Who’s been to Duval Point Lodge in Port Hardy

[fuzzybiscuit]

Myself and a buddy are looking at booking a trip to Duval Point Lodge in Port Hardy this coming July as long as COVID numbers look good.

Anyone on here been to the lodge?

I’ve thought about going fully guided to simplify things but the few trips I’ve been on haven’t been nearly as much fun as running the boat myself. Since selling the Whaler a couple years back I don’t have use of a boat when I come out now. So Duval Lodge provides a guy with lodging and a rental boat. The 16’ aluminum boats they have are underpowered with only 30hp Yamaha’s on them but I actually had the same hull back in the late 90’s so it’s a bit nostalgic. I still have my Sage rods with original MR2’s and all my tackle sitting at my parents place in CR, so all I really need is something to get us out on the water.

What do you guys know about the place? Reviews online are mixed so kind of looking for personal experiences.

Thanks.

[Blacktail]

dont need a lot of boat for off of Duval point or even south to the airport area of the Keogh.
A couple good bars just off the mouth for Halis as well .
If you gonna go let me know I can give you my sons Phone number so he can let you know where to go.
He lives in Hardy

[fuzzybiscuit]

dont need a lot of boat for off of Duval point or even south to the airport area of the Keogh.
A couple good bars just off the mouth for Halis as well .
If you gonna go let me know I can give you my sons Phone number so he can let you know where to go.
He lives in Hardy

Thanks Roy, much appreciated.

I’ve launched out of Hardy and run up to Rivers Inlet and Hakai a dozen times in my own boat, but never actually fished around Hardy itself. I see though year after year they have some of the best fishing on the coast though.

[Harv]

Make sure you check the regs before you go, last year there was no retention of spring salmon until after a certain date, can’t remember what it was, guys were having to run all the way up past the nawitti bar in order to keep anything.

[fuzzybiscuit]

Make sure you check the regs before you go, last year there was no retention of spring salmon until after a certain date, can’t remember what it was, guys were having to run all the way up past the nawitti bar in order to keep anything.

Good reminder. Our early trip to Campbell River last summer was just before the July 15th opener. There was tons of Springs around but you couldn’t keep one. We’re planning a July 19-23 trip so all things are leading up to believe we will be able to keep some fish.

[IronNoggin]

Give me a shout on your way through.
Commercially fished that area a few times back in the day, and worked it a few times sportying.
Be nice to shake mitts and have a quick BS...

Cheers,
Nog

[fuzzybiscuit]

I’d love to Matt, but I’ll be flying with the family into Comox more than likely. We usually fly Westjet then get picked up by the in-laws. My buddy that I’m taking was from Fort McMurray too but he moved his family down to the Lower Wasteland when he was transferred to the Suncor plant in Burrard Inlet. I haven’t seen him since last summer so it will be a chance to read-connect and get into some fish. We went to Nootka a couple years ago on a trip through work, but fishing was kind of slow with nothing over fish in the low twenties at the lodge while we were there. This will only be his second time on the chuck so I’m thinking there is a good chance of bettering that trip.

My partner wanted to go with Seregeti charters out of Hardy but I’ve managed to steer him to the self-guided route. Nothing against Serengeti, they are a great outfit and a better choice for those who don’t know what they are doing. The guided thing is just not for me. We also looked at doing the self-guided thing out of Nootka Marine Adventures, but they have a lot of crazy rules when using their boats like being in at 8:00pm. That’s the magic hour. I’ve also probably spent 250 days on the water fishing Nootka back in the hay-day when it was not uncommon to be into half a dozen Tyee a day. The last 6-8 years some lodges out there don’t land half a dozen Tyee a season all boats combined. Pretty sad compared to what it once was but I’m looking forward to some new scenery.

I’ve launched out of Hardy a bunch but this will be my first time fishing the local area. At this point it just comes down to the Covid numbers and how things are doing closer to the date.

[MichelD]

Funny. I'm in the middle of completing a story about the time my friend Kevin and me "borrowed" his dad's boat and rowed out to Doyle Island on the other side of Goletas channel from Duval Point when we were 13 year old kids in Port Hardy in 1966. A full day's adventure.

My dad's favourite spot for fishing was Duval Point but he'd often tack over to the Masterman islands and back to Duval. Some days he'd run across the strait and fish the Jeannette Islands in his 16-footer.

[Sitkaspruce]

FB, the thing about Duval is that is about all you can fish. They wouldn't let you run the "tinners" to the islands, across Golitas, to Castle Point or pretty well any place else.

So if the fish are not there, and a lot of time they not, then you are fishing in the wind. Very little bottom fish near there. If you are allowed to run down, in front of the airport will get a few hali.

If you are going to fish Duval, fishing the last week of July, first week of Aug will get you the returning springs to the Nimpkish and other east side rivers. With the silly rules for springs and coho, that area can be a lot of effort for little return. But it sounds like you have been around the water and caught a few fish, so maybe catching fish is not the top priority.

Was my back yard for years and still go back every year.

Cheers

SS

[fuzzybiscuit]

Thanks SS. I remember reading your stories about fishing out of Hardy.

It’s a gamble the fish will be there but when it comes to self-guided trips at a reasonable price the options are limited.