Tofino BC Sport Fishing Charters

 Tofino BC's Ultimate Fishing Resource and Outfitter for
Salmon, Halibut, and Steelhead Fishing Charters

Unforgettable Family and Group Fishing Charter Experiences with options for Accommodation Packages, Shared Charters and Last Minute Specials.  Clayoquot Ventures is the trusted leader in Tofino Sportfishing and your ultimate online resource for information on Tofino Vancouver Island BC Sport Fishing Charters, Current Tofino and Ucluelet Fishing Reports, Fishing and Accommodation Packages, and Fishing Tackle.

Operating as Tofino B.C.'s largest Sportfishing company has not diminished our focus from very personal and professional service, immaculately clean vessels and detailed preparation to help create memorable fishing experiences to our many new and repeat guests. The fantastic fishing near Tofino B.C. only helps compliment the whole experience we strive to show our guests. 
 

Clayoquot Ventures Tofino Fishing proudly offers memorable half or full day sport fishing charters as well as multi-day fishing and accommodation packages at our private guest facilities, located in Tofino BC on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Please click here to see our Fishing and Accommodation Packages and check out our Vancouver Island Fishing Outlook for what we expect for this season.

Tofino BC, on Vancouver Islands beautiful west coast, is the gateway to world famous Clayoquot Sound, and some of British Columbia’s finest Saltwater and freshwater fishing. Clayoquot Venture’s team of experienced fishing guides are ready to help create some lasting memories by showing you world class sport fishing for Chinook and Coho Salmon, Halibut and various species of Bottom fish, as well as our famous saltwater fly fishing for Coho Salmon.

Check out some of our very unique and pristine Vancouver Island freshwater fishing opportunities based out of Tofino BC.   Join us as we access one of the remote lakes or streams of the Tofino/ Clayoquot Sound area on Vancouver Island's west coast, for true native Steelhead, abundant Cutthroat Trout as well as trophy class Rainbow Trout.

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“Tofino BC's Most Recommended Saltwater and Freshwater Fishing Outfitter”

Read reviews about Clayoquot Ventures at TripAdvisor.

The Diversity of Tofino and its’ Sport Fishing Options - For years, the Tofino area has been highlighted in publications and media circuits far and wide, with focus often stemming from news of an award winning Resort or eclectic cuisine. Not often these stories go beyond a paragraph or two, before the journalistic prose expands into the Tofino area as a whole and what makes it really unique, so unique that people migrate here annually for Surf, Sand, Spas, Food and Fish.

The diversity of the Tofino area provides an enticement to visitors that is often unrivaled by communities of similar size, not only in British Columbia, but on a world-wide scale. Amenities and attractions, natural beauty and adventure, open Pacific and protected inlets to enjoy, explore and Fish.

The word “diversity” is key when one considers the varied tourism options in the Tofino area, but it also very much defines the area’s popular Sport fishing opportunities. Consisting primarily of Saltwater fishing, the options stretch year-round, with species, seasons and run timing blending and overlapping on the calendar and in the water. Salmon provide the largest interest for local and visiting anglers for year round action, with spring summer and early fall providing the appealing combination of fair weather and multitudes of salmon runs traveling through local waters. Primarily Chinook and Coho, with a mix of Pink, Sockeye and Chum Salmon destined for home rivers all over the Pacific Northwest, salmon fishing in the Tofino area waters can provide a mix of fish from literally hundreds of rivers.

Not only is the origin of these species varied, but the techniques and territory follow suit to keep it interesting. Trolling for Salmon dominates the method category, but Fly fishing, Mooching, Jigging and Buck-tailing all capture a share of the angler interest base. These varied techniques can take place in the open offshore waters or protected inlets, and also among the Islands, Reefs, Kelp beds and Sand bars of the now famous Clayoquot Sound. When fishing the outer coastline or open water near Tofino, most of the previously mentioned angling methods can also be applied to the most diverse group of fish in local waters. Many Bottom fish species that can be caught along the West Coast of Vancouver Island are known to have many fascinating shapes and colors, as well as some that reach amazing sizes. Pacific Halibut and Lingcod are often on the anglers’ wish list as a prime catch, and can also frequent many recipes books for their exquisite table fair. Fascinating Rock fish species adorn the offshore reefs in various depths, and one can only guess which color or sub-species will come to the surface each time on your hook and line.

As Salmon travel and feed through the inshore waters near Tofino during the late season, anglers can expect phenomenal action in a safe and pristine setting, primarily for Coho Salmon, while carefully releasing any precious Chinook Salmon that are encountered. The river habitat for local spawning salmon is still very much intact, with magnificent old growth rainforests adorning some river valleys of the sound, while others have had significant habitat restoration work done to enhance and stabilize spawning areas. These rivers are home to a variety of birds, mammals and insects, but also host popular sport fish such as Steelhead, Cutthroat Trout and Rainbow Trout. Being caught only on artificial flies and lures, this catch and release fishery provides a great experience with a very limited impact on the pristine habitat or health of the fish.

With a diversity of options for anglers and non-anglers alike, the Tofino area has an appeal that suits most who visit, and the many that re-visit time and time again.

