Spring Is In The Air!

Spring is in the Air & Our 36^th Season is Just Around the Corner!

With the record cold snowy winter still continuing its grip on us, it is hard to believe that it is already March 1st. Believe it or not, spring is just a few weeks away so eventually it IS going to get warmer, but by the most recent forecast not this week! Last summer we had record hot/dry weather & the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting the same. But you never really know what the weather will bring here in the Pacific NW as it can be unpredictable. If a high-pressure ridge builds then we can have weeks of sun. If not, then we can get a continuing series of low-pressure systems that brings our trademark mist & rain. This “spa treatment” is very good for your skin, we don’t charge extra for it, & it always makes for some of the best fishing conditions. With light winds & grey skies the fish typically stay right on the surface all day long making them much easier to catch. So pack layers, we provide all the rain gear & boots, & know that you can’t change the weather so regardless you will have the most amazing fishing adventure. It is hard to imagine the lazy hazy days of summer in the deep freeze we are in, but NOW is the time to plan your fishing trip – if you have not already done so. Already calendars are getting filled up & it becomes harder & harder to coordinate dates even for just a group of 2 of you! The other issue is your flight destination Vancouver (YVR), British Columbia has had steadily increasing tourist visits year after year, which translates to flights & hotels filling up well in advance of the summer. So don’t delay, call your fishing partners today, bring family, friends or a group of clients & business associates. We have something to offer to every age & fishing experience, from the rank beginner to the fishing industry pro. Calm waters & proximity to the fishing grounds only just minutes for our floating lodge only adds to the accessibility & quality of the experience for all.

If you have not already done so, please contact us today to answer your questions, discuss available dates & make your booking for the fishing adventure of a lifetime in 2019, our 36^th season. Contact Simon, Stephanie, Cathy & Barbara anytime to make your plans. 
Call 800-663-2644 or 250-923-2689 Email: info@riversinlet.com

The 36 Year Evolution of Fishing Styles at Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club

Some of the best days fishing are often the most unexpected. When you run a fishing lodge it is hard to get off the dock much with all the moving parts, especially first thing in the morning. Sometimes you don’t have to be the first to wet a line at day-break to get the “goods”. Rivers Inlet is one of those magical fishing destination where “the bite” doesn’t always happen ONLY at first light like in many other fishing locals. The fishing can turn-on at anytime of the day, randomly in the mid-morning, during a windy sunny afternoon, on the tide-change, right at dusk or for absolutely no reason at all. The school of salmon would just start biting all at once. Back in the day when the fleet of boats fished closer together slow trolling or “mooching” with herring & more concentrated in fewer spots, you could often just watch as the rods in nearby boats started to light-up. The tips would bury, anglers jumped out of their seats & like a flock of birds all alighting at the same instant it was FISH ON for almost everyone around you. The screaming out of line & the hoots, hollers & high-fives echoed across the water. Over the years in Rivers Inlet we have expanded our fishing program to run with faster boats, with quieter more fuel-efficient 4-Stroke motors that travel further afield (when necessary), electronics including GPS/Sounder/Radio & the primary fishing method is now with downriggers & tackle. So, the crowd really spreads out these days with downriggers your are fishing faster, deeper & further afield. You are often fishing solo or only with a handful of other boats in your personal private spot. So, when the bite comes on, there are often only a few other nearby anglers to share your glee – which is fine with me! And they might even name the spot after you if you catch a big one there! At times, I do reminisce about the “good old days”. At the “World Famous Rivers Inlet Wall” there would be 40 + boats at first-light in the surreal haze of the 2-Stroke Motor smoke all jockeying for position tight to the rocky shore where the big lazy lunkers lurk. It could be very dramatic when you hooked up a classic Rivers Inlet MONSTER Chinook/King. Firstly, you had to delicately coax it out of the shallows of the kelp beds, through the myriad of nearby boats to get it to the safety of open water. Even with rod tip held high & perfect pressure applied to the tip, & a good skipper at the helm navigating you through the fleet of boats, you could still encounter potential peril. Often, with so many erratic long runs, acrobatic jumps & deep dives, the fish would get tangled in multiple other angler’s lines if they did not reel in quickly enough & give you a wide berth. Having to politely instruct less informed & experienced anglers to “cut the line” to untangle your fish was commonplace. I was all part of the good sporting fun & the excitement of “mooching” with herring as bait-fish in a world-class trophy salmon fishing destination. As much as I have fond memories of these fun times, so much has change over the past 36 years of our operation. Many “die-hards” still “mooch” at certain times when the top-water conditions warrant it (like our guides). However, the dominance of the use of fishing with downriggers & tackle has changed everything for the better & we love it! The salmon & halibut/lingcod fishing is still as good as ever & the experience has greatly improved with less crowded fishing spots & less skill & experience necessary to have a successful trip. We now all prefer the new regime & much more relaxing pace & of boats spread out all over the Inlet & getting to fish un-crowded spots on your own. World-Class Wilderness fishing at it’s finest! The dream is still alive in Rivers Inlet! Come join us this summer for a fishing/boating adventure of a lifetime at the Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club (RISC). Contact Simon, Stephanie, Cathy & Barbara today to book your trip! 
 1-800-663-2644 or 250-923-2689 Email: info@riversinlet.com 

