Black Rockfish on the Fly - Oregon Coast edition

**Tap** · 08-30-2012, 11:24 PM

The wife and I schedule an annual family trip to the coast every summer, filled with the usual crabbing (we pulled in 25 dungeoness in 3 hours in Waldport Bay), tide pooling, and sand castle making. I had heard, through the Caddis Fly blog (http://oregonflyfishingblog.com/) that a dory captain out of Pacific City was piloting fishermen for black rockfish on the fly. I had to get some of that. A few phone calls later and we had the day set. My son Forest and our friend Jeff ended up having a fantastic day with Jack Harrell, all for the price of lunch and some good stories. Talk about spreading the stoke. Here's a photo journey of the day, along with a few favorites from the rest of our stay on the coast...

Forest takes in Haystack Rock at 7:30 a.m. in PC. What you're not seeing are the 5 surfers crying into their latte's because of the non-existent swell.

Jack and his son John arrive and we get ready to launch the dory, The Golden Comet.

Captain Jack. This guy treated us like family...so generous.

We launched right off the beach and headed out behind Haystack Rock, turning tight circles around some of the underwater prominences behind it. The fish finder was showing fish between 12 and 75 feet, mostly feeding off large schools of microshrimp. Small clousers tipped off our leaders, with 18 feet of lead core to get it down. Toss it out, let it sink, and strip retrieve.

Things were slow behind Haystack (although we did see a mola mola, or ocean sunfish), so we motored over to Cape Lookout, a promontory that goes 1 mile out into the ocean. Forest quickly mimicked The Princess Bride and designated it "The Cliffs of Insanity".

Cliffs of Insanity indeed! A bit more clump seaweed at this location, and the hookups began to get more frequent. Black rockfish are basically seabass, and get up to 5-6 pounds. They ain't steelhead, but they can make a reel sing before they are done.

Jack talked about easy limits of 7 rockfish a person. Of outfishing gear fisherman, days when the black rockfish roll on the surface and hit your fly before you have a chance to start stripping. Sounds pretty good to me.

Forest and Jeff with a double.

Father-son post-double hook up.

By 12:30 it was lunchtime and we had 13 fish in the boat. We turned it around, and Jack, a former bus driver in the Tillamook Transportation District, turned over the wheel to Forest. I was stoked for him, it was a great experience to see him pilot the dory back to PC.

We followed Jack and John back to the shop, where they cleaned our fish and set us up with a gallon bag of filets. Fresh fish tacos here we come!

I tried to give Jack some cash for the experience, and he flat out refused. Now, when I had originally asked him about cost, he had told me "Ah, we'll just have lunch and call it good", but I thought he was playing it cool. Now I don't know how it would be if I joined him for a full day of salmon or steelhead on the Nestucca, but he said that he wanted word to get out about the saltwater fly fishing in Oregon, and that he wanted my son to have a good experience. Wow. I was floored. A good soul, Captain Jack. Lunch and a few pitchers of beer were on me.

Back at our beachside camp, dinner preparations were under way.

And yes, they were delicious. If you're ever in the area, look up Jack and his son John at 1-503-965-7825. They are the real deal.

oh yes, there will be more trips with Captain Jack.

**snapt** · 08-31-2012, 12:32 AM

Sounds like a sick vacation. I'll have to steer some folks towards capt jack.

**MJbumper1121** · 08-31-2012, 08:01 AM

Badass!! Looks like a blast.

**Zeedashbo** · 08-31-2012, 08:10 AM

Killer tap. I've been itching for fishing

**schwerty** · 08-31-2012, 09:28 AM

That looks fun. I never those things are mean fighters.

**Rontele** · 08-31-2012, 11:13 AM

Tap,

What up, buddy? Hope you are well.

**DeathVan** · 08-31-2012, 11:33 AM

Looks like some good times on the old Oregon Coast.

Cool TR!

**topwater** · 08-31-2012, 11:30 PM

nice report. good to see someone trying to get the saltwater fly fishing charters going in the nw.

chris

**TheDon** · 09-01-2012, 01:38 AM

Great photos. Looks like a fun time.

**senior researcher** · 09-01-2012, 06:52 AM

Awesome!!!

**oftpiste** · 09-01-2012, 09:30 AM

SIIIIIICK! what a great looking trip!

**steved** · 09-03-2012, 09:14 AM

Nice pics..ditto on the great looking playground and fish. Talking to friend Jerry Siem years ago...was into Rockfish. Easy to see why, terrific water/habitat...especially with flies.