March 20th Port Renfrew Marina Report

Port Renfrew Marina's 2009 season is close at hand. Today is the first day of spring and we now have winter behind us. We are all looking forward to having the weather improve and getting things organized and having a good year fishing. It is going to be great to see all the people that we have grown to know and like at the marina, sharing fishing stories around campfires. Halibut limits will continue at 1 a day with a 2 day possession.

Chinook outlook is very positive. The Columbia System is expecting a huge return which could provide us with another unbelievable July fishery.

No predictions on the Coho stocks as yet.

Crabbing at the marina area has been very good this March and should continue in to June at least.

Port Renfrew Marina has acquired new caretakers this year. Noel and Pat Atkin have moved to Duncan and our new caretakers are Wayne and Gwen Coleman, long standing Port Renfrew Marina campers. Wayne and Gwen are great people and will certainly be a big help with us getting up and running this year. They have great energy and look forward to helping out. We will also have Knutt Haensel returning to help out in the office and around the marina.

A reminder to ALL past seasonal customers that you have until May 15th, preferably sooner to confirm you site from last year or it may be occupied. Failure to contact us will be assumed you aren't returning so please make sure to e-mail or call us.

Note: The road from Jordan River to Port Renfrew is in horrible shape. If you are towing your rig in we would recommend you consider coming in through Lake Cowichan. Also a reminder that we only deal in cash but we now have a ATM cash machine for customer convenience. The marina will have gas and diesel as of May1st.

Port Renfrew Marina donation to Emergency Center At the close of last year in October we were inquiring as to how our bear attack victim, Blaine Pharis was recovering and he told us he is doing quite well all things considered. He explained how the trauma center was such a big part of his recovery and we discovered that the hospital is in the midst of fundraising to build a new and more comprehensive unit. It was at this time that we at Port Renfrew Marina decided it would be a worthwhile cause to make a donation to it in the marina's and Blaine's name.  We made a donation of $1,000.00. The hospital needs $2 million for emergency equipment and to date has raised $513,000.00. Anyone interested in making a donation can contact the Victoria Hospitals Foundation at 250 414-6688.

Looking forward to seeing old and meeting new customers at the marina this season,

Bud & Rex

Oct.16 Port Renfrew Marina Report

Port Renfrew Marina's 2008 season is over and each year seems to go by faster and faster. We closed officially Oct 14th. It was a pretty smooth year other than the terrible bear attack on Blaine Pharis. We managed to get more docks built which were snapped up early in the season and the new area for seasonal boat trailers was filled quickly. For next year we are hoping to expand that area and hopefully make more room for camping and build a small amount of dock space which at that point will max us out for usable dock area. For those of you who met Knut, our new guy in the office, he will be returning next year to help us out again. This year saw some of the best Halibut fishing in recent years with lots of "barndoors" hitting the docks. The largest on caught was 197 pounds caught by Kevin McKenna followed by a 186 caught by John Rogers of Jolly Rogers Fishing Adventures, and many more.

Chinook fishing was very slow after the August rains, ending what proved to be a disappointing season in general especially since this area in Renfrew is known for being predictably hot.

Coho fishing never did pick up although at the beginning the signs seemed promising but unfortunately they never panned out.

The good news is the San Juan Enhancement Society hatchery got their 1 million eggs and report a very strong natural spawn in the system. Lets hope that following years will show signs of that.

Oct.14th was the marina's closing date so please be aware and make sure you have come for your boat and or unit and have settled up your business for the season.  For seasonals please remember that you must contact us before May 1st 2009 to confirm keeping your spot, otherwise it will be assumed you are not returning.

We look forward to seeing all our customers again in the coming year and we wish all of you a safe and happy winter.

Bud & Rex

 

Oct.3 Port Renfrew Marina Report

Port Renfrew Marina held its annual Coho Derby this past Sept.27th and 28th. Fishing was a lot like this past season has shown us and unfortunately was slow. This didn't stop 398 optimistic fisherman to show up and try their luck. Weather conditions were excellent, warm, dry and with calm seas. There were approximately 30 Coho brought in over the two days with most of them in the 12 to 17 pound range. The 20.5 pound winning Coho was caught on Saturday and held up through the final weigh in at 1:00 Sunday. Jason Armstrong won the $7,880.00 prize money.

Coho fishing should improve till closing, Oct.13th as they usually show up in Oct though the weather could become a problem for boating.

One bright note is the Chinook return to the San Juan River system. The hatchery easily got the one million eggs they were hoping for. They also report a very good natural spawn with possibly 5000 fish in the river. Great news!

Please Note: Port Renfrew Marina will be closing for the season on Oct.13th. Please make sure you arrive in time to remove your boat and or unit before that date unless you have made arrangements for storage. Storage must be arranged with management and Noel. Please take note that in the next month we will be revising and posting a new rates page.

New Caretaker: This winter will be Noel and Pat's last year with the marina and they will be moving on with their retirement. The marina is looking for a caretaker to fill in. Please contact us if you happen to know someone who would fit this position, details can be discussed with anyone seriously interested.