Guest Testimonial

Hi Simon & Stephanie,
We truly had a great experience & a wonderful time. Cliché – I know – "I will treasure these memories for ever". I wanted to send you over some picks with my Dad with a Northerner & also a nice one he caught with Brent. I also had a couple of sunset picks that I thought were pretty cool as well.
Shout out to Brent & Landon also.  Lucky to have met them! Thanks again for the hospitality & great fishing. Dad & I could see this is not an easy business, & we appreciate the things you people do to make it a once in a lifetime experience for those of us who may only get the chance to do this one time. Having said that – RI is back on my travel to do list, so with a bit of luck & God’s grace we hope to return again someday in the future!
Cheers. Kevin K 

Stephanie & Simon are in the booth exhibiting at the annual Fred Hall Long Beach Show next week. The 73rd running of the annual Fred Hall Show at the Long Beach Convention Center is the world’s largest sportfishing show, California’s largest boat show & an international leader in hunting & fishing travel & other outdoor recreation. There are hundreds of tackle manufacturers, international hunting & fishing booths (like ours), countless boats & fishing related vehicles, casting ponds & demonstrations & many daily seminars on everything to fly-tying, GPS operation to cooking classes. There is so much to see & do so bring the whole family down for a full day of fun. You can research all the information on the Internet about a new fishing adventure or rod/reel, but there is nothing like coming to a show like this & speaking face to face with the operator/outfitter/manufacturers themselves.

The idea of developing a sportsmen’s show began when Fred Hall was only 22 years old. It was at the end of World War II. Hall was offered a job as head usher by a company that staffed sporting events. It was there seeing the workings of these various events that the idea for a sportsmen’s show began.

Born in Connecticut in the early 20’s, he moved to Miami when he was young & grew up fishing there. As a teen he moved to CA. & continued his passion for fishing. In 1946, with the opening of his first show, Fred became the pioneer fishing show promoter. The show was a success & continued to grow & evolve moving through a number of venues. It finally landed at the Long Beach Convention Centre in 1978 & with the addition of vehicles & boats, became the largest & now longest running consumer fishing show in the world. This is a title that it still holds to this day. Besides boats & vehicles, he added famous speakers, fresh & saltwater mobile aquariums & now more than 200 exhibitor booths offering exotic trips to fish & hunt around the world. Fred believed that the key to the future of sport fishing was the youth & children under 12 years of age are to this day still admitted free. Further, he encouraged everyone in the industry to teach the kids how to fish to ensure future customers for all in the business. An estimated 1/2 a million kids have learned to fish at Fred’s Shows over the 70 years. He was also a conservationist being a leader in the movement to ban gill nets in in-shore waters, as well as a big contributor to non-profit organizations dedicated to the promotion & propagation of sport fishing. Fred passed away on March 4, 2000. Fred Hall’s legacy is that he introduced & influenced countless thousands of men, women & children to sport fishing. Through his efforts of promotion & conservation sport fishing will continued to be enjoyed by future generations!

His son Bart Hall, his family & their Team have continued on in Fred’s footsteps. We have been exhibitors at the Fred Hall Shows for over 20 years & we are looking forward to the show this week in our usual booth space. Every year the show just gets bigger & better. We are excited to see some long-time customers & friends & meet so new fisherman who want to learn about a trip to our lodge, chat fishing & experience the magic of the Rivers Inlet Sportsman’s Club on the dream fishing adventure of a lifetime! And if the sun is out & warm, we might even sneak in an hour at the pool. It has been a long cold snowy winter in Canada! Hope to see you there this week! Call/Text us at 604-938-3677 if you are coming down to the show to confirm our booth location.
Tight Lines, Simon & Stephanie

The 12 Best Salmon Recipes

Salmon is so versatile. It takes to all types of cooking methods – grilling, pan-frying, roasting, poaching. It’s equally delicious dressed in flavorful sauces or unadorned, simply prepared on the grill or in the pan with a little olive oil and salt. It’s an equally terrific dish for quick weeknight meals and impressive dinner parties alike. We have dozens of salmon recipes to choose from. And here are a variety of the top-rated salmon recipes that we’re loving right now!