3. Rivers Inlet
You come to Rivers for the wall king, not
to fill a freezer, although that too is now an
option.
Rivers is a BC legend, a 30-mile long
fjord into ruggedly beautiful mountains of
old growth to a roadless end on the remote
mainland. The inlet is fed by snow-melt
rivers legendary for producing the genetics
to grow giant kings and coho. Most lodges
don’t open until late June, close in September
and go crazy for 40 days at the peak of the
big kings. The heyday for Chinook in the
80-pound range is past, but Rivers is still one
of the best bets on the planet to experience
50 to 60 pounders.
Lodge, accommodations and rates range
from deluxe to self-guided, and are spread
out along the length of the inlet. Only in
the compressed trophy area at the inlet
head is there a concentration of lodges. The
celebrated tyee fishery includes guided and
self-guided mooching under a scum of glacial
silt for a chance at a seven-year-old wall
hanger. The 6- and 7-year old wall fish accli-
mate beneath the glacier water before moving
into Kilbella, Chuckwalla, and Wannock
rivers. Two tyee runs. Kilbella and Chuck-
walla Chinook in early June. Biggest tyees are
on the second wave mid- to late-July, peak
mid-August. How big? Commercial trollers at
32
www.travelinganglermagazine.com
2. Hakai Pass
On the north end of Calvert Island,
350 miles north of Vancouver,
Hakai Pass is a famous for aggres-
sive spurts of kings in June and July,
coho mid-July into September and
a peak overlap in July. No commer-
cial competition. Dozens of runs of
mature salmon funnel through here
migrating from the ocean toward
spawning rivers on the Inside Passage.
Scenery is spectacular, the fishery
kicker boat pure, self-guided with
roving fish masters. Top salmon areas
are near-shore and wind protected.
Lodges comfortably unpretentious.
Because Hakai targets pass-by runs
and is not dependent on local fish,
catches are consistently steady during
the migration seasons with some
ups and downs between runs. A few
Hakai-caught Chinook will be 50 to
70 pounders headed for Rivers Inlet
and Dean River. Good numbers of
20- to 30-pound kings, and 12- to
20-pound silvers in peak seasons.
More than 150 square miles of
protected water to fish and only three
scattered floating lodges to share
it. The lodges arrange float-plane
shuttles from Vancouver/Richmond and Port
Hardy.
the mouth reported catching a 126-pounder.
An 83-pounder was caught and released not
to many years ago and 81-pound hatchery
king has been verified. One head-of-the-inlet
resort boasts that a season of kings brought
to its dock averaged 47 pounds, and most
years averaged 40.
Coho from mid-June to late September.
Twenty-fish days not uncommon. Pass-by
fisheries at Fitz Hugh Sound for migrating
kings, coho, pinks, chums, halibut, lings and
bottomfish.
1. Hakai
Pass
Inlet
2. Rivers
M I L BA N K E
SOUND
1
2