Beach fishing for cutthroat trout?

[DanFlashes]

I just recently moved down to the northern coastal region, and I have been having fun fishing many of the coastal rivers for trout, salmon, and steelhead. In many ways, this feels just like fishing in the many coastal rivers on the Olympic Peninsula and Puget Sound in Washington State.

One thing that Washington is known for is fishing in the saltwater for searun cutthroat trout. This was the way I learned to fly fish growing up, and I often miss shaking hands with a lively trout covered in sea lice.

Since I have been here, I have not heard of anyone fishing the coastal beaches for trout; the tidally influenced rivers seem to be the spot people point me to for catching them. Does anyone have any recommendations for any Oregon coastal bays where people have been successful in catching cutthroat trout? If you don't have any idea, I would also appreciate pointing me towards any coastal bays that have lots of barnacles or oysters, since those are ideal habitats for the searun trout.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

 

[C_Run]

I recall reading that they are thought to not travel far from their river mouths. Any bay large or small should have some in the summer.

 

[DanFlashes]

I recall reading that they are thought to not travel far from their river mouths. Any bay large or small should have some in the summer.

This is generally true. I am not sure, but there may be a regional difference in cutthroat behaviour since Puget Sound is much larger than any bay in Oregon, but I have caught cutthroat trolling in 100 feet of water, and I've caught them casting in a foot of water on a beach a mile from the nearest river mouth. They seem to be in many places at once in many different seasons, unlike salmon or steelhead in my experience. I may just have to try and fail at some beaches until I find some.

 

[pcstock]

Nehalem

 

[C_Run]

You will likely catch surf perch in the process.

 

[hobster]

I can’t really help you out, I have never really targeted blue backs. I have caught several trolling in the lakes, however. I know it is popular to fish for them in the lower rivers around here. The main reason I piped in here was just to say how amazingly cool would be to fly fish for them in the surf! I have never heard of that, sounds like a blast!

 

[Davpot]

I can’t really help you out, I have never really targeted blue backs. I have caught several trolling in the lakes, however. I know it is popular to fish for them in the lower rivers around here. The main reason I piped in here was just to say how amazingly cool would be to fly fish for them in the surf! I have never heard of that, sounds like a blast!

I knew one fellow who claimed to regularly catch searuns off Hobson Point In Tillamook Bay. But otherwise was quite secretive about it! And there are several fly clubs in our area!

 

[troutdude]

Bob Borden created his legendary Borden Special fly, to specifically target bluebacks on the Alsea River. I may be mistaken, but I want so say that he honed in on them, in the estuaries of Alsea bay. However, he most likely used a boat to get to them.