Who wants to try tuna?

[SilverFly]

Here's your chance.

Three of us are hoping to get out for tuna this Tuesday the 10th. Unfortunately this is a 4-pack charter and we're currently still one short, in spite of a couple who have expressed interest. The charter has a reserved crew trip cancelled for tomorrow that wants to switch to Tuesday. Sucks, but we're never really booked until we have a full boat. It's not fair to the charter to pass on a full crew when were still scrambling. It could easily be the other way around with us wanting to reschedule on a day that has a short crew.

BTW, albacore fishing is the best in many years, possibly ever. A WFF member got out today on a private boat and they were done by noon. He also got one on a fly. Not to sound like an ass (more than usual) but it's really hard for me to listen to/read about complaining about shitty fishing opportunities in this state when I know what we have off our coast ever summer. No gear needed, just dinero to cover the charter split, an adventurous spirit, and a willingness to have your mind blown.

Please respond ASAP here or via PM if seriously interested.

Thanks

 

[Evan Burck]

You guys should really go. I've been out twice in the last month doing it DIY and it's been stupid good. Don't pass up the opportunity.

 

[underachiever]

If I wasn’t out of town, I’d be all over it.

 

[SilverFly]

It also goes without saying this is a fly friendly boat. Which is the whole problem. Getting out to fish conventional gear is about 100x easier. Both on charters, and bumming rides on private boats.

This is the last remaining charter on the entire coast that actually wants to run fly trips for tuna. So if Im "promoting" anything here, it's exploring the under-utilized FF opportunities of this incredible fishery. If I just wanted to catch tuna on gear, I'd have been out multiple times already.

The bottom line is the more tuna fly fishers we have, the easier it is to set up trips, and hopefully gain more acceptance among on non FF boats. I know for a fact that under the right circumstances FF is effective and can play nice with conventional tactics.

 

[GAT]

The spin guys at work have been catching a ton of tuna off the Oregon coast so they are most certainly out there! In fact, rumor has it someone caught a dorado off the southern Oregon coast so who knows what you can catch?

 

[SilverFly]

The spin guys at work have been catch a ton of tuna off the Oregon coast so they are most certainly out there! In fact, rumor has it someone caught a dorado off the southern Oregon coast so who knows what you can catch?

Several dorado, including one a buddy caught, yellowtail, a lot of albacore sized bluefin, two large bluefin (120# and 93#), mako sharks, and a striped marlin last Sunday.

But it doesn't matter this week because we lost our spot without a 4th paying crew member. Totally fair. I hope that crew catches a ton of albacore and something really cool like another big bluefin, which are being seen with regularity this year.

If I were smart (obviously not) I'd just go back to fishing gear for tuna because there apparently isn't enough interest among fly fishers in the PNW for this to ever be anything other than a novelty. I'd give my left nut for a couple of Aussie FF'ers. They'd be all over this.

Hemispheric fishing preferences aside, the 3 of us who are ready will try again next week, or the week after. So we've still got a seat to fill. I'll post again when we have a day selected. Most likely next Monday or Tuesday.

 

[Yak]

I tried to get out with this trip last year and missed out due to weather. Would be all over this again but I just cannot swing it with my darn work in the next couple weeks. Hope the trip works out for the three ready to go!

 

[SilverFly]

FYI, we're trying to book again next Monday or Tuesday and still need a confirmed 4th crew member. The charter is booked Saturday and Sunday with a sketchy weekend (Sunday) forecast right now. So without a full crew we'd likely get bumped again. We've got extra 12wts outfits, flies, everything.

 

[SilverFly]

Maybe I'm pitching this the wrong way. There are many aspects to fishing offshore besides catching a crap-ton of super-strong, super-fast fish that like to eat flies, happen to be great eating, and (currently) are a sustainable resource.

What many people don't realize about offshore fishing is the incredible natural world that is out there. I assume people know the "National Geographic" aspect, but maybe not. Just like wading a remote stream, with seldom seen animals, beautiful sights, etc... the open ocean is anything but a featureless desert. It is in fact the last true wilderness where incredible, jaw-dropping experiences can happen.

