Just a little disclaimer on our Oregon Coastal Stream reports: These waters aren’t big enough for publicized fishing pressure, so they will remain anonymous. Just assume that conditions and stories will be similar wherever your secret coastal stream may be.
The wild steelhead are in the streams. We managed to have a really good day last week. I hooked up with two chrome fish before lunch on a chartruese and hot pink marabou micro-jig (1/8 oz) under a Frog Hair indicator.
Karl and Wild Bill were on the water with me — thankfully, since my Sage z-Axis crapped out on me. It was my fault. I’d put it back in the tube wet and the wooden reel seat soaked up the moisture and swelled up and the reel wouldn’t fit.
Karl said the hen, the first fish ran about seven pounds. It slammed my fly on the third cast, actually on the swing and not dead drifted. The buck, which was a little bigger, I hooked on the dead drift, upstream in a boulder garden.
After lunch, lying down on my back on the rocks in the sun, it was 50 degrees and sunny, warming my face and drying my sweat. A giant sentinel Douglas Fir stood guard over the stream — not a bad day in February.
PS: Quick reccomendation on winter wading. Put your studs in. Seriously. I’d never used them before and I’ll never go back. I’d been wading in just felt for years and had never bothered. Now I’m sold. It saves energy and may keep you from drowning.
How many of you out there have skipped the studs in the boots?
