Smith Salmon

[rh crank]

Won't be long until the kings begin showing up on the Smith, maybe already have. Is there a weekly report anywhere or website that puts out good Smith info?

[Darian]

Here's a link to a report on the Smith in the Del Norte Triplicate:

http://www.triplicate.com/sports/4648719-151/wind-pushes-anglers-to-rivers

Not much happening, yet....

[Carl Blackledge]

If your a very serious fly fisherman, then you should know there isn't any places on the Smith to fly fish without the aid of a pram. Knowing the different holes and when to fish those particular holes is the name of the game. usually when you find out down here what's hot up there, it's too late. All the dedicated fly guys I know, get really pissed off if anybody ever posts about the smith, I am not trying to be sarcastic, just telling you how it is in the Smith fly world...... Perhaps call the Chetco outdoor store they probably have 2-3 day old news during the season....if you need more information just email me.

Good luck

Carl Blackledge

[STEELIES/26c3]

Truer words not spoken...

On the Smith...

It happens late
It happens quickly and quietly
It happens when your intel says, "Shit man... You SHOULD HAVE BEEN HERE LAST WEEK!!!

The best fishing reports (on all waters) are given to you by the fish through YOUR experience/exploration~:)

[Alosa]

All the dedicated fly guys I know, get really pissed off if anybody ever posts about the smith, I am not trying to be sarcastic, just telling you how it is in the Smith fly world......


This is absolutely true. The Smith is a TOUGH nut to crack.

[Darian]

I can understand how guys who fish Salmon on the fly up there don't want a lot of publicity. I'm one of 'em but as far back as the late '60's the Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce produced a promo map of the river that named every hole, riffle and run for the entire river. Even what type of fish could be caught in each part. Not sure if the map is still published or not. The chamber also sponsored the Rowdy Creek Salmon Hatchery.

CSAA did the same thing to the Russian River on an early road map (North Bay Counties map). Don't bother looking for it, CSAA eliminated that map some time ago.

[Carl Blackledge]

Darian,

With all due respect, Just cause somebody knows the name of the River and the hole, doesn't mean a can of beans, anybody can goolgle Smith river and get a map. The biggest aspect with the Smith and most rivers is knowing when and how to fish a certain hole, not just the location of said hole. Sometimes having the right sink rate of shooting head and right color fly means the difference between success and failure. Also some places fish a lot better in the sun, some fish better in the shade.

Good luck

Carl Blackledge

[Darian]

Preachin' to the choir, Carl. Even so, how to fish, what for and with (flies/lures) and where to fish in the Smith and the Chetco Rivers have been the subject of many authors in magazine articles for a very long of time. I'm not trying to say you don't need some type of specialized knowledge to fish up there. Just trying to point out that a lot of the mystique surrounding those two rivers has been taken out the curve required to learn to fish there. Plus, both rivers can get choked up with prams/guides in drift boats at certain times/places.

If timing is a concern, Jim Freeman (the former sportswiter for the SF Chron) once advised striking up a friendship with someone who can supply current info on conditions and whether the fish are in or not.

[Carl Blackledge]

Preachin' to the choir, Carl. Even so, how to fish, what for and with (flies/lures) and where to fish in the Smith and the Chetco Rivers have been the subject of many authors in magazine articles for a very long of time. I'm not trying to say you don't need some type of specialized knowledge to fish up there. Just trying to point out that a lot of the mystique surrounding those two rivers has been taken out the curve required to learn to fish there. Plus, both rivers can get choked up with prams/guides in drift boats at certain times/places.

If timing is a concern, Jim Freeman (the former sportswiter for the SF Chron) once advised striking up a friendship with someone who can supply current info on conditions and whether the fish are in or not.

Darian,

Your probably right with the aid of the Internet/social media and several articles written about the Smith and the Checto it should be a lot easier to crack the code for fly fishing out of a pram for Salmon. I was one of the guys that also wrote about fly fishing for Kings way back in Aug-Sept 2004, I gave away way too much information, However they still put me on the cover of STS magazine.

Carl Blackledge

[Darian]

Ya know that was a great photo of you and the Salmon. :cool:

[SeanO]

Ya know that was a great photo of you and the Salmon. :cool:

Cool!

Any pic of cover or link?

[Carl Blackledge]

Cool!

