Fly
Fishing the Tide Rips for Coho Salmon off the Northwest Tip of
Washington State
By Chris Bellows
Tide rips are one of the most common areas
to fly fish for salmon at Neah Bay. I’m addicted to fly fishing tide rips for coho
salmon in the saltwater. The stronger the current and the
rougher the water, the more I love it.
Tide rips are
a general term used by many people but not always meaning the
same thing. Many people define tide rips as where two opposing
currents meet. Others define rips as any ripple caused by
current on a glassy sea. Both are correct, but I think of tide
rips as where huge amounts of water are moving causing the
ocean to resemble a river. This can be caused by current
crossing a shallow bar or reef (the northern tip of Waadah
Island is an example of this) or where a large volume of water
is constricted and/or crosses a shallow (or not so shallow)
reef. A prime example of the latter is where the Strait of Juan
de Fuca meets the Pacific Ocean north of Cape Flattery. The
water in these areas can go from glass calm to rough in a very
short time.
The rough
water is where I spend most of my time fly fishing the rips.
The movement of water is also moving large amounts of feed
(mostly baitfish like herring and anchovies) into the tide
rips. The fast, turbulent water disorients the bait, making
them easy prey for aggressively feeding coho salmon. The salmon
use the current as a massive marine conveyer belt that brings
them an easy supply of food. The chop on the water also seems
to make the salmon less spooky and they will hold in the upper
part of the water column, which puts them well within the fly
fisherman’s reach. All of these factors combined make fly
fishing tide rips one of the best experiences in northwest
saltwater fly fishing.
We’ve found
the conditions that concentrate salmon within reach of our
flies. Now we have to enter the prime water. This is where
things become interesting. I mentioned the rough water
previously, and I must add even more caution to those
attempting this type of fishing for the first or even the one
hundredth time. Many times, the top end of the tide rip will
contain breaking waves, much like rapids in a river. In the
beginning start fishing rips that are not as strong. Look for
days with less tidal movement to get used to the way your boat
drifts and how to cast flies while being tossed around before
casting flies in stronger tide rips. A sound boat is necessary.
You need a boat that’s a minimum of 18’ long to deal with the
strongest rips. Make sure you have all the safety equipment
required and more. Life jackets, VHF radio, and a GPS are
absolutely required. Make sure your engine is tuned up and
operating properly. This is no place to have a
breakdown.
Okay, you are
now in the rip holding the cork of a fly rod with a baitfish
fly pattern in your other hand. What now? It depends a bit on
how your boat drifts through the current. My boat drifts
straight with the current, but others drift sideways. For me, I
cast straight across to up-current a bit. Usually the boat is
drifting slower than the current underneath, so casting a fly
up current will give the fly more time to sink and still allow
you to strip the fly back to the boat across the current. I
usually strip the fly back at varying speeds. Often, I’ll start
the retrieve very fast and then slow it down as the fly gets
closer to the boat. I think the initial fast burst gets the
coho salmon’s attention and the slower strips with pauses is
what triggers the coho salmon to strike the fly.
The tide rips
can also be a great place to try casting poppers for saltwater
salmon. Bringing salmon to the surface is a thrill.
Of course, an
article can only get you so far. Time on the water is the key
to being confident fly fishing the saltwater for salmon in
Washington State. I hope you will give the Olympic Peninsula a
shot for your saltwater fly fishing adventures.
Related
Articles
Chris Bellows, owner of Topwater Charters, Inc,
which runs fly fishing charters off the Washington Coast.
His websites offer more information about Saltwater Fly Fishing and Neah Bay
Halibut
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