The Fishy Waters of British Columbia

Call me crazy, but I like the feel of a pole bent over the side of a boat as I struggle to take-in line from a wild Pacific Ocean Salmon that keeps pulling away from me, wanting very much to enter some stream, span, and suffer a slow death – as opposed to me detouring him onto a new, assuredly self-centered path. To fully experience a salmon is my goal, from sea to table.

And there is no better place to do such a thing than among our Canadian brothers in British Columbia, and more specifically, at Rivers Inlet.

Rivers Inlet is world-renowned for its consistent fishing for trophy salmon. This is due to its unique gene pool of larger than average size fish and our isolated location. We are in a place where world records are made and broken every summer. The largest salmon ever recorded, 126 pounds, was caught minutes from the resort Sue and I just returned from, the Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club.

Certainly, some fishing experience is helpful for any fishing trip but, if you lack that, the Lodge provides all necessary equipment and trains you. You can operate and navigate the boat yourself, or you can hire a guide for part or all of your stay. The lodge is nestled in a tranquil bay, only minutes from some of the richest salmon fishing grounds in the world near calm, protected waters. You arrive from Vancouver by float plane on one of the most scenic hours you will ever enjoy in a comfortable eight-seater. Then, pull up to the dock and be greeted by owner/manager Simon Kelly, along with his staff, waiting to orient you and get you out onto the water fast.

Sue and I had our guide take us out in an 18-ft “stinger” outboard, into the bay, then choose among the many possibilities of channels, shoreline, coves, and islands to troll, downriggers some 40 to 80 feet in depth. Hook-ups are usually immediate and often. During lulls, radio communication with other lodge craft alerts us to other more active “hotspots.” 

While cruising slowing, we notice plumes of spray off in the distance. Whales, humpbacks – and they are feeding, not an uncommon sight in this fertile fishery. The guide tells me, “Get your camera ready, whales are about” – and I reply, “Nah, I have plenty of whale photos from the Channel Islands.” He shrugs. Time passes, we see a circular column of bubbles coming to the surface, about 20 feet away, and then suddenly a fountain of ocean and herring rises up gushing from the open mouth of a whale as it breaches then falls back underwater leaving only its fishy breath in the air. My guide turns and says, “Well, do have a photo like that?” I remained silent for quite a while. It is a nice place to fish.

The Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club is a floating, fly-in fishing lodge located on the pristine, rugged, and remote central British Columbia coast 300 miles north of Vancouver. Snow-capped mountains reach down to the sea; the scenery and wildlife viewing is spectacular. 

The Kelly family has been showing guests fabulous fishing adventures for more than 30 years. And I can vouch for them, as Sue and I took home about 90 pounds of salmon fillets sealed, frozen and packed to go with our luggage to a Vancouver hotel with a freezer, then home and into ours. Halibut are also caught in the cool waters up here, as are lingcod, a similarly deliciously mild fish. As luck would have it, I caught a monster “ling” (26 pounds), much too big to be my first one – but that is why ocean fishing is so fascinating, you just never know what may be at the end of that hook.

It has been said, “If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there’d be a shortage of fishing poles.” Time is short, go fish!

If You Go Fish: www.riversinlet.com