There are a number of fishing opportunities around Campbell River and this month is in full gear during the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing.
You can fish for springs, coho and pinks in Discovery Passage. We are one week into the Tyee season in the pool and those who row and fish in the pool will be out early morning and late evening in hopes of getting a Tyee fishing with a spoon or plug and giving bragging rights to the rower when a Tyee is brought into the boat. I recently met with Tyee Club president Roger Gage who has been fishing since the 70’s and this year is his first year as president. COVID-19 has forced some changes and members who travel from the U.S.A. will not be coming across the border to fish, the clubhouse will be closed to the public and a membership table will be set up outside to get registrations and do the weigh-in with salmon caught on-site, also the number of people in a boat will be kept to a minimum. Roger had mentioned that the club is more than socializing and fishing; they work with the Campbell River Salmon Foundation and the salmon hatchery in tracking fish data. The club is working with the City of Campbell River to readjust plans for future clubhouse plans. The Tyee club will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024. The Tyee pool is closed to motor traffic July 15 to Sept. 15 and signs are posted both on and off the water. Over the years there have been anglers and rowers who have not hit the scale with a 30-pound plus Tyee.
We are past mid-month and the weather has been iffy, to say the least but as warmer weather arrives, the fishing has picked up and with Chinook, coho and pinks around, action has been steady. Of course, during the pandemic times, the social distancing continues around marinas and boat launches. The first pinks were caught at the wharf at Kelsey Bay in Sayward; first reports of pinks being caught began July 3 and the action will increase well into August. Social distancing is in full tilt and the gift shop and wharf washrooms are closed.
Discovery Pier here in Campbell River has no rod rentals this year and you must have a license to fish, and yes the size limit of 80 cms for chinook salmon remains in the regulations. The Campbell River is full of pinks and local tackle stores will sell an abundance of pink lures and flies and the Campbell River can eat up lures at a fast rate and is hard on the pocketbook.
Retired fishing guide Bob Gordan tied up a number of flies and I got out in one of the pools and got into a number of cutthroat trout and now I can change over and go for pinks.
I met a few guys fishing on the Campbell River and they wanted to fish a local lake on the fly and they wanted to know what fly to use? I call the fly Ankle Biter and you might be surprised what it imitates when it comes to annoying insects.
I expect the pinks will be smaller in size this year but the crowds getting out will be larger as people get out and enjoy fishing in our area lakes and rivers.