West coast Vancouver Island Saltwater Salmon Fishing - Trolling for Salmon is the most common approach in the Tofino-Ucluelet area. We use Scotty Downriggers to get our gear down to the right depth, rigged with a release clip mechanism to fight the fish on the rod and reel, completely free of the Downrigger.  Most often, we troll for Salmon with a 10.5 ft rod made by Sage, G.Loomis or Shimano, and single action-direct drive reels made by Islander Reels right here on Vancouver Island. As a back up, we also travel with Shimano's new version of the GT Moocher just released for the 2010 fishing season. These smooth reels are normally loaded with 30 lb. test main line in the early part of the season, and uploaded to 40 lb. test main line for the largest Salmon of the year in August and early September. We will occasionally troll some extra gear in the right conditions, which is when the single action reels made by Shimano come into play. Flashers are common as an attractor, with Spoons, Plugs and Hoochies common imitators. Baits such as Anchovy, Herring and Sardines are used as often as any type of lure for our Salmon Fishing. A similar approach is used for Salmon fishing on Offshore as well as Inshore waters of the Tofino/Clayoquot Sound area, with the main difference is that Offshore we will fish as deep as 200 feet for salmon, while inshore Salmon fishing often sees a maximum depth of 70 feet. We do have high quality Penn International and Abu level wind reels ready to go for those of you that are “all thumbs” and prefer to not fish Salmon with single action style reels. Upon your request, we are also able to jig fish for Salmon with fair to good success, so if this is your preferred approach, we can plan for this type of salmon fishery as well.

Vancouver Island Halibut Fishing - With an average size of 18-45 lbs. and many fish larger, we approach our Halibut fishery with gear that is light enough for a great experience, but strong enough to ensure that you are on the winning end of the battle. We use one piece rods made by Shimano, and level wind reels made by either Penn or Shimano. These reels are loaded with 80-100 lb test Tuff Line, a thin braided Dacron line that does not allow any stretch, especially when setting the hook on a Halibut that is 150 - 200 ft. under the boat.

Monofilament leaders in the 100-180 lb. range rigged with tandem 8/0 Octopus style hooks are common to fish fresh baits for Halibut. Fighting belts are always ready for those that need the extra support, especially when involved in lengthy battles with a “Barn door” like the 170 lb. Halibut that took Jay and guests over 2 hours. Our vessels are equipped to deal with all sizes of Halibut, with necessary gaff hooks, Harpoons and Ropes. If you have heard the stories about Halibut being lazy fish and not much fun to catch?,,, let us help you latch on to a 60 lb. "Butt" and then tell us what you think, while your heart is pumping and your arms are aching ;)  Great fun and great eating!! Though the Biomass of Pacific Halibut is strong and the retention limits for Sport Fishing in B.C. are quite conservative compared to the commercial fishery, we do support sustainable minded anglers who choose to release the largest fish encountered, as the survival rate is high for these large female spawners.

Tofino area's Inshore Saltwater Fly fishing - For this exciting fishery that has helped label our home waters of Tofino/Clayoquot Sound the premier area on the B.C. Coast, we fly fish by either casting sink tips or Buck tailing with a skip fly on the surface. Using top quality Fly Reels such as the LX 3.8 by Islander, and fast action 8 wt. rods by Sage and G.Loomis, our guests’ experience is enhanced by using only the best.

For our guests that choose to bring their own Fly fishing equipment, we suggest a good quality 7 to 9 weight fly rod with reel capable of holding at least 100 yards of 30 lb. backing for the great variety of powerful fish that we encounter. Fly lines ranging from 200 to 450 grains will cover most situations. Recommended #4-1/0 flies include baitfish streamers and clousers, as well as shrimp imitations to tempt Coho and Chinook Salmon, Rockfish and Ling Cod. Our Fly and Tackle shop boasts a great selection of the area’s most productive patterns for casting and Bucktailing as well as a good stock of the high quality rods and reels that we use when outfitting clients.

  The 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons unfolded to be some of the best Coho Fly fishing in over a decade for the Tofino area, and the forecast for the 2011 season unfolded to be all that we expected. 2012 looks to be another huge Salmon year for Southern B.C. waters, and most specifically for the waters along the west coast of Vancouver Island. We look forward to introducing you to an exciting way to catch Salmon in our protected waters near Tofino. This fishery is suitable for all types of anglers, regardless of your experience level or age.

Coastal Vancouver Island Fly in Lake Fishing - From May through late October, the small mountain lakes that we fish primarily have a healthy population of Rainbow Trout in the 1-6 lb. range, and Cutthroat Trout normally 12-20 inches. We are keen to host anglers who prefer either Fly fishing or light tackle, and therefore are prepared to outfit you with either type of gear. As these fisheries are 100 % catch and release, we do not fish any bait, and carefully release all fish, allowing for a quick photo to retain the memory forever. Most often on these small sized lakes, we’ll fish a 5 wt. Sage or G.Loomis medium action rod and disc drag reel loaded with type 3 and 6 sink tips and full sink lines. It is not overly common to get dry fly action during the day, unless we are on an overnight excursion where we will get surface activity late in the evening and early in the morning. Damsel Flies, Leeches and Chironomids are all stand-by sub surface flies in the #10-4 sizes. Floating lines and indicators are productive for mid day hatches as well.  For gear anglers, we often use a light or ultra light spinning combo by Shimano loaded with 6 lb main line and 3 or 4 lb. test leader material. Small spoons work well, but small green or black spinners seem to produce the best for terminal tackle. 
 
