wow as a guide you took the words outa my mouth i have come to realize that anyone is the fishing business on the island or bc seems to eventually cross paths
the fishing community is much smaller than you think
that was very well written and you obviously have some years of experience to know all of this I am not an old timer nor am i a newb
we have much to learn and learning never stops i have friend that has guided for many years he has been guiding for while now and he still teaches me stuff that makes me feel like I just picked up a rod yesterday

we all need to realize that we have to protect our resource and work together The Province and feds could care less if there was fish for us to catch

I hope this resource if here for long time and i will continue to volunteer my time to help make it better
would be nice to see even 50% of the anglers out there participate and do the same.

dont kwno why it posted my post twice

I posted a reply to Metalhead here:

http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/sho ... iver/page4

That's where I originally saw this message.
Also, I agree we should be united instead of divided!

~ Ian

Here's a cut and paste:

Let me first say to the local guides and their friends on the Cowichan river (whom I never met, nor do I know who you are) I am sorry that you feel the way that you do and I know what its like to have new competition in business. However, I may step away from my business but someone with even more online marketing savy will probably replace me. Guides on the Stamp river and on the Cowichan river may not have had nearly as much online competition before I came around, but with the internet the way it is and with social media the way it is, that will never go away, with or without me. I've actually noticed a marked improvement with other stamp guides websites and social media uses over the last year. It looks like they have been posting plenty of fishy pictures and fishing reports. I honestly don't know any of the names or websites of the other Cowichan guide companies.

There are numerous online sources to get fishing reports for the Cowichan river, other than me. There is also plenty of online fishing forums, fishing stores, other guides, even other bloggers that will give you a fishing report or put up a fish picture. Youtube is brimming with cowichan and stamp river fishing videos, many are made by other guide companies. You can't expect the entire internet to be shut down. This is the new generation of angler emerging through social media, youtube and blogs, and it's growing very very rapidly. However, I understand that my blog is very well read, and when I say the fishing is good somewhere then the chances are pretty good there will be more people on the river the next day. So, I use the word consistent, a lot. I only post one or two pictures of a steelhead caught that day on my blog, even though we catch far more. However, if someone calls or emails me they get the full details.

As for fishing, its very plain to see from anyone that has read my blog, that I care about fish, a lot. You don't have to look to far down my blog roll to see the efforts that I go through to put forward the plight of our environment and of our fish stocks. Volunteering at different hatcheries, participated in halibut meetings, wrote emails and letters to the MOE and the DFO, supported local charities, etc... receiving hundreds of emails every year from anglers all over BC and beyond asking for advice on fishing, and I reply to everyone of them with the little time that I have because more new people should fish and enjoy 'our' (not 'your') outdoors! especially youth! More anglers for the sport is a very good thing, anglers are a rivers best friend. In this day and age of xboxes and iphones, its hard enough to get teens to remove their face from a screen let alone pick up a fishing rod. I speak clearly on what I believe. Anyone who knows me, been guided by me or worked with me will attest to that. Also, I have been steelheading for 30 years, how does that makes me a newbie?

I have no desire to be dragged into a mudslinging debacle, especially with someone who posted once on this board and/or with my competition.

I'm going to bow out of this thread, I just wanted to post something in my defence.

If anyone would like to discuss this further, please feel free to call me: 250-218-1087

I think you missed the point everyone is trying to make Ian? I havent heard one person worried about you being competition. I think its more about the lack of respect youve shown for other anglers.

Might have wanted to look into that first fella. How about explaining the rude behavior and the knife pulling incident? If someone said I pulled a knife on them but I didn't I would make it a point to refute the fact.

I personally think that there are benefits in how the Rambler is promoting our rivers on the island. I mean, yes there may be a bit more of a crowd when fishing.. But with the number of rivers we have on the island compared with the total population of the island(I believe it is under 800k).. It will never be as crowded compared to the waters I am used to fishing. Also you have to realize this.. The only way to convince the goverment to invest more money into our fisheries is to show them that there's money to be made.

Example.. The salmon and steelhead fishery on majority of the Lake Ontario Tributaries are phenomenal. A good day is at least 2 dozen fish. A bad day consists of catching only a couple. Now it's only been this way within the last 10 years because of all the hard work the volunteers put in, conservation efforts and funding the goverement has been providing the hatcheries. Mind you, fishing some of these rivers is like shopping on boxing day, but majority of the chaos is limited to the salmon fishing in the rivers. Now why do they have better funding there than out here. well one simple reason... The salmon and steelhead charters racks in millions of dollars annually and low priced fishing licenses means more ppl are more inclined to buy it. Now the issue out here is that charters funds the DFO.. so there really isn't much to fund the provincial fisheries. Another issue is that BC doesn't have the population numbers like ontario, so that means even less revenue for our freshwater fisheries. So the fisheries are dependant on tourism and younger generation into fishing our lakes and rivers, would generate more revenue to invest in hatcheries and monitoring conservation efforts.

