The summer dory fly fishing season has wrapped up, and what an incredible season it was!
The dory season out of Pacific City has wrapped, and it proved to be a remarkably diverse and memorable experience. From the beginning in April, we set off on pursuits for large, voracious lingcod and explosive surface attacks from rockfish. As the season progressed, we transitioned into the highly anticipated salmon season, which delivered an abundance of robust and healthy fish. These salmon attacked stripped and bucktailed flies presented close to the surface, providing exhilarating action for our guests.
The early season brought fantastic action for both rockfish and lingcod on the shallow reefs just offshore. We encountered numerous days where the rockfish were actively feeding on the surface, offering great opportunities for us to pursue them with poppers. These flies, stripped and paused across the water, are incredibly effective in enticing savage strikes from the hungry rockfish, resulting in explosive and heart-pounding encounters. The lingcod were equally impressive, displaying remarkable health and appearing in significant numbers across the reef. Deploying the “depth charge” fly, fished just off the bottom, proved to be just the ticket in eliciting their powerful strikes.
Coho season for us started in July where we found good numbers of healthy fish. With solid ocean conditions and ample baitfish options the coho had what they needed and we were there to intercept them with flies in hand. The salmon were schooled up well and spent most of the summer just off the reefs NW of Pacific City. The numbers allowed for many days with lots of connections that resulted in ripping runs and fish tail walking across the water. We experienced many days where double and triple hookups were the name of the game.
However, the undeniable highlight and true star of the season were the whales, which graced us with their presence for several weeks throughout August. For those that have been on the dory you know we have a few incredible gray whales that spend the majority of the year off of Pacific City. For much of August this was different, we had Gray whales, but we also saw Humpback and Fin whales within three miles of the beach feeding in the same area as the salmon. The Humpbacks were doing Humpback things, slapping the water with their tails stunning their prey. The slaps could be heard from over a mile away. We also saw plenty of the aerial displays that Humpbacks are known for, breeching and somehow able to propel their entire bodies completely out of the water. The Fin whales, which are the second largest mammal in the world, and are known for their speed as much as their size. With the nickname of Greyhound of the sea, the Fin whale can reach speeds of 25 mph.
Each day spent on the water was a fresh adventure, filled with new discoveries and shared experiences, fostering connections with both new and our cherished repeat guests. Thank you to everyone that came out and experienced the dory season with us in 2025. We’re already looking forward to next year!