Newport, Oregon . . . Artist Gold

by Bill Hudson

As a maritime artist, the Oregon coast and the harbor in Newport are unsurpassed for inspiration. I try to visit every year even if I’m by myself. But this August, Ellie and I were joined by many of our family for a week enjoying beaches, lighthouses, fishing, crabbing, towns, harbors, and eating seafood at Mo’s.

For me, the highlight is visiting Newport's commercial boat docks around sunrise and taking hundreds of reference photographs for future paintings. Slowly walking past the many vessels, I often talk with captains and crew as they prepare to fish, which may be for only that day, or for weeks at sea depending on the season and their ship’s rig.

Newport, Oregon, referred to as "the Dungeness capital of the world," is home to about 250 commercial fishing vessels. Most are owned and operated by local families who fish for Dungeness crab (December 1 to August 15), albacore tuna (June to October), Chinook and Coho salmon (May to October), pink shrimp (April to October), Pacific halibut (various times during the summer months), hagfish or slime eels, whiting, and varied species of groundfish (most anytime) including sablefish or black cod, flounder, sole, and rockfish.

To help appreciate the incredible nautical environment, here is a short summary of the vessel types that I typically pass in a 1 – 2-hour stroll through the docks.

Trawlers – generally fall into 3 categories: shrimp trawlers, midwater trawlers, and bottom trawlers.

1.      Shrimp trawlers - fish from April through October using an outrigger on each side of the boat to tow two small-mesh nets just above the ocean floor at depths of 200 – 900 feet. A set of “doors” holds each net open while being towed for roughly 60 – 90 minutes.

2.      Midwater trawlers - harvest schools of Pacific whiting also known as hake. A larger mesh net is towed from the vessel’s stern to desired depths. Trawl “doors” keep the net open at the mouth. The net tapers to the “codend” where up to 50 tons of fish are collected.

3.      Bottom trawlers - also tow a funnel-shaped net from the stern that tapers to the “codend” catching several species of groundfish near the ocean floor. Bottom trawlers usually fish from 30 – 3500 feet deep at speeds of about 2 knots. A footrope with rubber discs holds the net above the bottom. Groundfish include sablefish, rockfish, and flatfish like sole and sanddabs.

Trollers – specifically target a single species, such as salmon and albacore tuna, by towing either lures or baited hooks at controlled depths thereby reducing the bycatch of other fish. The fishing lines are attached to a pair of long outriggers (trolling poles) which hold the lines away from the boat. Trolling season is usually from April through October. Young albacore (3 – 5 years old weighing 10 – 30 pounds) arrive in the warm water current 50 miles or more offshore from June through October. That distance forces boats to stay out several days. Fish are brought onboard, bled, and preserved at sea using ice/refrigeration. After returning to port, the fish are delivered to the local processing plant and/or sold off the boat direct to the public.

Longliners – set a line of baited hooks spaced several feet apart on the ocean floor to catch halibut and sablefish. The line may be 3 miles long with 800 hooks set in 180-900 feet of water for halibut or 600- 2400 feet for sablefish.

Crabbers - Dungeness crabs are caught in traps set at depths of 20 to 500 feet. Only male crabs measuring greater than 6 ¼ inches can be commercially harvested.

Sablefish – caught with either bottom trawls, hooks on longlines, or traps on longlines set at depths of 600 to 4,000 feet.

Hagfish or slime eels – caught on longline traps in depths of 400 to 700 feet.