New to Salmon/Steelhead in Longview.

[Flymph]

That's true. I lived in Brookings from 1987-1993, so maybe it could be early 90's. It is also true that all those fish are dead, they died right after they spawned!! LOL. I haven't fished the coast for so many years that I wouldn't have the slightest idea how big the fish are, or even if there are any to be caught. But I can tell you that there are 3-salt steelhead on the Wallowa river!

You don't mean "was"? LoL

Yeah, on the coast it's like chasing unicorns now for spinner and fly guys. Hence a guide is crucial, unless you can fish it all day everyday. Bait slinging at estuaries seems to produce the most fish. Some rivers have a few decent populations, but you'll have to read around to find which one you want to fish.

If you just want fish, plunk. If you want to have style and sophistication, pick up a fly rod.

 

[DirectDrive]

You don't mean "was"? LoL

Yeah, on the coast it's like chasing unicorns now for spinner and fly guys. Hence a guide is crucial, unless you can fish it all day everyday. Bait slinging at estuaries seems to produce the most fish. Some rivers have a few decent populations, but you'll have to read around to find which one you want to fish.

If you just want fish, plunk. If you want to have style and sophistication, pick up a fly rod.

As long as the plunkers stay in plunker water.
Driftfisherman and plunkers don't coexist very well because one method is moving through the drift and the other is anchored.

Best summer steelhead fishery for hardware/fly is Oregon's Deschutes River.
Big water, lots of aggressive fish.
Nothing quite like it in the Lower 48.

#1 Rookie Mistake on the Big D :
Standing in one spot and flogging it
Keep moving....cast, swing.....take a step....rinse and repeat.

 

[Flymph]

Yeah, Dave Hughes calls it "De'schitts", but I have to agree. The hardest part is finding water that doesn't have somebody already fishing it, unless you can use a boat to beat the hikers. Also, don't let Scott Richmond hear you say that. LoL

PS: the worst part is that most anyone has no etiquette on that river, nor respect for letting a run settle. It's like waiting in a long line then getting cut every time you get to the front.

 

[DirectDrive]

Yeah, Dave Hughes calls it "De'schitts", but I have to agree. The hardest part is finding water that doesn't have somebody already fishing it, unless you can use a boat to beat the hikers. Also, don't let Scott Richmond hear you say that. LoL

PS: the worst part is that most anyone has no etiquette on that river, nor respect for letting a run settle. It's like waiting in a long line then getting cut every time you get to the front.

Oh wow.
You must not be fishing where I do.
It's the old rules.....like stepping back in time.

 

[Flymph]

Yeah, I am confined to well kept roads. Can't get my GF to let me go alone or go with me on extensive hikes either. LoL
I've been wanting to hit the stretch I think you're referring to, just haven't yet.

Don't get me wrong, I still pull "steelhead" out of that river. I just hate crowded water. LoL

 

[DirectDrive]

Yeah, I am confined to well kept roads. Can't get my GF to let me go alone or go with me on extensive hikes either. LoL
I've been wanting to hit the stretch I think you're referring to, just haven't yet.

Don't get me wrong, I still pull "steelhead" out of that river. I just hate crowded water. LoL

Get a new girlfriend and get away from roads.

 

[Flymph]

LoL she'll come around. We need to compromise, she wants to take a bike and I don't. I guess I'll just stick to pulling bulls out of the Met until then.

 

[bbbass]

You don't mean "was"? LoL

If you just want fish, plunk. If you want to have style and sophistication, pick up a fly rod.

Is/are/am/whatever. Our hatchery runs are better than ever. Why would you think differently?

Sophisticated fly rod snagger, yup. Then after you are done, you can hit a Starbucks on the way home, then have a microbrew, a kale salad, and some garlic sauce pizza, do some surfing with your iPad, ride your Hoverboard, do some Yoga, then play Twister with your buds.

 

[uscsoldier]

There are three primary techniques for catching salmon from the bank on many rivers. While there are variations, these techniques are basically plunking, casting and flipping.

Plunking

Plunking is simply a term used for still fishing, usually with bait on the bottom. The main bait of choice is cured salmon eggs, otherwise known as roe.

