September 16, 2021

KITIMAT RIVER PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Sept 15 Eric Kuiack proudly holding 2 of the 4 Coho he landed on our evening Driftboat Trip on the Kitimat River. Eric hooked and fought 7 Coho during our drift. Eric only found out at the last minute that he would be not be working so he booked last minute. Sometimes our best fishing trips are made when opportunity presents itself.
Well done Eric. Congratulations on your catch. Thank You for using our Guide Services. It was fun fishing with you.

Sept 17 Clayton Simmons proudly holding one of 2 coho he landed fishing with our Pro Guide, Keaton DeMelo on their 1/2 Day evening drift. Congratulations on your catch, Clayton and Thank You for enlisting our Drift Boat Services.

Sept 18 I had the pleasure of Drifting with my good friends Christie Swanbeck, Rick Belmont and his daughter, Launa. We hooked 9 Coho which ranged in various colours and sizes. Our group consisted of very different personalities but we all shared the passion for fishing, quick wit and having fun. This was one of those occassions, when some of the best trips are made at the last minute. Thanks everyone for a very fun fishing trip.

Summary

The Kitimat River is still producing good numbers of Coho albeit mostly in the middle and upper sections. The Kitimat River conditions were excellent this week despite the forecast for lots of rain. The Kitimat River level rose this weekend but at the time of writing this report (Sunday evening), the Kitimat River is in great shape.
This time of the season, the Coho will start to stack up in the pools and runs in the middle and upper sections. With every bump in river level, the Coho will move up closer to their eventual spawning areas. When the river level drops the Coho will be all grouped up. When you find them, catch them while you can because the next bump in river level will move them again and then it is Hide and Seek all over again.
Good Luck and Stay Safe

Of all the campaigns I have been involved in, I am the most passionate about the Nick Hopwood Campaign.
Kelly Marsh (Head of Kitimat Search and Rescue) said it best in an email to me and our group, “I recently mentioned to Carolyn that I have seen a marginal improvement in PFD usage while floating on the Kitimat. The success of your, the KSAR Prevention Committee as well as other’s work unfortunately can never be truly measured, however I can see the needle is moving in the right direction”. Well said Kelly.
I love the Kitimat River and love to fish her. There have been 5 deaths on the Kitimat River in the last 15 years. Although ,as Kelly says, we will never truly be able to measure our efforts but we all agree that 5 deaths is too many. The current fatality rate is one every three years. This is year 2 since Nick’s passing. If this Campaign and other efforts can help prevent another death in year 3, we will have beat the current statistical fatality rate on the Kitimat River.
I could not imagine being Nick’s parents or the grief of the fiancé to the pontooner who got caught in the log jam below 18 mile bridge or the anguish of husband and son of the mother who drowned when their family canoe tipped over or the sorrow of the family of the gentleman from Rocky mountain House or the family of the man collecting lures and was never found.
The Nick Hopgood Campaign is the product of a lots of the hard work and efforts of Kitimat Search and Rescue, Guides and many others. The most gratifying outcome we all seek is for everyone is act safe and Stay Safe.
I implore all Kitimat River Anglers to embrace the message of the Nick Hopwood Campaign and to please, please wear a wading belt, knife and life jacket.

DOUGLAS CHANNEL

REGULATION CHANGE

Fishery Notice

Category(s):

RECREATIONAL – Fin Fish (Other than Salmon)

Subject:

FN0910-Recreational – Fin Fish (Other than Salmon) – Halibut – In-season Update on Daily Limit

This Fishery Notice supersedes FN0296 to announce an increase to daily limit for halibut measuring under 90 cm in length. The updated Fishery Notice reads as follows:

For 2021, the recreational halibut fishery allocation is 914,750 pounds. The recreational halibut fishery is actively managed to stay within sector's allocation and fishers should watch for subsequent Fishery Notices to announce potential in-season changes. 

The following measures are in effect coast wide as noted below: 

Open time:

Effective at 00:01 hours February 15, 2021, fishing for halibut was opened coast-wide until further notice (See Fishery Notice FN0133 and FN296).

Effective September 11, 2021 until December 31, 2021:

The daily and possession limit for halibut is EITHER of:

---- One (1) halibut measuring 90 cm to 133 cm in length (69 cm to 102 cm head-off),

OR

---- Three (3) halibut, each measuring under 90 cm in length (69 cm head-off).

No person shall retain a halibut greater than 133 cm head-on length (102 cm head-off).

Head-off measurements are made from the base of the pectoral fin at its most forward point to the extreme end of the middle of the tail.

Annual Limit:

No person shall catch and retain more than ten (10) halibut in the aggregate from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.

Licensing:

The 2021/22 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence and Conditions of Licence will be in effect from April 1, 2021 until March 31, 2022. 

All halibut retained by the licence holder between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022 shall be immediately recorded on the 2021/2022 Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Licence, or, if mobile access is immediately available, the licence holder may record catch in the National Recreational Licensing System. The area from which each halibut is caught and its head-on length shall immediately be recorded.

The exceptions to these openings are:

Areas 121: No person shall fish for or retain halibut, rockfish and lingcod in Area 121 outside the 12 nautical mile limit seaward of a line that begins at 48 degrees 34.000 minutes and 125 degrees 17.386 minutes W and continues south easterly at a bearing of 116 degrees True to a point at 48 degrees 28.327 minutes and 125 degrees 01.687 minutes W.

Areas 121: Closed to all finfish, year round in the waters of Swiftsure Bank. Those portions of Subareas 121-1 and 121-2 inside a line that begins at 48 degrees 34.000 minutes N and 125 degrees 06.000 minutes W, then true east to 48 degrees 34.000 minutes N and 124 degrees 54.200 minutes W, then southeasterly to the International Boundary, outer perimeter at 48 degrees 29.618 minutes N and 124 degrees 43.553 minutes W, then westerly following the International Boundary perimeter to 48 degrees 29.605 minutes N and 124 degrees 56.190 minutes W, then northwesterly to the beginning point.

Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) and Glass Sponge Reef (GSR) closures remain in effect - refer to the following web pages for descriptions:

1)RCAs- http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/restricted-restreint-eng.html#rca

2)GSRs- http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/rec/restricted-restreint-eng.html#sponge

Variation Order 2021-RFQ-0496 is in effect.

Anglers are reminded of the mandatory condition of licence for the release of rockfish; all anglers in vessels shall immediately return all rockfish that are not being retained to the water and to a similar depth from which they were caught by use of an inverted weighted barbless hook or other purpose-built descender device.


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Greg Hornby (Regional Manager Recreational Fisheries) - Greg.Hornby@dfo-mpo.gc.ca