But I can see why the older gent are pushing for a quite and peaceful fishing experience. But one thing you older gents have to remember.. It was the actions of our grandfathers that annihilated the steelhead from many of the island rivers. So we need to provide nature with a helping hand to restore some, if not all the damage we have done... Unfornately in the time of greed.. It will take more than just conservation efforts and keeping the remaining fishing holes a secret to restore what the past has done and have taken away from us younger anglers.

So I say the more anglers we have out here, the more revenue it will generate and encourage our goverement to invest in our sport. The only reason why the gov shuts down hatcheries and funding, are all mainly due to the lack of funds that is being generated from the sport. So they don't see the need to spend money, if the fish returns are lower than expected; there isn't enough money being generated. It's simple accounting. If there isn't enough coming "in", then there isn't enough to pay for what's coming "out".

We are living in an information age, so if the rambler has to post reports about a couple rivers through social media, which attracts and introduces ppl to the sport. Then all the power to him. It's not like he's spilling the beans on the rest of the rivers and creeks that we have on our island. I found that there are a lot of ppl that are interested in fishing.. but it's because of the older gents refusing to talk about fishing, it deters them from the sport.

Example... when I moved here, it was hard finding fishing buddies as everyone was so secretive about where to fish. So I spent months alone scouting and figuring out where to fish. Then I ended up introducing some ppl to the sport, which once they were hooked, they introduce their friends to the sport. Now we are a pretty solid group of fishermen. Now the only reason why they got hooked and spent the thousands of dollars getting into the sport, is all due because someone was willing to spend the time to show them how and where to fish.

I don't agree with forcing ppl to learn to fend for themselves, this is the reason why less and less ppl are fishing and tackle is getting more and more expensive (apart from inflation) because they need to charge more to make the same as they did before.

We as anglers, need to stop being so secretive and be more open to 'newbies'. We need to show them how to properly fish and conserve what's left of our sport, doing so will ensure the survival of our sport for future generations.

An Oldtimers take

Back in the day when I first took up steelheading, a backroads mapbook by Alec Merriman was about all the info out there.

No river level reports on the computer
No google maps to find road access
No google earth to have a satellite peek at things
No internet reports of the latest info
No blogs spelling out the latest ins and outs
No Vids on youtube with how to's and where to's
No latest and greatest guide info
No guides to teach you the ropes so you could then go on your own
No free info on the riverbank when you finally found a decent spot
And none of the latest technological advances in tackle

It took many YEARS and many $$$$ to learn the How to's and Where to's and even the When to's. Sorry but a newbie is just someone who is taking up a spot, usually a poor spot but sometimes by luck they are in the right spot. I have found out the hard way that loose lips mean your favorite spot is taken the next time you are out. That is how the oldtimers back in the day made me earn my stripes so keep at it Newbie and one day you will be an oldtimer too.

If I am lucky I may get out this weekend and if I do I will undoubtedly get "ONEFISH".

Seems like a very anti social method of fishing. But this is the reason why less and less ppl are fresh water fishing and just sticking to saltwater. But you do realize that these ideaologies are the reason why more and more ppl don't see the point iforking out the cash for a freshwater license. They aren't able to catch fish, they don't know anyone that fishes, can't afford to hire a guide, and/or no local will offer a helping hand. So my question... how does one enjoy the sport if no know one is willing to help them learn to love the sport. I have gone days where I didn't even get my rod wet because I was determined to ensure my buddy caughta fish because we all know it takes that one fish to hook the fisherman for life.

Finally, based on all these 'old timer rules' what are all you ol timers reading and posting on here? After all the site is called 'fishingvancouverisland' and the main subject of discussion being 'cowichan river report'. I say there are a few violations happening here. Bit You do realize that for every person that comments here, regardless informative or not, confirms that there's fish in this trib?

Yup steelheading is a bit anti social. If you want social fishing go on a lake or the chuck or join a fishing club and attend some meetings.

Salmon fishing on the Stamp, Vedder, Big qualicum and Campbell are about as social as you can get. The falls pool on the Stamp for steelhead is another place where you can build a fire and yap to people all day long.

By the way I did get one fish today

My post was open, I did say Advice.

I was capable of learning and most are I believe. This wasn’t just a slag but hopefully a “wake up call” maybe? (don’t think he understands thou)

And yes, I do have some first hand, trying to take the higher road.

I missed my haha after my Gunslinger comment, you really took that to heart? Wow (great pic by the way, funny)

I’ve seen many come and go, he won’t be the last, and yes maybe a bit of my own passion snuck in there, as I was trying to keep it as level headed as possible, hey nobody is perfect.

Funny how you would put any kind of clout in Post numbers, really that’s how you judge common sense, experience or intellectually here? Hmmm

The internet wasn’t around when we all started (maybe that’s why we are so tight lipped) and we even now don’t use it for fishing talk, only log on for river heights, etc….

It’s is a great tool for river safety comments, new equipment, spreading fish related information, sharing stories, that hopefully make others get out into the woods to realize the value of our precious resources.

We need more people Self discovering nature, having great experiences, which if I remember right, hooked me.

Oh yeah, I’m the big guy with a 10 gallon hat and a very Big rod, haha

PS Totally Agree Onefish, we fished today too for well, we’ll say … onefish
Amazingly the fish are in the water!! Cheers All