Jolly Rogers Fishing

2009-12-07T19:48:00.000-08:00

December 2009 Jolly Rogers Fishing Update

Winter's finally arrived on south Vancouver Island, with cold windy days and icy nights. Jolly Rogers is resting up for winter, keeping the woodstove stoked up, and giving the salmon and halibut a chance to feed and fatten up for summer. Give us a call or email to set up your 2010 Port Renfrew fishing adventure ... the prime times are already filling up!

For your viewing pleasure, below is a video sent in by a happy fisherman from a September fishing trip out to Swiftsure Bank. We had a fun and productive day with a bit of everything thrown in ... halibut, ling cod, coho salmon, chinook salmon, even a whale song. There was plenty of west coast Vancouver Island fishing action to keep us all busy. Australian fisherman and all-around good guy Dale Egan shot the video and edited this together...good on ya mate!

September Fishing, Port Renfrew BC from John Rogers on Vimeo.

Jolly Rogers looks forward to getting you out there for your own fishing adventure in 2010!

2009-09-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

Jolly Rogers Fishing Update, Sep 20

Port Renfrew fishing is still going strong, as we near the official last days of summer.

The spring salmon fishing near shore is slow now, though there are still reports of a big chinook here and there. The big coho are in the San Juan Harbour now though, and we can fish for them close to shore, spincasting from the Jolly Rogers or trolling 10 feet deep or less. When you get into one of these 15 pound plus salmon, in shallow water, you're in for some fun!

Offshore, Swiftsure Bank continues to deliver up some great fishing. There are still a lot of chicken-sized halibut out there, though they move around to different spots from day to day. There are also coho salmon, some big ones up to 20 pounds or more! And there are still feeder spring salmon, up to 20 pounds.

Below are some pictures from yesterday, taking Dale from Australia out for another trip. Dale caught his first halibut on the Jolly Rogers back in May, and now caught his first ling cod, first Canadian rockfish, plus a whole bunch of coho and spring salmon. Combine that with sunny, clear weather, and you've got a great day of west coast Vancouver Island fishing.

Come on out to Port Renfrew, and enjoy a great day's fishing aboard the Jolly Rogers!
Contact us to arrange your day now....

2009-09-02T22:41:00.000-07:00

Jolly Rogers Port Renfrew Fishing Report, Sept 2

Late summer has provided excellent fishing out of Port Renfrew. We have had good catches of salmon and halibut lately. The photo is Kevin Robinson and crew from Grand Prairie, with a good catch of spring and coho salmon, halibt and ling cod.

The Coho salmon are large and plentiful ... fishing should be good well into October this year!

Come on out to Port Renfrew and get in on some excellent Vancouver Island fishing.

John Rogers

2009-08-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

August 2009 Port Renfrew Fishing Report

Fishing in Port Renfrew has been great thoughout July with good catches of spring salmon, tons of coho, and chicken-sized halibut. Fishing on The Beach is heating up with the larger salmon being caught around Camper Creek and Logan Creek. With how well things have been going so far, we expect good fishing to continue through the end of September. A couple of photos:

Troy and his crew with a nice haul of springs, coho and halibut

Dan and Walt from Washington State trying to figure out whose 30 pounder is bigger

Come on out to Port Renfrew and join Jolly Rogers for a real good time!

2009-06-27T17:52:00.001-07:00

Jolly Rogers Update: Port Renfrew Fishing June 27, 2009

Good fishing lately! The halibut fishing on Swiftsure Bank is steady, lots of "chicken-size" halibut. The good news is the coho fishing is great. They are smaller, but really scrappy and lots of them. We are having fun using lighter gear with them, and getting some more of a fight....try fighting a 6 pound coho on a fly rod, and you'll be a while bring that one in!

The spring salmon fishing has been steady too. A few nice sized ones here and there, but a pretty regular bite for medium sized chinooks.

All in all...Port Renfrew fishing for late June is fantastic, and probably only going to get better. The early season coho are an excellent sign for later this summer...as they fatten up, should be a super late season.

Come on out for a west coast Vancouver Island fishing adventure!

***

Below are some recent pictures from guests: Chet Heater and family, David and Cathy George from Idaho, and 3 generations of Connolly’s from Alberta. Good times!

2009-06-11T18:27:00.000-07:00

Jolly Rogers Fishing Report, June 11

The fishing is pretty good out of Port Renfrew right now. We are regularly catching medium sized halibut. The salmon fishing has slowed a bit from May, but is still pretty decent -- we are finding a few nice fish every trip. The crabbing is amazing, always a treat on the way in at the end of the day to see a full trap.

We have posted another youtube video of Jolly Rogers Fishing Adventures for 2008: "A Day in the Life: Port Renfrew and Swiftsure Bank Fishing." This video shows a "typical" JR day spent salmon and halibut fishing off Vancouver Island's wild west coast. The day starts at 6 am, salmon in the morning, halibut in the afternoon, back at the dock at 4 pm....a fantastic day. With a job like this, who needs vacations?

Check it out:

See you soon for your own Port Renfrew / Vancouver Island fishing adventure!

2009-05-26T20:47:00.000-07:00

May 26 Port Renfrew Fishing Report

Jolly Rogers has been having a great time fishing off Port Renfrew in the past week. Salmon fishing continues to be steady, with lots of medium size spring salmon up to 20 pounds and then a few here and there in the high 20s.

We chased halibut for the first time this year, and we're happy to report...halibut fishing season is open! On our first day, Dale from Australia reeled in a 110 pounder, 95 pounder, and 40 pounder. Great job Dale! Below are some additional pictures...when you do this well, you need a wheelbarrow. That is fishing Port Renfrew style!

Crabbing has been fantastic too, with dozens of big Dungeness in every trap.

If this is any indication of the season to come, Jolly Rogers is very excited...this is the best early season fishing in years. June is just around the corner and Swiftsure Bank is beckoning...we are looking forward to getting out there and getting into some of that fishing excitement that west coast Vancouver Island fishing is famous for.

