Rivers Inlet is home to one of the most diverse recreational fisheries in the world. Our fishing grounds range from large kelp beds, deep Open Ocean to river estuaries that literally boil with multiple game species. This allows our guests to fish a variety of techniques such as Mooching, Trolling, Jigging, Spin Casting and Fly fishing. Duncanby provides you with all the necessary gear to fish these techniques. If you have a trusty old rod or a favourite new reel feel free to bring it along.
Mooching Mooching is the traditional way to fish in Rivers inlet. The method is quite simple; Use the mitre box provided to cut the perfect angle on your herring and affix the tandem hook set up (we will instruct you on this) to achieve a slow tight roll. The slower you can make it roll the more enticing it will be to a large Chinook. We use free weights ranging from 2-8oz, however cut-plug bait can also be trolled off a downrigger to achieve greater depths. Duncanby provides you with all the necessary gear and bait to fish this way. We also provide you with 10’6’’ medium light weight mooching rods and Diawa M1 or Shimano GT2000 mooching reels that hold well over 300 yards of 25-30lb test monofilament........and yes.......we still get spooled!
Trolling Trolling is a great way to target all salmon species. The main advantage is the increased speed in which you troll. In short, you can cover more ground to find fish. We use all varieties of gear: spoons, plugs, apex, hoochies, flashers and even teaser heads for anchovies and herring. This gear is primarily trolled off our Scotty downriggers at depths from 20-120ft. We use the same 10’6’’ mooching rod and reel combos for trolling. We do not stock tackle boxes with every colour of every lure. We do have a tackle shop with a limited supply of gear to lend out upon request. If you are a die-hard gear fisherman we encourage you to bring some of your favourite lures from home.
Jigging The ancient art of bottom bouncing; send your jig to bottom and bounce it up and down, when you feel a bite set the hooks. Our boats are equipped with GPS that have been pre marked with our famous halibut fishing grounds. We stock Gibbs Minnow Jigs for rockfish, Gibbs Floor Walker Jigs for ling cod, and a variety of large halibut jigs such as the Muddraker. For rockfish and lingcod we use spin casts and mooching rods. Halibut rods are also provided. These ultra heavy rods are equipped with heavy duty level wind reels that are loaded with 80-100lb test. Every year at Duncanby we have multiple 100+ pound halibut on our scale. Spin Casting If trout or bass fishing is a hobby of yours don’t forget to bring your favourite rod and reel combo. We would suggest having your reel re-spooled with a minimum of 10lb test. We stock our trout combos with 12-20lb no stretch spider and tough-line. New line technology allows these lines to have the diameter of 4lb-10lb monofilament, making it manageable to load 300ft of line on your light weight combo. We use spin casts for a variety of species:
Rockfish/Cod: These fish can be caught on just about anything: Spoons, spinners, jigs, and bait just to name a few. Rockfish average 3-7lbs and lingcod can range between 5-30 lbs.
Coho: Used in late August and early September to target Coho’s in river estuaries and intertidal pools. Number 4 and 5 blue fox spinners in silver, blue and chartreuse are our most productive lures. Weighted spoons such as the Gibbs Croc and Kitimat Killer have also been successful in blue, chartreuse, purple and silver.
Fly Fishing It is every fly fisherman’s dream to cast a fly into a body of water and have a variety of species compete over the fly. We at Duncanby have made this possible by locating the best spots, for the given time of year, to capitalize on various species.
Rockfish: Rockfish are caught all year round on the largest, ugliest fly you have in your box. Epoxy eyes are a must on your big trimmed streamers and buck tales. Try to find a colour they won’t bite. 325grain sinking line is ideal for these species, however they will hit surface flies and can be found anywhere in the water column. Rockfish are typically found close to kelp beds and various rocky shorelines or substrates. A 6wt rod is good although ling cod, which can be in excess of 20lbs, will often take your fly therefore an 8wt is ideal.
