For the hardcore fly-rodder that wants immediate access to some of the best swung-fly water on this storied Alaskan river, Hoodoo’s small lodge fits the bill.
We’ve been there, understand these travel details, and no-one is better suited to walking you through the process, and getting you to this amazing place on schedule. Tackle, flies, clothing, itinerary, whatever – we’re happy to talk you through what to expect. Feel free to call us at 800-669-3474, or email travel@theflyshop.com, and one of our travel specialists will respond promptly.
Our good friend and seasoned International fly fishing traveler Tim Hagerty had an amazing steelhead trip on the Sandy River this fall. Check out Tim’s report…it’s a good one! – Steelhead Heaven
Reservations & Rates
Sandy River King Package
$7,850.00 plus $2,400.00 charter fee $10,250.00 total (2:1 client/guide ratio)
$7,250.00 plus $2,400.00 charter fee $9,650.00 total (3:1 client/guide ratio)
Sandy River Steelhead Package
$8,850.00 plus $2,400.00 charter fee $11,250.00 total (2:1 client/guide ratio)
$8,250.00 Plus $2,400.00 charter fee $10,650.00 total (3:1 client/guide ratio)
Private room add-on fee: $500.00 (limited availability, first come/first serve)
Note: Private room fees do not guarantee a private bathroom/shower.
Inclusions
Included in your angling package at Sandy River Lodge are the charter flights between Anchorage and the lodge; six days of guided wade fishing using custom jet boats for access to miles of Sandy River; deluxe meals; open bar with beer, wine, and a limited supply of liquor; comfortable lodging.
Non-Inclusions
Not included in your angling package at the Sandy River lodge is overnight lodging in Anchorage; fishing licenses with King Salmon Stamp where needed; fly fishing equipment; gratuities for guides and lodge staff.
Travel Insurance
The Fly Shop® is not in the insurance business, but we recommend Travel Guard coverage as a service with a desire to see your best interests protected. It is impossible to know when an unfortunate situation (loss of luggage, fly rods, illness in the family, or an accident) may occur. However, such things can and do happen, and this insurance can provide a means of recourse against non-refundable financial losses.
• Travel Insurance Information
Seasons at Hoodoo's Sandy River Lodge
The Hoodoo Sandy River Lodge has two seasons: King Salmon season - mid-June to mid-July... and Steelhead season - late September to late October.
King Salmon Season:
Beginning in the middle of June, big numbers of chrome-bright kings start stacking up in the lower tidal pools of the Sandy, fish that are notoriously
Read More
aggressive to swung flies in what are often fairly shallow runs. Fresh fish continue to enter the river into the second week of July. Average kings here are in the 25-30 pound range, but specimens to 50 pounds are sometimes landed.
Steelhead Season:
Big, ocean-fresh steelhead start filtering into the Sandy by mid-September annually, and by the time the lodge opens late in the month, there are good numbers of fish holding in virtually all of the lower few miles of river. Fish continue to stream in through the end of October, at which time they are spread throughout the entire river system. Steelhead on the Sandy average 30-inches, with plenty of fish measuring in the 30-34-inch range. Most years fish approaching 40-inches are landed, though they are rare.
Getting to Hoodoo's Sandy River Lodge
Travel logistics to the Hoodoo Sandy River Lodge are simple.
The day before arrival to the lodge - Arrival and overnight stay in Anchorage.
Day 1:
Flight to Port Moller from Anchorage via private charter. You will be met
Read More
at the Port Moller airport by a Hoodoo Lodge representative. From Port Moller you will be transported to our fishing lodge on the remote Sandy River by our private DeHavilland Beaver . The mountain scenery en route is stunning, with brown bear and caribou sightings common. Once at the lodge you will be welcomed by the seasoned staff, have a chance to settle in, and prepare for a world-class sport fishing experience and an unforgettable Alaskan adventure.
