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Fishing – FISHING CAPITAL
Friday, June 12th, 2009 by GetawayBC.com
“Welcome to God’s country,” is an old saying in B.C., but in Campbell River you might hear, “Welcome to cod country.”
Well, maybe not, but the city is widely regarded as the Salmon Capitol of the World – step aside Port Alberni and Ketchican, the River City even comes up first in an online search! True, there are still plenty of cod to be caught in the local waters, but salmon fishing is what put Campbell River on the map. You may want to check out the Museum at Campbell River or Painter’s Lodge to get a true essence of the history of sport fishing in this area.
Visit the museum to see an array of classic angling gear and Painter’s Lodge has a wonderful collection of black and white photos of Hollywood’s original stars – such as Bob Hope and John Wayne – who loved fishing for salmon here.
In Campbell River you can fish from Discovery Pier, a rowboat near the river mouth, or from a well-equipped power boat. You can also don waders and fish for pink salmon from shore – beside the Big Rock or further south at Oyster Bay – during the late summer and early fall.
And when the salmon aren’t biting, head out to the local lakes and streams to cast for rainbow and cutthroat trout.
Make sure to check out the local regulations and to buy a licence for both salt and freshwater fishing. Regulation booklets and licences are available at the local tackle shops.;