Well, in spite of the biblical proportion rainfall at Port Renfrew Marina there are still lots of Coho around. From the river mouth out to the "can buoy" fishermen are catching them. The largest to date that we have seen was 17 pounds. Hatchery staff at the blocking fence report quite a few Coho in the 20 pound range and have estimated a couple in the low 30's! There are lots of fish in the river system and still lots to come. So, having said, that we are expecting and very hopeful of a great turnout of Coho for the annual Coho Derby "Winner Take All" that is happening this coming weekend. The weather should be ok, hearing a variety of reports from sunny and nice to wet and cloudy so it's anyone's guess but so far there are no indications of radical weather or heavy winds. Also there are no tidal issues for that weekend and none really for the remainder of our season. Tickets are available at the marina on the Friday and early Sat morning. They are $25.00 a rod with $5.00 of each ticket going to the hatchery. The derby time rules are Saturday dawn till 6:00 and on Sunday, dawn till 1:00. You must be on the dock with any fish you may have ready to be weighed in BEFORE 1:00 cutoff. Any arriving after that will not be weighed. The winner will be announced shortly after all weighins are done to finalize the weights. Please remember that we are a cash business so bring cash for your stay and tickets. We do have an ABM for your convenience. Don't worry if you arrive late and are concerned about space, we always fit everyone in that's entered in the derby.
ATTENTION: Anyone who may know Mark Harding who was the highest bidder for the 2014 Bite Me Derby tickets please have him contact us asap. 250 483-1878. If we do not hear from him by this weekend we will be auctioning them off to the highest bidder during the Coho Derby.
IMPORTANT: Please be aware that Port Renfrew Marina will be closing the following weekend on October 13th. All boats must be out of the water and removed from the marina with any units unless storage arrangements have been made. If left then storage fees will apply. If you would like to arrange storage please see us in the office. We do have a caretaker, Desi Hatchard, who lives on site and keeps watch over all storage items. The gate is kept locked and if you require entrance in the marina after closing you must contact him so he can open the gate. His number is 250 483-1486. Storage is prepaid for the winter so please come prepared to do so.
Bud & Rex