Depending on where you fish & the regulations, you can either fish one, two or even three rigs. Thread a spin-n-glo on the bottom leader about 30", tie an egg snelled tie on the hook. This will be your bottom leader to the bait. You can then either use just the spin-n-glo alone or with eggs. You can attach this leader to either a 2 or a 3 way swivel, depending on your preference as to how to attach the sinker. If you want the sinker as a slider use the 2 way & put the slider on the line above the swivel. If however you want to run the sinker on a dropper, then use the 3 way. Droppers should be 8-12", & of a lighter leader material.

If you are to use a double rig then go up the line about 36" & put in another 3 way swivel, which you will attach another leader rig of about 24", crimp a plastic sleeve about 1 ½ - 2" long on the side eye (this shorter leader & plastic, helps to keep it from tangling in the lower rig).

Depending on the fish you are targeting, the hook sizes can vary from a 1/0 to a 4/0 +.

Use the smallest possible floating device that will allow the bait to move in the current. Preferred colors for the spin-n-glos seem to be chartreuse & or orange.
If you are in an area where you can run 3 rigs, then some fishermen snap a Flatfish attached to a short leader onto the mainline after you have cast out, this will slide down to an upper stop swivel. The line angle has to be steep enough to allow the flatfish lip to dig in & engage the water. You might then have to bump the butt of the rod to jiggle it down. Use a large plastic bead as a bumper/stop for the sinker.

You probably should make up complete spare setups, as usually it is easier to tie these up at home than on the river.

The fish tend to concentrate near the shore. A cast of 30 feet or so is a long cast, more like 12 to 20 feet is the best distance. Plunking works best in pools of slower moving water. The Chinook will come up and mouth a plain spin-n-glo, so you have to be ever watchful of the rod tip.

Most plunkers use a rod holder set into the river bank. You should then consider getting a little bell to attach to your rod tip as a signaling device.

It's an extremely easy way to fish, and of course you can fish all day since you don't need to be casting or flipping the rod at all. Here are a few hints. When tying your hooks, use the egg loop snell. The advantage is that you can put egg roe into the loop leaving the hook completely exposed. This insures better hook ups once the fish hits. When the fish are hitting but not taking the bait completely, there is a trick that you can use. Either use a large corky, or tear the wings off of an old large spin-n-glo. Reverse the spin-n-glo body so the thin end is pointed toward your rod. Now place this body up from the hook about 6 inches and pin it there using a tooth pick. Then place your eggs on the hooks. This allows for the eggs to be held off the bottom, but when the fish hits, it only feels the roe and not the hard plastic body. It helps in the hook up ratio, especially when the water is clear enough that an attractor is not needed.

The spin-n-glo does a multitude of things. It is buoyant & helps hold the roe up off the bottom. It has a bright color, which can help attract the fish. But most important it has the rotating spinner blades, that give off a vibration, which the fish can feel, thereby attracting them to a possible wounded baitfish.

Then there is the question of scent. Do I use it or not? Well, salmon & steelhead have a very good sense of smell. In my mind it sure does not hurt to add some egg scent, maybe on a freshly cast out egg roe, there is enough scent, but after it has soaked for a while you have lost part of your attractant.

For plunking, the places are the slower moving water directly upstream from faster flowing waters seem to be the best. You will find that fish seem to be the most aggressive after just entering a pool. This observance is after years of watching fish in clear water streams. So always fish the tail end of a pool if given a choice.

The easiest way to learn is to watch others around you. It's not rocket science. It is a game of perseverance. These fish migrate upstream, a hole that was ultra hot this morning may hold nothing in the evening. On the other hand, it works the opposite way as well. If you are in the lower river stretches, ask the locals if the tides do make a difference. Usually where there is a tidal movement the better fishing occurs on the incoming tide, starting about half way in to about half way out is a good rule of thumb. This gives a flushing effect of pushing new fish upriver.

A benefit of using short line, is that you can get more repetitive casts into prime area. If your hook isn't in the water in front of the fish, your chance of catching will go down. If you watch people that are "ALWAYS" catching fish within sight of you, take a look. Are they making more casts, using scent, using a different color, concentrating harder, using sharper hooks, etc. Keep your eyes open, watch and learn. You may have caught lots of fish in your day, but I think we can all learn something from someone else. In the school of hard knocks no one ever graduates. Nobody has the monopoly on good ideas when it comes to fishing!