Summer days are getting filled up, with only spot reservations here and there, so call now (1-866-623-5646) or email if you want to get out there for some Port Renfrew fishing adventures.

Update...here's a video of the fun!

2009-05-19T19:09:00.001-07:00

May 19 Jolly Rogers Fishing Update

There continues to be fun fishing out of Port Renfrew. Salmon was the focus last week, with a great run of Chinook salmon passing through. The spring salmon were mostly 10-20 pounds, but we did get one 28 pounder. Some good reel screaming action for early season. Here's JR with sons Finn and Sonny.

Dale from Darwin Australia was aboard for his first west coast Vancouver Island fishing trip, and came home with a few nice ones, as well as some tasty Dungeness Crabs. He'll be back to chase some halibut later in summer, when Swiftsure Bank gets going again.

Speaking of which....it shouldn't be long now for some offshore adventures, June is just around the corner.

Hope to see you in Port Renfrew soon.

2009-05-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

Jolly Rogers Fishing Season Opens!

The weather is clearing, the air is warmed, and the sun is out...once again Jolly Rogers is open for business, and business is good...

Halibut catches are steady, in the 30-50 pound range, with some bigger. Early season halibut fishing tends to be at anchor closer to shore to the west of Port Renfrew...fewer bites than Swiftsure Bank, but bigger fish on average. There's a few monsters waiting out there in the secret spots....JR has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Port Renfrew's early season spring salmon fishing has been excellent, with limit catches of medium sized chinook salmon right out front of the San Juan Harbour, between the whistle buoy and East Point. Salmon action in the 10-20 pound range is fast and furious towards Camper Creek too -- find the bait, and the salmon will be there too. If the early season fishing is any indication of what's to come, everyone is very hopeful for an excellent salmon fishing season ahead.

The crabbing in San Juan Harbour is outrageous...limit catches in every trap, 7-8 inch hard shell Dungeness crabs. SO sweet.

Here's a picture of Tyler from Australia with his first halibut and first salmon, and first Dungeness crabs too. Stoked!

All in all, a good early season....get out to Port Renfrew, and catch some of the fun!

2008-12-18T13:51:00.000-08:00

Jolly Rogers 2008 Wrap-Up and 2009 Outlook

Hello to Friends of Jolly Rogers around the world.

As the 2008 year winds to a close, I look back on all the fun times had out there on the ocean last season, and I can’t help but smile. Sometimes I think I have the best job in the world, taking people everyday on Port Renfrew fishing adventures. Vancouver Island’s west coast is a mysterious and exciting place, you can never know what to expect on any given day. But there’s not a day that went by that didn’t offer adventures of one sort or another. Thank you to all my guests over the past year for the good times, I hope you had as much fun as I did!

Recapping some 2008 Port Renfrew fishing highlights:

Early season started out slowly in and surely in April, with some nice halibut being caught close to shore, west of Port Renfrew. However, May become truly remarkable with a number of halibut caught well above 100 pounds. Picture everyone looking over the gunwale, wondering what’s coming up, and then catching the first glimpse of a monster from the deep…the adrenaline starts to flow! You can’t expect to catch something that big every day, but it is good to know they are out there somewhere, waiting just the right lure on just the right tide at just the right spot….I can hardly wait until Spring!
The first salmon started showing up in early June, with feeder Springs on Swiftsure Bank. While these fish are not as large as the late summer Chinooks, they are plentiful and put up a good scrap. The halibut fishing started into its summer pattern, daily trips out to the Bank, with smaller halibut caught but lots more of them.
July and August were awesome for both halibut and salmon. Pretty much everyday we would head out to Swiftsure, fish for halibut until we had our limit, then chase Springs and Coho in the deep water, then head closer to shore for the trophy size Chinook. East Point, Camper Creek, and Logan Creek delivered the big salmon, and there’s nothing in fishing to compare to reeling in a 30 pound plus salmon in only 20 feet of water, and watching its wake as it takes 100 metre long surface runs.
September and October slowed down for large Spring salmon, although they were still out there if you put in the hours. The halibut continued on the Bank this year for as long as the weather remained good enough to go out and chase them. The smaller feeder Springs were also out there. The Coho did not arrive in large numbers this year, but what they lacked in quantity, they made up for in quality….Coho up to 20 pounds makes for some exciting fishing.

Check out this video of a Spring salmon double header off Logan Creek in August. That gets the fishing blood pumping! Thanks to Gary, Chris, and Doug for sending the video and for playing those fish like pros.

What is coming for 2009 remains a mystery. Early prognosis for west coast Vancouver Island for 2009 is good, with improved returns of both Chinook and Coho salmon. Halibut remains strong, with a well-managed fishery. Regardless of what the forecasts may be, one thing we can promise no matter what happens is an exciting day on the wild west coast!

Call or email now to make your 2009 bookings – make sure to book early if you have a specific day in mind, especially in July and August or on weekends leading up to summer.

Happy holidays and best wishes from Jolly Rogers to both past guests and to future friends not yet met.

John (JR) Rogers

2008-09-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

September 15 Port Renfrew Fishing Report

Summer is winding to a close, but you wouldn't know it around Port Renfrew the last few days. The weather has been beautiful, with sunny, calm days, and the fishing has been really good.

The early rain in August seems to have pushed the Chinook salmon upstream earlier than normal, as we are not seeing many remaining on "the beach". However, the salmon fishing on Swiftsure Bank has been steady, with lots of medium-sized feeder springs and coho to keep the anglers happy. The coho are starting to show closer to shore as well, and we're hoping for good coho fishing well into October.

Halibut continues to be steady on the Bank as well, with the fish smaller but fairly plentiful.

A couple of photos from happy Jolly Rogers clients in early September...Marshall Hawley and family from Vancouver, and Derek Young and crew, both groups from Vancouver.

Jolly Rogers is now into its late season reduced rates. A good time to get out there, especially if the coho start arriving in numbers....because there is nothing in fishing that can beat the fun of battling a 15-20 pound coho!

