The Sandy River begins its journey as glacial run off from Reid Glacier on Mt. Hood. It flows 56 miles until it reaches the Columbia River. The Sandy is special in that it once was controlled by Marmot Dam which was removed in 2007. This now means wild salmon and steelhead can freely reach spawning grounds and tributaries higher on the river. The Sandy has both winter and summer Steelhead with some winter fish reaching as large as 20lbs! On average they run 8 to 12 lbs. but at the right time of year, that next cast could be your fish of a lifetime.
The Sandy is home to some of the best steelhead water you can swing a fly through. For this reason it is a very popular river for fly anglers from all around. This makes timing, on a busy day, crucial, and utilizing the raft gives us access more than enough water to have a fun and successful trip.
We primarily fish the Sandy for its winter run steelhead. Generally starting our season around the end of November, as the first of the winter rains raise the river bringing in fresh early fish, all the way through May when it is very possible to have both winter and summer run steelhead as well as spring chinook in the river.
