Smith River steelhead...

Chris I think your a little early for the steelies. It's salmon time on the Smith. Feb is the month up there. I'd be interested then. I know they use a lot of weight because they hold in really fast deep runs. I was surprized how much weight they use, but that's what it takes to get down to em. Bring a lot of weight cause your gonna leave a bunch of it on the bottom too. I did wish I had a boat a few times too. Some of the runs are hard to reach from shore. It clears in hours instead of days! The Chetco has a bigger run, and is worth the run up also.

Chris I think your a little early for the steelies. It's salmon time on the Smith. Feb is the month up there. I'd be interested then. I know they use a lot of weight because they hold in really fast deep runs. I was surprized how much weight they use, but that's what it takes to get down to em. Bring a lot of weight cause your gonna leave a bunch of it on the bottom too. I did wish I had a boat a few times too. Some of the runs are hard to reach from shore. It clears in hours instead of days! The Chetco has a bigger run, and is worth the run up also.

I agree Jonesz, definitely too early for Smith steel!  Fishtales resurrected this topic from the past, I'd originally posted it in January of this year.  You're right about the weight required to get down--that river is big, fast, and strewn with boulders.  I had to bust out my biggest Slinky weights to get down last year.

I usually fish the Smith 3 to 4 times a year, I have a 17' drift boat (Fish rite), been fishing it for about 9 years now. I stay at the Hiouchi Motel, good price and clean, east of the motel about a half mile on the north side of 199 is the place that will shuttle your vehicle for you, I think they charge $15. I start fishing for salmon after a good rise in the river, which hopefully happens soon, back bouncing roe. Chasing steelhead I'm side drifting, for weight I'm running the Mad river drifters 95% of the time, far fewer snags and I really like the way they glide thru the water. When I'm going to drift a deep hole I'll go with my big slinkies, gets the weight down right away. I also heard the hatchery isn't hauling fish up river anymore, not sure if this is true or not. The Smith clears in hours, which means it gets hit hard by all the guides in the area, I counted 13 drift boats in just one section I was running. They also have a tournament on the river, don't want to fish it for a few days after that.
Pete

I've hooked screaming fish in little side slots about 4 to 6 feet deep above the forks, on foot. Lost many of them.

Salmon finally showing in the Smith. Low in the river by the sand hole and a few in the piling hole. River closed above Rowdy Creek due to low flow. An estuary troll might work this weekend with the rain we're getting now.

How bout fri or sun?