F
FishFinger
After a few false starts and weather delays.... I finally got a chance to hit the Sandy yesterday morning.
Started the hike in about 6:30 am. I was amazed at the amount of flood damaged that occurred in the flats, just below the short but steep 3rd down grade. I've been down this trail thousands of times and I hardly recognize it at all.
Trying to navigate the trail among all the down trees and debris was rough. Because it was so dark I totally lost the trail and had to do some serous bushwackin. Finally I made it to the mouth of Cedar Creek about 7:15.
The water was running clear, cold, and fast, perhaps the fastest 10.5 I've seen since the removal or marmot dam. About a dozen other anglers joined me. Several guys thought about crossing but only two did and in chest deep waters.
I put in maybe an hour and a half at the creek seeing only one fish roll and none hooked.
How many guys do you think will be out on this leaner come Coho season...
OK, so I bail the mouth and head up to hell hole. The flood increases the cut behind the cobble bar @ Hell hole. Half way across what I thought was a shallower spot, I started second guessing my judgement. Being too far along to turn back, I kept going. If not for my studded Korkers, I would have gone swimming; no doubt about it.
Finally I arrive at Hell hole
Granted it only a shadow of its former self, with the landslide being cleared out the flow is starting to return, but a least half the water still flows behind the cobble bar. * the lighter tan area of the opposite bank is all that remains of the landslide.. Its scar for that matter.
Just as I get ready to start drifting some eggs I look down river and see this..
Boy and I thought I picked a bad place to "cross" and I was only going half as far across. It was a painfully slow process as they inched their way across.
I have no idea what they were thinking, True enough last fall it was ankle deep there they are standing but not right now!
So I make a few casts and I notice some kayaks coming down river followed by a yellow toon. Being polite I stop and let them pass, as their course was right down the middle of the hole.. As the toon passes I see "Sandy river search and rescue" painted on the side. Talk about great timing.. the guys down stream might just need some help.
By the time they floated down to them the two guys just made it to the other side of the river.
So now I can get back to fishing... Suddenly I both hear and feel this low frequency rumble. Initially I thought I was being buzzed by a F-18.
On Sept 12, 2001; Andy and I were fishing near the I-84 bridge over the Sandy. This is when the only planes in the sky were military fighters jets.
Standing there looking up I had a moment of specific clarity.. I'm in that pilots "kill box". I'm one finger twitch away from being "hell fired". How was he to know I wasn't a terrorist setting a charge to destroy an interstate overpass. The hair on the back of my neck still stands on end when I think about it.
Ok back on point here.
A split second later I look up river and see a huge mass of boulders tumble down the slope and into the river. I ran as fast as I could to get my camera; I couldn't catch the landslide in action but I did get the aftermath.
Maybe 20 or 30 cubic yards of glacial Lake Missoula flood debris dropped some 80 feet into the river. Those rocks had been there at least 12,000 years, perhaps longer.
The amount of mud it worked up was substantial.
One thing this event illustrated is the effects of aqua dynamics and hydraulics. The dirty water kept to the fast moving side of the seam. That margin in the water tension are where fish tend to hold.
The river continued to get peppered for the next few hours.
In Spite of my best efforts I couldn't manage a hook up. I had the entire hole to myself and fished it like there was no tomorrow. My guess, the slide may have something to do with it!
So no catchin' to report just more rocks in the river......
Started the hike in about 6:30 am. I was amazed at the amount of flood damaged that occurred in the flats, just below the short but steep 3rd down grade. I've been down this trail thousands of times and I hardly recognize it at all.
Trying to navigate the trail among all the down trees and debris was rough. Because it was so dark I totally lost the trail and had to do some serous bushwackin. Finally I made it to the mouth of Cedar Creek about 7:15.
The water was running clear, cold, and fast, perhaps the fastest 10.5 I've seen since the removal or marmot dam. About a dozen other anglers joined me. Several guys thought about crossing but only two did and in chest deep waters.
I put in maybe an hour and a half at the creek seeing only one fish roll and none hooked.
How many guys do you think will be out on this leaner come Coho season...
OK, so I bail the mouth and head up to hell hole. The flood increases the cut behind the cobble bar @ Hell hole. Half way across what I thought was a shallower spot, I started second guessing my judgement. Being too far along to turn back, I kept going. If not for my studded Korkers, I would have gone swimming; no doubt about it.
Finally I arrive at Hell hole
Granted it only a shadow of its former self, with the landslide being cleared out the flow is starting to return, but a least half the water still flows behind the cobble bar. * the lighter tan area of the opposite bank is all that remains of the landslide.. Its scar for that matter.
Just as I get ready to start drifting some eggs I look down river and see this..
Boy and I thought I picked a bad place to "cross" and I was only going half as far across. It was a painfully slow process as they inched their way across.
I have no idea what they were thinking, True enough last fall it was ankle deep there they are standing but not right now!
So I make a few casts and I notice some kayaks coming down river followed by a yellow toon. Being polite I stop and let them pass, as their course was right down the middle of the hole.. As the toon passes I see "Sandy river search and rescue" painted on the side. Talk about great timing.. the guys down stream might just need some help.
By the time they floated down to them the two guys just made it to the other side of the river.
So now I can get back to fishing... Suddenly I both hear and feel this low frequency rumble. Initially I thought I was being buzzed by a F-18.
On Sept 12, 2001; Andy and I were fishing near the I-84 bridge over the Sandy. This is when the only planes in the sky were military fighters jets.
Standing there looking up I had a moment of specific clarity.. I'm in that pilots "kill box". I'm one finger twitch away from being "hell fired". How was he to know I wasn't a terrorist setting a charge to destroy an interstate overpass. The hair on the back of my neck still stands on end when I think about it.
Ok back on point here.
A split second later I look up river and see a huge mass of boulders tumble down the slope and into the river. I ran as fast as I could to get my camera; I couldn't catch the landslide in action but I did get the aftermath.
Maybe 20 or 30 cubic yards of glacial Lake Missoula flood debris dropped some 80 feet into the river. Those rocks had been there at least 12,000 years, perhaps longer.
The amount of mud it worked up was substantial.
One thing this event illustrated is the effects of aqua dynamics and hydraulics. The dirty water kept to the fast moving side of the seam. That margin in the water tension are where fish tend to hold.
The river continued to get peppered for the next few hours.
In Spite of my best efforts I couldn't manage a hook up. I had the entire hole to myself and fished it like there was no tomorrow. My guess, the slide may have something to do with it!
So no catchin' to report just more rocks in the river......
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