We hope to see in Port Renfrew soon.

2008-08-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

August 18, 2008 Port Renfrew Fishing Report

It has been a while since the last post, because Jolly Rogers has been busy fishing! It has been a good summer so far in Port Renfrew, with mostly good weather and always fun days on the water. The last few weeks have been the best of the year so far.

Out on Swiftsure Bank, we are getting limits of "chicken-sized" halibut quite quickly most days. This leaves more time for chasing the medium-sized Spring salmon deep as well as surface fishing for coho. Guests have been having a lot of fun with the coho, because once we're into a school, it is non-stop action. We have brought out the light tackle, fishing without flashers, so you can really feel the fight of these acrobatic fish. Some of the coho right now are pretty decent sized too, up to 12 pounds. They are about half wild (can't keep them) and half hatchery (can keep 2). We hope this is a good sign for a good Fall fishery this year, with trophy coho close to shore.

Nearer to Port Renfrew, East Point and "the Beach" have been delivering up some big Spring salmon, 20-30 pounds. The bite location and time changes daily, but high tides afternoons have seemed to be the best call. We have consistently been catching a few good ones each day. As they say, "it's fishing, not catching", you never know what you're going to get...but in Port Renfrew in August, you have a better chance than not of getting a beauty.

Give us a call ( 1-866-623-5646) or send an email and let's get you out there for a fishing day you'll never forget!

2008-07-17T17:20:00.000-07:00

July 17 Port Renfrew Fishing Report

GREAT fishing to report, Port Renfrew right now is offering up the best fishing on Southern Vancouver Island...or maybe anywhere for that matter. Salmon fishing has been excellent -- the early morning bite at East Point has brought many Spring salmon aboard. Halibut have been plentiful out at Swiftsure Bank, with limits of smaller chicken-size halibut quickly caught.

We've had a cross-Canada fishing experience in the last little while.

Wilf and his crew were a long way from their farm in Manitoba. This Tyee chinook salmon won Wilf a $5 bet, to go with his 39 pounds of the best fish money can't buy!

Steve and his dad from Nova Scotia braved some rough seas to bring in their halibut and salmon.

Jeff Woodlife and Sean, Dean, and Spencer will return home to Alberta with tales of great Vancouver Island fishing. They are pictured below with a "typical" July Port Renfrew catch... a large fishing cooler full of halibut and a few nice salmon thrown in.

2008-06-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

June 24 Vancouver Island Fishing Report

Port Renfrew’s fishing has improved this week, with excellent catches of good-sized halibut and, finally, lots of salmon!

The Connellys enjoyed their 3-day Vancouver Island fishing trip, returning to Alberta with their coolers full and, more importantly, with enough fishing tales to last them until next year…but, for a nice change, all these fishing tales are true!

Their fishing highlight was hooking into one that seemed a bit stronger than usual. It spooled out a hundred yards of line and then shook the hook. Luckily for us, the same fish came back a couple of minutes later and took the bait on another rod, but this time that fish wasn’t so lucky. Dave fought it for 15 minutes until his arms were Jell-o. He passed the rod to his sons and then his father, and the family took turns over the next half hour inching this “barn door” towards the surface. When we finally got it near the boat, we were shocked…definitely bigger than average, way bigger! We harpooned it and it took off for the bottom, pulling the float under for a solid five minutes. It resurfaced 50 feet away, exhausted and ready to come in. Sean and Mike struggled to pull it over the gunwale, nearly tipping the boat with the combined weight of the fish and all of us (that’s a 25’ boat with a 9’ beam!).

When all was said and done, it turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime 186 lb halibut. Congrats boys!

A second highlight was getting into a good patch of salmon, and reeling in a 15 lb spring on a 6 weight fly rod, with 10 pound test. It is amazing how strong a salmon is when you are using light gear -- it took more than half an hour to get this one to the boat. That’s fun fishing!

In total, we caught 10 spring salmon that day, approximately 15-25 pounds, so the good news is the salmon appear to have arrived on Swiftsure Bank.

Come on out to Port Renfrew and join in the fun.

2008-06-13T18:31:00.001-07:00

June 12, Port Renfrew Fishing Report

Jolly Rogers had a bountiful day on the waters west of Port Renfrew on Thursday. Four halibut caught, two 20 lb, one 30 lb, and one whopper of a fish at 130 pounds. Jake H reeled in the biggie, check out the video of us bringing it aboard.

Another excellent Vancouver Island fishing adventure!

2008-06-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

June 11, 2008 Vancouver Island / Port Renfrew Fishing Report

The halibut fishing has been great lately! Jolly Rogers recently brought out Kirk Mellor, Geoff Ahlstrom, Kevin Gilbert, and Dean Normore, and showed them a good time, Port Renfrew-style.

We braved a rough day weather-wise to bring in some nice fish, catching a 112 pounder, 80 pounder, and six halibut around 30 pounds each. Geoff says about the day "Thanks again John for another fun day. And it goes without saying that I won the fishing derby this year with a huge profit of 15$ if Kevin ever pays up."

Get yourself up to Port Renfrew soon and join in the fishing fun!

2008-05-28T21:55:00.000-07:00

May 28 Port Renfrew Fishing Update

The Port Renfrew fishing season has started once again. Early trips are finding plentiful halibut near shore, no need to motor all the way out to Swiftsure Bank. Plus, as is normal for late Spring, the halibut are often bigger than the "chickens" of summer, with 50 pound plus fish fairly common.

The salmon are starting to show up too, with medium size spring salmon (10-15 pound) being caught off East Point and "the beach". The fishing is going to keep heating up, as we approach summer. Good times!

The crabbing is great right now too, with our traps quickly full of big Dungeness.

Starting June 1, the fishing regulations will allow 2 halibut to kept per day, per angler, with a possession limit of 2. The regulations for salmon remain the same as last year, 4 salmon total, of which 2 can be spring (chinook) and 2 can be hatchery coho.

