Victoria, B.C., Canada, Vancouver Island : fishing, shooting, golf, motoring, and all outdoor sports the whole year round in a mild and sunshiny climate without any extremes of heat or cold / by Richard L. Pocock ; edited, illustrated and published, with introduction, by Victoria Branch, V.I.D. League.

Pocock, Richard L.
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Fishing, Shooting, Golf, Motor-

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CANADA, Vancouver Island

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Spring Salmon, 60 pounds each

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August, 1911

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VICTORIA, B. C., CANADA
AS A RECREATION CENTRE

INTRODUCTION

The opportunities for fishing and shooting near Victoria
are not only unsurpassed, but for general and varied out-
door recreation the Capital City has absolutely no equal on
either continent. This doubtless seems exaggerated, but it
is literally true. For the motorist, there are splendid roads
leading in different directions from the City, and some of
these, particularly the famous Malahat Drive, are not
equalled anywhere in the world for rugged grandeur and
striking beauty. The new Colwood-Metchosin Beach Drive
is another road of exquisite attractions, and the run from
Victoria to the Alberni District, taking in Malahat Drive
is another scenic marvel.

The golf player will find in Victoria links verging on
the sea, which rival the best in Great Britain. He can
indulge in his favorite sport twelve moniths out of the year
without any discomfort, and at least ten months out of the
twelve under ideal conditions.

Cricket, tennis, football, Government rifle range shoot-
ing, hockey, lacrosse, baseball, bowling on the green, motor-
boating, yachting, canoeing, trap-shooting, bicycling, riding,
driving, sea-bathing, and sailing are among the sports and
pastimes which can be followed during the year, and indeed
there is not a month in which sport of various kinds is
not available.

The recent palatial ice rink for artificial ice skating has
added the last touch, and visitors and citizens can now
enjoy this fascinating exercise, or attend the ice hockey
matches, while the fall roses or the spring daffodils are
blooming.

You cannot name a city in the world which begins ‘to
compare with Victoria for its out-of-door variety and
appeal to the lovers of the open. Men and women travel
thousands of miles to secure one or another form of outdoor
recreation. Here in Victoria it is possible to combine nearly
every known form of outdoor exercise and recreation, and
under climatic conditions which are incomparable.

Average highest temperature at Victoria during last
20 years, 84.2 degrees above zero. Average lowest tem-
perature at Victoria during last 20 years, 17.38 degrees
above zero,

The Serene Angler

A Vancouver Island Trout Stream

SPORTSMAN’S CALENDAR FOR FISHING AND
—= SHOOTING ON VANCOUVER ISLAND ==
FROM VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Jan. —For the Shooter: Ducks, Geese, Snipe.
For the Fisherman: Grilse in salt water with a good
chanee for a Spring Salmon.
Feb. —For the Shooter: Ducks, Geese, Snipe.
For the Fisherman: Grilse and Spring Salmon.
Mar.—Hor the Shooter: Geese (Brant and Canada Geese).
For the Fisherman: Grilse and Spring Salmon,
Trout, Steelheads; Trout-fishing opens March 26th.
April—For the Shooter: Geese, Black Bear.
For the Fisherman: Trout, Steelheads, Grilse, Spring
Salmon.
May —For the Shooter: Black Bear.
For the Fisherman: Trout, Grilse, small run of Coho
Salmon.
June—For the Fisherman: Trout, Black Bass, Grilse, small
run of ‘Coho Salmon. (Best month for Sea 'Trout.)
July—For the Fisherman: Trout, Black Bass.
Aug. —For the Shooter: Wild Pigeons (Band-Tail).
For the Fisherman: Trout, Spring Salmon, Black
Bass.
Sept.—For the Shooter*: Grouse, Deer, Ducks, Geese, Snipe,
(Pigeons, Bear.
Bor the Fisherman: Trout, Spring Salmon, Coho
Salmon, Black Bass.
Oct. —For the Shooter: Grouse, Deer, Ducks, Geese, Snipe,
iPheasants, Quail, Bear.
For the Fisherman: Trout, Spring Salmon, Coho
Salmon.
Nov. —For the Shooter: Grouse, Deer, Ducks, Geese, Snipe,
Pheasants, Quail, Bear.
For the Fisherman: Trout until November le lar
Cohoes. November 15th Trout-fishing closes.
Dec. —For the Shooter: Grouse, Ducks, Geese, Snipe,
Pheasants, Quail; Deer until December 15th.
December 15th Deer-shooting ends. December BolSic
Pheasant, Grouse and Quail-shooting ends.
“The opening date for small game shooting is fixed for
the year by Order-in-Council. The dates here given have
been those fixed for recent years, but are liable to alteration.

