Outing to the Smith River to Target Big Winter Steelhead

The Rogue Flyfishers and Southern Oregon Fly Fishers will have a joint outing to the Smith River in northern California from Friday March 4 to Sunday the 6th to fish for winter steelhead.  The Smith is not the easiest place to fly fish, but is known for producing some very large winter steelhead.  It is also a beautiful place to fish with its clear, blue water and spectacular scenery.

From its upper angling deadline at Patrick Creek down to its confluence with the South Fork, the Middle Fork of the Smith River flows through a rugged canyon.  The water is generally pretty fast, but there are scattered pools that offer good holding water for steelhead.  Access to the river often involves scrambling down steep banks.  Below the forks, the mainstem of the Smith River is a board alluvial river with classic steelhead water.  The river flows through coastal redwood forests and access to the river is generally pretty easy.  The Smith River, typical of the streams that drain the Siskiyou Mountains, rises quickly when it rains, then drops quickly.  It rarely gets very turbid.

The Smith has good water for drifting nymph or eggs patterns, especially in the canyon.  The lower river, however, is well suited to swinging flies with Spey rods.  For swinging, an eight-weight Spey rod with a Skagit head and a variety of sink tips would be ideal.  A single-handed eight-weight rod would also work.  Bring a variety of intruder-style flies, from bright to somber.  Remember that barbless hooks are required.  Be sure to bring waders and raingear.  You will need a California fishing license and a steelhead tag.  These can be purchased at the Black Bird in Medford or at various places in California.

Your host, David Haight, will be camping at the US Forest Service campground at Panther Flat above Gasquet.  The campground will accommodate moderate sized RVs.  It does not take reservations, but typically has plenty of sites available.  For those that don’t want to camp, there are some accommodations along the river and plenty of motels in Crescent City.

We will meet each morning at 9:00 in the day-use area near the river below the campground.  From there we will head out to various points along the river.  If you plan to go, send an email to David Haight at tmdrhaight@infostructure.net, so he can let you know if there are any last-minute changes in the plans.