Casting

In casting you have the choice of a multitude of lures, spoons, spinners, plugs, or roe. Each will have it's own retrieve speed. Depending on the water flow, depth, & fish targeted the methods will vary to some degree. You will have to decide whether you want to fish the hole, run or the tail-out of the pools. Cast out to your targeted spot & then reel it back. You will have to experiment as to whether you start reeling immediately or wait until the lure has sunk to a desire depth. Also you will have to determine just how fast you reel back in. Remember that all reels are not using the same gear ratios, so if one reel retrieves at a proper speed, another may be faster or slower.

The thing about this type of fishing is that when the fish hit the lure, they hit it hard enough that you are fully aware of what is going on.

Casting will probably be best accomplished by a spinning outfit with a rod of 8' 6' or 9' plus. Here is one area that the rod & reel should be matched as you will be flailing it quite a bit.

A variation of casting & flipping would be Bobber fishing. Here you use a bobber that holds you lure, (eggs, jig, etc.) just up off the bottom. You may have to adjust the bobber height from the bait, until you find the right depth of the water for the particular drift you are doing. You can cast a little farther with this type of fishing than the flipping & allow your line to pay out on the lower end of your drift, to cover slightly more water if conditions exist. On this type of fishing you want the line to the bobber as straight a possible, so you may have to "meld" your line to take the slack out of the line

Flipping

In most situations, flipping is the more productive of the three methods as long as there is sufficient current to allow a good drift. Flipping is a great technique to learn because it works on any stream that holds any salmon or steelhead.

In almost all of the cases, one of the most effective set ups used is a red glass bead on top of a 1/0 to 3/0 gamakatsu with a piece of chartreuse yarn on the egg loop of the hook. This simple rig has accounted for more salmon of all species than probably any other set used by effective fisherpersons.

Another variation used for Chinook salmon is to rig using two single hooks. Once again in size 1/0 to 3/0 tie an egg snell with the two gamakatsu octopus style hooks about 2 to 3 inches apart. In between the two hooks place two of the smallest size little corkies with flo chartreuse and flo. Orange or red being the favorite colors. Once again, always use a piece of florescent chartreuse yarn.

Some fishermen use coho flies for this technique.

The above setup is then attached using about 4 to 6 inches of a lighter leader running up to a sinker. This then acts as a breakaway if you get hung up. Also some fishermen prefer the surgical rubber tube lead on a three-way swivel. The longest leader you can handle seems to result in more hook ups. But you need to be able to control the flip.

The technique is a little more complicated then just throwing the hook upstream and letting it bounce downstream. You don't use the reel at all when using this technique. For a right handed person, hold the rod in your right hand. Strip off enough line so the lure doesn't hit the ground when you hold the rod pointing straight up with your right hand. Now with the left hand strip off more line so when you extend your left arm while holding onto the line, you can still hold the lure off the ground. Now just flip the lure out, lower the rod tip and let go of the line. The lure should flick about 10 to 20 feet in front of you depending on your rod length. You don't need to cast very far at all. Usually a 45 degree cast upstream is a good starting point. Salmon run up river along the edges for the most part. 10 to 20 feet from shore is usually plenty far. FISH NEAR THE SHORE LINE.

Casting upstream a little bit, starting at about 45 degrees, varying it as you go, you need enough weight that you can feel the weight bouncing along the bottom. As soon as the lure hits the water lower your rod tip to just above the water level by a foot or two. Not too much that it will hang up though. NOW THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART!! As the line swings in front of you, you want to slowly sweep the rod with the current, keeping the tip pointed low & toward your line entry point on the water. At the same time, with your left hand grasp the line at the rear guide, and as you allow the rod to follow the current, slowly pull the line in to take the slack out of your line to the lure, so you will have constant tension on the line. You may have to reach up with your left hand & get another grip on the line & pull it in as before. When you get to the bottom of the drift & you are about ready to pull it out, give it a slight jerk toward the bank. This jerk will at times set the hook if the fish has just picked up the line on the last of the drift, and has it running thru his open mouth, but has not actually hit the lure. This is the method of catching sockeye in or near his mouth.
The idea is to keep the line all the way to the lure as perpendicular as possible to the bank. This insures that when a fish hits, instead of momentary slack as the lead bounces past the fish and then you feel the bite, you feel the fish immediately. Imagine if you cast your lure and weight upstream and let it dead drift down without any "pull." The lure would be pulled downstream below the sinker as the sinker kept on grabbing the bottom. If a fish hits the lure, you wouldn't know it until the sinker bounced 4 feet down to the fish, then four feet past the fish until the line tightened up. By then the fish will be long gone! KEEP LIGHT BUT CONSTANT TENSION ON THE LINE BY DRAGGING THE LURE SLOWLY TOWARDS THE BANK. Keeping a constant "pull" on the line is the key element in the flipping technique. As soon as you feel something different from the bottom you have bounced by for hours, set the hook! Better to look foolish, then to lose the fish you have been waiting all day for. Most of the time though, the fish will tear your arm off because you only have 15 feet of line out…if you keep some tension on the line.
You can vary where your drift is in footage from the bank by varying your spot you are casting to. It is advisable to cast closer to shore on the first casts, & move your casts farther out on your next casts. By using this method you will not be fishing OVER the closer fish & spook them. You will in this manner cover all the water starting from closer to farther out from one location.

