With my Dad visiting from Ontario, I have been eagerly anticipating the much needed rain to freshen Vancouver Island streams. The extended drought has provided an interesting beach fishery, but, with some recent rains I loaded up the boat, called my Brother in Nanaimo and prepared to make the run down the washboard to the Nitinaht River. We arrived at the launch above the bridge heading for Bamfield to sunshine and excellent water levels. Dad and my brother are not fly aficionados and began to flog the water as I worked the driftboat slowly down the river. It didn’t take long until Dad was tight to a coho…but, the elation was short lived. Rolling and twisting as coho do, she came free of the barbless hook. We worked the hole hard, but found no other players at this location and soon continued down the flow. We all worked the various pools hard and while I was at the oars, my Dad and Brother, intently followed my instructions for cover all the water that was available. You just never know what may be laying around the next corner cosied up to a log or undercut bank. It soon became clear that there weren’t the numbers of salmon I had come to expect in the Nitinaht River. There were scatterings of chum, but, far from thick. Still there were several old warriors to hand to keep Dad and Brother casting with enthusiasm. The most ominous sign was the sheer emptiness of the Hatchery Hole which normally is black with salmon vainly awaiting a return to their former concrete home. As we drifted further down the river, past Red Rock Hole the numbers of chum began to increase. Still, there were no signs of the pods of coho which draw me to the river year after year. After negotiating the S-bends prior to Eagle Run we came across a large log completely across the river, blocking our way. The three of us, however, made short work of hauling the heavy aluminium driftboat around the obstacle to continue our as yet fruitless coho search. As is usual on the Nitinaht River, the wildlife never fails to impress and provided a nice distraction from the hard work of searching seemingly barren waters. From the many eagles from which Eagle Run derives it’s name to the numerous black bears, including two sows with cubs, the Nitinaht River is never a disappointment. A little below Eagle Run, in a small pocket of deep water and logs, Dad again hooked what appeared to be a coho. Again, however, it was gone far too quickly for me to be sure of it’s identity in the deeper, dark water. With lines in the boat, we drifted through Glory Hole Slough scanning for fish. Aside from the groups of calico chum, no coho pods appeared and no coho were jumping. Reaching Sturgeon Hole, a jetboat was in place and warming up for departure. We exchanged pleasantries and enquired as to their luck. Much like our own, they had hooked several chum and one coho. Biding us ‘Good day!’ they headed for the entrace to Nitinaht Lake at a pace I cannot rival with mere oars. We fished the well wooded channels of Sturgeon Hole through to Carcass Hole with very few decaying salmon on the bottom, despite the name. Very soon the entrance to the lake came into view. Suddenly, I see a bright coho roll fresh in from the lake. Down goes the anchor and everyone is casting with the enthusiasm that comes from witnessing the object of our search in the last of the fishable water. It only takes three casts and I hook up a pretty bright fish I’m certain is a coho. After several spirited runs I lead not a coho, but a bright chum to the boat. The priest delivers last rights and soon he’s on his way home with us to become ‘Indian Candy’…a suitable reward for the valiant effort we have made probing every likely nook and cranny the lower Nitinaht River has to offer. My Dad and Brother relax in their respective seats as I begin the labourious row across Nitinaht Lake to the take-out. While far from a roaring success, all are satisfied with a great day spent out of doors on a beautiful river awash in fall colours. We too, like the salmon, bears and eagles, will return.
Floating the Nitinaht River, Vancouver Island
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