Murphy's Sportfishing Adventures ,
the West Coast of Vancouver Island, B.C.
www.murphysportfishing.ca
www.sportfishing.bc.ca

The British Columbia salmon sport fishery is back!

Let me correct that statement. The British Columbia salmon fishery is back and back in spectacular fashion. There's no denying that over the past few years angling prospects had been pretty bleak in many parts of British Columbia.....but all that has changed, especially along the west coast of Vancouver Island. If any one group or organization is responsible for this amazing comeback success story, it has to be the Sportfishing Institute of British Columbia. Working in partnership with Fisheries and Oceans and the commercial fishing industry, an agreement has been reached where commercial operators target only on pink, chum and sockeye salmon, while coho and chinook stocks are left to sport fishing interests. The Sportfishing Institute of British Columbia, is mainly comprised of tourist operators and members of sport fishing tackle industry. Besides successfully negotiating with the commercial industry, this organization operates private hatcheries and improves fish habitat up and down the coast of British Columbia.

Now let's get into the topic of fishing. How about a day on the salt where you can hook up with fifty to one hundred coho, a dozen or so chinook salmon and enough halibut and ling cod that will have you believing your arms will fall off? That's no fish story, I experienced fishing like that this past summer.

The outfitter to be with is Murphy's Sportfishing Adventures. On this particular trip the lodge's 83 foot floating resort the Daleanne was anchored in Kyuquot Sound, a wilderness location tucked along the northwestern coast of Vancouver Island. The fishing here is awesome to say the least. Trolling with downriggers is the name of the game. The object is to get your dodger and fly combinations down 175 feet to the levels where most chinook are feeding. The problem was that tens of thousands of spunky coho salmon are prowling all levels from the surface down to deep water. These coho are strong and exciting and weigh anywhere between 10 and 20 pounds. The chinook or spring salmon will pull the scales between 10 and 70 pounds. Once you get down to that magic deep water zone, you also have to contend with lunker halibut and ling cod. By the way, the halibut can bury the reading on a weigh scale down past the 250 pound mark.

Murphy's Sportfishing Adventures utilize the Daleanne as a means of following the migrating salmon. During the season, the floating lodge can be found in Ucluelet, Barkley Sound, the Alberni Inlet or Kyuquot. Wherever the salmon fishing is hottest, you can bet you'll find the Daleanne. Owned and operated by David Murphy, Murphy's Sportfishing Adventures is in fact one of the oldest operating guide businesses in the province. When he's not chasing down salmon and bottom fish, this pro is guiding for steelhead on Vancouver Island's Stamp and Gold River. He operates a twelve month of the year business.

I've been dragging salmon lures for more than 30 years and have yet to discover the salmon fishing excitement I experienced with Murphy this past summer at Kyuquot. Besides the fishing, the scenery on the west coast of Vancouver Island is mind boggling to say the least. Bears, eagles and otters are everywhere. The Daleanne is a one of a kind floating lodge. The meals were scrumptious and host and staff were more than accommodating. As for the boats and the guides who operate them, David Murphy has a fleet of large, safe fiberglass models, outfitted with dependable Yamahas. His guides are experienced on not only where to find the fish, but also how to please the guests.

A visit with Murphy's Sportfishing Adventures really can be the sportfishing experience of a lifetime.

Am I going back?......In A Heartbeat!!