CH Report: Quantity & Quality - July 18, 2019

The rain has let up this evening and I see some blue patches, time to dry the rain gear and get ready of some sunny days ahead. We have had a fantastic stretch of weather in here with sunny days and zero wind, stunning calm water, not a ripple. That all changed on Tuesday and the rain never stopped for 48 hours. Rather refreshing I must say, all water reservoirs are now full! River otters can be spotted hunting food on the heli pad!

Beautiful sunny days and calm seas were what guests enjoyed on recent trips. The last two weeks have seen highs and a few lows in the chinook fishery, overall consistent depending on where you angle. On the quantity side of things, the offshore LIGHTHOUSE! and LANGARA ROCKS have been most consistent for quantity. Try 140 on the downrigger and troll with the current and you will catch fish. Most of the guides are reporting chinook in the teens, and coho 8 to 16 lbs depending on the day. There are a few bonus fish out there, Bud had a 35 offshore, and several guides have hit tyee sized fish in what most anglers would say is the middle of nowhere. There is at times a lot of bait blowing through these spots, so of course, there is plenty salmon. My guests grabbed a pair of coho weighing 16 and 14 lbs last week trolling 175 feet!

Rick Wilson and fishing partner with a very nice chinook.

Dr. Jones with a nice chinook on the line, Dave and Lucy doing the coaching!

Parnagian group always gets the springs, another nice twenty lb specimen.

Lots of halibut around on the putter banks, weather providing!

Jona taking a turn on an oversized halibut! Closer to shore in the usual haunts guides are sticking mid twenties into the low thirty chinook fairly often. If you have the patience to sit five hour shifts with two bites, good chance you will hook a near tyee. Brent found a 31 with his group, I believe Courtney Charles released the fish well done! This fish was plucked off the reef I was told. They released a 28 as well, hot boat for size.

Head guide D.J. showing off one of his many coho last week.

A couple lunker coho in boat 4, 16 and 14 lbsBud's crew dominated on pieces consistently filling totes with hali and coho, and of course his share of chinook. Korey and former guide Jack Charles stuck to Gunia and all waters shallow hunting for monsters and they had some very nice fish. No coho fishing in that boat lol. David Hawksworth and son started off hot grabbing a high twenties in the bowel, before he was called in to prepare his famous dinner, Deepwater Don will tell that story for sure.

Bud and his happy guest with a prized tyee releaseThe game this week is to avoid wildlife. If you see the infamous lions, best to pack up and move locations, rarely do you win that battle. There are so many great locations around this island to drop a cut plug, its a shame to battle wildlife. There are chinook at all locations now, get to kelp bed and mooch away!Ok, it's last night of the trip, the guests are filing into the lounge, and the cocktails and good times are starting to flow. On that note I am posting a few pictures taken over the last two weeks up here on the front lines, enjoy, and see you all soon, thanks for checking in.

Dan's guest with his 40 lber from the reef, released.Mike Tonnesen, Head Guide, Screamer