West Coast River Charters

West Coast River Charters has guided anglers through the Alberni region since 1995, when owner and head guide Nick Hnennyj turned a lifetime of fishing local waters into a full-time company. Born in Port Alberni, he has spent decades learning the Stamp, Sproat and Somass rivers, whose lower pools sit only a few miles from the tidal boundary and hold chrome-bright salmon and steelhead through much of the year. Freshwater trips target these river systems, while saltwater packages run down the Alberni Inlet and out to Barkley Sound, roughly an hour by boat, where sheltered channels among the islands produce salmon all summer alongside wildlife from bald eagles to whales. Inlet outings aboard the twenty-five-foot Sea Ray Laguna focus on sockeye, chinook and coho staging before their spawning run. Guests can expect year-round options, hands-on instruction and a guide who tailors each day to conditions and the group. Space is limited during peak sockeye season, so early booking is encouraged.