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 however if you have a trusty old rod or a favourite new real, bring it. Our dock staff would be happy to rig it up for you.
Mooching The Traditional way to fish in Rivers inlet, every year the largest Chinook on the coast are caught using this technique. The method is quite simple: Use the mitre box provided to cut the perfect angle on your herring. A tandem hook rig is used to give the herring a perfect roll. The slower you can make it roll the more enticing it will be to a large Chinook. We use free weights ranging from 2-10oz, 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 Shimmano 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 Chinook and Coho. 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 often trolled off our Scotty downriggers at depths from 20-120ft. We use the same 10’6’’ moocher rod and reel combos for trolling. We do not stock tackle boxes with every colour of every lure. We have a small tackle shop in which we sell some of this hardware however if you are a die-hard gear fisherman we would suggest bringing some of your favourites 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 world 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 the mooching rods. Halibut rods are also provided. These ultra heavy rods are equipped with heavy duty level wind reels that are loaded with at least 100lb test. Every year at Duncanby we have multiple 100lb+ 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 at least 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 a sufficient amount of line on your light weight combo. We use spin casts for a variety of species: Sea Bass: These fish can be caught on just about anything: Spoons, spinners, jigs, and bait just to name a few. Bring your bass and trout tackle and just about everything is guaranteed to work. These fish average 3-4lbs and are one of the most prolific fish in the sea. Ling cod are often caught when targeting sea bass either by hook or by eating your sea bass!
Coho: coho are most often caught on spinners and spoons in late August and early September. They are targeted in river estuaries and intertidal pools. They are also found stacking up in large numbers as they hold in bays less than 1 or 2km from their destination tributary. Number 4 and 5 blue fox spinners in silver, red, gold, blue and chartreuse are our most productive colours. Weighted spoons such as the Gibbs croc and Kitimat are successful in blue and silver. With this being said when the coho bite is on they will bite anything!
Sea Run Cutthrought: A prized game fish for many fly fisherman, fishing for sea run cutties is often referred to as fishing for ghosts. A Fisherman should idle into one of our many small secluded bays and shut down the engine. Let some time pass as you soak in the tranquility and solitude of nature and patiently wait for a jumper. If they are there they will be airborne. If they are not there then you simply need to move on to the next small creek mouth. These fish can be caught on smaller Panther Martin spinners and Blue Fox spinners numbers 1-3. Bring a variety of colours as cutties will bight just about anything. In addition to spinners ensure you have a Gibbs Croc in ¼ and 1/3 oz weights. The brass or silver with fire stripes is our go to lure.
Fly Fishing It is every fly fisherman’s dream to cast a fly into a body of water and have a multitude of species that could potentially bite that fly. In rivers inlet you can catch one species until your arm is sore, switch flies, and catch a whole other spectra of species until you can barely cast.
Rockfish: Included in this category are the sea bass. Rockfish are caught 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. The rockfish live within the diverse ecosystems of our Pacific Bull Kelp fields. A 6wt rod is good however ling cod, which can be in excess of 20lbs, will often take your fly therefore and 8wt is ideal.
Salmon: Pink salmon are the easiest to catch on a fly. As they stack up in the river mouths at the beginning of August they can be targeted. A 6wt rod is perfect. 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 however they can be hooked on minnow patterns such as sticklebacks, Mickey Finns and Rolled Muddlers. You can get away with a 6wt however an 8wt will give you more of a 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 need to have your spool fist rigged with at least 150 yards of backing before connecting at least 150 yards of monofilament. You can then use your fly rod as you would a moocher, trolling a herring, anchovy or spoon. We have had fish pushing the 40lb mark landed this way as it is a great way to test even the most avid angler’s skill and endurance.
Sea run cutthrought: We are fortunate to have these fish jumping in front of a small creek of fresh water that runs under our guest cabins. There are countless other undisturbed tributaries that can hold these ocean run migrating trout. 4-6wt fly rods are recommended with 4-6lb monofilament leader. A delicate presentation is imperative when fishing for sea runs. Many flies can be used to hook them including: Mickey Finns, Sticklebacks, Rabbit leaches, woolly buggers, bead headed leaches and many more. Bring your box as it may take several different flies before you can find what their biting.
CATCH AND RELEASE PROGRAM
What is the point of catch and release angling? Survival of the species. Carefully released Chinook salmon live and go on to spawn, increasing prospects 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 fishing reel. After all catch and release takes away none of the fun of the game of fishing. So join in because the only thing better than catching a fish is coming back next year to catch even more!
PROCESSING AND 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!
