Trout fishing in the Nestucca

[frontierhistorian]

Over in the Steelhead forum I posted a query about getting started fishing streams. Since I'm sticking with trout (instead of getting a Steelhead tag), I'll post my report here. And by report, I mean my list of miserable failures. I went to the Nestucca, a little north of Hebo. I worked lures and salmon eggs. Early on a I had one small trout follow a lure and I saw them jumping, but caught nothing. I lost two rooster tails, one Panther Martin spinner, one Rebel Crawfish, and one fly. After a couple hours it was just getting too expensive to keep fishing so I went home. Back to the lake for me! I'll need to regain my confidence before returning to the river!

 

[troutdude]

Jed Davis--the Oregon Godfather of spinner fishing--stated that if you don't lose a few spinners, each outing, then you're fishing them incorrectly. So, in brief, you WERE getting them into the strike zone. What type of water, were you tossing them into? Was it slack / slow moving? Or was it, faster runs, tailouts, rapids etc? 'Bows like the faster, and more oxygenated, water. Cutthroat hang out, in the slow moving stuff.

You're not gonna be an expert, in one outing. The only thing that will make you better; is MORE time on the streams. So don't give up, so easily.

A bare worm--with maybe a BB sized split shot, or two--plopped into the water, just above a drop OFF, is deadly! The same goes, for Salmon eggs. A deadly rig, for cutties, is worm and bobber. Or hot pink and / or small brown Rooster Tails. 'Bows go nuts, over the Fire Tiger Roosters.

 

[frontierhistorian]

Thanks, troutdude! The fish the followed lure was likely a cut in slow water--I was casting along the shadow side of a log. The jumpers were in faster water, so maybe Rainbows. I haven't given up, but I will be licking my wounds! I'm interested in streams because I'm looking for new challenges. I'll be back. And, had I gone further upstream into colder water, I might have had more success in any case. Perhaps next time.

 

[C_Run]

Just to reiterate, don't overlook the tidewater if you want to catch trout.

 

[frontierhistorian]

"don't overlook the tidewater if you want to catch trout"

I will keep that in mind if I'm going all the way to the coast--it will be interesting to try!

 

[Cooper]

Just to reiterate, don't overlook the tidewater if you want to catch trout.

A newby here. Tidewater, trout, where, when, how?

 

[CastingCall]

If trout is your aim, try a small salmon bead trailed with a squid leg.
Killer on SRC. GL. Tony

 

[Abrown]

I've fished that river quite a bit and found this time of year the bigger fish seem to scare the smaller trout so that may make it a bit tough. Cutthroats seem to really be active and larger in the spring and summer. Just my two cents.

 

[C_Run]

A newby here. Tidewater, trout, where, when, how?

I've only trout fished there a few times but I've got searuns during the summer anywhere from the mouth on up to Cloverdale with spinners and spoons. (I've got a kayak so I guess that's cheating.) I've also got them out of season as bycatch while salmon fishing.