That's a beautiful looking fish. Where abouts was it caught?

Vancouver Island: Salmon Capital of the World!

Makes the Pink Salmon look like a minnow... .  Caught three this morning. Released a large male Pink an hour earlier.

Couldn't believe it once I'd actually got the fish ashore.  I lost another really large salmon about a week ago... and endured the 'one that got away' jibes ever since!

 That's awesome! I've heard you guys have some fairly strict fishing limits like we do over here?

Very, very limited seasons.... and expensive licence fees for 'aliens'.*  The river I'm fishing now wasn't supposed to open until 1st October. We've had some weekend rain, so they've opened two weeks earlier than expected.  The Pinks have almost finished.  Most are upriver.  The Coho like the one I caught today are hanging around off the rivermouth, acclimatising to the freshwater after having been out in the chuck (saltwater) for 3 - 5 years.

The largest of the three fish I caught today is apparently described in colour terms as 'chrome' here.  It's a fitting description.

* BTW, I'm a West Aussie. I manage to spend a few weeks fishing Vancouver Island most years.  Also spent a month in the UK this year, hence my report on rainbow trout on dry flies... .

 Sweet fish!

How much are licence fee's?

Although Coho and Silvers are almost identical before they colour up but if caught in September as appears to be the case seems way too late for Coho and Silvers are the last to run hence my thoughts that it is a silver - hell they go like the clappers and take flies readily whereas Coho need to be really niggled into taking a swipe.

Definitely a Coho.  It's actually early in the season for them here.  Seining upriver two weeks ago netted thousands of Pinks (all released), three Cutties (released), just nine Coho (tagged and released) and 23 massive Springs or Silvers (kept for egg fertilisation). Well worth watching... .

Fees: Aliens (including AustrALIENS) pay through the nose.  Senior Aliens get no discount, so I paid around A$270 for freshwater and saltwater licences.*  I'm alllowed to catch up to four salmon daily (Pinks) or two Pinks and two Coho.  Hooks are barbless. Some stretches of river are catch-and-release. Other stretches are fly only. Too many other rules to list!~

Most salmon have mating foremost on their minds right now.  Theories about them hitting flies / lures vary: 1.) Inbuilt instinct to hit them. Born with that instinct it just 'clicks in'. Whack! 2.) Territorialism: You're in MY zone. Whack!  3.) You're a risk to the eggs I'm about to lay / fertilise. Whack!

* Now that's supposed to be for a year.  It isn't really. It expires on my birthday, in March.  Who can afford to be in Canada for a year, anyway? Rich Aliens, maybe?!

 way cheaper licences and oddly a much earlier season, silvers start from late August and they love fly

 Yeah, I know... I know. Fished there a few years ago. So impressed with fee structure, fish management, etc.  

I should appeal to provincial and federal governments about the current offerings here. I think the current policies aren't aimed at us, but at US.

Apparently in times past, Americans in motorhomes with large freezers. or driving freezer trucks, came across the border and pillaged. High(er) fees and increased restrictions probably resulted.

 Seems I posted twice(?) Edited...