Smith River MT Pics

[Benjo]

Just got in from a Smith River trip. If any of you have been thinking about doing this I highly recommend it. This is the first year I am guiding on it, though I have been on it in the past. Conditions were less than favorable for fishing but eveyone had a great time and we managed to catch fish despite rising and off color water. The fish that we caught were all taken on nymphs as the water was high. However, the fish were all fat and one of them puked up earthworms when landed! They were all distended because there we so many worms in the water and they were just gorging on them. Finding them was the problem and we worked for every one that was caught. I only snapped a few photos here and there but this is about what it looks like for 5 days straight:




pictograph on a rock. There are several spots to see these. Very cool.

I will follow this up with some more pics from the next couple of trips in the weeks to come. Enjoy.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Beautiful country, Benjo. Would love to see it when the water is low and clear.

[JohnScott]

Benjo -

You just moved the Smith onto my list of places to fish - not only onto the list but VERY HIGH up !!

Without giving away any real secrets, when it is best for wade fishing ??? Of course, if you want to give away secrets, feel free to send me a PM !!

John

[Rawthumb]

Was that the difficult to access through-float section?

[MTSkibum]

Benjo -

You just moved the Smith onto my list of places to fish - not only onto the list but VERY HIGH up !!

Without giving away any real secrets, when it is best for wade fishing ??? Of course, if you want to give away secrets, feel free to send me a PM !!

John

The stretch that he is talking about is most likely the stretch where there is 4 days of floating between access points, it is something that you have to really plan around.

You also have to draw a tag, i put in for one this year, but my name wasnt drawn, maybe next year.

[LadyFisher]

As I recall there are Grayling in the Ruby - how about the Smith?

[J Castwell]

Jeeze Ben,,, great, fast coverage. Thanks. Looked like it was a fantastic trip for you and your clients. Looking forward to more details.

[gonfishn]

Thanks for the pics.I drew a permit a few years ago and had to cancel out because the flow went to low a couple of days before the trip.
Did the Bitterroot instead,really should of rechecked the flows because after we left home the Smith came back up.But thems the breaks we still had lots of fun and one guy had a really good crash and wound up in a strainer.My father inlaw pulled him out,other than being totally freaked he was OK.

[Benjo]

So this is a wilderness type float trip where we float for five days. We start fishing in the morning while the gearboaters break camp and pack it in a boat. They then row down river and set camp in a new spot 10 or so miles further and then we do it all over again. The wade fishing is said to be best in the fall, problem is that there are very few inholdings and there is only one that is a guest ranch type of place where you can stay. You have to float the river to fish it, unless you stay at that ranch or backpack 10 or so miles. I have never fished it in the fall but it is full of brown trout, and it is very small then so.... There is rarely enough water to pull off a float in the fall. This year we will probably be able to float it well into July, but some years it gets too low by late June. There are a few grayling in it but I have never seen one, though have friends who have caught them. The water can get close to 80 degrees in the summer but there are many springs that seep into it and the trout take refuge there. It's mostly a spring thing with salmonflies, goldenstones, grey drakes, pmds, and other typical westrern bugs. Some summers the water gets so warm that fishing becomes unethical and they have put it on closures in the past but that probably won't happen this year.

Those pictures above show it basically at flood stage, near 2000 CFS. 400-600 CFS would be more normal and better for fishing.

The Smith drains a lot of agricultural land and therefore can blow out with a good dumping of rain. It's not really a crapshoot because it's going to be a fun trip no matter what yet the fishing can be really good or not so hot and it can go from one to the other pretty fast.