Get yourself to Port Renfrew for some great early season fishing.

2008-03-21T07:59:00.000-07:00

Here Comes the 2008 Fishing Season!

Starting in mid-May, Jolly Rogers will be back in business after the winter break. The "Jolly Roger" has had some refitting over the winter, with new electronics and new gear to make your Port Renfrew fishing experience all the better. We are keen to get her back out there and into the awesome fishing on offer in Vancouver Island's waters.

Our early season in Port Renfrew's fishing playground will begin with hunting for big halibut in the hidden spots in and around Swiftsure Bank. This year's halibut regulations have changed slightly with a later opening and some conservation measures, to help protect the stock and give young halibut more time to grow. The rules are as follows:

April 1 to May 31: Daily limit of one. Possession limit of 2.
June 1 to Dec 31: Daily limit of two. Possession limit of 2.

Call or email now to make your reservation...summer dates are already close to full, and early season spots are filling up fast too.

We hope to see you soon for an unforgettable Vancouver Island fishing adventure!

2007-11-12T21:20:00.000-08:00

Hello to Friends of Jolly Rogers Worldwide,

Fall has fallen here on Vancouver Island's West Coast. The mighty salmon have gone up the rivers to spawn future generations of fishing fun. The ocean is stormy, with the cold west winds blowing in hard from the Aleutians. No more Port Renfrew fishing until Spring.

A short note to say thank you to all who joined me on a Jolly Rogers Adventure this year. What a great fishing season! I hope you had as much fun as I did, because I sure had a lot of it...so many good memories. Please keep in touch over the winter, drop an email or call (1-866-623-5646), if you want to book your trip early for next year or if you just want to talk fishing.

In the meantime, a few youtube videos for your viewing pleasure... something to think about for next year.

Alaskan halibut underwater footage

155 lb halibut on a fly rod!

How not to land a halibut

Only a few more months until Spring....then back out there again for another season of fantastic West Coast Vancouver Island fishing.

See you soon.

JR

2007-09-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

September 14 Port Renfrew Fishing Update

Who said summer was over? Southern Vancouver Island's weather and fishing conditions have continued to be very favourable into September this year. The last week around Port Renfrew has had very little wind and some perfect sunny days (although a bit of fog now and then too), making for a few amazing days out there.

On "the beach", the inshore spots near Port Renfrew offer some big spring salmon. There have been a dozen or so 40 pound plus chinook salmon caught in Port Renfrew in the past week, with one 54 pound beast. You have to put in the time for these big ones, but your trophy is out there somewhere.

The spots around Swiftsure Bank are still delivering halibut, with limit catches of "chicken" size (15-25 pound) halibut not uncommon. There are medium-size spring salmon in the deep water too, 10-20 pounds.

But the real excitement right now is the coho fishing, with schools of them packed in dense, feeding on surface krill all around the boat. Jigging close to the surface, you can watch them fight over your lure. Or you can troll spoons close to the surface, with double or triple headers possible. For now, you can keep hatchery coho only, so you have to throw back quite a few until you get keepers. They are nice fish though, 5-15 pounds, and nothing beats the fight of a big coho....scrappers!

For a real adventure, bring along some light fly or casting gear. You think a 4 pound rainbow trout puts up a good fight? Try a 15 pound Northern Coho!

As well, there's been some pretty impressive whale shows lately, with the grey whales feeding right among the schools of coho and the halibut grounds. With fishing, whales, and weather combined, it's a magic day, whether you're a newbie or the "seen it all" die-hard pro.

There's 4-5 weeks left in the 2007 fishing season, with the focus soon shifting to Northern coho close to shore. Jolly Rogers' reduced shoulder season rates start tomorrow, so make your reservation now and join us for a classic day chasing late season Port Renfrew salmon and halibut!

Hope to see you out here soon.

2007-09-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

Jolly Rogers, August 2007 Fishing Report For Southern Vancouver Island

What a month of fishing we've had! The waters around Port Renfrew have lived up to their promise this summer, with spectacular halibut and salmon fishing. Best of all, the fishing is still going strong, and it looks like September is going to be a good month too. We have been loading up on halibut out near Swiftsure Bank and the usual outside waters hot spots. There have been lots of tasty "chickens" in the 20-30 pound range, plus the occasional bigger halibut up to 50 pounds.

For salmon, Logan Creek was the August hotspot, although Camper Creek and East Point have delivered too. We have been regularly catching Tyee-size spring salmon well into the high 30s (below is a photo of Mark with a beautiful chinook). As well, Swiftsure Bank has been steady and consistently good for mid-size spring salmon. There has been tons of feed on the Bank this summer, making for solid fishing conditions.

The good news is that the Swiftsure Bank was crowded with coho this summer, sometimes so thick it was hard to get the gear down to target springs. This is a good sign for some great late season Port Renfrew coho fishing -- as the Fall rain starts, these fish will crowd close to shore, awaiting their run up river...and the the fishing fun starts.

Earlier this week, we caught a 15 pound coho, which is superb -- later in the season, trophy-size 20-25 pound Northern Coho are out there, right near Port Renfrew's harbour mouth. Pound for pound, coho are the best fighting fish you'll ever catch: jumping, tail-walking, fast runs, you'll never forget the ZZZZZZZZIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGG of that first hit!

As you can tell, I'm just a little excited about chasing the coho this year! This fishing heats up in mid-September and into mid-October. This coincides with the start of Jolly Rogers reduced shoulder season rates, starting September 15, so if you want to try out Port Renfrew coho fishing, make your reservations soon.

Hope to see you out there!

2007-07-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

Port Renfrew Fishing Report, July 2007

Greetings,

It has been a while since Jolly Rogers' last Vancouver Island fishing update, because we've been too busy out on the water chasing fish!

