M
morglum_s
After a successful summer of taking my kids (and most of the kids in the neighborhood) to catch stocked trout, I decided it was time to gear up for some "Big Boy Fishing". I poured through the forums here and it looks like the Sandy is my best bet for bank fishing Salmon/Steelhead in the area (I'm in SE Portland.) I've been studying Jed Davis' Spinner book and I upgraded my 20 year old rod and reel with something a little beefier. I haven't done much lure fishing, so my expectations are low as I expect a learning curve.
I had a few hours late Saturday afternoon so I headed out to Delta Park on the Sandy since that seemed the closest access point. I had to hike in about a mile or so, but it was shaping up to be a nice evening and I reached the water about 30 minutes before sunset. The water seemed pretty low to me, but I've not been on the Sandy much. My tackle box was full of shiny new Vibrax spinners and I chose a black #4 pretty much at random. It took a few casts to get the feel for my new gear, but things went fairly smoothly. There were no signs of fish, so I headed down river and hit a few different spots on the way. Mostly I was just trying to get the technique of spinning "low and slow" down since that's what the Davis book advocates.
I made it a few hundred yards down river as the sun set. I don't know how far from the mouth I was (I couldn't see the Columbia yet...) but there were a few other fishermen, mostly on the west bank (I was on the East.) A couple of guys directly across from me were just getting set up, after the sun had gone down!? I fished for another 20 minutes or so as it got dark, changing my lure once to something brighter. It was pretty dark at this point and I decided it was time to head out. It looked like there were some fish jumping further down-river and I was wondering I was leaving a little early?
Even thought it was a short walk, I was a little concerned about hiking out an unfamiliar trail in the dark (will pack a flashlight next time...) The full moon rising through the quiet Cottonwoods was a pretty awesome sight though. The funny thing was I ran into a nice young woman who was a little lost and more spooked than I was even though she had been there many times. I got her back to her car safely, which pleased the good-Samaritan in me.
Anyway it was certainly a pleasant evening, and I am eager to explore more of the Sandy in the coming weeks. Maybe I'll even get a bite or two...
I had a few hours late Saturday afternoon so I headed out to Delta Park on the Sandy since that seemed the closest access point. I had to hike in about a mile or so, but it was shaping up to be a nice evening and I reached the water about 30 minutes before sunset. The water seemed pretty low to me, but I've not been on the Sandy much. My tackle box was full of shiny new Vibrax spinners and I chose a black #4 pretty much at random. It took a few casts to get the feel for my new gear, but things went fairly smoothly. There were no signs of fish, so I headed down river and hit a few different spots on the way. Mostly I was just trying to get the technique of spinning "low and slow" down since that's what the Davis book advocates.
I made it a few hundred yards down river as the sun set. I don't know how far from the mouth I was (I couldn't see the Columbia yet...) but there were a few other fishermen, mostly on the west bank (I was on the East.) A couple of guys directly across from me were just getting set up, after the sun had gone down!? I fished for another 20 minutes or so as it got dark, changing my lure once to something brighter. It was pretty dark at this point and I decided it was time to head out. It looked like there were some fish jumping further down-river and I was wondering I was leaving a little early?
Even thought it was a short walk, I was a little concerned about hiking out an unfamiliar trail in the dark (will pack a flashlight next time...) The full moon rising through the quiet Cottonwoods was a pretty awesome sight though. The funny thing was I ran into a nice young woman who was a little lost and more spooked than I was even though she had been there many times. I got her back to her car safely, which pleased the good-Samaritan in me.
Anyway it was certainly a pleasant evening, and I am eager to explore more of the Sandy in the coming weeks. Maybe I'll even get a bite or two...