BOATS
Duncanby Lodge is equipped with two different types of unguided boats for you to fish from. First is the 16 foot Boston Whaler Dauntless. This is a center console rider with a bimminy top to keep you from the rain. These boats are powered by our 60hp Yamaha 4 stroke engines.
Our other style of boat you have to choose from is the 17 foot Hurston Glass craft. These boats ride great and have a convertible top for sunny, or rainy, days. These boats are much lighter than the Whalers therefore only require 50hp Yamaha 4 stroke engines.
Both boats are fully rigged and ready to fish when you get to the lodge. Fresh towels, bait, tackle weights, salmon rods and reels. The hooks are sharp and the knots are tied: they are ready to fish. All our boats are equipped with Scotty downriggers, mounted Garmin GPS, fish finder and depth sounders, VHF radios and more.
Every night when you return from the long day fishing our dock staff are there to help you park your boat. We assist the offload of your catch and you leave the rest to us. The boats are meticulously detailed, pressure washed, fuelled, and restocked for the next day.
Our guide fleet is there for your use as well. For an additional fee, guiding can be obtained for half or full day charters. Our guide boats are 21 foot Boston Whaler Outrages, 23 foot Grady White Fishermen, 26 foot Grady White Explorer and a 27 foot Boston Whaler Outrage.
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:
2 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
GUIDE SERVICES
For those who prefer a guided day of fishing, we have five crafts available for all or a portion of your stay with us; three 21’ Boston Whalers’ one 26’ Boston Whaler, and one 24’ Grady White. We will have four full time guides and a full time Fish Master with us for the 2009 season.
Reservations are recommended for guide services prior to your arrival.
FRESHWATER FISHING EXCURSIONS
Fresh water fly-in, and hike in, trout packages are available at Duncanby Lodge upon request. The central coast of British Columbia is home to infinite bountiful lakes and streams that create a mosaic amongst the evergreen treetops. Many of these lakes are so secluded, it s likely the have never been fished. Consider this: the Cutthrought, Rainbow and Dolly Varden trout in these freshwater basins have never even seen an artificial lure before...
All gear is provided however if you have a favourite fly rod, bring it along. The equipment used on these excursions is generally 4 or 6 weight fly rods with 4-6lb leader material. Depending on the time of year and the weather, a variety of sinking and floating flies are used. Spin casting equipment is also fished. Light action 6 foot rods with 6 lb test line create a perfect matchup for these feisty freshwater fish. Lures used included spinners, spoons, worms and power bait, just to name a few.
The fly in package begins from our dock and takes you deep into one of many pristine untouched lakes. Upon arrival at the lake, the belly boats are inflated and the guide will suggest a fly or lure to match the current conditions. You are then free to explore the lake and bring in trout until your arm can cast no more. At the end of the day, everything is loaded back into the float plane and you return to camp.
The hike in package is similar. You make your way by power boat to an isolated inlet. At which point all the gear is transferred to the canoe while we anchor the large power vessel. A short row to shore followed by a leisurely hike through an old growth cedar valley leads you to the lakes edge where we set out on our inflatable float tubes and spend the day in one of the most tranquil places on earth. At the end of the day we will return to the lodge and rest up for another full day’s fishing.
Reservations for these packages can be made at the lodge or in advance. Hike in packages are readily available however fly in packages are dependent on flight availability and weather. A charter fee will be quoted at the time of request.
SPECIES & RUN SCHEDULE
At Duncanby Sport Fishing lodge, on the central coast of British Columbia, we are fortunate to have the world’s most assorted aquatic ecosystem at our dock’s edge. Our season begins in mid to late June and runs until the first week of September. Our season is short, and for good reason. At Duncanby we don’t believe in “shoulder season”. If fish are not running, we are not open, it is that simple. We do however have different species that run in larger numbers throughout our season.
Late June and early July marks the peak of our run of Chinook salmon. Not only does Rivers Inlet get a run of our famous super tyee class Chinook at this time, but we also see our highest numbers of migratory Chinook that could be going as far south as California to spawn. As the season goes on the average size of our Chinook grow, until the first few weeks of August where we see our peak run of Chinook salmon in the 40-80lb range.
Silvers are considered our action fish. We are fortunate enough to have our inlet filled with “blue back” coho (5-8lbers) from mid June to early August. By Mid July our Northern Coho begin to appear and continue increasing in size and numbers until they seem to monopolize the ocean by 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 or 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. We have a similarly consistent fishery for Ling Cod, red snapper (yellow eye rockfish) and rock cod. These fish are present throughout our season.
Refer to the chart for better understanding of how our fish runs overlap.
Duncanby Lodge