Salmon: Fly fishing for salmon is done in mid to late August and takes place in various intertidal zones and estuaries. Pink salmon are typically the easiest to catch as they can be very aggressive while staging in estuaries. We find a 6wt rod to be the weapon of choice for this species. Pinks will bite any fly that is small, sparse and pink. Flies should be around ½ to ¾ inch long. Our favourite fly is the Pink Comet and the small pink Woolly Bugger. Coho can also be caught on fly rods in the estuaries as well. Larger Clousers in pink, green and chartreuse are the main flies of choice, minnow patterns such as sticklebacks, Mickey Finns and Rolled Muddlers are also good to try. You can get away with a 6wt rod, however your 8wt will give you a better chance if you hook one of our Coho that exceed the 20lb range. We also have success buck tailing for coho in mid to late August. A large red, green, blue or chartreuse buck tail with a trailer hook is the most effective fly. Many anglers have success placing 2 small beeds and a small spinning blade in front of the buck tail. Mother of pearl, artificial abalone and straight silver are the recommended blade colours. Lastly, we hook many large Chinook and coho trolling with fly rods in the downrigger. In order to do this you must have a very large arbour fly reel with a wide spool. You will require 150 yards of backing before connecting an additional 150 yards of monofilament. You can then use your fly rod as you would a moocher, trolling a herring, anchovy or spoon. Fishing with this style of equipment will greatly increase your fight and test the most avid angler’s skill and endurance.
TACKLE
A wise fisherman once said: “you can never have too many weapons in your arsenal...”
In the vast waters of Rivers Inlet, this statement holds true. Although cut bait is without a doubt the most successful method for enticing large fish, there are many days where the mere change of lure can trigger a bite. When fish are not feeding, sometimes it is a certain lure action or colour that will irritate them into striking. There is a seemingly endless list of factors that can contribute to the success of any given lure: Temperature, weather, depth, water visibility, current, tides, target species, and light conditions are just the tip of this complex iceberg.
SALT WATER TACKLE
The protected waters of Rivers Inlet, as well as the surrounding ocean, produce the largest fish on the coast each and every season. Although mostly fished with bait, these seas are a Mecca for the avid gear and fly fishermen.
GEAR
4, 5 and 6 inch spoons: mainly trolled from weights or downriggers used to catch Chinook and coho salmon, even halibut.
Tommic Plugs: trolled from downriggers used to catch Chinook and coho salmon, also a great ling cod lure.
Hoochies: used for Chinook and coho salmon, they must be trolled behind a flasher to give them action. They are fished from a downrigger.
Apex: an old classic used for Chinook and Coho, they are trolled behind weights or downriggers.
Herring Teaser Heads: An alternative way to fish bait, they can be advantageous to cut bait as they can be trolled faster, as well as adding colour or glow. Chinook, coho and halibut will bite this
Anchovy Teaser heads: one of the most prevalent methods of fishing on the entire coast of BC, anchovies will catch everything in the sea.
OCEAN FLIES
Medium Chartreuse Clouser: Used for open ocean casting for coho salmon, as well as a great intertidal estuary fly.
Large Green Clouser: Used for open ocean casting for coho salmon, also a great ling and sea bass fly.
Needle Fish: Can be used for coho salmon, it is one of our most productive sea bass and ling cod flies.
Buck tail: Trolled on the open ocean at high speeds for coho salmon. This rig is often fished with beads and a spinner blade on the nose.
GUIDE SERVICES
Regardless of your fishing knowledge or experience, our team of professional guides will ensure that you maximize your time and capitalize on every opportunity. Full guide days are 12 hours and half days last 6 hours, permitting you adequate time to fish the best tides in the day and take in all of your guides fishing tips and tricks.
Duncanby offers seven full time guides in a variety of boats, all of which are designed for your safety, comfort and success on the water. Our fleet of guide boats include: one 22’ Boston Whaler, five 23’ Grady Whites, one 26’ Boston Whaler and one 26’ Grady White.
Reservations are recommended for guide services prior to your arrival.