We have seen thousands of dolphin. So many there were 5 or more jumping in parallel unison in each boat wake.. both sides, going back 3 or more waves... with more playing in front of, to the sides, and close enough to touch at times. And more jumping around us almost to the horizon.

We also routinely see whales, from humpbacks, to gray (closer in), orca, even blue and fin whales. There's also risso's dolpin (look like mini killer whales), giant sunfish that like to check out the boat and look right at you (too cool), lots and LOTS of sharks, including mako. And as crazy as it sounds, a few years ago a leather back turtle was sighted.

And this year is a whole 'nuther can of worms. With the new warm water "blob" offshore there is some very surprising stuff going on. Marlin, swordfish, and giant bluefin have been sighted. Bluefin sightings have become commonplace this year (as have gear spooling events). While it might be more bad news for our anadromous fish, it is what it is. Not being defeatist about GW (please, let's NOT go there in this thread) but another way to look at this is we're probably seeing a glimpse of the new "normal".

So why not experience the amazing aspects of it instead. Stuff like this video I found on a SoCal offshore forum describing how Bryde's whales feed in association with bluefin tuna. While the whale species was not specified, this exact scenario was observed a couple weeks ago off the mouth of the Columbia river. LARGE bluefin tuna, busting on anchovies or mackerel, feeding in conjunction with whales.

This is the the kind of shit that happens out there!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10156239704306976

 

[WildBrookie]

What is the cost of a trip like this and how long does albacore season last?

 

[Thrasybulus]

Silverfly, I wanted to say yes to your trip, but my work schedule was a definite no. Keep trying on your fly tuna quest. I have the lines, reels, and rods for it (the dates are tricky though).

 

[SilverFly]

What is the cost of a trip like this and how long does albacore season last?

Here's what I just told someone via PM:

The cost is $375 pp. I know that's expensive, but the going rate for all other "express" charters starts at $400. The trips are also up to 12 hours (dock to dock time). So the express trips are actually a better value in terms of fishing time since we can get out to the tuna grounds much faster than the large party boats. Meanwhile is a 30' Grady White that can do 30kts and rides very comfortable. It's a pretty good fly platform too if it's smooth enough to fish up front.

The season lasts as long as the weather lets us get out. Late season can offer the best tuna fishing of all, and some years albacore have been caught after Halloween. Also the topwater (near surface, ideal fly) action tends to get better as the season progresses. Then there's the increased chance of encountering "exotics" like bluefin (which aren't really exotics, they were normal here in the past). Given the numbers of bluefin we're seeing now, it's not unrealistic to think we could have full-on southern California style bluefin fishing in a few weeks.

 

[SilverFly]

Given the numbers of bluefin we're seeing now, it's not unrealistic to think we could have full-on southern California style bluefin fishing in a few weeks.

Or sooner than a few weeks. Getting bad that I'm quoting myself but a buddy just now texted me they got spooled today on a heavy spin outfit that was trolling a swimbait.

One, hot run that never slowed until the arbor knot popped.

He's very experienced offshore and didn't think it was a shark. Total tuna MO, but very unlikely an albacore could do that. Has BFT written all over it.

 

[NRC]

Silverfly, I wanted to say yes to your trip, but my work schedule was a definite no. Keep trying on your fly tuna quest. I have the lines, reels, and rods for it (the dates are tricky though).

Same boat (or lack of boat) here. Wish I had saved up some extra vacation time this year. Love to see the reports, and please keep posting these opportunities! It’s not a matter of if for me, it’s when.

 

[SilverFly]

Same boat (or lack of boat) here. Wish I had saved up some extra vacation time this year. Love to see the reports, and please keep posting these opportunities! It’s not a matter of if for me, it’s when.

Well like I said in my hissy-fit post earlier, the more fly fishermen we have interested in this fishery, the more opportunities there will be to fly fish for tuna. What I would love to see is a "critical mass" of fly guys (and gals) that are ready to do this. Not only will it be SO much easier to setup charters, maybe more charters will change their mind about fly crews. Or mixed fly/gear crews.

The way I look at it this is a chance to develop an incredible, WORLD-CLASS FLY fishery, with virtually zero conservation concerns. But we need more than a handful of fly guys out there to change minds and show that fly gear is not only effective, it can play well with conventional gear.