NEW SHARON — Labor Day weekend traffic whizzed past the new Sandy River boat launch off Route 2 on Saturday just beyond the New Sharon-Farmington line.

A new wooden post opposite the eastbound lane’s 55 mph sign marked the as yet unsigned entrance to a short graded dirt road that leads down into a small parking lot rimmed with small boulders.

From there, a newly paved walkway leads to concrete steps dropping steeply to the water’s edge, with a wooden guide in the center on which to guide hand-carried boats.

At water’s edge, birds sang from woods lining the opposite shore as a breeze rippled the surface through which the sandy bottom could clearly be seen on the warm, cloudless day.

The other new Sandy River hand-carry boat launch site in Farmington Falls is also nearing completion, Bob VanRiper, state regional fishery biologist in the Rangeley Lakes Region, stated Friday in a news release.

The new launches will be accessed from Route 2.

The put-in or upper site is about a mile east of Farmington Falls, while the lower site —  the takeout — is at the confluence of Muddy Brook with the Sandy.

While there are only 2.5 road miles between the launch sites, there are almost 5 river miles, “a terrific half-day trip,” VanRiper said.

A variety of outdoor recreational opportunities can be had from the two sites, including fishing, hunting and float trips, he said.

People using the boat launches can take a myriad of float trips of varying length on the Sandy River below Phillips, he said.

Along with several landowner-permission access sites, there are hand-carry sites in Strong and Farmington.

“Enterprising boaters could potentially devise a float trip that started as high upriver as Phillips and paddle or row as far downstream as New Sharon, with a single portage at Farmington Falls,” VanRiper said.

“The reach of the Sandy River between the two launches is just that — sandy.”

For ever-changing scenery, he said there are several meanders or bends. The banks vary from steep and eroding to stony bends to wetlands, VanRiper said.

As with the rest of the Sandy River, the reach is subject to natural water level fluctuations. At low-water levels, currents are slow to quiet, meaning that one would have to paddle or row, he said.

“At higher water levels, the current is still rather slow until just above the takeout, where it picks up slightly,” VanRiper said.

“The riparian area of the river in the reach between the two new launches provides excellent habitat for waterfowl and will provide opportunities for hunting.”

Additionally, spring and fall fisheries for stocked brook trout exist, and there is a seasonlong fishery for small-mouth bass.

Fishing regulations for the reach are from:

* April 1 – Oct. 1: no size or bag limit on bass; two trout, minimum length on trout is 6 inches; maximum length on brown trout and landlocked salmon is 25 inches.

* Oct. 1 – Oct. 31: Artificial lures only, one trout with a minimum length of 14 inches, and the maximum length limit on landlocked salmon and brown trout is 25 inches.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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