terry sheely photo
conifer-crowned land plugs that divide
two massive saltwater areas—Queen
Charlotte Strait to the northwest and
Strait of George to the southeast. Chaos
erupts when the east-west tide switches
and the forces rush flood to ebb from
the long gush pent up inside Bute Inlet.
Powerful currents become seething saltwater rapids, build into violent crashes
inside rock walled narrows and spawn
epic whirlpools between the islands.
The islands, glaciers, inlets, waterfalls, whirlpools, fjords, saltwater rapids
and wildlife create a dynamic, dramatic
backdrop in which to catch salmon
bright as chrome and prime with flavor.
Five species from dozens, maybe
hundreds of localized river runs pass
through Desolation Sound from early
spring into deep fall. As early as March
1, with snow still far down on the surrounding mountains anglers are looking
for winter-springs and early run spring
Chinook.
Fishing pressure is light, by any measure at any time, with miles of wilderness and waterways between here and
the nearest sizeable communities. Most
fishermen are paired with guides based
at the few remote lodges or are nomadic
private boaters exploring the Inside
Pass, fishing and crabbing for dinner.
Salmon action starts early in March
targeting winter-springs (immature
resident) kings and the first wave of
transient spring Chinook. Both are
attracted here by huge concentrations
of herring packed into spawning areas
up Bute Inlet and concentrated by the
powerful currents.
Seals, sea lions, whales, eagles, diving
birds and thousands of salmon come to
gorge on the baitfish. The herring spawn
ends by the first of May, but is followed
in mid-summer when the young herring
that were spawned in spring refill the
terry sheely photo
terry sheely photo
terry sheely photo
Desolation Sound, seen here from
above, reveals a host of wildlife
including the occasional black
bear looking for morsels along
the shoreline. But it’s the rugged
coastline, snow-capped mountains
and plethora of salmon that pass by
these waters that draw most people
here including this angler who caught
this nice Tyee caught while fishing at
Dent Island Lodge.
water with firecracker-size proteins that
feed each new arriving run of salmon.
Hot spots vary as the herring move
through the season, and the fish guides
keep track.
In late June through mid-summer the
runs of incoming Chinook are fleshed
out with arriving \waves of sockeye,
early coho, and pink salmon. In September and October, the sockeye and pinks
have pretty much passed through the
islands, replaced by highly coveted typically 10-to 20-pound northern cohos
and bright chums. Through it all—there
are Chinook here, either aggressive
resident winter-springs or tyee-size
migrants moving through.
Several large rivers feed this area of
Desolation Sound and pour into Bute Inlet and most support spawning runs of
salmon that feed brown and black bears,
and provide kick-in-the-butt light-tackle fishing for river salmon and opportunistic sea-run trout and Dolly Varden
char that feast on salmon spawn. Trout
and dolly action is available year-round
in many areas, especially off the mouths
of tributa