Smith River Questions
- Thread starter Rooster
- Start date
The one important thing that the list doesn’t mention is bear proof storage of food and ‘attractants’. Be sure to follow the links on the Smith Permit page to be sure that you can comply.
I drew May 13th in the follow-up lottery yesterday.
I will be opening up the bidding for spots soon, LOL! And if you win a bid, you know what outfit you have to wear!
JayB
Life of the Party
Follow-up lottery? 2nd go at permits from parties that cancel?I drew May 13th in the follow-up lottery yesterday.
I will be opening up the bidding for spots soon, LOL! And if you win a bid, you know what outfit you have to wear!
Yes, although technically it isn’t a lottery, it is first-come-first-served. The phone line opened up at 8 MST yesterday. I finally got through at 8:29. The employee said that they had received over 1,500 calls in a half hour but I was only the 19th person who had gotten through. So, in a way, it kinda felt like a lottery!
Best advice for any float down the Smith is to treasure your luck getting to experience a majestic, uncramped river experience. You're guaranteed towering limestone cliffs, pictographs, amazing bird life (hopefully you'll spot peregrines) and quite possibly bears. Tried to convey that message to a high-powered guy from Denver at a restaurant in White Sulphur. He was too wrapped up in notching the whole Montana experience to listen.
The fishing can be terrific but the weather and flow regime on the Smith is so fickle that it usually isn't.
The fishing can be terrific but the weather and flow regime on the Smith is so fickle that it usually isn't.
Quick question on some logistics…we’re all out of staters who haven’t floated the Smith before. We’ll be staying the night prior to launch in Bozeman, no other options as we have some flights getting in late. So that means not getting on the water before 10am on day 1. Based on the late-ish start, my assumption is we can do it in 4 days/ 3 nights but day #4 won’t get off the water till later in the day and should stay that night in Great Falls. Am I thinking about this the right way?
6 of us did it in 3 boats in 2008. Torrential rains for a few days before blew it out and we had chocolate milk basically the entire way as we had more rain halfway down. I managed only 4 fish in 5 days. However, my measly 4 fish were more than the other 5 people got combined; I think they landed 3 between them.
But like you said, it is an incredible trip through gorgeous scenery.
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I guide on the Smith and have some mid June dates this year. I’d be more then happy to shoot you a DM with some camping suggestions and so forth. If I recall correctly, we were all wrapped up by June 16th last year due to low water levels. July 3rd had a flow of 85 CFS..However, the dry fly fishing can be lights out in early July if it’s still floatable.
As mentioned previously, I’d strongely recommend creating a back up plan. I can think of a couple trips that are non permitted that would just be as epic.
https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/mt_swepctnormal_update.pdf
^ hopefully we get some more snow.
www.montanaangler.com
^ Good source of information.
A few photos of a personal trip my wife & I did in 2019. Had a June 29th launch date. The fishing was great. My wife brought everything but the kitchen sink.
As mentioned previously, I’d strongely recommend creating a back up plan. I can think of a couple trips that are non permitted that would just be as epic.
https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/mt_swepctnormal_update.pdf
^ hopefully we get some more snow.
A Seasonal Guide to Fly Fishing Montana's Smith River | Montana Angler
A guide to fly fishing the Smith River in Montana. When is the best time to float and fish Montana's Smith River? The Smith River is Montana's premier multi-night river trip.
www.montanaangler.com
^ Good source of information.
A few photos of a personal trip my wife & I did in 2019. Had a June 29th launch date. The fishing was great. My wife brought everything but the kitchen sink.
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Great Falls is probably the closest. If you do stay in Bozeman, just make sure you are at Camp Baker before noon. And, if your first camp is fairly far downstream, be sure to factor that into your arrival plans in the morning. It always seems to take longer to rig and launch than most people think. Plus, there will be other groups launching that day and if you arrive late, you may have to wait for everyone else to launch and go last.
I’m hoping we get more snow too, although I am also hoping for a cold spring (except during my trip
) and a later runoff; I launch on 5/13.I had a mid April launch date in 2018. FWP cancelled multiple launch dates that year due to intermittent ice jams. 5/13 should be great. Lucky grab!I’m hoping we get more snow too, although I am also hoping for a cold spring (except during my trip
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JayB
Life of the Party
Thanks - good to know. Wasn't too heartbroken to miss out on the lottery this year because it'd have been tough to pull off even if I got my dates, but it's one I'm hoping to take the kids on before they've grown up and moved out.
Hearing from people that've put in for rivers in the Four-Rivers lottery system for ~30 years without ever pulling a winning ticket makes me think it'd be good policy to award half the permits in this and other permit lotteries via an open lottery system and half on a points system where the 60-year-olds that've been putting in for a permit for decades have the deck stacked in their favor.
Being over 60, I would love that!
A group of about 20 friends all put in for whitewater permits on the same agreed dates with the understanding that if anyone in the group won, everyone else could go if they wanted to. We put in for 8 rivers (not counting my Smith entry). One person won 1 river out of 160 combined group entries.
The Keith McCafferty fly fishing centric mysteries are wonderful. This one is located on the Smith.
@MT406 and @Freestone Thanks for the info and congrats on the 2nd lottery! I am looking at a backup plan and either way will be fishing somewhere. I have already stated to get fliers in the mail for shuttle service and boat rental!I guide on the Smith and have some mid June dates this year. I’d be more then happy to shoot you a DM with some camping suggestions and so forth. If I recall correctly, we were all wrapped up by June 16th last year due to low water levels. July 3rd had a flow of 85 CFS..However, If the flows corporate, the dry fly fishing can be lights out in early July.
As mentioned previously, I’d strongely recommend creating a back up plan. I can think of a couple trips that are non permitted that would just be as epic.
https://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/ftpref/data/water/wcs/gis/maps/mt_swepctnormal_update.pdf
^ hopefully we get some more snow.
A Seasonal Guide to Fly Fishing Montana's Smith River | Montana Angler
A guide to fly fishing the Smith River in Montana. When is the best time to float and fish Montana's Smith River? The Smith River is Montana's premier multi-night river trip.
^ Good source of information.
A few photos of a personal trip my wife & I did in 2019. Had a June 29th launch date. The fishing was great. My wife brought everything but the kitchen sink.
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Wow, those pictographs / cave drawings are so cool. Any idea how old they would be?
thanks, andy
Here’s a great explanation:
I've got no skin in this thread, but that's a fantastic photo journal.IMO, it is the entire experience. First, float camping is fun as fuck. I love waking up knowing that all I have to do is float a river and rope trout.
Fishing is usually good, even during run off. You might have to fish sub-surface but you can find 'em. 20 to 40 fish days are not uncommon.
The scenery is second to none
The camps are sick
And after a full day of fishing I love finally getting into camp, settling in, bullshitting about the day, cooking dinner, throwing baseball, and just enjoying time with friends.
Yeah, it is kind of the whole package.