The early season started off a bit slow this year, but it is making up for it now. Wow! The halibut fishing out on Swiftsure Bank is as good as it gets, with limits of chicken-sized halibut caught routinely. As well, the coho seem to be packed in shoulder to shoulder out there, attacking anything you drop, including the downrigger release clips. Some days it is hard to get the bait down deep enough to chase springs. Too many fish? I call that "a good problem to have".

We're finding some nice mid-size Springs on Swiftsure Bank, and a few bigger ones along "the Beach", from Camper Creek to Logan Creek. The Spring fishing should start to really pick up into August. And then those coho should just keep fattening up, leading up to the world-renowned coho fishing in September in and around Port Renfrew.

If July is any indication, there's going to be some fun Port Renfrew fishing coming up soon!

Hope to see you out in Port Renfrew soon for a fishing adventure you won't soon forget.

2007-05-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

Tasty Swiftsure Bank Halibut

It's halibut fishing time again, and Jolly Rogers is once again chasing them down on Vancouver Island's west coast. As usual, Port Renfrew's offshore waters are rewarding our efforts, with plenty of tasty halibut hitting the dock. For a good time, call or email Jolly Rogers and set up your day of Vancouver Island fishing adventure!

In anticipation of your successful halibut fishing day soon, below I have provided a recipe from a happy customer last year (thanks Kevin!). I don't think this one is "heart smart", but it sure tastes good -- kind of a Thai style flavour.

Halibut in Coconut Cream

Cook in tinfoil or a casserole dish with lid.
Place halibut steaks or filets, small baby potatoes (smaller the better, or they won't cool), bok choy, red peppers, snow peas, red onion.
Add some chopped and skinned tomatos (or from can is fine, just not too much juice).
Add some diced cilantro, save a few sprigs for presentation when done.
Can also add some diced green onions and thin slices of ginger.
Pour a can of coconut milk on top and juice from one lime.
Add lemon pepper, salt, chili flakes or powder.
Cook at 300 for 20 minutes. Poke potatoes with a fork to ensure they are soft.
Serve on rice.
Accept compliments on your fishing and cooking prowess.

I hope to see you out in Port Renfrew soon for a Vancouver Island fishing adventure!

John (Jolly) Rogers

2007-03-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

Looking Forward to Fishing Soon!

I have been reviewing emails from last year and thought I'd send an update for the 2007 Vancouver Island fishing season.

Word is in from D.F.O. on their 2007 stock assessment, and it looks as though the summer and fall runs for the Fraser River and West Coast Chinook salmon is strong. We should see these fish starting to show up around Port Renfrew in the beginning of June and continuing to feed in our local waters until late September. Coho and pink salmon fishing should be good this year with a particularly strong run of pinks anticipated in the Fraser river. As for the halibut fishing on Swiftsure Bank, we can expect the usual pattern of migration with larger fish being caught in the early season (May& June) and lots of chicken sized halibut through to the end of September.

I am in the midst of outfitting the boat for the upcoming season and have got my hands on some exciting new tackle and electronics which will ensure a productive and enjoyable day for all. If you are interested in fishing this summer, let me know and I will do my best to book you during prime time.

Sincerely,

John Rogers

Jolly Rogers Fishing Adventures.

1-866-623-5646

250-812-6963

john@vancouverislandfishing.ca

2007-01-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year From Jolly Rogers!

It's winter time here on Vancouver Island's west coast, so not a lot of fishing going on. But the good news is that spring comes early around here and Swiftsure fishing time is just around the corner. Spots are already filling up for peak times this summer, especially weekends, so if there's any particular day you're interested in, you may want to book soon.

A guest reported a great salmon recipe, which I want to pass on. A word to the wise: if you can learn a few good ways to cook seafood, it does wonders for promoting another fishing trip with whoever you live with. After cooking this one, they'll beg you to get out there and catch more fish. Come join us in Port Renfrew -- fill the freezer and have fun doing it!

Salmon Roasted in Phyllo Pastry

Thanks to Carol Clemens, from Island Fisherman magazine (Jan/Feb 2007)

You need:

8-10 ounce salmon filets, at least 1" thick and de-boned.
1/2 cup minced cilantro
1 minced green onion
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel (I substituted orange peel)
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup olive oil
2 sheets of phyllo pastry per fish piece

You get phyllo pastry in the frozen foods, comes rolled in a box -- you need to thaw it out first, but don't let it dry out.

Combine cilantro, green onion, and orange/lemon. Roll fish in it until lightly coated.
Take out a sheet of phyllo, brush with oil/butter mix, then put another sheet on top and brush again.
Put salmon piece onto phyllo, fold sides, then roll over to make a rectangular packet.
Put packet on ungreased cookie sheet.
Repeat for others -- for thin parts of salmon, like in the belly, you can stack two pieces together.
Bake at 425 for 10-12 minutes.
The phyllo should be golden brown and crisp.

Voila! Gourmet salmon treats for the whole family, from the waters of Port Renfrew and Swiftsure Bank, right onto your table.

I tried this same recipe with halibut and it was excellent too.

That's it for now.

Looking forward to seeing you on a 2007n Jolly Rogers Fishing adventure!

2006-12-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from JR

Holiday greetings from Jolly Rogers Fishing, wishing all the best for you and yours.

Here's what Santa brought me and my family this year. Just what I asked for. The weather isn't ideal for fishing these days, so I figure may as well go surfing!

:-)

I look forward to seeing you in the New Year for a Vancouver Island fishing adventure.

2006-11-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

November Jolly Rogers Fishing Update

We're now in winter mode, not too much fishing going on in the waters off Port Renfrew. A bit too stormy out there on Swiftsure Bank these days. There's been some decent fishing in Sooke for winter springs, but only in between rain and wind storms. We're cozy by the woodstove and not moving until April.

I thought I'd post a photo emailed to me by a happy customer from last summer. It's a plaster cast done by his wife of the beauty 26 pound Camper Creek spring he caught with Jolly Rogers. Pretty cool!

We're open for reservations for the 2007 summer season, so if you want one of the hot dates (weekends, holidays), you should get your reservation in sooner than later, don't be disappointed.

