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Intro | Timing the Runs | Flies and Tackle | Resources | Map
Timing the Runs
Kings, October and November; winter steelhead, late December
through March 31 (end of season for steelhead).
Winter steelhead hold close to the bottom and won’t move far to take a fly. Interchangeable sinking shooting heads help get your fly down to the fish in the Smith’s fast water.
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Flies and Tackle
The lower and upper rivers provide ample wade-fishing opportunities for winter steelhead. Single- and two-handed rods from 8- to 10-weights are the best choices to handle the various sinking tips needed to swing Comet-style flies, leeches, Popsicles, and prawns at different depths. Indicator fishing with egg and stonefly patterns on long leaders works well in the deeper water upstream, but fish are harder to land in the upper sections.
Mike Kuczynski at the Eureka Fly Shop has been guiding on the Smith for two decades and says that the Smith’s winter steelhead hold deep over the cobbles. When the river is low, steelhead hold in the middle of the stream, and when the river is high, they hold close to the banks. Current speed and depth determines whether you should use slow- or fast-sinking lines. Large flies from #1/0 (the largest legal size) to #4 are best. Kuczynski recommends Green Butt Skunks and Skykomish Sunrises for slow-sink presentations; #4 bead-chain-eye Comets, Boss Heads, or Flame Bosses, conehead Popsicles, or conehead Candycanes for medium-sink presentations; and cerise Hairballs or Hairball Leeches for fast-sinking presentations. When the river is off-color, purple provides the best silhouette.
For kings, try #6-10 sparsely tied Comets with bead-chain eyes, black tails, and bright green bodies or other colors on heavy-wire, short-shank hooks. Because kings tend to hold in deeper water, this is primarily pram fishing with 10-weight rods and shooting heads (anything from Type II to lead core) to get to the fish’s depth. Use 10- to 12-pound-test tippet for steelhead and 15-pound-test for king salmon.
Resources
The Smith’s water conditions can fluctuate. If the lower Smith is flowing over 13 feet (check USGS streamflow for site #11532500, Smith River near Crescent City, California, https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/), consider fishing elsewhere. However, the Smith comes back into shape quickly. For current stream conditions and shuttles (if floating), call Lunker’s Bait & Tackle, Crescent City, California, at (707) 458-4704. Call the California Department of Fish and Game’s Low-Flow Information Line (707) 442-4502, for river closures due to low flows. Stream access maps are available ($3.50) from StreamTime at (530) 242-1732
or www.streamtime.com. Contact the Crescent City Chamber of Commerce
for information on camping, lodging, and other services
(707-464-3174; www.northerncalifornia.net).
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Bob Henley's TIE-A-FLY
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Your steelhead and smallmouth specialists featuring Simms, Sage, Patagonia, Orvis, guide services, local fishing reports and more!
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