lower sandy report

ampersat · 10-06-2002, 04:12 PM

now that all the attention is focused upstream, i figured i'd take the ugly eastsider out for its maiden drift, dabney to L&C. being the first time on real moving water (in some places) i chose to stick pretty close to the boats ahead of me for a while. i've seen some of this water before from the bank, but certainly not all of it. i had a few interesting moments out there, but overall i didn't do too bad a job of it. and i learned some stuff:
1. i thought the foot braces were placed a little too far forward, but they're right where they ought to be and now i know why. see number 2.
2. when rowing forward through frog water, it's a really good idea to slow down to the river's current before entering a riffle. the first time i hit a riffle moving forward and had to pull on the oars to make an adjustment i shot straight off the rowers seat and onto the well placed foot braces.

i missed all the big bank obstructions, read submerged boulders pretty well, and hit most of the channels in the riffles. a couple of spots didn't really have channels and i was glad i'd put on my waders. some required a little boost and one took some concerted dragging.

we didn't catch any fish ourselves and only saw one taken for the day. saw a lot of water i've never seen before, saw some water that i've seen from the bank that looks a lot different from the boat, took a buddy out who's never been in a drift boat and we had a good time.

so, how does the run from oxbow to dabney compare with dabney to L&C? i've had my first taste at the sticks and i want more! i can hardly wait for winter steelhead season.

Dan Christopher · 10-06-2002, 05:08 PM

stay low tell yo got the sticks down good.when the waters up there is a couple spots you dont want to ge stuck in.

have fun out there...

[ 10-06-2002, 06:09 PM: Message edited by: MADWIZERD ]

batman · 10-06-2002, 05:39 PM

I floated the Oxbow to Dabney run on Friday and there are some areas that have lots of wood right in the path of the flow and are really spooky at low water - we walked the boat several times and not just due to low water....
as for the fish - I think the rain on thursday pushed the fish way upstream, we saw lots of fish jumping at Oxbow but VERY few below that - and no coho, just one 30+ lb chinook halfway down, we took his pic and released him....... we had been slaying them in the lower Sandy prior to Thursday. I guess we need a new push of fish from the COlumbia before it gets good again - if there are more coming....Batman

ampersat · 10-06-2002, 06:00 PM

yep, as i told one of the other boats today - either the rain brought more fish into the lower river or it moved all of them up to cedar. i saw some fish rolling here and there but not actively enough to get my blood going. we might see some more trickling in from the big river. it's still early enoug to see some more fresh fish. not the big glut we had before but enough to make it worthwhile for those with the touch.

so, wood in the river from oxbow down? is that something to be concerned about once the flows come up in the winter or will it clear with the higher flows?

Plum Crazy · 10-06-2002, 07:25 PM

Tip of the Rod to ya,
Ya theres nothing like going down the river you've never drifted before even with all the pre scoutin its not the same. Exciting and some time puckering as each bend reveals it's self.

Great job
Fire

Steelie Steve · 10-07-2002, 07:10 AM

I, too, fished the lower Sandy yesterday. I also drove up to Gordon Creek for a bit in the morning. Didn't see a single fish on the bank all morning. Saw quite a few rolling under the troutdale bridge and up from there a ways. Several rolling in the G.C. area also. No biters.

Ampersat,
It was nice to meet you today. Glad you had a successful first moving water experience. It definitely is fun and can provide some excitement at times. Let's get together and fish sometime.

Steve

SandySteel · 10-07-2002, 04:44 PM

Ampersat
The Oxbow Dabney drag... I mean drift is low and slow but do-able right now. I hit it Saturday and there are some scary spots due to the only channels that you can run flowing right at some strainers (trees hanging out in the channel) You can get past them with some good hard rowing but as always you can rope it past them if you don't feel confident. Always play it safe when you are not sure. I don't think I have dragged my boat more at any other time on the Sandy. The gravel has really filled in this year.
This situation will greatly improve in the winter when the water comes up creating more channels to move down river and blowing out the wood that is not anchored.

fisheromen · 10-07-2002, 11:04 PM

Last year was our first on the Sandy and we caught bright Silvers right up to the end of Oct. I remember there was an early spurt before we started fishing Oct 2 and things were slow for awhile but then picked up. Our best fishing was the last 3 weeks of Oct. In fact I remember catching 8, with the majority being in good shape, on Oct 30. Is this not typically true?

fishinbuddy · 10-08-2002, 12:27 AM

They are all stacked up in the upper river. Don't waste your time in the lower river. If you want to catch fish, I suggest going up high. I have been out three times so far this year and have had great days. One day I caught 20 silvers and a 17lb native steelhead. Went home with a limit that day. Might head out in the morning, wednesday for sure. Brian

fisheromen · 10-08-2002, 05:56 PM

I don't mean to offend but, 20 legally hooked silvers or.....? Do you mind my asking what day it was - just curious when you hit the bite.

Dan Christopher · 10-08-2002, 07:41 PM

fishinbuddy · 10-08-2002, 11:58 PM

This was last tuesday. No all 20 were fair hooked. I must have foul hooked 6 fish. I also let go one native. The rest were fair hooked. Though this has been my best day on the sandy yet this year. It was too bad that I couldn't keep the steelhead I caught. It was an estimated 17lb native steelhead. Nice fish. I'll be up high in the morning at first light. Brian

fisheromen · 10-09-2002, 04:44 AM

Well dude, that rocks! You keep saying "this year" so I assumed you've done better. I've had some good days, but not that good. And to think I fished Monday and Wednesday last week! Not that it would have made a difference. Are you a Cedar Creek or Dodge Park access guy?

Sublime · 10-09-2002, 02:02 PM

Wow, we had a hard time getting ONE coho to bite on the clack... We tried everything...

What were ya using for these fish? We couldn't establish a pattern to save our lives.

Any good suggestions for river coho 'baits/lures' ??

Sublime

The Fishing Geek · 10-09-2002, 02:41 PM

I was soaking a small piece (1�") piece of red-orange yarn in anise oil last Friday and getting a lot of hooks right under the nose. And a 22" leader, before you ask.

fishinbuddy · 10-10-2002, 12:19 AM

Fished up at cedar creek this morning. Pretty slow. Lots of fish, just not biting. I managed to get one big buck on a small green corky and a piece of pink yarn. Though I have done best this year fishing just a bare orange corky. I'll be up there again first thing on friday. Brian

fisheromen · 10-10-2002, 07:15 AM

Dittos for us on Wednesday. ChuckDog and I could only get one each, plus a couple jacks. Fish were in decent shape. His on eggs, mine on a single green corky, jacks on eggs. We hooked several other that hammered spinners or took eggs. There really are a lot of fish in the river, but they were pretty lockjawed yesterday.

I have never seen so many fisherman at Dodge park or the garbage hole - and it wasn't even a weekend! People were literally 5' apart fishing for a bunch of uninterested fish, cast after cast after cast in the same unproductive water. I don't get that.