Look forward to seeing you this summer.

2006-09-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

September 26 Port Renfrew Fishing Report

Still some excellent late season fishing to be had off Vancouver Island. We had some rainy weather earlier this month, felt like fall, but now it's beautiful sun and calm seas once again. Enjoy it while it lasts!

The mighty Northern Coho that Port Renfrew is famous for are beginning to show -- amassing in the Port Renfrew harbour mouth before their trip up the Gordon and San Juan rivers. The coho average 10-15 pounds and are pound for pound the best fight you'll get for your fishing dollar. The rare trophy size coho above 20 pounds are also caught.

As well, halibut fishing is still going strong out at Swiftsure Bank, with plenty of "chickens" available.

Call or email for a late season charter, only a few weeks to go. Fall/Winter rates now in effect. 1-866-623-5646
Or consider booking your 2007 trip now -- already the prime times are being snapped up, so if you're thinking of going, book now to avoid disappointment later.

Good fishing and good times to you all!

2006-09-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

September 1^st Port Renfrew Fishing Report

The past few weeks have been a bit busy, so no new reports for a while – a combination of a new arrival in the Rogers household and fishing like a maniac! The late August fishing off Vancouver Island has been as good as it gets, so not a lot of time for computers.

The last few weeks have seen some remarkable days out there, but the details are lost in a blur of salmon and halibut coming over the gunwale. Day after day of the Jolly Rogers motoring back with the fish cooler overflowing and the guests grinning ear to ear. What else could we ask for?

Lots of halibut still on the Swiftsure Bank, mostly around 20 pounds with the occasional 30 pounder landed. We expect the halibut to stick around until the end of September, when they begin their offshore migration for the winter.

The salmon action has been hot and heavy between East Point and Logan Creek. Loads of chinook (spring) salmon in the 20-30 pound range – including one 37 pound tyee. Limit catches common, double headers (two fish on at once) a regularly occurring thrill for JR’s guests. There should continue to be plenty of springs near shore into mid-September.

But as the springs pass by, then the big Northern coho will start arriving. We expect a good run of coho towards the end of September and well into October. Port Renfrew is a coho fishing destination, with trophy sized fish up to 25 pounds caught just outside the harbour. Hook one of these acrobatic fish and hang on for an exciting ride!

There’s still plenty of good fishing in September and October. Special reduced rates for coho trips starting Sept.15. Email or call now Toll Free: 1-866-623-5646 to make a booking!

2006-08-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

August 13: JR Lands a Big One!

No, not a fish... John and Patrice are happy to announce the arrival of Son #2, Sonny Rogers, a 10 lb 3 oz bundle of joy. Mom and son are home and both doing fine. Proud Son #1, Finn, now has a baby brother to show off!

With these two strapping lads aboard, the Rogers' household should be a busy one for years to come. Now taking reservations for the Jolly Rogers fishing armada, Summer 2020... ;-)

Pictures of Sonny coming soon. Here's a picture of Finn and JR in the meantime.

Oh yeah, and JR's back at it, fishing up a storm, and it's as good as ever out off Port Renfrew / Swiftsure Bank. More details on that soon.

2006-08-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

July 31 Port Renfrew Fishing Report

Today was as nice a day as you can get out at Swiftsure Bank. Blue skies, little or no wind, calm seas….and most importantly, the fish were biting! We caught our limit of sockeye quickly off Port Renfrew, with quite a few doubleheaders (see double netting picture below) and one thripleheader. We then headed out to Swiftsure, where we caught our limit of halibut – 15-25 pound “chickens”.

Nice t-shirts, eh? :-)

2006-08-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

July 30 Port Renfrew Fishing Report

The sockeye are running in the deep water just outside Port Renfrew these days, and anglers can find a rare treat -- the dark red sockeye considered by most to be the best eating salmon. In this photo, Bill, Jerry, Adam, and Jim from Seattle show off their "salmon slaughter". They cleaned up on halibut on Day 1, and on Day 2 chased sockeye, coho, and springs up to 15 pounds on Swiftsure Bank.

Below are a few more photos of recent trips, notably Alicia Fowler catching herself a 25 lb birthday present!

2006-07-20T23:36:00.000-07:00

July 20th Port Renfrew Fishing Report

It has been a while since our last post, as Vancouver Island fishing has been crazy good over the past few weeks. Too much time on the boat, no time for working the computer....as they say "a good problem to have".

The halibut fishing off Swiftsure Bank is as consistent as ever -- consistently good to the point of outrageous! We've had boatloads (literally) of happy campers, leaving with their fill of halibut.

As well, the salmon fishing has really picked up over the past couple of weeks, with lots of "Swiftsure Specials" caught -- that's "medium" size Spring salmon, in the teens up to the high 20s.

Below, Mike and Cliff Bier show off their catch -- get out those filet knives boys!

2006-06-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

June 26 Port Renfrew Fishing Report

The halibut fishing is hot and heavy on Vancouver Island's west coast. They are all but jumping in the boat, with the fishing so good it's being described as "ridiculous". If you like halibut, now's a good time for filling that freezer.

The salmon fishing is picking up too, closer to shore around the corner from Port Renfrew. We've caught some nice Springs in the high 20s near Camper Creek. There was a report of a 48 lb spring salmon caught there today!

The weather's fine, the fishing's great, what more can we ask for?

Here's a recipe for barbecued salmon:

Whole BBQ Salmon

For the impressive dinner serving, you will want to BBQ a whole filet, bigger the better.

A lot of people BBQ salmon by wrapping it in foil, to avoid it sticking. However, using foil you don’t get that BBQ flavour from the oils searing with the heat of the grill, giving that distinctive crisp outside texture.

For this, you don’t have to do much preparation if you don’t want to – fresh salmon is so tasty, your guests will marvel at your cooking ability even if you’ve done nothing. But if you want to flavour it easily, you can press some lemon pepper into the flesh or some fresh ground black pepper.

