The banks along the river are extremely steep with canyon sections, creating hazards. I noticed that nearly every fish was dark and there were some very large individuals – fifty pounds or more. Join us for west coast river fishing. How do I put it? Muggs and I grew up together in Nelson joyfully catching rainbow trout, kokanee, whitefish and suckers from the docks and boathouses on Nelson’s waterfront on the West Arm of Kootenay Lake. The bears watched every move and were now just barely concealed a metre or so into the bush. However, since the hatchery started producing in 1979, chinook returns have been as high as 50,000 and chums have often topped 1,000,000. A few minutes after I resumed fishing, a bear casually strode between Rick and I who were fishing about 20 metres apart and swam across the NITINAT RIVER – FISHING WITH THE BEARS It was a cool mid-September early morning in 1997. He played it The casting spot beside Harry was little alder flat about 15 m wide that fronted on a slow run about one to two metres deep. The big seine brimmed with big chinooks on every pass. Indeed they had, Muggs had a huge, slightly dark fish of some forty pounds while Harry had a somewhat smaller spring but it was silver bright. On these adventures we offer fishing in a ruggedly, beautiful, wilderness setting with great chances of landing a tyee or huge coho. Call your local ninja because you will need them. The fish and the lure were long gone. While these deep pools within the canyon are closed to anglers, fishing is possible in the area around the Nitinat River bridge pool. Another bear came in for a swim and I decided I’d had enough excitement for the morning so I packed up for awhile and went on a scouting expedition upstream. Only a one star day. Fishing is permitted as per provincial and federal fishing regulations. “Meet me at Glory Slough around first light and we’ll slay them” he said. Prices based on one or two guests per day. The Life and Times of a Rare Biologist Guy, My Days in the BC Fish and Wildlife Branch, Red McKim and the Great Sheep Creek Volcano Hunt. outboard powered pram came up from the Sturgeon Pool and freed the line. I had attempted to clean my fish but the bears edged so close that I gave up and brought it up to the truck. Please read this, General Wildlife, Marine & Outdoor Ethics Information. Fishing. Before too long a couple of guys in an A few pink and sockeye salmon also make an occasional appearance. Muggs and his friend Harry Vissia were a short distance down the river. Keep looking! You will depart early in the morning and travel west to fish this crystal clear mountain stream. The river is fifty to sixty metres wide at this point. Bald eagles, rosevelt elk and black bears can also be seen on this adventure. It was a keeper, a lovely bright female about twenty pounds. I played it for about five minutes before beaching it in a tiny back eddy at the bottom end of the little flat we were fishing from. Access to this park is by active logging roads. Bald eagles, rosevelt elk and black bears can also be seen on this adventure. It joined the fish Muggs and Harry had caught earlier. Take a break for lunch on the shore and enjoy the fantastic scenery. and is subject to rapid runoff response which has been influenced by a long history of hard logging especially in the steep upper basin. That was enough to get Rick and I moving. “Pay no attention,” said Muggs. Nitinat River Fishing. I had temporarily forgotten about the bears. Bears are always around when the salmon are running and feed on the guts that fishermen leave behind. This scenic wilderness park, which protects a variety of rare and endangered plant species, has no developed camping or day-use facilities, aside from a rough, unmaintained route leading from the roadside to the river. Harry hooked a huge bright female that was very strong. for about ten minutes. After about twenty casts, I hooked a good fish. The park protects an important stretch of the Nitinat River system, including spawning grounds of summer steelhead, winter steelhead, sea-run Cutthroat and Rainbow trout, and chum, coho and Chinook salmon. Nitinat River Park can be reached by logging road from the communities of Port Alberni, Cowichan Lake and Port Renfrew. There were a couple of more fish on the beach and the bears were becoming downright obnoxious. Logging trucks have the right of way at all times. Chinook: Aug 25 to Sep 30: 2 per day, only 1 over 77 cm. It ran upstream and across the river then sulked. Fish this wild west coast river for enormous chinooks, steelhead and cutthroat trout. Drivers should use caution and yield to logging trucks; use pullouts whenever possible. We rigged up with pink and white wool set – ups that I had tied up a few days before and headed back down to the river; it was only some fifty metres distant along a faint path. The fish would be taken to the hatchery, stripped of eggs and sperm and the fertilized eggs would incubate in Heath trays over the winter and early spring along with millions of chum eggs, lesser numbers of coho eggs and a few steelhead eggs. The river has always been a reasonable chinook stream and a pretty good but sporadic chum producer. The Nitinat River is home to steelhead, salmon and a variety of fresh water species. And the fish were certainly there. The animal snooped around the other side for a few minutes then came back, hauled out beside us, shook like a dog and walked into the bush. Ted Burns is proudly powered by WordPress Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS). Coho are also down but the Nitinat was never a great coho stream although some of its tributaries are excellent coho habitat. We weighted our line with pencil lead and cast upstream allowing the lure to I supposed it was saying, “This is my fishing spot too”. Relax after a full day of fishing as our guides drive you back through the westcoast forests. There are plenty of spots to … Rick and I raced back to the truck to set up our gear. Nitinat River: upstream of Parker Creek. Low cloud hung in some of the valleys around Cowichan Lake and there were puddles in the potholes on North Shore Road. Share Share. Coho: Aug 25 to Sep 30: 2 per day: Oct 15 to Dec 31: 2 per day: Chum: Sep 18 to Aug 25: 2 per day: Oct 15 to Dec 31: 2 per day KENZIE'S FISHING ADVENTURES — Licenced to Fish 44 Lakes and 11 Rivers — 38 Years of Fishing Experience, Experienced, professional, licensed and insured guides, All fishing equipment (both fly and gear fishing available), 16 foot deluxe, heated drift boat (seating 2 guests per boat), Hearty, “BC style” packed lunch as well as beverages, fruit, and snacks. Of course, Muggs was the last to make his way up the trail and the bears were licking the tails of his fish as they dragged along it. I asked Muggs to take the pram over to see if he could free it but he hooked a fish just then and is generally not inclined to be interrupted while fishing so I continued yanking hoping to somehow get the line loose. I rejoined Muggs and the gang in mid – afternoon. “We’ve got a couple of nice ones already” Muggs offered. I checked out a couple of access routes on the north side of the Nitinat below the hatchery then crossed the river and drove down to the Red Pock Pool where a hatchery crew was netting chinook brood stock with considerable success. Swimmin' with the fishes. I drove the truck at them with the horn blaring and they lurched into the bush but seemingly without great concern. When Rick and I arrived at Glory Slough we were greeted by a delegation of two large black bears that seemed pleased to see us. Current fly fishing conditions are not going to be good today. The Nitinat River carves through this lush forest, creating a series of spectacular falls and quiet pools perfect for viewing steelhead and salmon. There were piles of dung and partly eaten salmon carcasses everywhere. During a campfire ban, smoking is restricted in all public areas of a park or protected area. downstream of Parker Creek, except in the areas and times described below. When wilderness camping, please bring a portable stove for cooking. There was no way I could budge it with my twelve-pound test line and eventually it got into the overhang on the opposite shore and snagged the line. I hooked another fish almost immediately. A few minutes later we heard rustling in the bush behind the fish and watched a black arm reach out from the screen of salmonberry and lady fern and try to hook a fish into the bush. The Nitinat River is home to steelhead, salmon and a variety of fresh water species. Conservation / Wildlife: Nitinat River Provincial Park protects 160 hectares of rainforest and riparian habitat for several endangered species, including threatened plant species such as Scouler’s corydalis and the tooth-leaved monkey flower. We saw our bear friends fade into the bush beside the road as we approached the truck. We all yelled and the bear drifted further back. We were heading to the Nitinat River to meet Muggsy Holmes, my old fishing pal from Nelson. I got the sense that they had been standing near the edge of the road watching Muggs and Harry fishing. Located in a west coast rain forest of douglas fir and western hemlock, the beautiful Nitinat River Provincial Park offers excellent adventures in wilderness hiking and camping, as well as some of the best fishing on the west side of the Island. The river was alive with their rises, rolls and splashes.