The other day Nikki and I went crabbing, but I also threw the rod in the car to test the waters for a little bit before the ride home. Fishing was very difficult because there was a lot of drifting sea grass, and it would prevent my type IV shooting head and intermediate running line from penetrating into the abyss where the probability for getting into a fish existed. Luckily, I was able to find a couple of clear spots every once in a while to get a nice cast in, and my line was able to sink down with about a 12 second count before I decided to retrieve back my offerings. I literally would get a one or two cast window to present my fly before the sea grass would drift by in clumps preventing my from fishing again until another opening would appear.
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| A fine rockfish caught off the rocks on a conehead white bunny leech |
Luckily, when I would get those few presentations in, there was an ambushing black rockfish crushing my fly. I ended up getting really nice fish also, compared to the standard sized fish I normally catch at this spot. It was the typical scenario too; where the people watching me get out of my car and wadering up with my fly rod in hand told me that there wasn't any hatch going on. I told them I knew that, and my line and fly was not relating things to a bug hatch, but more based on the food chain. I told them I was targetting rock fish, and they looked at me like I was nuts. I also told them I can do very well at times, and they passed me off like I was full of lies tall tales. I guess that is why I am the only one out there fly fishing, except one other person I know who also really enjoys it. It is nice when you have totally uncharted fisheries for your fly rod, and everyone you typically come across is only interested in trout and steelhead. Oregon is a steelhead and trout mecca for fly fishing, but we also have countless other amazing wonderful places to fish for other species.
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| This rockfish fell to a 2/0 yak hair clouser minnow tied with iridescent colors |
I couldn't agree more about how much fun that fishery can be. A long while back in college I used to go down to the public fishing pier in Newport at night. I would walk the jetty out to the point and fish all by myself. On a good night I wood catch black bass up to six pounds, and on almost every single cast. Good times!
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