Smelt are running in the Sandy! Eulachon smelt only return to the Sandy River periodically and this is the first time they’ve been seen in any numbers since 2015. The eulachon smelt spends most of its life in the ocean, migrating up rivers, including the Columbia and some of its tributaries, to spawn. They grow to be 6-9 inches long and live 3-5 years. Most adults die shortly after spawning, so it’s not uncommon to see large numbers of dead smelt along the river. Recreational harvest of eulachon