Ocean vs the River

[id. painter]

I have been a fisherman my entire life . I will continue to grow and mature as an outdoorsman.
I was raised in rural Idaho and spend countless hours fishing evey slice of liquid around my childhood home.
I fished the Henery's fork in the early 1960's,,, the tout fishing was unbelieveable.And Henery's lake.
I fished the small and the large streams . I didnt care It was fishing.
Once each summer our family would visit relatives in Arcata Calf. and my grandfather would take me Salmon fishing. I got my first nook at age 8 or 9.
When I was 18 I started working in the National Forests across the west . I was exposed to steelhead , and Salmon fishing in the rivers. I became addicted to catching sea run fish where ever and when ever I could.
After many many years of river fishing for Steelhead and Salmon,, Ive lost my desire to river fish. All I want to do is cruse the big blue.
The action is 10 time quicker (mostly) the quality of the fish is superior, the water is way less crowded. And You can almost always catch crabs. I love bottom fish, halibut, ling ,yellow eye ,, on and on.
But Im feeling a bit of a loss whith regards to my long standing traditions. I used to love to hit Clack Canyon Res. as the ice comes off,,, but cant seem to get excited about it. There are several other of those examples ,,,, I feel like I just killing time waitting for the salt.
For the very first time in my life Im feeling like I need to live near Mr. Pacific.
Have any of you gone thru this ? What did you do ? Did you abandon the old and start anew? Im bored with the fresh water .
I need to resolve this conflict or Ill go broke and crazy driving back and forth all summer every summer.
Maybe a summer home in DEPOE id. painter

[Silver Hilton]

I don't know about the precise syndrome you're talking about, but I was a fly fisherman for a long time, and kinda gave it up. Same thing, got tired of it. Long story.

[Phil Layer]

Hey Id. Painter,

Like you, I grew up in Idaho and lived as much time as I could in the outdoors. Back then, I was a pretty serious pheasant hunter, duck hunter and trout fisherman.

I've also lived in Wyoming and done big game hunting there as well as (really big) trout fishing in Montana.

Like you, I've had a taste of the salt and haven't looked back. Like you say, the fish are better eating and the crowds are rarely an issue. But I think it is something more than that, at least with me.

I must have been a mariner in an earlier life. Somewhere deep in my soul, I crave to be out on the salt.

I hesitate to suggest you move out here but, I won't live far from the ocean. And, I sure plan on being buried on it!

[slabhunter]

I too feel the call of the wild blue. There is some kind of primal feeling crossing the bar and knowing it's just me and the sharks. And a benifit is the lack of pollen out there! I can't wait 'til June.

[Mello-Yello]

I know what you mean IDp...I have the same thing with sage and juniper...and ponderosa pine and brisk mornings...you see, I live on the coast.

I think a lot of it is "the grass is always greener" syndrome. Things we can't have we want more.

Don't tell anyone, but you're onto something.

It IS better here!

The thing I like best about fishing offshore is you just never know for sure what the day will bring. A pod of whales, porposes, getting hammered by a 5' blue shark at 300' on a 600' retrieve. The occasional bottom-lurker that you never get to see because he drug you down into the rocks.

Oh, and don't even get me started on TUNA!

M-Y

[The Bad Fish]

get a job teaching in lincoln city, joni's mom is retiring in june. might be an opening.. then we can fish the salt all the time

[Quasimodo the fish killer]

I have only fished out in the ocean a hand full of times I did like it a lot only thing I noticed is that the fish didnt seem to fight as hard out in the ocean. seemed like most thrashed a minute or 2 then swam right to the net.

Quasi

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[id. painter]

I have been fortunate enough to visit my father on Vancouver Island and fish the salt . I have had two salmon hit and make a run that would strip 150 yards of line in about 20 seconds.One was 30lbs and the other was 25lbs. I have cought lots of salmon in rivers Ive never had a river fish run like that . So , I politly disagree about the fight thing. My father runs 40lb leader up there and he is convinced that about once every couple years he has a big chinook hit and run so hard to the side that is will create so much stress with flasher going sideways, that it will snap the leader. The ocean Coho are a ball, have you ever gotten one in the river ?
I can hardly catch the fall fish near Astoria they start to show color so quick. :depressed: .
My grandfather is 100 % Finn. and still alive at 98 .
I also think I must have been a sea going guy in a past life.I love the ocean. Its stuck in my soul and wont go away. id. painter

[Flatfish]

Freshwater is there so you can still fish when the swells are 10' out of the North and the wind is 20 knots out of the SW. Other than that, freshwater is second fiddle.

Mark and the salty dog.

[My Limit]

I'm with you!! There is no comparison. Once you fish in the ocean the river is very disappointing. I only fish the river when the ocean is bad, closed or I have nothing better to do. It's so hard to fish all day for several days in the river without even a bump, when I can go out in the ocean and limit out in a few hours.

I would also agree that I feel like I was a ocean capt. in a past life. Or maybe we all just feel that way because of how great the fishing is. I would feel like I was tug boat captain in a past life if I could catch fish in the Willamette river like I catch them in the ocean.

Ocean is where it's at! The river is like "neer beer", some of the flavor but not the real thing!

Or maybe I'm just frustrated at how hard it is to catch salmon in these rivers around Portland.

