Salt Water Fishing in Canada
Canada is a sea to sea to sea country, bordered on the east, west, and north by three of the world’s oceans. Both the Pacific Ocean in western Canada and the Atlantic in the East are popular destinations for sport fishers who like to engage in saltwater angling. Because of the cool temperatures of these northern waters, game fish may not be in the abundance and size that can be found in more southern parts of these oceans, but they are among some of the most popular fish for eating in the entire world
Canada’s discovery as far as Europeans were concerned came about largely due to the population of fish on the east coast. The Grand Banks of Newfoundland were once legendary because of the sheer amount of cod that could be seen swimming in the waters there; these schools, legend has it, were so huge that they would actually stop ships due to their mass. Today, the population of cod has shrunk dramatically due to too much commercial fishing, but the species is still available to recreational anglers. Other species that can be found include halibut, haddock, flounder, and redfish. All of these are species of groundfish, living on or near the bottom of their ocean habitat. They are fished with downriggers that are weighted to reach the feeding areas of the fish.
Atlantic Canada is also known as an excellent place to pursue Atlantic salmon. Salmon are one of the world’s tastiest fish, as well as one of the most popular among anglers. The stocks of Atlantic salmon on Canada’s east coast are abundant, and anglers have several different methods of catching them. These fish can be caught on the ocean through methods such as mooching and drift fishing (both incredibly relaxing ways to spend a day out) or by trolling, usually through the use of a downrigger. Many anglers will also try casting for salmon when they are rising, as these fish are known to put up a fierce fight when hooked.
Western Canada is also known for its species of salmon. Unlike the east, where there is only one recognized species, the Pacific is home to five different species of salmon, all of which can be fished along the coasts and islands of British Columbia. Some of the best fishing for salmon is done out of Port Alberni, Port Hardy, and Campbell River, all of which are located on Vancouver Island. The fly in towns of Bella Coola and Bella Bella are also known for the fine salmon fishing on the ocean which borders the settlements.
Chinook salmon are probably the most popular fish for anglers in the western parts of Canada. Chinook are the biggest species of salmon that there is, with individuals averaging 30 pounds, and specimens as large as 50 pounds being not uncommon. Other species of salmon on the west coast are the small pinks, the tasty sockeye, the greasy chum, and the fighting coho. Steelhead trout, another kind of salmon, can also be caught in the ocean in western Canada using many of the same methods as those used for salmon; mooching, trolling, casting, or drift fishing. Other species of fish that can be caught in the Canadian portion of the Pacific include sole, rock cod, ling cod, halibut, rockfish, greenling, flounder, and the huge (but catch and release only) sturgeon, the largest game fish found in Canadian waters, east or west.
Saltwater fishing in eastern and western Canada offers anglers a chance at species that are known both for their fight and for their great taste. Whether fishing off of the rocky coastline of the Atlantic, or the lush green rain forest that borders the Pacific, anglers are guaranteed a fishing experience that they are guaranteed to remember.