By far the best is to use premium ultra sharp hooks like the gamakatsu, VMC, or Owner type hooks. Your hook up ratio will at least double by the use of ultra sharp premium hooks. They also punch a very small slit through the fish's mouth that helps keep the hook from backing out. This technique can be used in about any river where the water is flowing at a fairly decent pace. It also it the exact same technique used to catch sockeye when they start running up the Kenai river in Alaska. It also has proven effective for silvers and pinks as well.

Any type of rod can be used for flipping. Some fisherpersons prefer a fly rod. The light well balanced fly rod allows you to fish much longer than my traditional king outfit with a spinning or baitcasting reel. The longer the rod, the more water you can cover effortlessly. Of course in crowded conditions a shorter rod is the way to go. A 9 to 12 foot rod would be the choice whenever possible.

Some final pieces of advice…

Use the best gear you can afford. Make sure the drags on the reels are good because these fish may well test your gear to the limit. When adjusting the drag, don't just pull on the line above the spool. Have someone hold the line near the lure and pull with the rod. You'll be surprised how much harder it is to pull line out with the rod bent.

Also always re-spool with fresh line every year. Its amazing how strong fresh line is. You could land a 20 pound Chinook on 10 pound test, maybe not easily, but it can be done. As an example, take your rod and tie the line to a hand scale. Pull on the rod so you have a good bend. You'll be surprised how hard 5 to 10 pounds of pull will bend your rod if it doesn't break it first. The main reason for fresh line is that line gets weaker when it is stored, exposed to sunlight and coiled tightly on the spool. It is the only thing connecting you and the fish. Also abrasions on a 20 pound line will quickly turn the line into a 2 lb rating! If you fish a lot, re-spool every 4th or 5th time out. Also cut off 4 to 5' of line & retie every hour or two. There is nothing that will turn a person sour from fishing faster than waiting for hours and after finally getting a hit, your line breaks with a simple pull. Relatively speaking, it's CHEAP! GET NEW LINE and CHECK YOUR LINE OFTEN

Also learn to tie good knots.

 

[bbbass]

Fished the big D right next to the freeway bridge 30 years ago. Even then it was shoulder to shoulder. The wife hated it and wouldn't even get out of the car. But somehow it all worked. Drift rig and a small pink corkie; everybody cast up, drift, reel, do it again. Synchronized fishing. Someone got a hookup and they moved out of the group. Sigh, now we live in a changed world.

 

[DirectDrive]

Fished the big D right next to the freeway bridge 30 years ago. Even then it was shoulder to shoulder. The wife hated it and wouldn't even get out of the car. But somehow it all worked. Drift rig and a small pink corkie; everybody cast up, drift, reel, do it again. Synchronized fishing. Someone got a hookup and they moved out of the group. Sigh, now we live in a changed world.

We call those guys the Bridge Trolls.


Not the best Big D experience.

 

[DirectDrive]

There are three primary techniques for catching salmon from the bank on many rivers. While there are variations, these techniques are basically plunking, casting and flipping.

I thought flippin' was fer fishin' ditch pickles.
Although I do have a friend that does that on the Salmon River.

I like to cast....corkies, yarn or spinners.

Someday, when I can't wade anymore, I might try plunking.
But on second thought, I might just drag myself along and cast until I expire.

Nice writeup, BTW.