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Spring
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the Cowichan River

Vancouver Island

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BAG LIMIT—Five Deer in one season for resident
shooter; two Deer for non-resident shooter; 250 Duck and
250 Snipe in one season for either resident or non-resident
shooter.

| Important Note

CLOSE SEASONS for any species of Game Animal or
Bird may be declared in any district at any time by Order-
in-Council. Information on such matters should always be
obtained beforehand from the Provincial Game Warden, or
from a Deputy Game Warden or Government Agent.

LICENCES must be obtained by non-residents to angle
for any sort of fish.

Licences for Non-residents

All Licences must be obtained before Fishing or Shoot-
ing, and can only be obtained from the Provincial Game
Warden at Vancouver or the Government Agent of the
District.

GENERAL LICENCE Fee $100.90

For all species of Game in season, also Fishing.
Good only from January 1st to December 31st

BEAR LICENCE Fee $25.00
Good from January 1st to July 15th.
BIRD LICENCE Fee $50.00

Good throughout season as declared by Order-
in-Council.

SPECIAL WEEKLY BIRD LICENCE Fee $5.00
(For British Subjects Only)

May only be obtained at the discretion of the
Provincial Game Warden at Vancouver.

FISHING LICENCE Fee $5.00
Good for one year from day of issue.

EXEMPTIONS TO ABOVE—Officers of the Army and Navy

(Both British and Canadian) who are on actual duty
in the Province.

oO

Trout Fishing in the Koksilah River

The Game Fish of the Island

TROUT—Practically speaking, all the streams and lakes
of Vancouver Island contain trout of some kind or
other, chiefly rainbow, or cut-throat. Very large fish are
caught in the bigger lakes-by trolling, but there is no trout
water in British Columbia where the fish will not take a
fly. Larger fish are caught on the fly as a general rule in
the streams than in the lakes. In the heat of midsummer
when the rivers are low and fly-fishing is hardly practicable,
except in the early morning and late evening, excellent
sport is given by sea-trout in the estuaries. These sea-run
fish average heavy, two-pounders being common, three-
pounders by no means rare and four and even six-pounders
occasionally caught. As a general rule, they take a fly well
even in the salt water.

SALMON—oOf the several varieties of Pacific salmon
which run in millions all along the coasts of Vancouver
Island, there are two only with which the sportsman is
concerned, the cohoes and the “Spring” salmon. Of these
the “Spring” salmon are the finest table fish and attain to
the greater weight, although average weight depends a
good deal on locality, as is the case in other salmon coun-
tries. 'The “Spring” salmon is known by several aliases,
notably king, tyee, and Chinook. The best known and
handiest reached places on Vancouver Island for the big-
gest tyee salmon are Campbell River and Comox on the
east coast and Alberni and Nootka Sound on the west
coast, fifty pounders being common at all of these places.
Twenty to thirty pound fish are common in any of the
estuaries when the run of “Springs” is on. Spring salmon
are caught in these waters practically all the year round. In
February and March there is a run to the rivers but the big
run comes in August, September and October, varying in
date according to locality.

There is a run of small cohoes in May and June, but
these early fish, although very game, do not average very
large. The big run of cohoes does not arrive as a rule
until the latter part of September, when their number is
legion all over the coast and the sport they give is superior
for their size to that yielded by the springs, as they play
more on the surface. The fall cohoe is about nine pounds
in weight on the average.

Fishing at Shawnigan Lake, near Victoria, B.C.

With Rod and Creel, Vancouver Island

That British Columbia salmon will not take a fly is a
fallacy which was long since disproved. Both spring salmon
and cohoes are caught in considerable numbers every sea-
son by anglers who know how and where to use a salmon
fly, and give splendid sport in suitable waters.

