Sooke and Ucluelet have reeled in significant bragging rights as one of the world’s top fishing destinations.
FishingBooker.com recently unveiled its Top Fishing Towns Outside the U.S. rankings list and the two Island hotspots landed in the top ten worldwide while claiming first and second place, respectively, in Canada.
The website touts itself as the world’s largest platform for booking fishing trips and explained that its rankings are based on internal data from over 40,000 trips, reviews, and reports from the past year.
Sooke came in at fourth overall. Ucluelet, placed sixth on the international list, edging out tourism meccas like Quepos, Costa Rica, and Nassau, Bahamas, which tied for ninth place. .
Mexico earned the first three spots with Cabo San Lucas, Cancún and Puerto Peñasco topping the podium.
In a media release announcing the rankings, FishingBooker explained that the rankings took into account the number of fishing charters, local guides and bookings as well as review scores and recommendations.
Ucluelet chamber of commerce executive director Josh Jenkins told the Westerly News that achieving such a high spot on the list is “amazing” news for the community.
“Ucluelet’s sport fishing is pivotal to our economy and the fishing charter sector is a massive part of this. We have some of the most experienced and skilled guides in the world, and many of the most sought-after sport fishing species: chinook and coho salmon, halibut and lingcod,” Jenkins said.
“Our amazing fishing and charters attract a significant amount of visitors from all over the world and with them comes money for our businesses. As Ucluelet is losing some of our commercial fisheries, and we become more reliant on tourism, the fishing charter sector becomes even more integral.”
He added that Ucluelet’s picturesque landscapes alongside the Pacific Ocean and within Barkley Sound offer “an extremely diverse and vibrant ecosystem,” as well as an abundance of healthy fish to seek out.
“Accolades like this one from Fishingbooker.com are great for Ucluelet to add to our long list of attractants to visitors, and it will help bring even more fishermen from across the globe to help support these great charter businesses and the community as a whole,” he said.
Tourism Ucluelet’s tourism development specialist Nick Curry told the Westerly that Ucluelet and Barkley Sound over get overlooked, but provide the small community feel many travellers are looking for.
“It’s an incredible little community that’s very supportive of fishing,” he said, noting the community also boasts friendly and accessible processing businesses ready to pack up and seal freshly caught deliciousness.
“Everyone in this town is extremely down to earth. We still have that small town feel that appeals to a lot of people that want to come in and feel welcomed and not overrun by tourism.”
He echoed Jenkins’ sentiments around the hospitality and professionalism of the town’s fishing charter companies.
“A lot of the people that run these charters have grown up out here. They have local knowledge and have been fishing for 10-30 years. They’re great fishermen and super respectful of the coastline and where we live. They know how to find fish, but also take care of their guests that get onboard,” he said.
He suggested accolades like FishingBooker’s rankings help push Ucluelet out of the shadow of neighbouring Tofino.
“I think for a long time Ucluelet was seen as Option 2 compared to Tofino, but in the past years, since 2015, we’ve really made a name for ourselves as a tourism destination and a fishing destination,” he said. “I feel like we’ve been really good at not compromising the quality of the town or our specific culture. We’ve been able to maintain the charm of Ucluelet while still growing our reputation. Anytime we get these distinctions, it puts our name on the map and it’s great for brand recognition.”
Curry encourages fishers to check out the town’s waters in the offseason, noting opportunities to snag bites still abound during the shoulder season months.
“Sometimes that’s the best fishing that’s out there. The town’s a little bit more quiet, everything’s a bit cheaper and it’s always a great time to come out here,” he said.
Ucluelet mayor Marilyn McEwen told the Westerly she frequently receives rave reviews about the town’s fishing experiences from guests staying at her Anchors Inn Waterfront Cabins business.
“People on an annual basis come here specifically to go fishing…I think people just really like the small fishing village feel that Ucluelet has still.,” she said. “We’re still a small community and I think we’re very welcoming to tourists, which they appreciate.”
She added the Fishingbooker accolade is a solid lure for attracting more fishers to the community .
“It’s advertising. It gets the message out that this is a great place to come if you love to fish,” she said.