About Brightfish – 40 years experience as a Campbell River Salmon Fishing Guide

Hi, I’m Rick Hackinen. I’ve been a salmon fishing guide in the Campbell River and Quadra Island area for 40 years. I’ve guided for numerous fishing lodges, hotels and B+Bs and operated independently for my clients. Many of my guests repeat annually, and others make a once in a lifetime trip. Over the years, I have taken out a variety of folks, captains of industry, television, sports figures, and even an astronaut, as have many of my peers and fellow guides. Everybody gets the same courteous treatment; everyone is a VIP. Brightfish is also a connection to a community of fellow career guides to arrange multiple boats for bigger groups, such that no job is too big, or too small. We can provide memorable experiences for you, your friends, your family, or for your business relationship building.

Call Us For Your Fishing Adventure 1-250-830-8680

On Cell - Tap to Text 250-830-8680

We will get back to you ASAP

About Brightfiah, Rick - 40 years experience as Campbell River fishing guide

Involvement and qualifications

Chair of the Campbell River and District Fishing Guides Association
Sport Fishing Advisory Committee (SFAC), rep for guides in the
Campbell River area
Campbell River Local Marine Advisory Council (LMAC)
Sport Fishing Institute of British Columbia, (SFI) member
Certified Tidal Angling Guide (CTAG)

Transport Canada Certified for Small Vessel Boat Operators Certificate (SVOP)
Marine First Aid
Marine Radio Certificate and Marine Emergency Duties Certificate
Properly Insured
Member of Avid Anglers, assisting in salmon research with the fish we catch or release

And all the guides I work with, or recommend, are Transport Canada certified and insured.

Citizen Science

You are invited to participate in salmon research, as we sample and tag fish. We take a tiny sample of tissue which will be analyzed for DNA that will identify the fish’s home river. Fish that are released will have an electronic PIT tag installed which will, hopefully, trigger an antenna later to trace the salmon’s journey. Feel good about helping the future of salmon and salmon fishing.

In winter, I volunteer for research fishing in which we sample and PIT tag chinook youngsters in their first winter at sea for the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Operation Bottleneck.

Commitment

I get fulfillment from sharing these experiences with people. I provide a quality boat and equipment. There is a connection I hope you can get an inkling of, beyond reason, an intuition that comes from interacting with the natural world, which I hope to express and share. It would be an honour to be your Campbell River area fishing guide. You can feel a distinction between our modern learning and our deep instinctive appreciation of watching for the signs, searching, waiting in alertness; that’s fishing.
I still get a kick when the rod bounces and you go for it.