 

[bbbass]

I prefer plunking a coastal river after a huge rainstorm when the water is off-color, turgid, and brown. Rather than give up for the day, you can plunk close to the bank with roe or anchovie. Use a piece of colored yarn on the rod and sit in the truck drinkin Irish coffee or Schnapps and chocolate. Mmmm, good times!!

The Bridge Trolls not withstanding... I caught my share of fish and the steelhead there had an unmistakable bite. Not like the imaginary bites elsewhere.

 

[Flymph]

Is/are/am/whatever. Our hatchery runs are better than ever. Why would you think differently?

Sophisticated fly rod snagger, yup. Then after you are done, you can hit a Starbucks on the way home, then have a microbrew, a kale salad, and some garlic sauce pizza, do some surfing with your iPad, ride your Hoverboard, do some Yoga, then play Twister with your buds.

Hatcheries are part of the problem in my book. If you like farm trout, that's your problem. I prefer my fish rare and exotic. If I fish salmon, it's probably going to be caught on polar bear and seal fur. I'll probably go out after that and Snipe hunt or spot chuckar. I will be master my own life as others should, instead of relying on the corporation to stock my river so that I'm ok with them wreaking havoc on the habitat.
You can call it snagging, but watching them chase flies across the river tells me otherwise. On the other hand "yarn gets caught on their teeth" tells me who the real snaggers are, DIRECTDRIVE! YOU DRIFTER!

LoL all in good fun

 

[bbbass]

I have many problems. Don't get me started. One of my problems is douche knot youngster/hipsters/elitists.

But after they damned up the Columbia so they could sell power to California, hatchery heads are all we get to eat. They taste about like the farm fish you buy at the store. But I don't eat them anyway. I just like to feel them wiggle. Sorry, can't get to the coast since gas is so expensive, so I'll have to leave that for all you true fishers.

 

[DirectDrive]

Hatcheries are part of the problem in my book. If you like farm trout, that's your problem. I prefer my fish rare and exotic. If I fish salmon, it's probably going to be caught on polar bear and seal fur. I'll probably go out after that and Snipe hunt or spot chuckar. I will be master my own life as others should, instead of relying on the corporation to stock my river so that I'm ok with them wreaking havoc on the habitat.
You can call it snagging, but watching them chase flies across the river tells me otherwise. On the other hand "yarn gets caught on their teeth" tells me who the real snaggers are, DIRECTDRIVE! YOU DRIFTER!

LoL all in good fun

The worst of the snaggers are the flossers. They are the "professional" snaggers.
They use super long leaders and try to get the leader to sweep into the fish's mouth.
Then the current does the rest and the hook slams into to outside of its mouth.
They are so clever that if you don't know what to look for, they can do right in front of you and look legit.

The thrill is the "pickup".
That's the instant a fish willfully picks up your offering.
All your preparations and presentation has paid off.
Snaggers never experience any of that.

 

[Flymph]

Lmao you can't blame me for having more skill. I wouldn't sweat it too much anyway, better fishing out east. Expecting fly fishermen not to huff and puff is like expecting a restoration mechanic not to drive around their vintage car on a nice day. My friend compared them to dog food, and I don't disagree.

Singing my tune blaming the dams.

Hence the term "quick release"
I'm just in it for the bite and the fight myself. Tho, hatchery fish should be kept in most cases. I'm a sort of fish eugenicist. LoL

I've seen those guys, and not to seem like a narc, but they tempt me to call some LEOs down. Snaggers and poachers are POS.

 

[DirectDrive]

Lmao you can't blame me for having more skill.

You start in first and I'll pick up all the untapped resources you leave behind.
And don't be a mailbox guy and start a new zip code in the middle of the run or I'll have to go around.
Then you'll have The Vacuum in front of you.
I'm thinkin' you might be a mailbox guy.

 

[Flymph]

Mailbox guy? LoL
If you're insinuating I like a leisurely stroll down to well worn spots, only when I'm drinking. Besides, those spots present the real challenge. Lmao
If it doesn't resemble parcor, you aren't fishing the best water.

Sometimes the guy going first just agitates them so they look up, that's where you might be picking up the fish.

Gear and fly guys actually make the best fishing buddies tho, one fishes high and mighty, the other drags gravel.
HAHA

 

[DirectDrive]

Unless yer swingin' Frenchies.
Kinda like swingin' a brass fly.