My step Dad and I contacted a guide to take us down the Sandy River for a day float trip. This river is incredible. It originates high on Mt Hood, as glacial run off and snow melt tumble down hill to an ultimate confluence with the Columbia River. We are swinging streamers for Steelhead on this particular day. Our vessel is a 13 foot cataraft, and this thing is wicked. White water runs rampant on the Sandy, so this type of boat is ideal as it absolutely glided over huge boulders that I just knew we would hang up on. However, two kayakers did pass us about mid day (keeping it relevant
), which impressed the hell out of me. Anyways, we would run a stretch of river and then pull off to the bank and drop anchor to fish areas the guide figured were holding fish. As with most trout type fishing, we were fishing the moving water. One interesting tid-bit our guide dropped on us was that steelhead tend to hold in 4-8ft of water. I don't know if this is just on Columbia River tributaries, or in general. Either way, thought it was worth noting. Also, when your guide says dress warm...you should probably listen. I've froze my butt off in deer stands hundreds of times, so I should have known better. But with just moisture wicking pants and cotton ankle socks under my waders, after the first hour I was genuinely concerned about my toes.
We fished hard till lunch with and managed one baby steelhead (the guide was so unimpressed he tossed it back before we could even snap a picture). I also foul hooked a sucker fish. As we're eating a hot lunch on the river bank, I start justifying the success of our trip in my head. "People fish for days at a time and don't catch steelies. At least Pop was able to hold one, and I felt a little tug too...today that counts". BUT as any good sports fan knows, it's not over till it's over. We have several more runs to check out; hopefully there is a kamikaze fish out there. As I'm approaching the end of a stretch before we will pull anchor and move on, I decide to make a couple more casts. I make my "C", flick my line out about 30 feet, mend, and let her drift. Right as the fly is about ready to take off on her next spey cast, she is greeted with a thump thump, and then a brief blistering run. It was the real deal complete with two acrobatic jumps and a couple more screamers. It's a good 27 inch steelhead trout. Not a chromed out wild fish, but a fish none the less. Apparently we have run into a later winter runner who is making her way back towards the salt post spawn (we confirm she has dropped most of her eggs whilst cleaning her right there in the river). I can't figure out how to upload these photos here; every time I try to attach it gives me a message that the file type I'm trying to upload is invalid. Here is a link to my shared album though: https://goo.gl/photos/BtqDSw2pnbQXXZRq7