SALT WATER FISHING EXCURSTIONS
Rivers Inlet offers a variety of guided fishing opportunities. At Duncanby, our guides are at your service for whatever you would like to do with your day on the ocean. Although most guests utilize their guide’s extensive knowledge in pursuit of trophy Chinook and halibut, a variety of other options are available. Your guides can take you fly fishing the open ocean for Coho salmon, rockfish or ling cod. They can also take you bear watching, whale watching as well as crabbing and prawning. Whatever your choice, your guide will provide you with an experience of a lifetime.
CATCH AND RELEASE PROGRAM
What is the point of catch and release angling? Catch and release angling provides a memorable experience like no other for the angler, but more importantly it ensures the survival of the species. Carefully released Chinook salmon live and go on to spawn, increasing prospects of larger returns for future generations. At Duncanby Lodge we recognize the efforts of all our anglers who successfully land and release a Tyee Chinook Salmon with a brand new Islander MR3 fishing reel. After all, catch and release takes away none of the fight in your fish. So join in, because the only thing better than catching a world class fish is ensuring he/she passes on those trophy genes.
PACKAGING
Our dock staff are trained extensively on the proper handling of your catch. Your fish are cleaned on a stainless steel table with continuous running, pumped sea water.
Then, depending on your preference, the fish are filleted or left whole. Once the fish are processed and tagged with your name, they are sent to the vacuum packer for commercial grade vacuum sealing. The fish are then immediately put into our freezer.
On the day of your departure, your catch is then boxed, weighed and sent home with you. The process we have put in place ensures that your fish are well preserved and you will enjoy eating them as much as you did catching them!
FISHING LIMIT
SALMON:
4 per day and possession total of 8 of which no more than
2 (day) or 4 (trip) may be Chinook
HALIBUT:
1 per day and possession total of 2
LING COD
3 per day and possession total of 6
ROCKFISH
5 per day and possession total of 10
BOATS
Duncanby Lodge is equipped with two different styles of unguided boats. First is the 16 foot Boston Whaler Dauntless. These boats are an open center console design that allows the angler easy access to all areas of the boat and is powered by a 60/70hp Yamaha 4 stroke outboard.
We also offer a 17 foot Hurston Glass Craft for unguided packages. These boats offer a very comfortable ride and have a retractable convertible top for sunny and rainy days. The boats are much lighter than the Whalers and are equipped with a 50hp Yamaha 4 stroke outboard.
At the end of each fishing day dock staff will be there to assist you in parking and off loading your catch. Your boat will be meticulously detailed, pressure washed and restocked for the next day. Should you require any additional gear or instruction our dock staff will be happy to assist you to ensure you feel comfortable and prepared.
All boats are outfitted with: safety equipment, Garmin GPS, depth sounder, VHF radio, Scotty downriggers, rods, tackle box (mooching equipment), fresh towels, net, gaff, and lodge map.
SPECIES & RUN SCHEDULE
Our season is short and for good reason, at Duncanby we don’t believe in a “shoulder season”. If fish are not running we are not open, it is that simple. Our location in the mouth of Rivers Inlet allows our guests to easily target the strongest part or the run throughout the season.
Our season begins in mid June when the early run of Chinook/King salmon are passing by. Fishing outside the inlet is critical at this time, as the majority of these salmon are not residents of Rivers Inlet. These fish tend to range from 15-35lbs and provide one of the greatest pound for pound fights you will find. As the season goes on the average size of our Chinook grow, where in late July early August we see our peak run of Chinook salmon in the 40-80lb range.
Coho/Silvers are considered our action fish. We are fortunate enough to have our inlet filled with “blue back” Coho (5-8lbs) from mid June to early August. By mid July our Northern Coho begin to appear and continue increasing in size and numbers until the last week of August into early September. We also see terrific returns of Pink and Chum salmon. These salmon species appear in mid to late July and increase in numbers as we move through August.
Halibut are a fish that are readily available for our guests to catch all season. There is rarely a day when these fish can’t be found. Whether it’s early June or early September, halibut in excess of 100lbs are caught in Rivers Inlet. Lingcod, Rockfish and other bottom fish species are highly abundant throughout the entire season.
Refer to the chart for better understanding of how our fish runs overlap.
