What can you say about the Smith in california, One of the most beautiful rivers with minimal silt, huge Redwoods. With some of the biggest steelhead this side of B.C.(regularly over 20 pounds each year) Big Chinook salmon to 60 pounds and wild cutthroat trout to 5 pounds in the holes.

Fished 02-13-10 bank in a few spots on main stem. Nothing. Boats (many of them) caught 1 fish total from what I heard.

Fished 02-14-10 All day in guided boat. 3 of us on the boat and MANY other boats and shore fisherman. Heard of 1 fish caught that day.

Fished 02-15-10 Some in the morning, some in the late afternoon from shore on main stem. Nothing. I heard of 2 fish caught both from boats.

It's really too bad that the Smith is fishing so poorly. Not sure why? I'm sure many reasons. Although the river got good rain on thur 2/11 & fri 2/12 and came up, and the days I fished were pretty good conditions...

A few of the theories I heard about from locals why steelhead fishing is poor were:
(1) there was a real high surf that was pounding the mouth of the smith and may have kept the new fish out at sea.
(2) The river has only blown out 1 time this year so far and that has something to do with it, I'm not sure what.
(3) Bad return in general, there are big returns and small returns, this is a small year.
(4) Hatchery fish have finally taken their toll on the wilds.
(5) Ocean conditions.
(6) This is a tough river to fish, and this is why they call it tough.

I am heading up to the smith this weekend. I have shore fished the park and also by where the guide boats drop in at the forks. Any recomendations on the smith for shore fishing?

Thanks and happy fishing,

al

Shore Fished the park last weekend. Caught a hatchery steelhead abot 8lbs. Saw a King Salmon carcuss floating down. It had to be 85lbs!!! Maybe more before the spawn!

Fished 12/12/09 the lower river in town of smith river by the old salmon canery piers that are still in the water. There were hundreds of salmon waiting for the water to rise for their journey. It was a great day. A few chromers still coming in. Below where I was fishing, a few guides told me that there hundreds of Steelhead stacked as well waiting for the rain. They also said to expect even more salmon than were staged where I was fishing. All good news!

Happy Holidays,

Hiouchi Hound

Any reports out there from this Salmon Season on the mighty Smith?

Any early steelhead stories?

Happy Thanksgiving

Excellent report Mad Man Miller! I love the Smith River. Thanks for the info.

I fished it not to long ago and the steelhead are in. I Caught 6 and hooked 9. most of the time i was fly fishing with a green clouser minnow but i hooked my biggest fish on a woley bugger.

Joe, I told you we'd have the Smith river. Now we need someone to give us some good info on the Smith. Anyone fish the Smith lately?