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By: Samuel Bard-Stone on Tue Apr 29, 2008

Vancouver Island is a large fly fishing paradise, with well over 50 prime streams for fly-fishing, and a veritable treasure trove of species available to the eager angler and amateur fly-fisherman alike. If you’ve heard fly fishing buddies speaking of the great fly-fishing to be found on Vancouver Island or BC fly fishing in general, believe it, but know that it’s not as easy as hitting a stream and reeling them in. Because of the varied terrain and trickiness of some of the rivers, you’ll need to be either well-prepared or have the expert hand of a guide by your side. With a little bit of applied smarts, you’ll be able to make your first fly-fishing trip to Vancouver Island a memorable one, indeed, and get a small taste of just how good fly fishing in Canada can be.

Vancouver Island Fish & Time of Year

Winter Steelhead: Depending on the location, they can be found from December to May, and certainly January to March. Summer Steelhead are present in most streams from May to the beginning of October. Chinook have a relatively short season, from August to September. The Coho are late fall fish, from September to November, and Pink can be found in the midst of summer, from July to August, while Chum are present from October to November.

Rainbow Trout are available year-round, but you’ll only find them in certain rivers and lakes. (Best to check with a guide.) Brown Trout are also present year-round, and only found in certain rivers and lakes. Sea Run Cutts are present year-round, but you’ll need the experience of a local guide to help you find them. Finally, the Small Mouth Bass is available in the spring and the fall.

Guides
Fly-fishing on Vancouver Island won’t always require a guide, but given their carefully honed and time-tested knowledge of conditions and the region, they’ll be able to beest consult you on matters like stream techniques, fly patterns and seeking out the fish. If you have plenty of time and a bit of skill, you’ll be able to get away without a guide, by building up knowledge of fly fishing conditions yourself. Basically, if you have a limited amount of time in which to fly fish on Vancouver Island, get a guide.

Steelhead
As there are summer and winter Steelhead on Vancouver Island, you’ll need to think about just what kind of steelhead you’ll be fishing before you decide what equipment to bring. In larger rivers, spey, 8, and 9 conventional rods will do.

For Summer Steelhead, I’d avoid any lighter rods, like a 6, because is stresses the fish. Stick with a 7 or 8 weight rod, a dry line, and a few 6 or 9 foot sink tips. Vary the sink rates, too.

If you’re planning on summer steelhead fishing on your own, plan to stay at least a week. During that time, you’ll be able to explore at least two rivers. Fishing without a guide, you’ll also need to be a bit savvy – talk to locals, or consult with any friends or acquaintances you might know who’ve been summer steelhead fishing on Vancouver Island.

As for Winter Steelhead fishing, it’s a difficult game in even the best of conditions and regions. If the conditions aren’t as close to perfect as possible, you can easily waste all of your time in a fruitless pursuit for fish that won’t be around, or at the least, will be stubborn and beyond your reach. Winter Steelhead fishing is, therefore, a game for the most experienced of anglers, or at least an angler with an expert guide!

If trout fishing is your bag, be aware that Vancouver Island isn’t nearly on the same level trout fishing is in the Caribou region, around Kamloops, although there are some alright spouts. The Cowichan River, around Duncan, provides fine large brown trout, as well as rainbow trout fishing, but because Vancouver Island streams aren’t as nutrient rich as some on the mainland, the trout fishing isn’t much to right home about. A nice diversion, but not the main game!

Smallmouth Bass are present in a couple of Vancouver Island lakes, and smallmouth bass fishing can be a fun way to spend an afternoon.

The Lay of the Land
There’s no general tried and tested rule about which region of Vancouver Island provides the best over-all fly fishing opportunities. Depending on your own skills as an angler, when you travel to Vancouver Island, and just what sort of fish you’re angling for, each region has different benefits. If you’re willing to travel across the island, you’ll be satisfied. Generally, a good bet is that you’ll be able to steelhead fish anywhere inland on the island, but it can be challenging!

How long?
I’ve always recommended that the fly-fisherman spend at least a week on Vancouver Island, especially if you’re into Steelhead fishing. Any less time than that, and you’ll cheat yourself from some of the natural beauty of the area, as well as a chance to get to know the regions, rivers and streams. If time is tight, then you might consider hiring a guide! Overall, Vancouver Island provides breath-taking beauty, above-average fly fishing conditions, and the chance to experience a laid-back West Coast pace that will inform your fishing!