victoria and is operated by the Esquimalt Anglers Association. Anyone can join and the annual dues are $50.00. Once you pay the membership you can use the ramp, parking and docks as often as you want. It is well protected by a man made breakwater and is very close to the fishing grounds. One member never even fires up his main engine, just readies his gear while putting out on his trolling engine. (9.9 Yamaha) The building is the club house and on Friday afternoons after work a steady group of guys including your truly have a few laughs and pops before heading home. They also have a commercial kitchen downstairs and will often put on fishing derbies and serve up breakfast before the boats head out. They did a small in house derby this past weekend.

Opps forgot...I did a 2nd you tube video. This one is from summer fishing trips in the Sooke area, my home base. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqqbCSG2vJs

In case you missed the first one it was from July 2012 in Nootka Sound which is further north on the Island. I take clients up there each July. Kind of a busman's holiday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2eBanNvRD0

I've started a fish of the week post on my FaceBook with archived photos from years gone by. Once I get busier with charters this spring I will post photos from those trips. Until then, enjoy the best of the past 26 seasons. This 47.5 pound Chinook salmon (our 4th largest) was taken at Otter point on June 26, 2002 by Mr. Bill Pearson. That days catch also included 31.5, 18.5, 12 and 10 pound Chinook. The 2 largest fish were caught in the afternoon on the incoming flood tide.

Nice pics!!! What is your rate for half a day ...for 2-3 peeps?

My half day (6 hour) morning start trip is $550 plus tax for up to 4 persons. Same price if 2 or 3 in the group.

This weeks fish of the week is our largest all time from the Sooke area on Vancouver island. Some of you may have heard of the Aussie band Powder Finger. Mr John Collins is the bands bass player. John and his wife joined me for a half days fishing on July 4th, 2001. It was a lousy weather day, blowing and rough water. All the other guides cancelled their trips, I was going to do the same. John was really disappointed, so much so I offered to give it a go if they were game. We were only one of two boats who ventured out that morning to fish Possession Point, the closest spot to the harbour. In the first 5 minutes John hooked up into the smaller fish, a 30 pound King. (Chinook) We lost another shortly afterwards. Then 2 hours into the trip his wife who was on her first ever fishing trip hooks into this monster. 52 pounds!!! She had a long hard fought battle with the fish and ending with a brief tug of war with a local seal who tried to take it from us. The fish was to heavy for her to lift for the picture. A day that so easily might have never happened!!!

This weeks fish of the week was caught on the afternoon of August 12, 2003 at Otter Point. A foggy day with flat calm water. We arrived just before the low slack tide change and I was outside of the other boats to make it easier to get the gear set up. We hit this fish almost as soon as the gear was in the water. A beautiful 45 pound Chinook.

This weeks fish of the week is a 37 1/2 pound Chinook salmon caught on June 22, 2001. Mr Dennis Calvert from Memphis caught this beauty at the Trap Shack during a morning outing. Dennis is returning this June for a couple of days of fishing with us and will be staying at the Sooke Harbour House, as he did back in 2001. Dennis is convinced his fish was over 40 pounds, a true fisherman! It will be nice to catch up Dennis on what is new over 12 years.



Sooke Salmon Charters Ltd -www.fishingbc1.com
Nootka Fishing Charters -www.nootafishingcharters.com
Vancouver island Fishing Club - vifishingclub.com
250-380-7018 - office
250-213-3055 - mobile
Facebook - www.facebook.com/SookeSalmonCharters
You Tube Videos - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2eBanNvRD0
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqqbCSG2vJs

Reports this week indicate that there are some nice Chinook salmon being caught on Constance Bank. Those coming in are between 8 and 12 pounds. Nice size for a spring barbecue.
With Killer Whales being in the news this week I dug up a pic with a whale story behind it.
This weeks fish of the week is a 41 pound Chinook caught at Otter Point of June 13, 2005. The local salmon eating resident Orca's had already made an appearance that morning and I was not feeling very optimistic about our chances. I decided to tuck around the point to where I might go to get out of the whales path and hide. I went right up against the shore thinking this is what I would do. I had finished my intended tack and was turning around when this guy hit. Sometimes a plan does come together!

Was out this morning for a half day salmon trip and we managed to bring back a couple of smaller Chinook that the hotel was going to prepare for the guests. Also added a couple of nice Dungeness Crab from the traps I put out at the start of the trip. Wish I was joining them for dinner! Our spring halibut season opens this coming weekend. With that I thought it appropriate to make this weeks fish of the week a shot of some halibut we caught off Victoria in April a couple of years ago.


A nice supply of fresh fish and chips!!!