Island Salmon Fisherman: Vancouver Island Hotspots.

A.J. Pell is editor of the Canadian Evangelical Review and an instructor
of Liturgy, Anglican Studies Program, Regent College, Vancouver.

This is the latest offering from Harbour Publishing in the Island Fisherman series of books, each of which focuses on a species of fish, along with tackle, techniques, and locations, to help both locals and visitors to Vancouver Island make the best use of their fishing time. Island Halibut Fisherman (2007) and Island Fly Fisherman (2006) preceded this volume. The authors and the inspiration come from Island Fisherman magazine; Robert Jones edits that magazine, and Larry Stefanyk is the publisher.

This book consists of five chapters. Four are short—“For Visitors to Vancouver Island,” “Getting Around Vancouver Island by Road,” “On the Water,” and “Caring for Your Catch.” The fifth chapter, “Fishing Destinations, Accommodation and Marine Chart Coordinates,” makes up the vast majority of the book, 141 of the 162 pages of text. In that chapter the reader will find information on every coastal region of the province where salmon are to be found—fishing hot spots, year-round weather and water conditions, applicable marine chart listings, and local insider notes on tactics. Any angler should be able to plan a fishing trip to any of these locales from the information provided, and then use the local contacts listed in the text to make the most of the occasion.

Yet despite all the valuable information and tips in the final long chapter, the book will leave many readers adrift in a sea of questions. What sorts of rods, reels, and terminal tackle should I consider acquiring and becoming familiar with? How do I get a 25-kilogram (55-pound) salmon into the boat? What sorts of boats and marine gear should I consider? While some of this information can be found incompletely in bits and pieces throughout chapter 5, few readers are going to plow through every last entry to get it. If only Jones and Stefanyk had done here what they did in Island Halibut Fisherman—provide extensive practical information in the first half of the book—this really would be the complete book for Vancouver Island salmon fishing.