illustration by Jason Schneider The 10 Best Darn Places An Angler Can Call Home (with apologies to Canada’s other great fishin’ towns) There’s no place like home, especially when your favourite fishing hole is just minutes from your doorstep. And with so many hot spots dotting the land, Canada has no shortage of great places for anglers to settle down and get a life. But where exactly are this country’s very best places to live, fish and work (and fish some more)?      To find out, we polled our field editors and came up with the following guide for those still searching for a place to put down roots. In compiling our list, we considered such essentials as job and business opportunities, housing, schools and leisure activities. But our most important criterion, of course, was great fishing.      From New Brunswick’s tiny Doaktown to the metropolis that is Calgary, these are the places you just might want to be—if you’re not already there. by Bob McGary photo courtesy of Tourism Victoria Victoria (B.C.) Year-round action: Boats are always at the ready in Victoria’s harbour. Strictly from an angler’s perspective, the best part about living in B.C.’s capital has to be that it offers salmon fishing 365 days a year—and a temperate climate to boot. Guess that explains Victoria’s 39 marinas, eight tackle shops and 20,000 registered pleasure watercraft. Still, it’s the city itself, nudging the Pacific Ocean at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, that’s the lure for many residents. With its historic parliament buildings, double-decker buses and high tea at the Empress Hotel, Victoria still enjoys shades of its British colonial past, including the moniker “City of Gardens.” But this is also very much a modern, cosmopolitan city, with great restaurants, lots of shopping and a vibrant after-dark scene. And while Victoria’s fair weather draws its share of retirees, the city also attracts the young and adventurous. This is, after all, the gateway to the island’s entire range of outdoor pursuits, from hiking to sea-kayaking to, of course, the awesome sportfishing. FACTS OF LIFE Population: 73,504 Average Household Income: $55,144 Average Home Cost: $207,352 Major employers: Technology and tourism industries, government Learn more: City of Victoria, (250) 385-5711; www.city.victoria.bc.ca THE FISH Halibut; chinook, chum, coho, pink and sockeye salmon; smallmouth bass; steelhead; brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout.      If it’s ocean angling you’re after, local guides like Darren Wright of Island Outfitters promise big fish throughout the year, and within 20 minutes of Victoria Harbour at that. Specifically, January to March produces winter chinook in the 10- to 18-pound range, while March to April is prime time for big Pacific halibut. Then from May to August, there’s excellent fishing for chinook topping 20 pounds, leaving the fall for local pinks, sockeye, coho and chum. And it’s only supposed to get better. Tom Bird, executive director of Sportfishing British Columbia, expects increased runs of all salmon species, as well as fewer catch restrictions. Inland, there are roughly 10 small lakes within a half-hour of Victoria with good numbers of smallmouth bass and rainbow trout. As for river fishing, the nearby Sooke offers fall salmon, but for year-round action it’s the famous Cowichan. From January to April, Cowichan steelhead is the favourite species, while April and May offer upriver fly fishing for browns and ’bows. In the fall, salmon are found throughout the 32-kilometre section between Duncan and Lake Cowichan. Hmmm. Did someone mention retirement? Read more about Canada`s best fishin` towns: Introduction & Victoria, B.C. Whitehorse, Yukon & Calgary, Alberta Nipawin, Saskatchewan & Selkirk, Manitoba Kenora & Peterborough, Ontario Magog, Quebec & Doaktown, New Brunswick Corner Brook, Newfoundland & Labrador