Vancouver Island
Since Roderick Haig-Brown first began publishing his fly-fishing adventures in the 1950s, or maybe even since Captain George Vancouver explored the Pacific coast in the late 1700s, Vancouver Island has been recognized for its fine fishing for Pacific salmon, steelhead, and trout. As Haig-Brown noted in later years, many fisheries have declined, but there are still good fly-fishing opportunities somewhere on Vancouver Island 12 months of the year. The trick is to be at the right place at the right time.
If I had to pick only eight rivers to fish on Vancouver Island, the Gold, Stamp, and Cowichan rivers would take the top three spots because of their strong steelhead runs. My first choice would be the Cowichan because it also has brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout. The Marble, White, and Mahatta rivers would make the top six and the San Juan and the Nitinat rivers complete the list because they are conveniently located near Victoria. Exploring these eight watersheds—and learning their secrets in all the seasons—would take a lifetime, but hopefully I can help shorten your learning curve.
Island Steelhead
Summer steelhead may be Vancouver Island’s most treasured gamefish. They often hold in clear water in green canyons where you can sight-fish to them. Most of the best summer steelhead streams are on the west side of the island with a source of cool lake water. Summer steelhead arrive as early as the last week of May, but most runs peak in June. Unlike summer-run steelhead on the mainland, summer runs on the island taper off by late July and few fish enter fresh water in the fall. Many summer steelhead migrate quickly through their home rivers to reach headwater lakes, and then settle back into the river in the fall and early winter. Others hole up in canyon pools all summer and fall and only migrate to gravel runs before spawning in late winter.
Winter steelhead. Unfortunately, most of the streams on Vancouver Island’s east coast are closed during the winter due to low numbers of returning steelhead. They disappeared suddenly in the early 1990s, right after El Nino’s tropical currents brought warm water close to the coast. Steelhead fishing in famous rivers like the Campbell River is now just a memory. Other rivers similarly affected are the two Qualicum rivers, and Puntledge, Oyster, Englishman, Nanaimo, Keogh, and Cluxewe rivers. The Cowichan and the Salmon rivers are the only east-coast steelhead streams that retain quality winter steelhead fishing.
The Campbell River was the home water of author Roderick Haig-Brown and the topic of many of his essays on fly fishing. The Campbell no longer has quality steelhead fishing but sometimes has spectacular fishing between August and November for trout and salmon. Anglers should visit the Campbell if for no other reason than to fish on hallowed waters. The Island Pool and the Fence Line Run were two of Haig-Brown’s favorites for steelhead, salmon, and cutthroat trout. These classic pools beg to have a fly swung through them and there are always a few sea-run cutthroat around. Be sure to visit the Haig-Brown House, which is a provincial heritage site and open to the public.
Cowichan Trout
The Cowichan River is a 40-minute drive north of Victoria. It is the finest trout stream on the island with native cutthroat trout as well as rainbow and brown trout and—during the winter and early spring—wild steelhead. The best fishing for resident trout is in the upper seven miles of the river below Cowichan Lake.
The best trout fishing on the Cowichan is between October and December and again in April and May. Some of the best fishing is in October and November when trout feed on the eggs of spawning salmon. Dead-drift a peach, pink, or orange Glo-Bug tied on a #6-8 short-shank egg hook behind obvious salmon spawning areas and in the dark water downstream where trout are likely to hold.
Fishing slows in late December and stays that way during February and March when rainbow and cutthroat trout spawn. You can target the Cowichan’s large browns at this time of year but they are hard to catch.
Although there are many mayfly, caddis, and stonefly species in the Cowichan, only a few are important. Golden Stoneflies are the first large insects to hatch. Most of the rainbows are still on their spawning beds when the hatch occurs but brown trout relish them, as do the cutthroat trout that seem to spawn earlier than the rainbows. Randall Kauffman’s Stimulator (#6-8) in orange, amber, and yellow are effective imitations. Since these flies often skitter across the surface, skating flies is sometimes effective.
Western March Browns (Rithrogena morrisoni) are the most important mayfly on the Cowichan. March Browns start hatching in the early afternoons in April and continue into May. On cool, cloudy days, the hatch may start between 1 and 2 P.M. and continue for several hours. On warm, sunny days the hatch starts earlier and may be as short as one hour. The duns emerge from the nymphal shuck on the river bottom and are buoyed to the surface by tiny air bubbles, so prior to and during the hatch use #12-14 Western March Brown soft hackles dead-drifted or swung slowly to the surface in deep pools. Duns can be important in current seams and eddies where they collect, but the late afternoon or evening fall of #14 orange-brown spinners is the most important event for trout anglers.
There are many tiny Blue-winged Olives in the spring but they seldom trigger a rise. Western Green Drakes sometimes bring trout to the surface in May or early June, but Grannom caddis (#12-14) provide the most consistent dry-fly action on the Cowichan. The caddis hatch begins about mid-April and peaks near the end of the month. It’s not unusual to see both caddis and March Brown mayflies on the water at the same time.
Large (#14) black flying ants bring the trout to the surface every year but timing this “hatch” is more difficult than with aquatic insects. The ant activity usually starts during the first hot spell of May but can arrive as late as June if the weather is wet and cool. The annual ant event is short and offers about a week of good surface fishing.
The Cowichan has a good supply of crayfish, and brown trout eat them when they are available in smaller sizes. There is no question, however, that the brown trout prefer to eat salmon fry and small steelhead smolts. Big browns, up to 30 inches, will gulp down a 10-inch rainbow.
In mid to late May the water drops rapidly in the Cowichan and most of the larger trout migrate into the lake. A cool spring delays this migration until mid June. Some trout spend the summer months near cool, underground springs entering the upper river, but I leave these fish alone if the water temperature exceeds 68 degrees F.
Winter steelhead enter the Cowichan in late December and fresh 7- to 15-pound fish keep arriving right through March. The early fishing is better in the lower river near Duncan and the middle river along River Bottom Road. The upper river (above Skutz Falls) fishes best after the middle of February.
Private land surrounding the Cowichan makes drifting the river in a raft, pontoon, or drift boat the most popular form of access, but there is foot access to the river along the Cowichan River Footpath in Cowichan River Provincial Park. Maps are available at the park or on-line at http://wlapwww.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/.
Copyright © 2012 Intermedia Outdoors
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