Smith River - real SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!

Sean and I slipped out at the last minute and headed to the Smith River for a quick recon. The action was way too slow! We hooked up with Juan for a while, but not one was having any luck. In overtime, on the last day of fishing, Sean broke off one, hooked and lost one, and I landed one.

After $150 in fuel, a motel room, and eating out, I might have been better off hitting Safeway. The Smith River can go on the list with Tomales Bay! 

more pic's

Still more

Here is a quick video

Great post, Dan!   

...but it's an enigma:  you're bummed and headed for Safeway when you 1)  caught a salmon from your yak!  2)  got to be on the Smith River for good conditions and weather; and 3)  didn't have to work!  Among other reasons - AOTY score being a huge one!  My friend, as an Anthropologist-Psychologist(-Contractor  ) at your service, I must point out what I think is behind your seeming bummer post of catching a salmon in paradise.  You are a good, no great, friend to Sean, who you felt obligated to pass on details for in your post, albeit bummer ones for him, so you adopted a tone of disappointment and frustration to commiserate with your partner.  I'm sure he's stoked for you though, as we all are, so congratulations!     No charge for the therapy ~ 

     You guys use the anchors alot to pull metal through the tops and tailouts of holes and such?  Or were you wannabe purists flyfishing?!      

     I'm finding it hard to catch a river fish from my yak without an anchor.

Way to go Dan! I'm glad Abking didn't over analyze the post.
 Eric you crack me up.
 
   Get that rain dance on....................

Nice fish Dan.
I have heard of blue balls before but that is a mighty big set you got there.
With all the fishing you have been doing is the WAF THAT low?????????????   

I'm with you Eric...skunked in paradise means you were still in paradise.  The Smith was gorgeous as she always is, but the fish were not there yet.  We talked to lots of folks over the 2 das and only saw one dude with a fish, but it was a classic Smith tank.

We hit one little patch at the end that provided just enough action for major heartbreak (ChuckE dodged a BIG bullet!), and then Dan got his gorgeous little jack.  Time to go. 

Just long hours in the car, and then in the yak, and then hideous food...my ass is sore!!! We'll be back.

and then hideous food...my ass is sore!!!

Get in touch next time, guys, and if I can't join you I can at least offer some non-hideous food on your way through central Humboldt (how's Panko ling or snapper sound?   ).  Regarding the sore ass, you'd better take that up with your bunkmate!   

(I'm a believer in "love behind sarcasm"   )

No funky bunk love, just 5 hours in the truck, followed by 8 hours in the yak, followed by 10 hours in the yak, followed by five hours in the truck...ouch!

No funky bunk love, just 5 hours in the truck, followed by 8 hours in the yak, followed by 10 hours in the yak, followed by five hours in the truck...ouch!

Sounds like a warm up for the Islander Trip.

I might have been better off hitting Safeway...

maybe it was the lack of muzak   

no price$$ too high, when you're talking AOTY...(IMHO)  way to get yer' points Dan!  five hours of window time is something i've never done, yet.   but the "madness" could be changing that next year.
Thanks for the port&pics boys! 

Nice looking fishy there,
 
Long recon looks like it paid off to me...

  I feel ya on my Heels .......... Danglin

Mahi I'm sure you're just feigning disappointment for your Bros sake but secretly on the drive home I would have been giddy as a school girl. I put in major time and effort on the klamath this past month for nothing but some good times. I totally understand the frustration of making a long drive and paddling but not catching. Some times at the end of the day walking back to car I look at my rods and are tempted to throw em off a cliff and become vegetarian. To me your lil jack is a frickin trophy, you gotta at least be a little stoked.

I've learned a lot about kayak fishing rivers over the last two seasons. Incorporating what I know from being a whitewater instructor, I feel I can dissect a river and fish it at any angle while holding fast in the eddies mid-river and banks. I'm sure I'm due but there may be others forces at work. It is a more challenging environment to fish and paddle then the ocean by a big margin. I'm worried guys are all going to focus on anchors for the river. It's definitely something to master but it is very risky in moving water. You need to be able to read a river, judge current speed and depth, have a bombproof plan for jettisoning the anchor instantly. I've compiled my notes together into a twenty page essay on kayak fishing rivers. I'll share with the group at the steelhead seminar if it's still happenin.