Smelt have returned to the Sandy

[Irontrader]

I think its great that the smelt have returned to the Sandy. A older friend of mine was telling me he and his family got smelt out of the Sandy back in 1940. The river was black with them and caught them in gunny sacks! They took something like 3 gunny sacks home with them to pickle and smoke.

I heard that this is the first smelt run in the Sandy since 1988. Don't know if thats true or not, but would think it would do more to insure future runs if people just stuck to dipping from the Cowlitz and let some of the other rivers try to recover a bit.

[Coot22]

i fished the sandy last weekend and did not see a single smelt. I have not read this article but i am curious as to what they meant by a good return of smelt.

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"10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish"

[jkfrabel]

This is the first smelt run of any size to return to the river since the late 80's. That’s just freaking awesome. Maybe things are really starting to go in the right direction, It seemed when the smelt disappeared from the river the fishing went down hill also. I know that there are other factors that contributed to the decline, but maybe this is a sign that the river is becoming healthy again. Who knows I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I just hope that ODFW doesn’t do something stupid like open up a commercial season on the Sandy

[Grits]

Coot22 check out todays Oregonian in the metro section I think. They were talking in the millions but I don't know how big the run used to be.

[Artwo]

I just spoke to my good buddy Jack Glass of Jack's Snack and Tackle in Troutdale and he told me the run is pretty good size and that there are a ton of people there right now. You can dip them right under the Troutdale bridge.

JK

[Coot22]

artwo, you talked to jack...huh, well, he knows that river better than anyone so I will have to try it out this weekend. Jack's son, Brandon, and I went out last weekend and we were looking for some but did not see any. We did see some seagulls in the airport hole but it did not look like they were diving for any smelt. We also did not see any at them mouth when we went down there either. That does not mean that there aren't any. It just means that Brandon and I did not see any. Maybe the run has not shown up yet though. However, I agree that we should leave these smelt alone and let them come back in huge numbers in future years. Let them spawn and then come back in larger numbers in years to come. Artwo...how do you know jack? Mya family and his have been friends for about ten years, it is always nice to see that Jack is well known. Anyway, just my two cents...

-Cody

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"10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish"

[Artwo]

Coot22,
I agree that they should not allow dipping this year on the Sandy as well, let the run get re-established for the future. You asked how I know Jack, I grew up with his wife my whole life, her folks and mine went to high school together. I met Jack when her and him started dating, we've been close freinds our whole lives. I lived in Troutdale for about 12 years and my folks use to live across the river from their house (the house with the big gazebo next to the river.......well maybe not this year) up until a couple years ago when they moved, damn I loved that place, I could keep my sled right in their back yard all ready to go. Do you hang with Brandon much? if so, I bet I've met you before, I've met a few of his fishin buddies.
Hey, drop me an e-mail on my home address (see my profile) and we can see if we have meet before (don't like to give my whole name on the BB's).

JK

[Grits]

I just read an artical that the smelt have returned to the Sandy this year in large numbers. Has anybody been dippin there and had luck?

I agree with a previous poster in a previous thread that we should leave em be. The run has been so depressed for so long that it wouldn't hurt to let them have a break.