Tips for a Newbie: Saltwater Salmon?

Ok, so now I have this boat, and I want to catch a salmon on a fly rod.

How do I set my self up for a good time? Where should I fish, and how should I fish for them?

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What sort of boat did you get??

For the best saltwater flyfishing primer, head to Sekiu in a couple weeks once the pinks move through.

It is a very straightforward fishery and it is an easy place to put a few fish in the boat.

Either bucktail around looking for fish or locate the rips, set up your drift and fish a sunk line (a Rio Deep 7 is my favorite) with various patterns such as Clousers, small Sea Habits, Decievers and my favorite, the Flashy Lady.

Lots of guys catching humpies over at Hoodsport on the fly. Just let the schools roll by and throw a pink jog or large fly into them and you'll get a few. Watched a guy in the boat next to me with a guide hook into 3 or so a couple of weeks ago. There are kings in there now, you may get into one or two of those big boys for a real fight!!

for the best place, go to neah bay. don't know your boat size, but you can fish big or small at neah bay.

try an 8 wt, load up your boxes with chartreuse and white flashtail clousers, and fish a 250-350 grain head (the rio striper lines are imo the best). if you want to fish a 6 wt. i'd concur with sparky's recommendation of the deep 7 line by rio (although the shooting head setups are better casters in the wind, especially when using a water haul). reels don't really matter, but a decent one that can hold up to the abuse boats and salt put on a reel is preferable.

where to fish? check out the close in rips off waadah island and if it's calm work your way out to the whistle buoy n. of tatoosh island (look to be .5 to 2 miles from land). look for the fastest current, set up to drift through it, and cast flies (you asked about flyfishing, so i presume you don't want to gear fish with a fly rod... oh, sorry, i mean bucktail <G>) if you're having a hard time locating fish, drift around casting and retreiving flies (a little wind to speed up your drift can be helpful, especially when the rips die down) because there's no better way to learn fly fishing for coho than to spend your time doing it... the more you cast the less you will rely on trolling... and you will eventually not troll at all.

good luck,

chris

I was given a 12' Lund rowboat with a 9.9 hp engine. Its a great little boat if the water isn't too rough.

Any suggestions on where? I have fished only Port Susan and the Deception Pass area from Bowman Bay. It seems like the South Sound is more conducive to a small boat. I have heard Neah Bay can be a good spot for a small boat, staying inside the breakwater.

All you guys (and more) talk about fishing the rips, and I know what you mean by that. But what do you do when the rips are not present? Go home? Blind cast? Fish kelp?

I have been shore fishing unsucessfully for about 3 years, and its even more bewildering in a boat. Thanks for all your help.

try eglon point. its between poulsbo and point no point. take you some poppers. great to see em hit the surface

Humm, sounds a little rich for my tastes, WSF charges $18 each way for the truck and trailer, or I have to cross the main shipping lanes in a very small boat....

Rob

sorry wolly i live down south. get to drive around.