Vancouver Island remote Steelhead and Fall Salmon Fishing - Our remote river trips for Fall, Winter and Spring Steelhead, as well as returning Fall Salmon are often approached with the same fly rods that we use for our Saltwater Fly fishing for Coho Salmon and Bottom fish species. G.Loomis and Sage 8 wt. Rods are common for the Fly fishing enthusiasts with some water allowing for larger two handed fly rods in the 7/8 and 8/9 class. The same, or similar fly lines as our Saltwater fishery apply to the Steelhead and river Salmon fishing as well, but we also often go with a multi tip fly line system to cover various types of water by changing a sink tip, and not the whole spool. We normally use a 4-6 foot leader tipped with 8 lb test, with Flies that range from big and buggy to big and flashy. This fishery doesn’t have a very subtle approach with small flies, in fact, we want to attract as much attention as possible. Rabbit Strip leeches, Prawns and similar marabou attractors fill most of our fly boxes, with more patterns utilizing tinsel for the Fall Salmon fishing. An exception to the big fly approach is when we approach water that is common to hold good numbers of trout, then we will have you cast a small streamer on a 5 weight sink tip line. Certain streamers like the Kiwi Muddler has been known to tempt a number of Steelhead to test the 5 wt. rod and 4 lb. test tippet. We do fish terminal tackle if you choose, but like our lake fishing excursions, these trips are 100 % catch and release, so we do not fish any bait and release all fish as carefully as possible. For Steelhead and Fall Salmon tackle, we use 10-10.5 ft medium/light rods by G.Loomis and Shimano, loaded with 10 lb test spinning reels or level wind reels if you choose. The Gibbs #35 Koho Spoon is one of our standby pieces, as well as a custom tied Rabbit Strip or Marabou jigs under a float. With all of these flies and lures, it is mandatory that we fish a single, barbless hook outlined in the freshwater regulations.

Tofino, Vancouver Island
British Columbia Canada

Sport Fishing Charters and Accommodations

Full service Fly & Tackle outfitter for Tofino and Ucluelet

If you're going...

By Ken Schultz,

Former Fishing Editor
ESPN Outdoors

There is so much to explore in the Tofino area that a few days doesn't allow you to get it all in, especially if you're fishing much of that time.

Getting there: Tofino is reached by air from Vancouver; by taking a ferry from Vancouver and driving up Vancouver Island from Victoria via Nanaimo; and by flying to Nanaimo and renting a car for an interesting up-and-down three-hour drive over winding roads and beautiful country.

Angling: Clayoquot Ventures Tofino Fishing  ( Call1- 888-534-7422; www.tofinofishing.com; or email jay@tofinofishing.com) is the place to start. Tofino Fly and Tackle (250-725-2700) is a fully stocked information-central shop on the way into Tofino, and J. Mohl and his colleagues provide a full gamut of fishing services.

This includes offshore salmon and halibut fishing on 23-26 foot cruisers; inshore casting from center console vessels (well suited to fly fishing); river drift fishing for steelhead and salmon; overnight trips to mountain lakes; and fly-in day trips for big trout. Many customers are repeat visitors who stay several days at one of the area's resorts.

Chinook salmon run fairly strong from December through February; fishing then occurs mainly in Clayoquot Sound, since this is the stormy season, although there's some offshore (3 to 5 miles out) action if weather permits. In late March or early April chinook activity picks up and becomes really good offshore from June through summer.

Coho salmon activity gets good inshore in late June and peaks from then through August, tapering off through September. Halibut fishing is best from late April through July.

Steelhead fishing in this part of Vancouver Island takes place from March through May via float plane or boat access in small to medium-sized coastal rivers.

Sea-run cutthroats are possible in late May. Rainbow and cutthroat trout fishing in interior lakes occurs from April through October, with late May through July, and September through early October, being peak times.

Other activities: Opportunities for whale watching, sea kayaking, bird watching, exploring and hiking abound. To explore over 12 miles of beach, plus tidal pools and the temperate rain forest, head along Highway 4 to the Long Beach section of Pacific Rim National Park (250-726-7721; www.parkscanada.gc.ca/pacificrim). The operating season is mid-March through mid-October, with late June through early September peak; vehicle use permits are required.

Lodging: Accommodations in Tofino are many and varied. The cream of the crop is the renowned, award-winning Wickaninnish Inn (800-333-4604; www.wickinn.com), situated on Chesterman Beach. Another "must see" Tofino Resort is the spacious and welcoming Pacific Sands Beach Resort on Cox Bay. (www.pacificsands.com 1-800-565-2322)

More hotel-like but very pleasant is the Best Western Tin Wis Resort (250-725-4445; www.tinwis.com).