19) Eve River - Estuary (N of Sayward)

[John Pierce]

Eve River - Estuary

FACILITIES - MAIN CAMPSITE

• Forestry Company clearing just before log staging area.
• No campsites, just clearing for about 20 units.
• No water/power/tables/firepits, two pit toilets on East side.

ESTUARY ACCESS

• Walk out North end of campsite, turn right on road, walk past log barrier, to end about 100 m then down path.
• Most people fish right at sea, few in river.

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

• Do not trust Google Maps for directions, link to Main Campsite on Google Maps.
• Drive N on Hwy 19, about 91 km (1 hr) past Campbell River you turn right at marker 260 km (if you overshoot then Hwy toilet on right).
• Drive about 45-60 min North on logging companies good quality gravel road (go slow if trailer) with Eve River on your right / East side for the last half. Drive North to very end of road.
• Log staging area at end, campsite on right East side

FISHING

• Catch and keep rules until up river at sign on river about 700 m south of Main Campsite, then Catch and Release rules.
• Rule-Of-Thumb: July=Pinks, August=Pinks & Coho, Sep=Coho & Chinook.

REFERENCE

• 
  IWFF's Bob Kissinger's - Eve River Observations, Stories, & Thoughts.

HISTORY
20200725 RonE fishes, lots of Pinks.
20190801 John Pierce visits but river too swollen to fish.
201708 John Pierce goes fly fishing at Eve River for Pink, but minimal run, did not catch one fish.

[John Pierce]

FISHOUT: AUGUST 1 2019

GRR Member John Pierce went with Ira Pratt, Winglet Chan, and Dave McLean to Eve River Estuary Logging Campsite on Aug 1, unfortunately dumped 2" rain that evening and next day Eve was flooded and no access across to normal fishing locations. Pictures below are 1 hour before low tide!! Quotes from others at campsites: "Never seen Eve this flooded in 17 years", "Fishing few days before was poor". Drove home on Aug 2 .

[John Pierce]

Ron Duncan's Favourite Eve River Flies in hook sizes 6-8-10:

[John Pierce]

July 25, 2020 FishOut Report by RonE:

Yesterday afternoon I fished the Eve River estuary and the lowermost river itself. There are lots of fish in both areas. It was not the best time to be fishing as it was very bright and the wind was howling as it frequently does in the afternoons there.

When I first got to the river there were a half-dozen anglers fishing right at the big pool where the path first touches the river. I wasn't fully rigged – I didn't know whether to use a floating line or a sink tip. As I moved slowly down the river it was clear that none of these guys were catching fish and I didn't see a singe fish break the surface. Usually I  won't cast for pinks unless I spot them or know that they are there. I walked quite a ways down the river left until I saw fish – they were below the "ford" which was almost only a trickle through the rocks as it was a very low tide, even though it had been coming in for a few hours. There was a school of fish in the pool below the ford  and I think that they were wanting to get up. They were porpoising and occasionally jumping. The wind felt almost gale-force and it was coming from behind and made some casts worrisome for hooking the back of my head. I cast right into the school with a small pink handlebar and was soon into a fish. I was disappointed at its size – it fought so hard that I was sure it was going to be much larger. I believe that most anglers underrate the fighting ability of a pink salmon. The fish I caught yesterday were strong fighters, especially the ones I foul hooked.

As the tide came in I saw dozens of fish scurrying over the ford with their backs out of the water. In fact they were doing this both sides of me. It took me awhile but I learned to spot schools of pinks that weren't breaking the surface – basically they were large amorphous darkish blobs, some 20 feet long and maybe 10 feet across that shifted about in the pools and runs. The wind made the water very choppy and so it wasn't always easy to pick out these schools. As I followed the tide upriver I got into shallower and less disturbed water, as the banks were treed,  and could more easily spot these tightly packed schools. My bright pink fly would disappear in the midst of a school, and there were so many fish that they banged into my leader frequently, especially if I had a weighted fly. Usually if I caught a fish in the mouth it was at the leading edge of the school, or just outside of the school, or over the school. So I tried a pink gurgler, and I had fish nip at it and splash at it but I didn't catch any on it.

I had to catch the 7:40 ferry  back to Alert Bay so I left the camp just before 6 PM.

I used a floating line with a 10', 12 lb test fluoroflex plus leader – not tapered. Small pink handlebars or clousers were effective. I didn't have any tied on circle hooks, and so I inevitably foul-hooked fish, or in some cases flossed them.

The campsite was not full at 5:45 PM yesterday!!

Cheers
Ron

[John Pierce]

July 28, 2020 FishOut Report by RonD:

Hi All

Pink fishing at the Eve is great some days. Yesterday we could not buy a fish even though people around us we getting some fish. Sunday was dynamite. Today was better than dynamite. GaryF joined me for a morning fish. First cast we were into fish and it continued like that all morning. We both limited and then caught and released until we were tired. Two flies did the trick, a pinkish purple bead head muddler and an ArtL fly of which I do not know the name. It's a rainbow crystal flash body, pink bead and red angel hair tied along the top at the bead and bend of the hook. I fished a floating line and 12 ft of 15 lb flourocarbon. Gary used a sinking tip and 10 ft leader.

The camp ground is not full but there is a group of friendly fishers who are generous with helpful hints.

My freezer is full and my bottom shelf of the frig is full of fish. So it's home soon.

Cheers Ron