Trick #1 for BBQing salmon directly on the grill is to oil the fish or the grill, or better yet both. Brush olive oil onto both sides of the filet. Place on grill FLESH SIDE DOWN.

Trick #2 is that you can only flip the fish once, because if you try to flip it a 2^nd time, it will stick and you’ll have a nightmare on your hands. So you need to make a good estimate of cooking time and stick to your plan. You can bank on about 10 minutes total per inch of thickness. You first cook the flesh side down 5-10 minutes, then flip.

Trick #3: you need to flip the whole fish at once, or it will fall apart. This needs multiple spatulas and often a second set of hands means you don’t lose meat into the grill!

You can cook it skin side down until ready, the two sides don’t have to cook even amounts of time. Use a fork in a thicker part of the filet, it should flake easily and be orange-pink and juicy inside – not red and not dry. Don’t overcook it! And also be aware that when you take it off the grill it will keep cooking for a few minutes under its own heat, so if just slightly undercooked, it will probably be perfect by the time you serve.

2006-06-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

June 14th Port Renfrew Fishing Report

There's been some good fishing off Port Renfrew in the last few weeks, with halibut fishing really going off and some decent sized spring salmon being caught.

One day last week off Swiftsure Bank we caught our limit of halibut in an hour -- "so...now what"?

Later in the week, the twins Jesse and Morgan, with their Uncle John, caught their limit of halibut, a nice red snapper, and then a beauty 26 pound spring salmon off Camper Creek.

Come join us for the best fishing BC has to offer...the wild west coast of Vancouver Island.

2006-05-31T10:53:00.000-07:00

May 31 Port Renfrew Fishing Report

A couple of fun trips last week fishing for halibut on the approaches to Swiftsure Bank. On Saturday, we caught 8 halibut, up to 30 pounds. That's a freezer full of beautiful halibut filets! (see below)

Friday we caught the biggest halibut so far this season -- Garth landing a 98 pound beauty, that for the sake of bragging rights we're going to call a hundred pounder! What an adventure boating that giant, we had to harpoon it with a rope and buoy attached, tire it out, then hogtie it and hoist it aboard. Dragging a huge halibut down the dock for weighing is tough work, but as they say "a good problem to have". 70 pounds of filets from one fish!

Just for fun, here's a photo of what a fridge looks like when dealing with a mountain of halibut...and some recommendations for freezing. First cut the filets, then wrap in freezer paper, stuff into ziplocs as tight as they'll go, then to the deep freeze -- voila, fish for the year, or a good part of it. NICE! :-)

Finally, good news on the salmon front: someone caught a 49 pound Spring Salmon this week off Port Renfrew. So, it is time once again to begin chasing the mighty Chinook salmon on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

2006-05-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

May 16th Port Renfrew Fishing Report

A fun day of Vancouver Island fishing with the Forlenza crew.

We caught 5 nice halibut today, ranging from 25 to 50 pounds.

And a wildlife bonus: we saw two humpback whales, jumping and splashing!

You never know what you'll get, fishing Port Renfrew and Swiftsure Bank, but a day of adventure is pretty much guaranteed.

Marc & Denece said: "We had a great time and thank you again", and sent us the following pictures.

2006-05-16T17:27:00.000-07:00

May 14: Swiftsure Bank Report

A beauty of a day fishing off the west coast of Vancouver Island. We left Port Renfrew at 6 am, racing the low tide out of the San Juan River. We motored out to the northwest corner of Swiftsure Bank, a few km out in front of the Carmanah lighthouse, chasing the bigger halibut that Springtime can deliver. And we weren’t disappointed! Before too long, we had three halibut in the boat – one double header with two 45 pounders and one 20 pounder later in the morning. A sunny day, light winds, good tunes, chit-chatting while awaiting the next bite. Good times.

Photos show Josh C fighting his first ever halibut and then proudly showing it off, along with one caught by John B.

Quicktime Video (MOV files):

JR bringing in a 45 pound halibut (9MB)

Josh battling (2MB), and reeling quickly (2MB)
"It's a ling cod" (5MB)

2006-05-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

May 3 Port Renfrew Fishing Report

A good day out fishing the Swiftsure Bank today. Five members of the Alhstrom family ended up catching a dozen halibut. Bob came through right at the last minute, catching a 40 pounder to win $10 in the fishing derby. Way to go Bob! Geoff sent in these photos (click on photos to view larger).

2006-04-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here we go....Halibut Fishing on Swiftsure Bank!

Jolly Rogers took advantage of the sunny calm weather last week, heading out to Swiftsure Bank chasing halibut. Between JR and one guest, it sure didn't take long to limit out -- non-stop bites, pretty much put the line down and winch it right back up. The only challenge was deciding whether to keep the "chickens" or wait for something bigger. In the end, after a couple of hours fishing, four 50 pound halibut were in the boat and they decided to head for home. A warm and glassy afternoon and some very successful Swiftsure Bank fishing. Good times! Port Renfrew delivers the fish once again!

2006-04-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

Halibut Derby

Both halibut fishing and salmon fishing are picking up all over Vancouver Island, and particularly from Sooke to Port Renfrew. Island Outfitters had their annual "Just for the Halibut" derby last weekend and over one hundred halibut up to 197 pounds were caught from Sooke to Victoria. That's a lot of fish and chips!

The Fraser River spring salmon are showing up in bigger numbers in local waters. These are traditionally the first of the early season spring salmon. They are recognizable by their short and wide bodies -- called "stubbies" or "footballs", getting up to 20-25 pounds typically. They can look huge in photos though, because of their width.

On another note, a happy client sent in these photos of last season's catch, so we're passing them along to further whet your appetite for a spring, summer, or fall Port Renfrew fishing adventure. Here's what Kent said: "We will treasure the trip for a long time. Thanks for a great time, hope we can hook up again next year."