Bud & Rex

Sept.22 Port Renfrew Marina Report

Well, what a summer it has been.... now it is officially fall and fishing at Port Renfrew Marina is still the slowest in recent memory. While we had the occasional burst of good fishing, for the most part it has been slower than anyone can recall. Chinooks seem to have disappeared after Labor Day and have not returned. In previous years we would have almost doubled the fish over 4o pounds caught all summer in the first two weeks of Sept. This has not happened.

Coho fishing has been very slow and, though it is still early, as late Sept. and early Oct are prime time. Again there have been days when little showed on the docks and then a day when some nice ones appeared. Some are coming in from the 300 foot to 500 foot depth range. The popular lures are mostly green hootchies and coyote spoons. There are Coho out at the Chicken Ranch at Swiftsure and other spots if you have a boat capable of getting out there and are willing to put in the time. We are all waiting to see if the Coho move in and fishing picks up.

  • Notable catches of Coho:
  • Chris McCrea                                          16
  • John Wells of Hindsight Charters     14, 15, 17
  • apologies to others that caught Coho of a good size and names were missed.

The good news is Halibut fishing continues to be reliable and strong at the Swiftsure Bank. For the most part the fish are on the smaller side but there are obviously still some big ones out there. See photo of Allen Nickel with his 142 pound Halibut.

Update on the Bear incident: We are pleased to report that after seeing and speaking with Blaine Pharis that he is on the mend and doing quite well all things considered. We are happy to say that he got first class care from the start with David Pope who is an advanced life support paramedic and his mother, Cindy Pope both of whom were right there to step up and care for him. In the hospital he was cared for in the burn and wound unit and got top notch care with a plastic surgeon there for consult. At last report we have heard he is doing well and recovering from his injuries. Happily, he isn't letting this stop him from continuing his fishing adventures.

Important Dates: Port Renfrew Marina's Coho Derby is this coming weekend, Sept.27th and 28th. The cost of entry is $20.00 a rod and it is "Winner Take All" Last years winnings was $9,800.00. A reminder also that Port Renfrew Marina will be closing on Oct. 12th this year. Please be sure to settle up all business and take home your unit and boat unless otherwise arranged.  Also for all our seasonal people please be sure to remember that May 1st is the deadline for confirming your spot for the 2009 year. It is very important that you contact us with this information so you don't lose your priority.

Caretaker's position: Port Renfrew Marina will be losing our long standing caretakers Noel & Pat Atkin over the last 12 years. They are planning to move on in the late spring to be closer to family and spend more time truly retired. Port Renfrew Marina will be looking for a replacement caretaker and if you know of anyone that may be interested please have them contact us. Details of what the position requires can be discussed then.

Bud & Rex

Sept.11 Port Renfrew Marina Report

Port Renfrew Marina as many of you may know has been in the news lately regarding the bear mauling that happened on Sept.9 around 5:00 that evening. We would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest thanks to everyone that helped us with this terrible event. A very personal thank you to the  brave people who helped with trying to get the bear off the man: Bruce Miller, Jared Gagen, Bud, the fellow's friend Steve, Art Unruh and Ed Stirling. Also a very special thank you to David Pope who is an advanced life support paramedic (so very lucky he had all his equipment with him) and his mother Cindy Pope who is a nurse who came to the man's rescue to care for his wounds. In the 22 years that the marina has been in business and the 12 years of our ownership there has never been an incident like this and we pray there never will be again. At last report the man is in the hospital and stable, which is a relief, all things considered. What a great feeling to know that we live in a place that when a fellow human being is in extreme distress that there are others that will come to his rescue regardless of the risk of death or injury. Without this help the man would have almost surely died. To the fellow that was so badly injured we all wish him a very speedy recovery. To everyone there that day that helped a VERY BIG thank you!! Fishing at Port Renfrew Marina in the past week has been very slow. There are still a few springs around and a few Coho showing up. Hopefully in the following week we will see an improvement and have more Coho's showing in real numbers. The seas have been very calm with beautiful weather for the most part but with some fog.

Notable catches of Springs:

  • Thelma Mattson             34
  • Hugh Hamar                  32.5
  • Dale Exley                      36
  • Dave Maitson                 36
  • Blair Houdayer                32
  • Clayton Wright               31
  • Trevor No Banana's        33

Halibut fishing is still good at the Swiftsure Bank. The fish are on the smaller side but are the best for eating.

Important Dates: Port Renfrew Marina's Coho "Winner Take all" Derby will be held this Sept.27th & 28th. The cost is $20.00 a rod and the rules are dawn to 6:00 p.m. on Sat. the 27th and dawn to 1:00 on Sun the 28th. All fish are expected to be caught within the legal fishing areas. The fisheries rules for Coho are: Two wild Coho can be kept if caught inside the whistle buoy. Hatchery Coho can be retained in or outside the bay. Up to four Coho in total may be kept. For more information, see these links:

Port Renfrew Marina will be closing on Oct.12th 2008. Please make arrangements for taking your unit and boat home unless previously arranged for storage. 

Bud & Rex