We are gearing up for another summer of saltwater guiding and salmon fishing up at Langara Island on the north tip of the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia. As we packed our bags we decided to put together a little list of salmon fishing gear and things that will help anglers and guides as they hit the water this summer for a little salmon fishing.
For new fishing guides we hope this is useful and for those of you just interested in salmon fishing in BC we hope this gives you a little insight into the planning that prepared salmon fishing guides go through to make fishing trips successful!
Here is a few of the useful things that salmon fishing guides up on the BC coast like to use and that we're packing in our bags for this year of guiding on the coast.
In no particular order....
1.
Gamakatsu Hooks - They are worth every penny. The best salmon fishing hooks out there. Buy the bulk packs 4/O or 5/O sizes. We use the reds and the flat finished ones. Stay away from the bright silver Gamakatsus, they tend to tarnish quick in the saltwater.
Gamakatsu website is here.2.
Owner Circle Hooks - Owner makes some mean circle hooks that are awesome for halibut fishing and bottom fishing. Let a hali chew on one of these for a bit, they don't come out.
Owner website is here.3.
Sunglasses - This is a no brainer. Get some good ones. We wear Smiths for no reason other than the have really good polarized lenses for fishing. Keep a back up pair cause if you're like us you'll for sure lose and break a few.
Smith polarized sunnies website is here.4.
Islander Reels - Without a doubt the best saltwater mooching fishing reel out there. Full annodized and machined, they are made in BC. These are what all the boys on the coast fish with.
Island website is here.5.
Waterproof Camera Case - If you don't have one of those indestructible waterproof/smashproof cameras, buy a case, they are $13 and will save you the headache drowning your digital.
Mountain Equipment Co-op has some here.6.
Dry Bags - They're cheap, they're simple and they work. Stuff them full of all the stuff you need to be dry while out on the water. They come in 5 litre to 55 litre sizes. Check out the
Sealine website, they have really nice dry bags good for fishing trips.
7.
Comfy Rainboots - If you are gonna be in a boat guiding 14 hours a day might as well be comfy. Buy some rainboots that are comfy and stay away from steel-toed/shanked boots, they're not comfy. I wear the Viking Yacht boot.
Check them out on the Viking website here. 8.
Snap Lid Boxes - This was the best thing I bought last year. Usually they are for storing food or for packing lunches in but these things work great. You can buy them pretty much anywhere, they're cheap and they keep you stuff dry.
9.
Handheld GPS - Even if you have a GPS on board don't leave the dock without one of these. Bring some extra batteries. The more ways to get home if things go wrong the better off you are. Check out the
Garmin website, they are a trusted name in GPS technology.
10.
Compass - If you don't know how to use it, you'll probably want to learn. If you lose your onboard GPS and your handheld ain't working, well then this little magnetic wonder will be there for you.
11.
Smokers Kit - Keep a few lighters, preferably windproof ones, in a box with a cigar cutter and an extra pack of smokes. You never know, someone onboard might have a nic fit.
12.
Satellite Radio - You could probably get away with not having this one but it's pretty nice to have a little AC/DC or Jimmy Buffet on in the background as you lounge around waiting for the next bite. We got
SIRIUS radio in our boats.
13.
Serrated Bait Knife - If you are cut-plug herring fishing for salmon like we do, go get a few serrated bait knives. They work well for getting good angles on herring and be sure to grind down the end on a stone so its easy to gut the herring without cutting their bellies. I use a set of cheap Ikea steak knives so I don't worry when they fall over board.
14.
Hook Stone - If nothing else out there be sure to keep your hooks sticky sharp. Check them every once in a while, run a hook stone over them to make sure they sink deep into those hard mouthed chinooks.
15.
Gloves - If your hands are getting cold out there you shouldn't be saltwater guiding, but you can use rubber gloves to combat fish poisoning and work gloves when handling anchor ropes or when dealing with big halibut and ling cod.
16.
Shark Hook - Huh? Yup, go buy yourself a big ol' shark hook. Tie it off to the side of the boat and slide it into big halibut's mouths when they come up. Easier than harpooning them and you rarely loose halibut this way.
17.
Casting Rod with Buzz Bombs - When salmon fishing is slow and you guests are bored give them a casting rod set up. It will keep them occupied which means they forget about the slow fishing and often you'll get salmon hammering a
Buzz Bomb when they won't hit a herring.
18.
Plasti Dip - If you are mooching for salmon dip your weights in this stuff. It's what they dip tool handles in but if you dip weights before using them it will save your reels when wrapping up gear at the end of the day. Find it at hardware stores or check the Plasti Dip
website.
19.
First Aid Kit - Yes you need one of these. If you're guiding for a season you will cut yourself, you will bury a hook into yourself and there will be blood in the boat that does not belong to a fish. First aid kit bandages sure beat hitting the dock bleeding!
20.
Reel Lube & Oil - Take good care of your equipment. Guests will notice and it will save you money in the long run. We keep our Islanders running smooth with Abu Garcia reel lube.
You can find it here on the Abu Garcia website.21.
Gravol - Used by seasick guests and hung over fishing guides throughout the world.
*nope, we aren't sponsored by any of the companies aboved....
Thanks for checking us out at Chromer Sport Fishing. We hope all you salmon fishing guides get bent out there and have a safe summer. If you are looking for quality saltwater salmon fishing trips in BC, please check out our
website and come fish with us this summer!
Our clients use our fishing travel expertise because we always make sure the accommodations we offer are top-notch. A great fishing trip is never perfect until you find a comfy place to stay.
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