North Coast Cutthroat (Catch and Release) ?

[Tyee II]

It has been years since I fished for cuttthroat and would like to know what flyfishing opportunities exist, timing and access wise. Boat and or bank, when, where, gear selection etc. etc. All information that you are willing to give up is appreciated.
Thanks
Mike

[Abalone]

Tyee II..
I will attempt to answer this for you.. Sea Run Cutts are some of the most aggresive fish out there and
in there lays the problem.. They're too easy to catch.. I have hooked and landed as many as Twelver Sea Runs
in a row casting Rooster Tails in a creek on Vancouver Island. And where I have fished for them in small lakes up
there I caugh fish all day on Rolled Muddlers and Whooly Buggers. I am talking about fish up to Eighteen inches.

I our waters you'll find two variations of Sea Runs. I should say Habits rather then Variations you choose.
Resident and Sea Runs. Both fish can get up to good size but I like fishing for the Sea Runs. The resident stay resident
most of the year or maybe for a couple of years before they decide to go to sea. All of our streams on the Coast
have both. The Nehalem, Nestucca and I believe the Wilson are considered the streams with the largest populations.
But all, including the little creeks that run into the Ocean have them. The Sea Run Variaty begin to show in July.
July 4th is a good time to start looking and by the end of the month fishing should be pretty good in the tide water
where they hang out with the tide change until fall when the Salmon start to migrate. The Sea Runs follow the
Salmon and eat the eggs. Just pick any stream on the coast and go starting in July and you should have success
using Streamers such as the Spruce Fly, Micky Fin, Purple Joe or any of the Bright patterns. Strip your line and
twitch at the same time. I have seen schools of Sea Runs underneath the overhanging Brush like Blackberries
and willows. They seem to like it there.
A few years ago ODFW made a change to protect Sea Runs and Native Cutts. They quit planting hatchery
Rainbows in the Coast Streams to eliminate competitions with Native species. There is a real limit of food in
our coast streams in terms of supporting that many variaties of fish. They also closed the retention of Sea Runs
and Natives. This has been a good thing because they are making a big comeback. I only wish they would leave
it that way as we now have some quality world class fishing on our doorsteps and I am afraid if that law
changes so will the fishing.
The resident Sea runs are aggresive as well. Caddis flies or almost any classic Dry will catch Resident Sea Runs.
Just go pick a stream and fish it. Soon you will learn what water they like and you'll be walking around with a
smile on your face.

:flowered: :flowered: