Sunday Sandy

Jimmy Carl Black · 03-07-2004, 02:14 PM

Well I wish my report could shine as bright as yarndog's but I'm having boxed pasta tonight. :depressed: Didn't touch a fish above Cedar Creek and couldn't get my mojo up to cross below the creek.
They were doing OK down there. Saw one guy hiking out by about 10:00 with a limit.

yarndog2003 · 03-07-2004, 04:53 PM

Was a bad day for me too. I got down to the river about 11:00am. I ended up going 1 for 4 (fish was released unharmed). I saw FISH ON 44 had at least one and I saw Blacktail catch and release at least two. There was a group of three that left with five fish and a bunch of other guys with singles. There was about ten guys fishing across from where I usually fish so I just milled around and hit little spots

Corkie Monster · 03-07-2004, 06:29 PM

I made it out to Pipeline yesterday 3/6. Started out on the Clack (which sucked) and moved over to the Sandy. I guess a few hrs before I got to the Pipeline hole there was 12 fish landed. Not much action when I got there. Only saw 2 caught and then I finally hooked up, but discovered it was hook right behind the pectoral fin so it had to go bye bye :depressed: . Looked to be about a #10 to #12 buck. That was the first Steelhead that I have ever foul hooked.

CM

ANDYCOHO · 03-07-2004, 06:43 PM

Thanks for the report JCB! And Yarndog

I have got to hit the Sandy soon....

Jimmy Carl Black · 03-07-2004, 06:54 PM

I forgot to mention that the water was lookin' like Bombay Sapphire.

I really have to get better about fording the rivers. I crossed the Clack once when it was pretty high during duck hunting in the fall and it kind of freaked me out for a while so now I'm all nervous about crossing. I guess better safe than sorry.

If anybody happended to find a fishing license down there today, it's probably mine. Can't seem to find it.

Spinhead · 03-07-2004, 07:13 PM

JCB,I'm with you about the wading heebie-jeebies. I was there this AM, saw 1 fish landed at the Cedar Creek mouth, and one guy hiking out at 9AM with a limit (he waded across). I'm a little light (165 soakin' wet), and when I get in deep water, I start to bob a little, so when I get a look at this guy with a frame backpack, I start to think that if I got a pack like that, I could load a few bricks in it, and I'd feel more secure about crossing,and from what I've seen at CC, I need to cross to get to the good water.

Riddler · 03-07-2004, 08:51 PM

Sat-Sun; Sat mourning went 3 for 6,Fishing Dodge park to sand,1 naite,1 8# buck,1 10# hen;Sun dropped in @ 2pm till 4pm fishing was pretty scatchy did manage 1buck was a little dark for me as well,was release.But what a great day,could use a week of this weather to get the moss off my toes.thanks for the post.Tight lines

Raven1 · 03-07-2004, 10:53 PM

I wanted to get out on the Sandy, now I'm really bummed I didn't get a chance to. Stinks to miss out on my only day off, especially when the weather was great.
Hope for great times to be had by all those on the water.

Redneck · 03-08-2004, 07:46 AM

my buddy and i both hooked and lost a steelhead a piece down below dodge park saturday afternoon. both fish looked nice and bright when they jumped. we saw one fish hooked in the same spot sunday morning but nothing for us. the river is dropping fast!
redneck

RiverDog · 03-08-2004, 07:58 AM

Spinhead,
Putting bricks in the backpack sounds like a sure fire way to find yourself at the bottom of the hole.

Dragfreedrift · 03-08-2004, 12:35 PM

No backpacks, no bricks!!!1 Bad idea....don't ya know old Mr. Murphy would show up at a time like that?

RS

fish stalker · 03-08-2004, 04:45 PM

I'm pleased to report I've had a record setting weekend!

Saturday morning I headed up to the Sandy River to fish for Winter Steelhead below the Cedar Creek. I was in the parking lot and 6:30 am and on the water and fishing by 6:50am. It wasn't raining but there was still lots of morning fog and the river was very high. I usually cross the Sandy below Cedar Creek but the flows were way up and the rocks that mark the place I cross were under water by a good four inches which told me it was at least 4 feet deep to cross. After I worked my way down the bank to the hole I found only three other anglers and just one fishing below my favorite drift. I claimed my rock and started casting a light red and glow corky with white yarn and on the fifth drift felt a bump and set the hook! FISH ON!! FISH ON!!

My first Sandy Steelhead! This feisty little hen put up a great fight, twice trying to run down the tail out to the rapids. She was a bright 25" 5.2 pound Winter Steelhead. My leader and corky were trashed so I tied up a new line and went with a flat orange corky with white yarn and reduced my leader length down from five to three feet. Just three more drifts and Bam!! My corky just got hammered - Set the hook and FISH ON!!! FISH ON!!! It was an epic steelhead battle!! The fish made a quick dash down river and toward my side of the bank the fisherman below me got line whipped when fish ran behind him! I managed to turn the fish back up into the hole just before the head of the rapids and she jumped twice getting a good two feet of air! The fight wouldn't end there. I brought the fish within three feet of the bank three times and each time she'd rip out another 10 yards of line to get back out into the hole. When I finally banked her she measured 27" and weighed 7 pounds on the dot. This hen turned out to be Summer Steelhead and a new record for me as I've never caught a Summer as early as March

. I was back in the parking lot at 7:45 am and home just after 9 am. That rocks!!

I decided to try my luck Sunday morning and headed back to the Sandy this time leaving a half hour earlier to get to the fishing hole by 6:30 am. The water had dropped almost a foot and a few (CRAZY! :shocked: ) anglers were crossing but it was still to high for my comfort so I trekked the long way around again to get to the rock I fished from Saturday. I was in luck only one other angler was in the hole and he had already banked his first fish and ten minutes later I assisted him with his second, a 10.2 pound Chrome Winter hen! She was nice. It was definitely a more challenging day for me though. I had a total of five hookups and only managed to land one. The first two fish broke off racing over the rapids as I desperately tried to keep them in the hole. That's with 10 pound leader!! The third fish was the only one I managed to land but again this one made me work for it! After several good runs in the hole this fish figured out its only chance was out of the hole so it to went down the rapids. This time I just let it go and went racing after it. This proved quite the challenge as the bank access was limited to almost none and fallen trees forced me out into the water to keep the line from hanging up. I was fortunate another angler followed me down as I was able to work the fish into a small eddy above the largest rapids and he was able to grab its tail and lift it to the bank. She was a Chrome Winter Steelhead that measured 30" and weighed in at a fat 9 pound 12 ounce. Check out the picture!! I had two more hookups that day but couldn't get another one to stick. Overall though a great day and a fantastic weekend. It really got crowed after 9:30 and was getting difficult to fish. Spotted Yarn Dog across on the island and figured he swam across! I've got the pictures from last weekend YD and I'm getting them scanned in so I can post it.

Spinhead · 03-08-2004, 07:19 PM

Okay, I was mostly jokin' about the bricks, I'm just trying to figure a way to make wading to the good spots a little more possible. Im looking at the fishing vests that have the PFD built in, since I swim like a rock! I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid.

cphatts · 03-08-2004, 07:48 PM

spinhead:

SOSpenders are pretty nice. They fit over your vest and are pretty lightweight. They cost about $100.

Spinhead · 03-08-2004, 08:09 PM

Thanks, tommy, I'll be looking into them.

Raven1 · 03-08-2004, 08:10 PM

Hey FISH ON 44, great report. Family issues kept me off the river this weekend, and now I'm looking forward to later on in the week. Hopefully everything stays as hot as you've described.
Keep up the good work....

Redneck · 03-08-2004, 08:41 PM

great report FISH ON 44, the sandy has been great this winter! i've caught mostly natives, which is a good thing (more spots on my tag for springers). anyone know the size of the sandy's native winter steelhead run? i've seen some of the marmot dam counts but some of those buggers have to spawn below the dam. i live on the beavercreek canyon in troutdale and i've seen a few metalheads down in the creek. if i remember right, the dam counts were around 700 or so. anyone know the real numbers?
redneck

judyfish99 · 03-08-2004, 11:03 PM

What this about redneck? Is that when you know someone with a 17' Almar sitting in a barn for 3 years?

[img]graemlins/hearton.gif[/img] judyfish99

Navigator · 03-09-2004, 10:43 PM

Great report Fishon44! Awesome. Whoooa !!!!