Fishing BC Presents: Exploring Port Hardy on Northern Vancouver Island
Situated at the northern reaches of Vancouver Island, Port Hardy’s unique positioning presents anglers with the opportunity to target some of the largest adult migratory Chinook salmon before they head south to their home rivers.
Ryan Conway of Fish Harder Charters first visited Port Hardy as a guest, in which he returned every year and eventually gained a great understanding of the waters, the area, and fish migrating paths.
“Up here we have a crack at everybody’s fish”, Ryan describes the advantage of Port Hardy’s locations for Chinook fishing enthusiasts.
Like many anglers and business owners in the sportfishing industry, Ryan is a conservationist that backs up what he believes by offering returning fishermen a free outing in lieu of releasing a Chinook salmon over 35 pounds.
“As an angler, our forefathers removed a lot of bigger fish from the gene pool. We have lost the habitat we’ve lost, but it is up to guides especially to protect our resource”.
When in need of a short break from the prolific saltwater fishery, Ryan can be found on the shoreline of Port Hardy’s many salmon and steelhead-bearing streams with this three-year-old daughter, Tlell.