My Limit

[id. painter]

ML.Thanks for the support.
Actually I feel like ive done pretty well in the Rivers. But you got it right when you say in compar,,,, Thay arnt comparable.
This has been brewing in me for years and years .
I have an addictive personality and Im worried.
How can I get enough ? Two weeks in Canada is a good whistle wetter,but not near enough to keep me still all year.
Maybe just a week over on the Or. coast and the two weeks in Canada? Maybe that will be enough? :whazzup:
Well Two weeks will be better in Or., and three week in Canada.
Then I find Tuna,,,,, Well I now need a month in Depoe and a month in Canada. I realize it will never stop.
Now I understand my fathers absolute determination the retire on the salt. He has finally relaxed,,, fishing is fun ,but he is way layed back about it .
I can only hope to be so fortunate.

For another topic " The evolution of a fisherman" by id. painter. :grin:

[Mr. BrownTrout]

The story sounds familiar, I grew up in Astoria and then in 1997 I moved to Boise. I did bring my old fiberglass boat with me but never really used it much over here, so I used it as a trade in on my truck. Well I went out and bought a boat again and have gotten the fever to move back. Yes I hate the rain, its hard to compare 12 inches a year here to 150 inches a year there. Also my wife really does not want to move back as her family is all here. So for now I just grin and bear it. I do love to fly fish Silver creek. But there is something about that big blue pond. I have too many Columbia river bar crossings under my belt to even begin to count. I do feel for you.

[Half fast Toyn]

The only problem I have (besides lack of fish) with fishing in the rivers is the crowds of people. I hate playing bumper boats!! once you fish in the Ocean..... its hard to go back. The end of my salmon season is where most begin theirs... FALL Chinook.

Mike

[bllelk]

Id. Painter
Slowpie and I moved over here two years ago. After we met, I moved to Pokey to be with her and fly fished that area for about six months. Before that I did all the high and low spots in Idaho. From the Moyer River in the North to Duck Valley in the South. The major difference, and I think Slowpie would agree, is fishing over here can be boring. It can be a long time between strikes. It doesn't matter if its Tuna or Salmon or steelhead. It can be long time. You've been on this BB a long time you can see whats going on. In Idaho if things were slow you can move to another spot on the river or another river entirely or lake or whatever, esp. where you live. Not so easy to do over here.
However, when you do get something it is usually worthwhile.
We do enjoy it over here though. The Columbia is right down the street and there are plenty of clams and crabs to be had an hour away. I think there are only two times we've gone to the coast out of many where we came home empty handed.
This weekend we expect to help out with the beach clean up and dig some clams. Can't do that in Idyho.
One more thing. When we moved from Pokey the first of March 2002 we had the same snow in the yard that was there on Thanksgiving 2001 and then some.

[luguando]

ID,

I think we all need to reassess our priorities every now and then. The urge to grow is a good thing and things in life often change. It seems like you've conquered many of the fishing and outdoor challenges you had in Idaho. I've gone through some of the same questions and feelings myself. It sounds like you need some new challenges. I know a couple guys who catch a ton of smallmouth bass and they swear they'll never go back to fishing salmon and steelhead. I've often read that the Columbia River has a potential world class Walleye fishery but I've never tried that either. And as you mentioned, there's a pretty good albacore and halibut fishery off the coast too. One direction I've been going to in my fishing is to go to light tackle. Maybe we're finally maturing?? (Don't ask my wife to confirm this). Good luck buddy!

[id. painter]

Bllelk. Small world eh.
I love Idaho , I love the high country and the desert.Clear crisp air.Not too crowded.
I have a new body(spinal injury) and I cant do the same things I was doing just a few years ago. I cant walk a river bank and not put myself at risk . I cant climb the mountains and the cold is awful for me, (Hoffmans syndrom)
My children would be uprooted if I moved and I dont want that.
Ill have to live with it till I get the chance to retire.
Ill fish Tuna, salmon ,Halibut ,Ling ,and the like with my summer time off . Ill raise my kids and then Ill move.
O.k. I feel better now. I have a plan to get to the salt.
Now, you all will have to read about my frustration with this situation, each spring ,till it happens.
id. painter

[bllelk]

Hey Id:

Didn't you go thru this last Spring? I remember a lot of posts from you.
I know when Barb (Slowpie) talked to her friend Joan in Pokey a few weeks ago and told her our Daffodils were up she was ready to move.
I went through the Oregon/Idaho thing towards the end of Feb after the umpteenth day of rain but we've had a more than 2 week break till yesterday so things are brighter.
Speaking of a small world. Mr. Brown Trout and I have exchanged a lot of info and he's found some of my friends in Boise that know where the fishing is. He's given me some good info about this area.
You need to get down on the Portneuf if the weather permits.
If you make it over here give us a shout maybe we can hook up.

[id. painter]

Good memory Bllelk. yes this the second spring that this coastal thing has hit me so hard.
I have never felt this salty tug so strong.
It seem that each time I get the chance to fish the salt I get one step farther from the river .
Last summer I had like 12 days of salt fishing .
This year Ill need at least 15. You build up a tolerance , just like a drug. Then you need nore and more to achieve the same effect. Hi Ho.
Thanks to you all for letting me openly withdraw on this thread.
Im sure it will happen again next spring .
I have a sickness that can only be cured by living on the salt. Ho ho . id. painter

[bllelk]

Good luck!
Keep in touch.