Patrick wrote:
> Can anyone on this list give me some suggestions on flyfishing Neah bay
>for coho? I will be camping in the area 9/9-9/13 and probably fish from my
>9' pontoon boat. Is this even a good time to fish there? Please advise...
I was at Sekiu/Neah Bay last week for a couple days. I was invited by a
charter boat guide to come see if I could catch salmon with my surface
poppers. The answer is that I can, and surprisingly, I drew fish up on a
very slow retrieve. At times, there were three or four fish on the popper
and there were a lot of fish slashing under the boat. But I will say that
you can catch a lot more fish with clausers on sinking lines (I saw another
guide in another boat doing very well in the rips off Tatoosh) and he
wasn't trolling. I found that the water conditions (say RIPS) need to be
just right for my dryline poppers but sinking lines eliminate the need for
perfect popper water. The guides know that they can catch fish trolling,
but there are a few guides that flyfish and would rather cast to fish.
I also drove around and found some good beaches that I was told will soon
be hosting runs of silvers as they snoop around for their home rivers. I
was also introduced to a Makah woodcarver who flyfishes and met me on the
beach for some morning flyfishing. Kings were sniffing one of the estuaries
then - I was able to cast to a couple that had just entered and I got one
pick up and rejection - on a streamer, no less. I may soon have some info
and prices for those that are interested.
As for your pontoon boat. I went way far west outside of Tatoosh Island. I
think this is as far west you can go and still be in Washington. It was
really rough and the currents were incredibly strong. I almost went
overboard a couple times while casting off a Bayliner. You know, it ain't
like throwing a lure off a level wind. If the fish were in the friendly
confines of the bays, Neah or Clallam, or off the beach, it would be great,
but I never saw them there.
I'll know a bit more when I go back sometime the week of the 11th or 19th.
Hope this helps,
Leland.
