Oregon Coast report...a little late

[Jasonh]

My dad and I headed up to the Oregon Coast in the Tillamook area to fish a couple of days with Mike McCune. We were very fortunate to have great weather and water conditions. Water temps stayed around 44-47 degrees which helped the fish cooperate and become a little grabbier! Always a postitve when swinging flies for winter steelhead.

The first day we fished the Nestucca, Mike's home river. We had the drift almost all to ourselves and I was able to hook two fish and bring one to hand. A nice 7 lb broad stock hen.

The second we we floated the lower trask and my dad was the big winner that day. He hooked two really hot fish, landing a thick 13 lb wild buck. I managed two grabs landing a small hen.

It was a great trip and landing a couple of fish is always a positive. Mike is one hell of a guy and is always a blast to be around. We are already looking forward to next winter!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y213/longhorn4life/P2240004.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y213/longhorn4life/IMG_1513.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y213/longhorn4life/IMG_1522.jpg

[Don Powell]

Way to go, you two!
I knew our Nor Cal boys could score in Oregon!
Really glad you guys hit decent conditions.
Jason, you have to tutor me before Keith and I go to Terrace on the tube flies, unless you go with us...on the river lessons are the BEST!

Don

[Adam Grace]

Nice fish Jason

[Hairstacker]

Very cool. Nice fish too!

[matt johnson]

Thanks for the report Jason. You and your Dad had some nice swing fishin' up there!

I like the color scheme of the string leech that is hanging from the hen's mouth in the first picture. It also looks like you had slipped a "bullet weight" onto the leader ahead of the fly? That's a good idea! Matt.

[Jasonh]

Matt,

Mike likes to fish mostly 10' of t-14 and if we need to get deeper in certain runs he just adds a drop shot type of sinker ahead of the fly. I works very well and casts just fine. That black string leech with a purple and blue schlappen color was the top fly of the trip.

[bigtj]

Way to go Jason. I am a little jealous, this winter has not been kind to me in terms of getting out. I'm spending all my time studying for the PE exam, so it's nice to be able to see that someone is getting out there.

Take care,

-john

[Rick J]

Hi Jason, very cool - nice to see that some California boys did good. Love the fly!!!

Fishing with Mike and Scott is a real treat. I remember Mike from many years ago on the North Umpqua - he has a photo of Brett Jensen lowering me a beer on a fly line off the Mott Bridge.

Thought I would share a couple of more photos of our trip taken by Scott on our North Fork Nehalem float - really cool shots of fishing by the falls

Bruce firing a bullet:

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a395/RickJ/ScottOphotos010.jpg

Off shoulder double spey: Scott blew this up to a 4x6 and I have it framed - also am using this photo as my computer screen at work
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a395/RickJ/ScottOphotos005.jpg

[Jasonh]

Great photos Rick. The North Fork Nehalem looks like a really cool river. Hard to beat swinging for steelhead in the winter with waterfalls in the background!

[TMS]

Looking good Jason. That second fish is a hog!

How was the water clarity?

Later...

Thom

[Rick J]

Jason,
Couple of questions on the fly - was it a tandem tie wtih 2 tubes and is that just a chenille head? Any additional weight besides the lead slip on?

Really like the color combo!!

[Jasonh]

Thom,
Water clarity was between 4-6 ft on both rivers and a nice steelhead green to it.

Rick,
It was one of Mike's flies and was basically a string leech with a purple and blue schlappen collar and chenille head. It was tied on a shank with a trailing hook. I don't think there was any other weight other than the sliding sinker.