Whether it's out at Swiftsure Bank or near shore outside Port Renfrew's harbour, there's plenty of salmon and halibut to be had. Vancouver Island fishing can't be beat!

2006-04-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

Mid April Update

A few more reports coming in of halibut catches between Jordan River and Sombrio Beach, up to Port Renfrew, as well as some larger Spring salmon in the 20 lb range around Sooke.

Here's another salmon recipe to get your mouth watering and fire up that fishing instinct...

Orange Oven Poached Spring Salmon

Who said gourmet cooking has to be difficult?

You need a cup of bread crumbs or finely crunched up crackers.
Grate the rind of one orange into the bread crumbs.
Add crushed black pepper, as spicy as you like it.
Rinse the fish and shake dry – you want it damp, but not dripping.
Dredge in the crumbs and place on an oiled baking dish.
In a bowl, juice the orange and add 1-2 tbsp of butter, microwave until melted and stir.
Pour over the fish.
Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, until fish flakes easily.

Let's get fishing!

2006-04-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

Early Spring Update

Another early season update: fishing is picking up and will be getting better and better from now until Fall! There’s already reports last week of good-sized halibut being caught on Swiftsure Bank, up to 80 pounds. As well, salmon up to 20 pounds have been reported along Southwest Vancouver Island. Things are starting to heat up – and we’re starting to get excited about another excellent fishing season ahead.

To get you thinking about good times ahead, here’s a couple of fish recipes for you. In my experience, it’s a pretty good idea for keen anglers to get skilled at preparing tasty fish meals. For one, you’ll have the pride and satisfaction of providing a succulent feast – from the ocean bottom all the way to the dinner table. But more important, when catching the quantities of fish we’re used to, you will need to come up with new and interesting ways to prepare fish in order to promote keen fish eating in your household. Because the more fish you can serve, the quicker your freezer empties, and the sooner you get a green light for another trip out to spectacular Swiftsure Bank!

So, in the spirit of promoting lots of fish eating, here’s a couple of our favorite recipes, one halibut and one salmon:

Baked Halibut with Mint Salsa (thanks to Kevin Arndt)

Your mother-in-law will think you’ve been taking gourmet cooking lessons.

Part One: Salsa Preparation

Grate rind from one lemon.
Remove the seeds and dice the lemon as fine as possible.
Add 1 small diced red onion.
Add a handful or more of diced fresh mint leaves.
Add a few chilli flakes if you want a bit of spice in it.
Add quarter cup of white sugar, stir in.
Taste: should be nicely sweet and tart, not too much of either.
Serves 2-3, double everything if you want more.

Part Two: Halibut Cooking

Ideally remove skin from halibut (get knife between skin and meat, then pull knife along skin with pressure downward beneath the meat at a 45 degree angle, knife will slip between skin and meat without cutting into the meat). But don’t worry if too much hassle!
Press lemon pepper and sea salt into both sides of halibut. In a hot oiled frying pan, sear the halibut 1 minute each side. You may fry some diced garlic with it if you like.
Pre-heat oven to 350, put halibut in for 10 minutes or so, depending on thickness – don’t overcook, as there’s nothing worse than dried out halibut! You’ll know it is ready when it flakes with a fork and is still juicy inside. It will cook outside the oven for a minute or two, so be cautious about putting it back in oven.

Add salsa onto halibut and serve.
Proudly accept guests’ compliments.

Cedar Planked BBQ Salmon

A westcoast favourite. When you serve, your house will fill with a great smoky cedar aroma, complementing the meal.

Find a cedar plank that fits on your bbq top. Best is a thin piece of green cedar (1/2” thick), but a piece of cedar fence board will do (untreated!!!).
Soak the cedar board in water – overnight is best, but an hour or two will do.
Heat BBQ to medium heat and cover – you want it nice and sealed in order to bake the fish.
Cut up salmon filets or steaks to fit on the plank. If thick filets, cut them narrow (1” widths) – this will cook them faster and give more surface area for glazing.
Mix the marinade: a cup or so of soy sauce with 2-3 tbsp of brown sugar, microwave and stir until sugar melts.
Liberally brush on marinade throughout cooking. As the fish cooks, the brown sugar will carmelize and glaze, so don’t be shy with it, the more marinade, the better the flavour.
The cedar plank will steam a lot and later in cooking will begin to char. The steam cooks the fish, the smoke adds that beautiful cedar flavour. The glaze will harden to a crisp sugary coating – even kids who hate fish will like this one!
Depending on thickness of the fish and the heat of the bbq, it should be cooked in 20-30 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it is light pink inside and flakes when forked. Try not to overcook, although overcooking isn’t as critical as with other recipes, as the fish will get more flavourful even if a bit dry.
Final tip: make sure you make twice as much as you think you’ll need. Your guests will enjoy this so much, they’ll eat all you give them and still want more.

There you go -- store these away for future reference, for when you return from another plentiful Jolly Rogers fishin' mission.

2006-03-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Jolly Rogers fishing report!

We're in between fishing seasons right now, not really winter any more but not quite spring. There's still a few winter chinook salmon biting in Sooke, but the deep water bottom feeders are starting to get a bit fickle. In typical March fashion, as we transition into Spring there's there's now fewer fish biting but they are getting bigger and bigger. There was a 20 pound Spring caught off Sooke Bluffs last week, and several reports of fish in the teens. The non-stop winter action has been replaced by noticeable bite times -- so if you're in the right place at the right time, there's fish to be had. That's fishing!

For halibut, there's reports of "flatties" being caught all over Greater Victoria, with Jordan River being particulary hot.

The Jolly Rogers will be moving to her summer Port Renfrew home on April 1, kicking off the hunt for early halibut on Swiftsure Bank. As winter wanes, our westerly gales will be replaced with calmer seas, and then the chase begins! Before too long, the early Chinooks will be coming through, black-mouthed "footballs" aiming for the spawning grounds well up the Columbia River. Get aboard with JR and get in on the early season action!

Finally, a couple of photos from last year, to get you thinking about good times to come....