North Central OR Coast

[ticketP1]

If anyone has some hot fish opinions (HFOs) pertaining to the N Central Oregon Coast could you please shoot me some info at Jim.A.Drysdale@spk.usace.army.mil
Just a couple of bits as to where and what to go after would help. I think as of now its either whale watching or bottom fishing on the agenda. I won't be able to travel inland to the Deschutes and some of the great waters. I'm thinking an hour or so w/i the Depoe Bay (Lincoln City, Newport) area.
Thanks in advance to anyone that can help.

[MOKE]

Its been forever since I've been on this little river...the Siletz (1978?)
The Siletz terminates into Newport Harbor. I fished this river when I was a high schooler, and caught my first fly caught steelie, I also caught tons of sea run Cutts (typically small fish)
Its worth a look, though I understand that things have changed in this river due to headwater logging :(

Get the Gazetteer for Oregon. You are very near some great rivers there, both north and south. Rogue, McKenzie, Willamette, Siletz....etc.

You are likely between runs of adult steelies. But you can always look around and find immature "half pounders", which would likely better anything you would catch in a stream rainbow in Utah.

Check it out...its right there.

ALSO.....Ling Cod on the fly from the jetty of Newport Harbor, and Red Tail Surf Perch from the beach. If I can help with the surf fishing let me know...I can help!

MOKE

[ticketP1]

Yo Moke - I've been past the Siletz. Thats where they filmed the old Henry Fonda movie back in the 70's (Never Give an Inch - something about a logging family vs Big Timber Corp as I recall). In-laws live in Depoe Bay. Moved there last fall. I havent yet found time to explore or rather fish the area but will check it out week after next. I would love to hit the Rogue but that ones a bit far since I am obligated and all (guess I'll just have to hit their brewery in Newport instead!)... But the Siletz and jettys may just be duable if I get the chance.

PS Hey can you give me your two bits on the surf/jetty fishing. They're a five minute walk to the Pacific and I think I can find a way DOWN to the water in a place or two. I have the surf technology here at home in Utah. Recovered it from my ma's house in Florida afew years back so I am rigged.

Thanks a bunch!

PS.. Oh boy this is gonna be grrrrreat! <Flounder-Animal House>

[MOKE]

Tide is going to be your crucial element in the salt FF game.

*Typically you want to look for the window of 2 hrs before, during, then after the low tide.*
(As with any other kind of fishing, as soon as you say this is an absolute rule....they will only eat at high tide, so this is a guesstimate at best.)

At this time of the year you shouldn't be to worried about waves, though this is Oregon...totally exposed coastline.

What you want to look for are the"rivers" that return the incoming waves back out to the ocean. These 'rivers', are also called rips or channels.

You don't want to fish in the breaker zone, rather you want to fish over towards the rolling shoulder side of the wave that isn't breaking.
These are the deep water channels.

Waves come to shore as a V shaped peak, or a long line that breaks all at once. You want to find a stretch of beach with the V shaped peaks, as this presents the greatest likeliness of finding the rip / channel.

For the Perch....
If you have fished for Florida bones you might already have some flies that will work. If not, tie some Flashy Bone Patterns in HOT ORANGE with lots of crystal flash. The patterns I'm refering to are the Crazy Charley types....bead eyes, hook point up, shrimp looking jobbies.
I have a good sand crab pattern I created.
Recipe:
Saltwater Hook size 4 ->6
Beige color Zonker strip (natural beige over white is best)
Orange Dubbing
Bronze / Brass eyes
Tie the eyes on to create a hook poiny up fly.
Create a dubbing loop at the bend, and load the loop with orange dubbing.
Create a ball of dubbing at the bend of the hook....this is an egg sack.
Tie the Bunny Strip in in front of the egg sack and spiral forward. Trim and whip finish.
Basically you end up with an orange butt bunny bugger with out a tail.
When wet this thing looks just like a sand crab.
I've caught lots of saltwater species on this fly, including SHARKS.
(Gray smoothhounds of about 4 ft long...really pretty classic looking shark)

I might add that you can dead drift nymph in the rips if you can find ones that parallel the shore line.

Halibut, Ling, Rockfish.......
Also in the surf. I would tie some Clousers / Clouser Decievers in olive over white, in sizes 4->6 inches long.....HALIBUT!!! hang in the surf zone during the summer. Also good for rockfish.

LING COD on Jetty......I'm gonna have to say, Never Done It!
Though I did read a good article about doing this very thing.
Get a cheap section of leadcore line and terminate it in loops.
Get about 4 ' of 12lb tippet and terminate it in a short heavy section for tooth protection...these things have huge scary teeth!
Fly is called a DEAD CHICKEN, and is basically a huge mass of black schlappen hackle both extended past the bend of the hook as tails, and also palmered around the hook shank. In the bottom line, this thing looks like a giant tarpon fly. The article called for an all black Dead Chicken with flash.
Lings like octopus, so mixing some olive coloring into this pattern would help.
You cast out and let this rig settle to just above the bottom...which is likely to be big sharp, crustacean coated jetty boulders.
I say cheap leadcore because you stand a good chance of the terminal rocking of the fly line. Much better to trash a cheapie, than a truly quality head.
If you get so lucky as to stick a Ling, PULL WITH ALL YOU HAVE, or he will get you back into his cave.....Bye!
Mmmmm Ling Cod, only a fool would play catch and release.

If you are fishing open or less rocky shoreline, you would be well served with a standard deep water expess type shooting head.

I'm eating up space here. Let me know if you have further questions.
Have Fun! Be careful in the surf, you'll be OK, just keep an open eye.

Bye....
MOKE

*edit*
see this link for some Cali surf fly patterns
http://www.garybulla.com/index.htm

[ticketP1]

Think I'll need to print this one off... Not to mention do some serious homework.

Thanks again. I'm amped.

[MOKE]

You owe me a critical analysis of the Divine Beverage from the Newport brewery. ;)

Check the edit on my last post.

MOKE

[ticketP1]

Moke-
Sorry to bug ya again but while we're on the topic of Halibut, Rock and Ling fishing...
A particular stretch that interests me near their house is a rocky bluff line (that I am thinking I can get down to in places at low tide provided its a decent calm day). It is adjacent to a small bay (Whale Cove). My feeling is that fish might be cruising along the rocky drop-off at the mouth of the bay. This sound legit? I should have fairly close access to some deep water there so I am assuming the tackle of choice would be an express deep water head. My gear is a 5 wt w/ WF floating line. The Fla stuff I was talking about was a surf rod/spinning tackle so disregard (plus I lied...its still in Florida - thought I had it out in the shed-damn). Can the express head be attached to the wf line? Sorry... claim total ignorance here (never ff'd the surf before). Also are these Clousers like streamers where you work them w/ some sort of action? I am determined to make the best of my 2-1/2 days of free time there. I don't tie so guess I'll need to find someplace that has this sort of thing in Lincoln - hopefully. Portlands' a no go. Just de-plaining and passin' through. If you're kind enough to help me out here I'd suggest an e-mail to lighten the server space - plus you may be headed towards an admin dunce cap-sit in the corner and breath deep -time out session.
Adios-JD
Jim.A.Drysdale@spk.usace.army.mil

[MOKE]

I tried responding via email. It was returned undeliverable to that add'y.
Shoot me an email and I will forward my response.
MOKE

[ticketP1]

Moke-
Need your address. Dont know why mine didn't work. Its disabled on this site (been trying to contact admin guys) but should work otherwise. Anyway don't have yours.

[ticketP1]

Oh, they recently changed it on me. Try this Jim.A.Drysdale@usace.army.mil