Winchester Bay

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003399" TEXT="#080000" background="040c8c00erkjxk.jpg"> <div> The family would often travel to the ocean to fish, usually at Winchester Bay where the Umpqua river meets the Pacific ocean.</div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#99CCFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Small Town Oregon</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>  |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Small Town Oregon"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id95.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bandon"><U>Bandon</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id76.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Brookings"><U>Brookings</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id108.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Coquille"><U>Coquille</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id140.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gold Beach"><U>Gold Beach</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id162.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lakeside"><U>Lakeside</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id188.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Myrtle Point"><U>Myrtle Point</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id198.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Port Orford"><U>Port Orford</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id199.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Powers"><U>Powers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id203.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reedsport"><U>Reedsport</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id276.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gardiner"><U>Gardiner</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id278.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Winchester"><U>Winchester</U></A>   |   <B>Winchester Bay</B></div> <div> Winchester Bay</div> <div>  <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Bookman Old Style" > More than one place claims to be the Salmon capitol of the world and Winchester bay is one of those.  The Salmon runs of course now are almost gone but the local charters  make bottom fishing and whale watching trips which keep the harbor active.  Allen grew up in Douglas county along the banks of the South Umpqua river.  The family would often travel to the ocean to fish, usually at Winchester Bay where the Umpqua river meets the Pacific ocean.  That was in the 1950's and fish were available by the gunny sack full.  They caught many different species but Tom Cod was the main attraction.  Now the Tom Cod are gone from the area.  The access road leads to parking lots close to the beach but in the 1950's hardy fishermen hiked from near the lighthouse out to the jetties, a distance of about a mile. </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Winchester+Bay&state=OR#a/maps/m::7:43.60062:-124.175453:0:::::/e" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Winche"><U>Area Map</U></A>     <A HREF="http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Winchester+Bay&state=OR#a/maps/m::12:43.678577:-124.179706:0:::::/e" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Winche"><U>Street Map</U></A>     <A HREF="http://www.mapquest.com/mq/5-7GEU2i_asFY94BDKc6n2" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mapquest.com/mq/5-7GEU2i_asFY"><U>Aerial Photo</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="19e6cd10.jpg" border=0 width="620" height="465" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The Umpqua lighthouse at Winchester Bay still stands sentinel over the river entry below.  In the 1950's when </div> <div> we would fish on the jetty this light was still working.  Now I think it is only a tourist attraction.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1a06cd10.jpg" border=0 width="620" height="465" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Every river bar to the ocean needs a memorial or two.  Nor everyone who goes to sea returns.  This relic is an </div> <div> old self bailing, self righting coast guard life boat.  The stories she could tell would shiver your timbers I am sure. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1a26cd10.jpg" border=0 width="620" height="465" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> A nice addition to the Douglas County park system. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1a46cd10.jpg" border=0 width="620" height="465" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> This is the south jetty with the Umpqua river on the right.  These jetties take an incredible pounding in the </div> <div> winter and must be rebuilt occasionally.  The left half here was added after I grew up and left the area.  The </div> <div> specks in the middle of this picture are floats in an oyster farm. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1a66cd10.jpg" border=0 width="620" height="465" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The Umpqua river meets the ocean with the north jetty on the right.  On a day like this the bar is simply </div> <div> impassable even for larger craft. </div> </td> <td valign="top" width=150 BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> More than one place claims to be the Salmon capitol of the world. . .</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>