 Fishing in Broughton Strait, Jeremy Ferguson photo
Calm Waters around Port McNeill Yet what amazes many anglers most is the astonishing calm of Port McNeill's Broughton Archipelago, BC's largest marine park. Fisherfolk who prefer calm to the turbulence of open waters call Port McNeill their second home.
Big Fish Size counts in these parts: the record Chinook salmon caught locally weighed in at 39k/68lb. Halibut have come in as large as 119k/264lb and ling cod in the vicinity of 27k/72lb.
Landing the Tyee For newcomers to BC fishing, the gold standard for Chinook salmon is the "tyee", in Aboriginal parlance, a salmon of 13.60k/30 lb or more. Catch a tyee and join the great BC fishing fraternity.
Freshwater Fishing Freshwater streams, often accessible by logging roads, are prime for trout and winter steelhead fishing. Steelhead, an orange-fleshed member of the trout family, is one of BC's most prized game fish, at the end of a hook or on a fork.
Fishing Charters Code 3 Fishing Charters At Code 3 Fishing Charters, former firefighter Barry Foster takes anglers out 12 months a year, in sun, in rain, in fog, with salmon, halibut and natural grandeur in mind. The beauty of the Broughton Archipelago can be overwhelming. Bald eagles and Orca and Humpback whales are frequent companions. And when a newbie lands a spring salmon, says Foster, it's just impossible not to smile.
Leisure Suit Charters Port McNeill's half a dozen charter fishing companies offer year-round freshwater and saltwater fishing trips. The enterprising Leisure Suit Charters reaches out to anglers who "spin, cast, drift, troll, spey or fly fish". A company specialty is winter run steelhead fishing from heated driftboat or walk-and-wade expeditions on rugged North Island rivers.
Fly Rod Outfitters Fly Rod Outfitters extends the winter portfolio to steelhead, coastal cutthroat, char, and rainbow and brown trout.
Heli-Fishing West Coast Helicopters introduces another dimension with heli-fishing excursions to remote locations. Its fishing folio encompasses all fives kinds of salmon, steelhead, two species of trout and Arctic char, the latter a rare delight and super game fish. A worst day of heli-fishing will be the best day of an angler's life, the fly boys promise.
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