Days 2 to 7:
Enjoy the excellent King Salmon or Steelhead fishing, beautiful scenery, and unmatched hospitality that is an everyday occurrence at Hoodoo Sandy River Lodge. Your days will be spent fishing out of the lodge daily with jet boats.
Day 8:
Enjoy another flight-seeing venture in one of Hoodoo's private planes from Hoodoo Sandy River Lodge to Nelson Lagoon, continuing on to Anchorage via private charter.
Lodging at Hoodoo's Sandy River Lodge
Hoodoo's Sandy River operation is a small, comfortable wood lodge built near the lower end of the Aleutian Peninsula's Sandy River - six anglers share 3 double occupancy rooms upstairs, along with one bathroom and vanity, and a separate shower and vanity. Downstairs is the dining room, lounge area, kitchen, and a mud-room just inside the entrance. Immediately adjacent, only a short stroll on a wooden walkway from the
Read More
lodge is a wader drying room which insures guests have dry, comfortable waders at the start of each day. The facility also has 24-hour electricity, so can accommodate those with CPAP breathing machines at night.
Fishing at Hoodoo's Sandy River Lodge
Anglers arise early each morning, eat a hearty Alaskan breakfast, then wader up and jump into the awaiting jet boats, two guests per boat and guide. Several miles of river near the tidal estuary are immediately adjacent to the lodge, giving them immediate access to the best water on the river. Guests will move from pool to pool in the jet boats, then get out and wade through each one. The river is exceptionally friendly to swing
Read More
fishing – with either single or double-handed methods - and it's not unusual for anglers to experience a few hookups before lunch. Sinking tips are the go-to lines here, though extremely fast-sinking lines are rarely necessary, as it is a fairly shallow river. Large Intruder-style patterns are equally effective for kings and steelhead, and the tight-line grabs can be unforgettable. After taking lunch on the river, fishermen will cover more water in the afternoon, returning to the lodge and a delicious dinner in the early evening.
What Makes This Destination Special and Unique?
• This is an extremely remote destination with minimal impact on the fish and resource by other anglers or competing lodges. Sandy River Lodge guides have immediate access to the prime lower stretches of the river, where the salmon and steelhead are freshest. Happy and unpressured fish are eating fish and that translates into more hook-ups for you.
• The best steelhead river in all Alaska and perhaps the entire Pacific Northwest. Guests over the past twenty years have experienced incredibly consistent action here, with great numbers of steelhead hooked and landed throughout their season, fish that average 30 - 32 inches. The say steelhead is a fish of a thousand casts on the Sandy those odds drop to 10’s of casts and you will hook and land a steelhead.
• Arguably, one of the best and most consistent wild Chinook Salmon fisheries in Alaska, with anglers routinely hooking 4 - 8 of these chrome bruisers a day on the swung fly. Hooking and landing that many Chinook salmon is work and you’ll return to the lodge weary of battling the largets Pacific Salmon in the world, but satisfied and happy.
• The Sandy River is low gradient, relatively shallow and small river – heavy sink tip lines are not needed to be successful. This is not a fishery where you have sling 500 grain shooting heads all day and destroy your body. This is light-tip fishing on easy to cast and fish fly lines in a very user-friendly wading river.
• Seasoned team of guides and staff supported by one of the most capable outfitters in Alaska. These are full-time guides who guide other places the rest of the year – it is what they do professionally. You’ll learn more about swing fishing with these guides in a day, then a lifetime on your own figuring it out. Take advantage of decades of collective experience the guides have on the Sandy, you’ll return home a happy, satisfied and better angler.
• Excellent state of the art equipment and infrastructure – quality gear and equipment. The lodge itself is small and comfortable, with everything anglers need. The food is excellent, beds good, rooms heated, and the boats used to access the fishing daily are in top working condition. You don’t have to worry about a thing while fishing at Sandy River Lodge, every aspect of your trip is handled by a seasoned staff provided with excellent equipment – have fun and fish hard!
Additional Photos