The expert with a spinning bait will be-able to kill
many large fish in the rivers.

Most of the fishing for salmon here is in the form of
trolling in the sea with a spoon, by which means the veriest
tyro is able to kill many fine salmon.

STEELHEADS—Steelheads have been variously classed
by different authorities as salmon and trout. ‘The Provin-
cial legislation classes them as trout, and does not allow
their capture until the opening of the trout-fishing season
on March 26th.

They attain to a large weight and give very fine sport
on a good-sized salmon fly expertly fished.

Steelheads have been compared for sport-giving quali-
ties when caught in the Spring (not in the Summer when
they are out of condition) to the Scottish salmon—no small
conipliment.

The Atlantic salmon, introduced some years ago by
the Dominion Government, have thriven well and take the
fly as readily as in their native waters.

BASS—Freshwater Black Bass are not native to Van-
couver Island, but have been introduced with success into
several lakes. Handy to Victoria are Langford Lake and
Florence Lake, both of which have yielded excellent black
bass fishing and some fine large fish of recent years.

CHAR —Scientifically speaking char is the correct term
for some of our varieties of popularly-styled trout, notably
the Eastern (Canadian brook trout. The Dolly Varden
“trout” is typically a char in structure and habits. They
are a very handsome fish, attain to a large weight and give
very fine sport on spinning tackle, being found chiefly at
the outlets of the larger Island lakes.

9

A Victoria
Pointer

“ Victoria
Bruce”
Pointing
Pheasant

Pheasant Shooting near Victoria, B.C.

Feathered and Furred Game of the Island

PHEASANTS—tThe pheasants we have here are the
Chinese or common ring-necked, frequently erroneously
termed Mongolian. They were first introduced a good many
years ago and have done extremely well in all_the districts
where there is any cleared land, so well in fact as to have
several times become a cause for complaint on the part of
some of the farmers, owing to their attentions to the pota-
toes and other crops. The law allows the killing of cock
birds only. This, and the nature of the country, which
everywhere affords abundance of heavy cover, has helped
to keep up a good stock in spite of the ever-increasing
number of sportsmen who hunt them,

With a view to improving the stock and introducing
fresh blood, the Government of late years has been hatch-
ing and turning out a considerable number of true Mon-
golian pheasants. The Mongolian pheasant has been proved
in other countries to cross well with the Chinese ring-neck,
the cross-bred birds being very hardy and good fliers. It is
a little early yet to see much result from the Government’s
action, but, as it is no experiment, but a continuous policy,
there is no doubt that it will be of great benefit.

By the nature of the country, the man who makes a
good bag of game works hard for it, but this is one of the
fascinations of the sport to most sportsmen out here, who
are not looking for enormous bags of game, found and
driven to their guns by others, but take a zest and pleasure
in the hard work of a long day with a favorite four-footed
friend. The man who wants luxury with his shooting is
little likely to be suited with what Vancouver Island has
to offer him, but the man who takes a delight in good, vig-
orous, outdoor exercise in the company of a good dog, with
an excellent chance of a fair bag of game, can get it within
easy reach of Victoria at any time in the season.

i

A Point
on
Willow
Grouse

A Victoria Setter

Blue Grouse Shooting

WILLOW GROUSE—Willow Grouse is the popular
name for the Ruffed Grouse, which is common throughout
the country. In the early part of the season the willow
grouse frequent the swamps and thickets, where they are
difficult to get at, and, when found, are apt to play into the
hands of the pot hunter by the way they have of perching
in the trees and staying there until he spots and pot-shots
them. Later on, however, when the swamps become over-
flowed, they take to higher and more open ground, when the
sport they afford over a good dog is by most British
Columbia sportsmen considered the best of any of our game
birds.

BLUE GROUSE—The Blue, Sooty, or Pine Grouse is a
timber bird which is plentiful all over the Island, particu-
larly in those places in the hills where there are bare patches
of rock among the tall timber. For the greater part of the
year they feed on the foliage of the Douglas pines and keep
in the trees. They come down to lower ground in the
breeding season, but when the young birds are full grown
they speedily retake themselves to the tall timber and the
higher levels of the mountains. Hence the season for blue
grouse shooting is in practice a short one, as, however
plentiful the birds before the shooting opens, a week or
two of shooting will find them very scarce, not because
they have been decimated by the hunters, but because they
have taken to their natural refuge in the timber of the
mountains. Formerly the season used to be open the first
day in September, when numbers of birds not fully grown
were killed and the stock of blues was seriously threatened.
The last two or three years they have undoubtedly multi-
plied very considerably, owing to a wise alteration in the
opening date.