Any pic of cover or link?12357

Here you go....another 40 pounder

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Each river has it's own 'personality"....even coastal salmon rivers.

The late famous fly fishing Ted Lindner use to go up there and put his trailer at Lake Earl above Cresent City in September and fish all the way through till spring.

One Fall in the 1970s in September Craig Ziegler and I were on the tide water of the Eel River and fished it hard from our prams for 2 days. We saw a few schools of early salmon but we could not get them to bit. On the third day we went over to Ted Lindners trailer near by and talked with him for some advice. He said he fished for them for two weeks without a bit so he gave up and went clamming.

Tide water salmon on the coast usually starts around October 15, at about "dark thirty, AM".....


Be sure to watch the movie, "Rivers of a Lost Coast" every fall to get your soul reading for salmon and steelhead season.


Right now I heard someone is working on a movie that will be the history of the mighty Eel River...should be good.


I am think thing that November is the main month for the Smith River for big King salmon.


Al Perryman told me that in September in the AM and PM on the first few riffles at the top of tide water on the Smith River you might get some big Half-pounder Steelhead.

__________________________________________________ __________

I was very lucky to be taken to the Lower Eel River some by my mentors , Al Perryman and Joe Shirshac in the 1970s.

For salmon we used 8 or 10 foot prams with nice long 8 foot oars, and two anchors. Some used electric motors.

AM and PM seemed to be good. Out going tide was exciting too. Maybe the moon phase/tides or rain caused them to come in and move around.

They used 9 foot #9 line fiberglass rods, with big heavy duty fly reels that had drags. Some liked anti-reverse reel for convenience. Most had a selection of shooting ~30 foot shooting heads from really slow sinking to lead core. Fastest line/head then was a Type III/HiD line. Most tide up their own simple 3 piece leaders. Maxima Ultra Green in 10 to 15 pound test was popular then.

The Black Boss was used in the AM or low light. Lighter orange flies were popular in the day time. Some used shrimp patterns.

The Eel River had lots of small Jack Salmon for eating but also had big ones too.

I think the Eel River salmon took a fly better than in most other river in Nor Cal and Southern Oregon.

I was very lucky to be fishing in the same water as Ted Lindner, Bill Schaadt, Okie from Lodi, Hal Janssen, Walt Bennett, Bob Nauheim, Frank Bertania and many others who were the real anglers of the coast from the Greatest Generation.

I actually did OK myself because I was a lake fly fisher which has some similarities to tide water fishing. You cast and strip...unlike in upriver situations where you cast, mend and swing.

Catching fresh run salmon a few miles from the ocean on a fly in a small pram in smooth water that looks like a lake is pretty amazing. These fish have horsepower....and stamina.

The only problem today, which is a good thing, is that you have low water closures on most coastal tide water fisheries to protect the fish.

I think it would be exciting for anyone interested in tide water salmon fly fishing to get some StreamTime maps of the Eel, Smtih and Chetco Rivers and watch the movie and then go up there in November to do some recon.

.

[SeanO]

12357

Here you go....another 40 pounder

Nice hog, Carl!

http://www.kiene.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=12357&d=1474086152

[Larry S]

We need more of this Carl/Darian material. I was fortunate to first fish the Smith in the late 1960's . Was a good friend of
Hap Church - he's pictured on Streamtime's Smith River map. IMHO, that should have been the first river
to ban the keeping of wild fish.
Larry S

[Carl Blackledge]

We need more of this Carl/Darian material. I was fortunate to first fish the Smith in the late 1960's . Was a good friend of
Hap Church - he's pictured on Streamtime's Smith River map. IMHO, that should have been the first river
to ban the keeping of wild fish.
Larry S



Larry,

Out of all the different types of fishing and different places around the World I travel to go fly fishing The Smith and Chetco are my favorite places to fly fish for Salmon out of my pram. The Rogue used to be my favorite, however in the last 6-8 years it's pretty much fallen on it's face as far as fly fishing for Kings, however the Silver's are still there and relatively easy to catch.

What really gets me excited is just the feeling of knowing your pram is parked in the right place and at any moment your going to get a grab, the grab might be just your line tighten up or it might try to pull your arm off, your also in the most beautiful places on earth fishing for the king of Salmon. I just love it and spend about 6 weeks a year off and on chasing them.

Carl Blackledge