Strike-out for Steelies

The family ventured to the Northern Oregon coast for a week of spring breaking. It was a relaxing week of beach bumming and hot tubbing. The city of Seaside has lots to offer, including an array of excellent fresh seafood diners, endless beaches, and a rich history. The Necanicum River runs smack through the middle of town, it's mouth emptying into the Pacific just North of town. The Necanicum hosts seasonal runs of steelhead and salmon, as well as coastal cutthroat trout. I figured this would be an excellent opportunity to, yet again, try and entice that ever-elusive steelhead to bite. It rained all week and at high tide the river was swollen. This is a good thing for fish coming form the ocean into the river system, but a bad thing (depending on who you ask) for the fisherman up stream trying to catch fish. The nasty weather and high water does a couple of things; 1, the fluctuation in temperatures puts the fish off. When it gets too cold or too warm, the fish find the slow, deep spots and camp out, unwilling to bite anything unless it is presented perfectly into their pretty little portals (mouths), and 2, when there is more water to hide in, the fish do just that. They get spread out and a fisherman is required to cover much more water - chances of hooking up are reduced dramatically, and 3, lots of rain, in addition to raising the water level, clouds up the water. Rain hits the muddy banks and runs off into the river making it impossible to see through, let alone wade in. So I was going into this knowing that the fishing would be tough, but with a bit hope that luck might find its way onto my stringer. I parked at Kloochie Creek County Park and began walking in the rain down a road that I hoped would intersect the river, or at least give me access. Along the way I saw several Elk crossing my path. If the Elk were out and about, they why wouldn't the fish be? Strange logic, I know. But I was desperate. The rain came harder and the road kept getting longer so I decided to turn back and fish the river near the highway. I found a perfect little seam ruining along the edge of a deep hole. First up was a #5 Vibrax Blue Fox in green (I didn't dare break out the fly gear in windy, rainy conditions like these). The darker the better for dirty water! Nothing. Then I tried a spoon - the trust Little Cleo in silver/blue, treble hook replaced with a #1 Siwash hook. Still nothing. Then I broke out the drift gear: a float 3 feet above a pink-pearl corky and red yarn. Blanked. After about 4 hours of standing in the rain and losing expensive gear on rocks and debris, I packed up and went home early. Bummer, dude. Oh well. The hunt goes on. Steelhead season is coming to an area kinda-sorta near you (me). Should be good starting in June on the Lower D. But to satisfy my need to catch something at the coast, I bought a PVC clam gun and tried my hand at clamming. Turned up 4 of them critters and fried the dickens out of them. Fun to catch but I think I'll let the pro's cook them next time. It was like chewing on a bundle of rubber bands. Didn't taste half bad though. Tight lines.