Shot on level ground over dogs the blue grouse is not
a particularly hard bird to hit, but among timber, and
especially on steep hillsides, where they invariably fly
down-hill at a great pace, they afford shooting which is
difficult to beat for its sporting quality.

13

VALLEY
QUAIL

“Broad Mead Ben” Pointing Quail

QUAIL—Two kinds of quail have been introduced with
success on Vancouver Island, the California Valley quail,
and Mountain quail, a rather larger variety. The former
have done best, although the latter are fairly plentiful in
certain districts, notably ‘the hills round Sooke harbour.
Valley quail have multiplied amazingly, and afford the finest
kind of sport with a good dog. Saanich peninsula holds
enormous numbers of Valley quail, which on the Island at

any rate have proved a huge success.

ACCOMMODATION AND CLIMATE—'vhere are plenty
of good hotels close to shooting and fishing grounds, while
good camping grounds are always to be found close to the
rivers and lakes. The winter rainfall is fairly heavy, but
very little rain is to be expected after the end of April until
October.

General Observations
When the pheasants, grouse and quail are out, the
ducks and geese are in, and the wildfow]! shooting is at its
best. Before these are out of season, angling is open for
salmon and grilse, with excellent prospects for large baskets
of these latter, and a very fair chance of good sport with
“spring” salmon on most parts of the coast.

Trout fishing starts on March 26th and from that date
until November 15th, well into the shooting season, excellent
trout fishing can be had in some one or other of the nearby
waters. Different weather conditions of course suit the
fishing in different waters, but there is no time throughout
the season when the angler has not an excellent chance of
filling his creel from either lake, river, or estuary. When
the weather is hot and the rivers are low, he can be sure
of good sport with the sea-trout in the bays and estuaries,
handily reached from any of the coast towns, while, from
August to the end of the season trout-fishing as well as
salmon-fishing is probably at its best. Good sport of some
kind can be obtained all the year round on Vancouver
Island by anyone who cares to indulge in it.

15

Brant Shooting near Victoria, B.C.—“Staying Out”

~~

Brant Shooting near Victoria, B.C.— Coming In”

BRANT—This shooting, almost entirely over decoys,
and from shore blinds, is very fine sport indeed, and the
birds are always excellent for the table. The sand spits
and low shore points around Vancouver Island and adjacent

islands are the best places for this sport,

CANADA GEESE, or “HONKERS” are shot in large
numbers up the West and East coasts. Live decoys, when
such are obtainable, are the best, and after that the sheet-
iron profile decoys. Some geese are shot during the brant

flight, but the “‘honker” is a wary bird.

In all shooting on Vancouver island it is advisable to get
in touch with some of the sportsmen of the Island whenever
this is possible. Most of the ‘best pheasant, willow grouse,
and quail shooting is in country which is more or less
settled up, and where it will be necessary to get permission
to shoot, before entering on the land. Deer shooting and
blue grouse shooting can be had on wild land in most of

the districts and where no permission is essential.

SNIPE will be found in the ditches in the fields during
November and December, and on the flats around the lakes
and low-lying meadows. ‘Snipe, grouse, duck, deer and
pheasant may be had in a day’s ‘bag during these months in

some portions of the Island.

WILD-FOWLING on Vancouver Island will be found
to be free from the usual discomforts of excessively cold
weather, but caution should be observed in going to and
coming from the shooting grounds. Small boats and
launches are not always safe in these ocean waters, and
shooters who are strangers to conditions here are especially
urged to take every precaution in the way of staunch and

seaworthy ‘boats.

