COASTAL FISHING

Port Hardy’s Angling Adventures Also a Gateway to Region’s History

For A Whale Of A Time Fish Northern Vancouver Island

Port Hardy, at the northern end of Vancouver Island, perches on the edge of Queen Charlotte Strait. The strait squeezes waters from the open Pacific Ocean into a relatively narrow funnel between Northern Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland. All five species of salmon – especially much sought-after, mature trophy chinook and coho returning to eastern Vancouver Island and mainland rivers – lurk in channels between innumerable islands and islets to ambush immense schools of bait pushed by powerful tidal currents. There are multiple options for oceanside accommodations in Port Hardy.  With so many fish passing through, it’s also a prime location to view resident populations of orcas, whose main diet is salmon. Learn about the history and culture of Port Hardy’s Kwakwaka’wakw First Nation, the town’s early beginnings, European settlement, and resource industries at the Port Hardy Museum and Archives.