The fish have not been kind lately. This post covers three attempts to secure some omega-3s that all resulted in an empty cooler:
The Surf:
Probably should not have driven out to the beach and trying to fish was definitely silly. This was the first time I experienced sneaker waves and there were some troubling lateral waves thrown in the mix. We tried for a miracle surf perch but the fish and even the crabs were too smart to be playing in those waves. So we headed down to "Wash Away Beach" where if you wait your turn, your house will become ocean front property a few years before it too falls into the ocean. Its one of those rare places where geological time seems to be on fast forward, I highly recommend a visit. While you are there you can check out the cranberry bogs and their cute little railroad tracks.
The Jetty:
The sun was out, the waves were calm so it was time to ignore the beach and climb out onto Westport's jetty. Its an adventure hike as you get further out on the jetty and the holes between rock jumps start to look like man eaters. This was a completely new type of fishing for me with the targets being greenlings, rock fish, and ling cod. Instead, we caught starfish, a crab, and a lot of large boulders that would not give us our gear back... We did get to share the views with a Waterworldish dredge ship that was cleaning out the channel and then dumping the muck out in the open ocean. Definitely looking forward to more rematches with this fishery.
The River:
The Chehalis opened for king salmon and I couldn't resist the temptation to lay on the river bank and soak up some sun... I mean go focus on some serious fishing. The tide wasn't right but I practice optimism at the professional level. To put me back in my place, an otter sauntered into my fishing hole and snorted his disapproval of my technique many times, probably spooking the trophy king who was about to take down my spinner. I also got to see a bald eagle glide across the river and pop a fish near the bank but the fish wiggled free and we both went home hungry.
Now for the really nerdy part. I often am told that the salmon are hanging out at the seams on the river. I nod along but today the most beautiful seam formed as the tide went out. Upon having this thought I briefly wondered if I was starting to take all of this a little too seriously but the existential crisis quickly passed when I told myself that even amateurs would be impressed by this seam:
The Surf:
Probably should not have driven out to the beach and trying to fish was definitely silly. This was the first time I experienced sneaker waves and there were some troubling lateral waves thrown in the mix. We tried for a miracle surf perch but the fish and even the crabs were too smart to be playing in those waves. So we headed down to "Wash Away Beach" where if you wait your turn, your house will become ocean front property a few years before it too falls into the ocean. Its one of those rare places where geological time seems to be on fast forward, I highly recommend a visit. While you are there you can check out the cranberry bogs and their cute little railroad tracks.
The Jetty:
The sun was out, the waves were calm so it was time to ignore the beach and climb out onto Westport's jetty. Its an adventure hike as you get further out on the jetty and the holes between rock jumps start to look like man eaters. This was a completely new type of fishing for me with the targets being greenlings, rock fish, and ling cod. Instead, we caught starfish, a crab, and a lot of large boulders that would not give us our gear back... We did get to share the views with a Waterworldish dredge ship that was cleaning out the channel and then dumping the muck out in the open ocean. Definitely looking forward to more rematches with this fishery.
The River:
The Chehalis opened for king salmon and I couldn't resist the temptation to lay on the river bank and soak up some sun... I mean go focus on some serious fishing. The tide wasn't right but I practice optimism at the professional level. To put me back in my place, an otter sauntered into my fishing hole and snorted his disapproval of my technique many times, probably spooking the trophy king who was about to take down my spinner. I also got to see a bald eagle glide across the river and pop a fish near the bank but the fish wiggled free and we both went home hungry.
Now for the really nerdy part. I often am told that the salmon are hanging out at the seams on the river. I nod along but today the most beautiful seam formed as the tide went out. Upon having this thought I briefly wondered if I was starting to take all of this a little too seriously but the existential crisis quickly passed when I told myself that even amateurs would be impressed by this seam:
Yup, I am losing my mind...