September 2021
Late summer offers visiting fishers a range of options on the West coast of Vancouver Island. September is a great month to cruse the protected inlets of Clayoquot Sound near Tofino for schools of Coho salmon that frequent the shallow sandbars of the Sound. Depending on conditions Coho can be caught on the troll, trolled bucktail fly and can sometimes be targeted by casting or fishing live needlefish. When conditions line up we can often scoop needlefish while the diving birds and fish are pushing the schools to the surface, we can then drift and fish the needlefish live. This is a great light tackle option when conditions are favorable. A typical September half day trip is comprised of Coho fishing, sightseeing and potentially a bit of a bottomfish for rockfish and Ling cod. We also keep a Dungeness crab trap in the harbour. On a full day charter we will often set out to the highly productive offshore reefs to the west of Tofino. Lingcod, rockfish and halibut can be found on the rocky bottom, all of which are great eating fish. We can prepare some of your catch so you can cook it while in Tofino, there are also fish processing options available at the dock so you can enjoy your catch for the months to come. Depending on when the first fall rains come the first week or two of September can be productive for Chinook along the outside edge of the Island. Healthy hatchery populations from Robertson Creek in the Alberni Valley will stage and feed in the near shore waters waiting for rain that will swell the rivers. We do have fairly good availability at time of writing (early Aug) for fishing dates in September and we do have a line on some accommodation that can be booked with a multi day charter package. In the event that the Albacore Tuna do come into the inside zone of Clayoquot Canyon, there is the option to upgrade a full day charter to a Tuna trip providing the offshore weather is good the day of the trip. Please contact us for further details.
Lochie MacKenzie
Head Guide
Lochie@tofinofishguides.com
