Chill'n on the Coast

Sunday the 4th of March...

5:01 a.m. BJ
“Awake already. Come early if you want.”

5:01 a.m. Me
“Ok, just making coffee then out!”

8:39 p.m. BJ
“I have one boot, sorry.”

8:57 p.m. Me
“Lol, not a worry!!! More Easterlies and then snow/rain. Work mode. Thanks again for a great day, really had an awesome day aside from the obvious”

The first time I met Beth was at the Santiam Fly Casters Holiday Potluck back in December featuring David Hughes as the guest speaker. Wet flies and “flymphs” were on his presentation menu and 3 different buffet style tables were chalk full of “bring your best” style communal dishes. Louise and I both rocked up late to the party and empty handed thinking we could just slide into a seat post-dinner time while David was doing his performance.

Club introductions and announcements commenced and the name Beth was thrown around the room more than a couple times…this gal had the guys talkin’…I mean in awe of her accomplishments on the water and her skill at tying some flies!!! She was a tight line wrecking ball and I knew that I had to get on board with the powerhouse that is Beth.

Fast forward a couple of casting Saturday mornings on the bank of the Willamette and a Coastal Cutthroat float at Wa-ne-ma with Beth and the club. It was decided that we should go on a gals road trip for the day…Beth took the lead and we headed down to the coast this past Sunday and hit the Trask and Wilson with all of the intentions of running into a Winter Steelhead, swingin’ from the banks. Beth has been chasing these fish with no luck on the spey…I was hoping to not hook myself as an attainable goal for the day (goal met). I swung with light flies, weighted flies, pretty sparkly flies, solid colored “reverse phycology” flies…no love.

28 degrees when we arrived with HOWLING EASTERLY WINDS coming down the Tillamook Valley, running the snow-capped sides of the Coastal Range. I mean it was FREEZING!!! No word of a lie…Spey casting in those conditions is challenging to say the least!!!

There were lessons learned throughout the day and I can’t wait for more to come…just in warmer temps.

My favorite message from my seasoned fisherman of a father was:

“There is a simple saying that when the East wind blows the bite is off! Sorry you had to be out on the river without a bite, but that’s fishing!”

I’m grateful that he told me this after my day on the water with my new buddy Beth…I knew deep down that the Easterlies is for surf, glassy offshore surf…not for swinging a line with a hook on the end of it, but what if they saying is wrong???!!!

I can’t fish with Louise all the time…she is a wife, a mother, a volunteer, a scholar and an angler. It’s a lot to juggle. The Easterlies were on her side for this fishing report ;)