CH Report: Chinooks Rolling In With YELLOW DOTTERS On Schedule! ~ August 3, 2016

Aug 2 and time for an update on the Chinook fishing here at Langara. I will defer all the Tyee and names of successful anglers to Deepwater Don and his weekly roundup. There have been fish in an ever increasing size and the 20 lbers are now in the mix as we get into the fall fish returning to the many rivers up and down our coastline.

* Jona's guests corked over hard playing something big. For sure we are angling more and more Tyee class fish, now averaging 6 to 10 a trip. I am guiding part of the Gary Hayden group and have as my guests Kelly and Pat Elliott. This is a first time trip for Kelly and she had quite a start. Our first bite of the trip was part of a double header out at the West Bank. She pounced on a a screaming reel in rough sea conditions, I thought her fish might spool the reel. We chased it down and after 15 minutes or so we had the larger Chinook in the net, and quickly into the revival tank for a once over inspection, a medical check up a picture or two, and a relocation into the kelp where we watched her swim off and on on her way. Below is a couple pictures of a happy girl and her released Tyee at 32 lbs!

* Kelly and her 32lb Tyee on the West Bank.

* Another great shot of Kelly with her Tyee. There were a couple other decent fish taken, JRod found a 33 at the REEF and I heard about a 36, not sure of the location.

*Harrison Zivot with a nice Chinook. Yesterday, the first of August we camped out on the WESTBANK! and although we never found the Tyee we did find some very nice springs! Below is a pic of Pat and Kelly with some eating sized Chinook they are looking forward to eating over the winter. There were at times lots of them, with several multiple hookups, fun fishing off the rigger, no cumbersome 8 ounce weights swinging around in the rougher seas, just you and your spring Salmon, no better way to experience the power. We had the spot virtually to ourselves as rough seas out west kept the fleet away.

* Pat and Kelly with perfect Chinooks for take home BBQ season. I did hear Bryce had a 42 at Coho Point in the am, he had to free-spool to successfully land, quite a story I heard on that one. This fish was released!Today we headed to GUNIA in the am, strong NORTHWEST winds and it seemed like a parking lot to me! The odd teener taken. I quickly headed up the east side and dropped in an old favourite of mine, a quiet bay, zero boats out the wind. We were quickly surrounded by humpback whales feeding away and guess what? Spring Salmon all to ourselves. Below is a pic of Pat and a nice Chinook he chose to release on a gorgeous morning. So nice to fish with no fleet in sight.

* Pat Elliott releasing a nice Chinook on the east side in gorgeous conditions. We dried up so moved south to another lonely point, no traffic, am I dreaming? 2 minutes of trolling and we had a rod buckle, Kelly again, I had to assist removing rod from holder, we had a hot one. She hung in there for a half dozen long runs and soon enough another Tyee in the net, this a long skinny fish, a male, that was 42 long by 25 in girth, 33 lbs. As we chose to release all Tyees, if possible, this one was in the tank quick and swimming away. You might say this fish was through a personal war, lots of marks and a rough tale, you would not know that fighting it though. Below is a pic of Kelly and her second Tyee, of some 33 lbs. time to head in for lunch.

* 42 Inch, 33 lb Chinook released by Kelly - her second Tyee of the trip. So yes the fish are here, not as in some seasons, but enough to keep us enthused and dreaming of the first sixty of the season. This is the golden couple weeks here, and with the troll season for Chinook now closed, things look good. These Chinook are rolling through, not everyone is getting Tyees by any means, but it feels like we are now in a strong part of the season. The guides are working hard, and look forward to assisting you in a hook up of a large fish we can enjoy for the moment and release to fulfill what Tyees need to do, SPAWN! The Clubhouse has always been a leader in returning these giants, and the Tyee are not on this coast like they were in decades past. It is important to be part of the solution and that starts with returning the fish over 39 inches long, the Tyees. You will feel so good enjoying the moment, and with todays cameras, can enjoy that moment forever.Thanks to everyone who participates in this program, the guides are proud of this and every guest who release these monsters.So off to bed, dreaming of yellow dotters haha, goodnight from The Clubhouse.Mike Tonnesen, Head Guide, Screamer

*Brent and his first yellow dotter of the season.