PINK FLY FISHING ON THE QUINSAM

Personal disclaimer ~ if you were thinking of joining us with the idea of catching and releasing the fish, I respectfully ask you not to come.  This is a meat fishery.  All Pacific salmon die after spawning; their life force is geared to this.  Thus, if you tire a fish out sufficiently, it could die before spawning, depriving the future generation of another parent.  Also, no person will get to enjoy a wholesome and delicious meal!  Although some organisms downstream will dine on the carcass, they can wait until it dies after spawning.

Meeting place: Parking area before the bridge on Quinsam River Salmon Hatchery Access road.

1. North to Campbell river via hiway 19
2. Left onto hiway 28 (Campbell River road) in Campbell River
3. Left onto Quinsam Road (immediately after Haig-Brown Heritage House on right)
4. Cross river then
5. Left onto Quinsam River Hatchery Access road
6. Park on right just before the bridge by 9:00am.

Personal equipment:

• A valid BC freshwater fishing license, with a salmon tag
• Waders and boots
• Wading stick
• Floatation vest (optional)
• Polarized sunglasses
• Lunch and/or a drink
• A phone or camera to record your catch
• A cool box or similar to keep the catch fresh

Fishing gear:

• Fly rod no lighter that a 7 wt (if possible).
• There are two schools of thought as to how to approach this fishery,

o   Use a weighted leader, a relatively short tippet and an unweighted fly.

o   Use a floating leader, long tippet and weighted fly.

o   I started my pink fishing with the first system, but now I fish the second.  My reasoning is that the heavy system can get the leader stuck on rocks (the Campbell) and one could lose a great length of equipment.  On the other hand, the weighted fly can also get stuck, but one’s chance of recovering it are higher and even if one can’t, it’s only the tippet and fly that need replacing.

• As for the tippet, I use exclusively fluorocarbon, 10 – 15# depending upon my mood at the time; the fish are not leader shy and not that big, but they are fresh from the sea and the rocks can damage the line.
• Flies for pink salmon are generally pink, and weighted; the vast majority of pinks that I have hooked, have been right on the bottom of the water.  And at least one exception to the colour is the blue-over-green streamer (AKA Kelsey’s Hope).  I tie most of my pink flies on #6 circle hooks (Mustad C71S SS); I also tie some on stainless straight hooks, #8 and #10.  The gape on the last is the same as the #6 circle.  Circle hooks reduce the amount of foul-hooking and usually, the number of fish that demonstrate the long line release; but it is NOT a guarantee.

Necessary skill:

• Because the river is fairly small, you do not require any long distance casting prowess.  However, you must know how to roll cast; most of the casting situations on the river have you with your back to the trees or bushes.  Even with some space behind one, a back cast is risky (you don’t need to ask how I know this!)

See you there:

Nigel