The Fish Report, August 2009

It's been a season of incredible fishing on the West Coast of Vancouver Island! Through June and July, our guests saw solid catch rates of 12 – 20lb Chinook and above average size Coho salmon caught near our rocky coastline. Guests Shell Busey of HouseSmart fame and buddy Ken Mueller broke both the Halibut and Chinook season weight records in one day.

Ken's 36lb Chinook held the weight record for several weeks and Shell's 46lb Halibut is still on record as being the heftiest Halibut of the season so far. Early August saw the arrival of the bigger Chinook and Halibut. “We caught our limit of big Chinooks within the first hour of our charter,” explained longtime LBC guest Eric Lilleness. “We were fishing for Coho but the Chinooks were so thick we couldn't keep them off the lines. We must have released five or six big Chinooks.”

Some recent guest photos …

ABOVE: Jesse & friends with their solid Chinook, Coho & Halibut haul.

ABOVE: As Head Guide Mike Marriott watches on, longtime LBC guest Pam works the lines like a pro. Pam and husband Peter's young grandsons, Michael & Matthew, enjoyed their first fishing trip with LBC later in the season and proved that a heart for fishing is often in the genes.

ABOVE: Brothers David & Anthony, their dad Andrew, and friend Doug enjoyed incredible salmon and halibut fishing in late July. And in case their limits of Chinook, Coho and Halibut weren't enough, David finished off the day by hauling in a hefty 14lb Lingcod.

ABOVE: Brent celebrated a milestone birthday in grand style with his solid 38lb “Tyee” Chinook salmon, the current LBC Season Chinook Record holder. Congratulations, Brent!

I had an awesome time, caught 60lbs of Salmon … now what?

There are lots of great options for processing your catch to ensure it stays fresh on your travels home and in the months to come. Following your charter, your LBC Guide will clean and fillet your catch however you desire (i.e. side fillet, whole, steaks) and package it in portion sizes in sleeve bags.

If you're driving home, we'd be happy to store your catch in our freezer until you're ready to leave. You can bring your own cooler or purchase one here in Ucluelet, and we can show you the best places in town to purchase salt ice (stays cooler longer and lasts longer than regular ice).

Our guides agree that the best option for ensuring your catch stays fresh longer (up to one year in your freezer) is to vacuum pack and overnight flash freeze it. We have several great seafood processing companies here in Ucluelet that offer these services. The price for vacuum packing and flash freezing is about $1.25/lb.

If you're interested in having your catch hot or cold smoked, or canned or shipped home (within Canada, the USA & internationally), we can help you make arrangements to do this through our longtime partner St. Jean's Cannery.

For more information about processing your catch, drop us an email at longbeachcharters@telus.net or give us a call at 1-877-726-2878.

So what days are still available to fish with LBC?

As usual, the schedule's booking up through August and September, so give us a call at 1-877-726-2878 to book your charters today! Of note, many of the local accommodation properties on the West Coast switch to their off-season rates mid-September. With fewer crowds, great salmon fishing, our classic warm September weather and deals to be had, September is a great time to come fish the West Coast.

For more details on charter rates, accommodation and travel suggestions, and to check out great fish photos from the season so far, visit www.longbeachcharters.com.

Tight Lines,

Mike Marriott, Senior Guide and Robin “Fish Princess” Irving, Office Assistant
Long Beach Charters ~ PO Box 191, Ucluelet BC V0R 3A0 ~ 1-877-726-2878
www.longbeachcharters.com ~ longbeachcharters@telus.net