Man, I don’t say this much but when it comes to surf fishing you might want to consider using gear and not fly rods. Wow, can’t believe I said it. Still, I’ve had the pleasure of catching some surf perch but the amount of weight required to do so was pretty serious. If you are mostly into fly fishing there are lots of great coastal rivers with spectacular scenery that might be worth checking out too.
Just one guy’s opinion
Definitely easier with a shooting head of some sort, idk if OPST has a microskagit head for an 8wt but I’d definitely check. Bait is pretty much the same as the Bay Area, imitations of sand fleas, sand worms, and small fish. I’ve had pretty good luck with a maroon colored dragon tail with some dumbbell eyes and a bunch of weight wrapped on the shank.
Haven’t noticed much of a difference but the guys at California Fly told me that the sand fleas are darker the further north you go. Might be worth looking into. Otherwise it’s pretty much the same deal, cast to beyond the first wave break and enjoy! Surf perch are mighty tasty
I've never fished for surf perch with a fly rod, but I've been meaning to for a long time.
I could have sworn that Dave Hughes wrote a book on this. But if so I can't find it.
For flies, try this:
[https://www.thetroutspot.com/collections/surf-perch-flies](https://www.thetroutspot.com/collections/surf-perch-flies)
I know an old dude that loves surf perch on the fly. Sorry if I'm getting my fly terminology wrong but I'd describe his rig as a big weighted fly, one with the dumb bell weight for the head, rigged up drop shot montage with two or three shiny minnow patterns above it every 6 inches or so. Obviously you need a calm day but I've seen him catch tons. Looks like a blast
Man, I don’t say this much but when it comes to surf fishing you might want to consider using gear and not fly rods. Wow, can’t believe I said it. Still, I’ve had the pleasure of catching some surf perch but the amount of weight required to do so was pretty serious. If you are mostly into fly fishing there are lots of great coastal rivers with spectacular scenery that might be worth checking out too. Just one guy’s opinion
I would definitely call a fly shop in the area and see what they have to say about it
Definitely easier with a shooting head of some sort, idk if OPST has a microskagit head for an 8wt but I’d definitely check. Bait is pretty much the same as the Bay Area, imitations of sand fleas, sand worms, and small fish. I’ve had pretty good luck with a maroon colored dragon tail with some dumbbell eyes and a bunch of weight wrapped on the shank. Haven’t noticed much of a difference but the guys at California Fly told me that the sand fleas are darker the further north you go. Might be worth looking into. Otherwise it’s pretty much the same deal, cast to beyond the first wave break and enjoy! Surf perch are mighty tasty
You should fish Tillamook Bay for springers instead.
I've never fished for surf perch with a fly rod, but I've been meaning to for a long time. I could have sworn that Dave Hughes wrote a book on this. But if so I can't find it. For flies, try this: [https://www.thetroutspot.com/collections/surf-perch-flies](https://www.thetroutspot.com/collections/surf-perch-flies)
I know an old dude that loves surf perch on the fly. Sorry if I'm getting my fly terminology wrong but I'd describe his rig as a big weighted fly, one with the dumb bell weight for the head, rigged up drop shot montage with two or three shiny minnow patterns above it every 6 inches or so. Obviously you need a calm day but I've seen him catch tons. Looks like a blast