Sport fishermen need to observe many rules to ensure the sustainability of the steelhead and other fish in Canada. According to the Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia, the Code of Conduct includes limiting your catch, handling fish with care, using correct tackle and methods, obeying fishing and boating laws, securing a fishing license and other rules. Pack the fish to ensure quick identification, counting and measurement. If a maximum size limit is in effect, keep the head and tail intact on the body. Keep the skin on each fillet for identification.
Suggested equipment for steelhead fishing on Vancouver Island includes 10 to 10.5 foot medium-light rods, and four to six foot leaders tipped with a 10-pound test spinning reel or level wind reel. Consider flies ranging from large and insect-like to large and shiny. Use a single, barbless hook.
If considering a package vacation, inquire with the outfitters if you need to bring your own boots and waders.
Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, Port Alberni's nearby Stamp and Somass River system offers both hatchery and wild returning steelhead. The fishable part of the river system extends for 15 miles. For summer and fall steelhead can be fished from July through early December. Winter steelhead return to home rivers from the first week in December to late March. The peak run extends from December 20 to mid-February. The lower Stamp River has more hatchery and winter-run steelhead; the middle and upper river has more wild summer-run steelhead.
The best fly fishing may occur in the fall, from early October to mid-November with cooler water and better flows. Steelhead will feed in preparation for the winter. Smaller streams may offer great winter fly fishing.
Campbell River, located on the east coast of central Vancouver Island, offers some of the best water for year-round steelhead fishing. The steelhead runs peak in February, March, April and May. Consider fishing charters that include a guide who knows the best fishing spots. Packages can include a customized vacation for well-experienced anglers and novices eager to learn fly fishing skills. Outfitters can equip with waders, fishing tackle and other necessities.
In 2010, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) lists Steelhead in British Columbia as a Group 1 High priority candidate. The steelhead fish population is suspected of being endangered. COSEWIC still needs to assess current information to designate the steelhead's conservation status.