A

Duck Shooting at Quatsino, Vancouver Island

*

A Mixed Bag—Deer, Duck, Grouse, “A Chip of the Old Block”
Quail, Snipe, Salmon

Wild Fowl

DUCKS—Mallards, Wiidgeon, Pin-tail Buffle-head,
Golden-eye, Blue-jbills and some Teal make up the greater
portion of the duck tribe to be found on the Island. On
the west coast, around Clayoquot, Ucluelet, Nootka, Quat-
sino and the Alberni District, and on the east coast in the
Comox and the Campbell River Districts, and further north
the shooting is the best. Where the birds feed on the flats
extending up the rivers, they will be found to be of good
flavor. As the season advances, and they commence feed-
ing along the sea-shore, their flesh becomes fishy. ‘Some
of the lakes afford fair shooting, and the birds feeding
there are good eating.

General Notes for the Angler

FISHING TACKLE—The English patterns of flies are
suitable for use in Vancouver Island waters. Good stock
patterns are: March Brown, Coachman, Coch-y-bonddhu,
Zulu, Governor, Black Gnat, Parmacheene Belle. A minia-
ture salmon fly dressed on a trout size hook is often an
excellent killer in coast waters for sea trout.

Dry flies are seldom used, but there are excellent oppor-
tunities for their use and they have been proved successful
both in the lake and river waters of the Island.

The angler who wishes to try his hand at fly-fishing
for salmon will find the regular Atlantic salmon patterns
all he needs. For steelheads a medium-sized Jock Scott is
as good as any. It is not a very uncommon occurrence for
a trout fisherman to hook a steelhead when fly-fishing, but
the fisherman who goes after steelheads will do well to arm
himself with regular salmon tackle.

For the big lake trout the favourite lure is a double
spoon, but no doubt a phantom minnow or other similar
baits would do equal execution. Although spoons are the
most generally used lure for salmon-trolling, a minnow is
often successful when the latter fail.

For salmon fishing in the rivers a fourteen-foot double-
handed rod is usually all that will be required. For trout-
fishing a ten to eleven-foot fly-rod will meet all require-
ments.

For Dolly Varden trout a Devon minnow is as good as
anything, but they can be caught also on a salmon fly
fished deep.

19

Deer
Shooting
17 Miles
from
Victoria,
B.C.

Vancouver Island Black Bear

A Good
Buck

DEER—Blacktail Deer are numerous in season, and
found in nearly all parts of the Island. Deer-hunting with
dogs is illegal.

BEAR—Black Bear are found all over Vancouver
Island. Some good sized specimens are shot every year,
and while they are occasionally seen from the roadside, it
requires good dogs and a guide acquainted with the coun-
try to get them as a rule.

WAPITI (American Elk) are found in the interior of the
Island, but at present are protected for a term of years.

COUGAR, known variously as Panther or Mountain
Lion, are plentiful in’ many districts. To hunt them with
suecess it is necessary to employ guides who will provide
suitable dogs. A cougar skin makes a handsome trophy,
but cougars can hardly be classed as game. The Provincial
Government by putting on a bounty of $15 a head, classes
them as vermin, as also wolves.

WOLVES, both black and grey, are found in the north-
ern and northwestern districts of Vancouver Island, but are

seldom seen by the casual hunter. Bounty $15 a head.

Written for Vancouver Island Development League
by Richard L. Pocock, of Victoria, B.C. Edited,
illustrated and published—with introduction — by
Victoria Branch, V. TI. D. League, Victoria, B. C.

( ) Write for Particulars. ( )

“Got him
that time”’

21

Some
Victoria
Setters

Champion
“Zola
Montez”’

Champion
“Mallwyd
Bob ”’

“Gladys Montez” Pointing, Champion “Roy Montez” Backing

Some
Victoria
Pointers

“Victoria
Ned”
on Point
Quail

Champion
“ Victoria
Spot”

at age of
12 years

“Two Souls
with but

a Single
Thought”

Willow
Grouse

A Rest by
the Wayside

PHEASANT SHOOTING

requires good dogs, accurate marksmanship, and a knowledge of the habits
of the birds. An old cock is a wily customer, and not easily bagged.

‘

at Chinese Ring-Neck Pheasant (Cock Bird)

VICTORIA, B.C, Fishing: Shooting, Gotf, Motor-

CANADA, Vancouver Island _ ing,and All Outdoor Sports the

Whole Year Round in a Mild and Sunshiny Climate without any extremes of heat or cold.

A Vancouver Island Cougar