By Don Daniels
With the coronavirus situation and dealing with self isolation, the idea of planning for the next family fishing trip is on hold.
One thing we know for sure, the annual fishing license is in effect April 1 to March 31. You may remember the days when vendors sold you a fishing license; you bought your pop and chips and you went fishing.
The Campbell River fishing stores will have a posting on their door with a telephone number or email address to inquire about any tackle purchase and how to get a license if you can’t get it online. Just last month many of the local anglers were hoping that changes would be made to the chinook regulations but history has shown that once a change is made, it doesn’t go back. That was the fact, last year it was catch and release for chinook and that is the case at the moment: catch and release chinook until July and regulations are posted online.
In the month of March, the commercial fishers for herring were getting their numbers of herring and that means lots of herring for salmon. The salmon at the moment are ranging in size from 18 to 23 pounds and, yes, lots of undersize released along with any chinook salmon.
If you think it‘s quiet around Campbell River with most stores closed, it will also be quiet with local salmon fishing activity during the catch-and-release period. On good weather days, a few boats will head out for a trip, set prawn traps or get some crabs and come back in.
Another option is keep your boat at home and wait until July.
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The signs of spring that nature provides are plants that spring up in the creeks like skunk cabbage and soon the yellow broom but it‘s a bit early.
Once we get over self isolation and things get back to normal I will announce a fly tying session but at the moment it will be put on hold. Over the past week I tied up a number of flies and look forward to hitting the lakes, but in the meantime, a number of hours behind the vise at home is far better than being in the hospital. For the folks that have contacted me and will donate their old fly tying kits, let‘s wait until we get the green light to move about and enjoy the fishing activity around Campbell River.