…Monday I started the week with local anglers, Steve and Sean.  I fished with Steve a few times and been down the Smith River together and I was glad to meet Sean in the morning.  After the dry fly possibilities I saw yesterday we didn’t hesitate to head down into the canyon stretch today.  We started with deep nymph rigs and Steve connected with a feisty rainbow above the boat ramp and then a big rock wall below that produced a couple nice fish for Sean and then our first double of the day before we floated on.  Below that we switched to the short nymph rod and were off to the races from there.

Today was the first day I really found fish in the faster water in the morning so we stayed with the short rig casting toward the bank all morning.  The action was steady throughout with nice sized fish.  The mayflies started coming early today too so we stopped for lunch to make the most of the afternoon.  Another rock wall right after lunch gave up a number of nice fish and then we swapped out for a dry/dropper rig.  Steve was the first to come tight with a jumping rainbow and then Sean coaxed a big brown that was holding tight to the bank.

We were on such a roll that it was time to play the dry fly game after that.  We posted up on rising trout and the guys fed 5 big fish in short order including a couple big browns.  Steve was able to get one that was in an impossible spot.  The fish was tight to the bank on a subtle reverse current with overhanging branches.  It was long odds but we could see his big kype every time he ate a blue-wing and we couldn’t resist.  After a few attempts he had that brown tight on his line and then in the net.  At that point the March Brown mayflies came pouring off the river and there were rising fish everywhere.

It was almost too much of a good thing with so many real bugs on the surface but we still managed to fool some nice trout.  Sean was picking off risers 60 feet behind the boat while we were anchored and Steve stuck an awesome 20+” brown on a big mayfly dry.  Once the dry fly fishing started to get spotty we switched back to a short nymph rig and it was carnage on the river.  We doubled up more times than I can remember and the guys started feeling guilty with how many fish they were sticking.

The best part was they were all quality fish from 16-18″.  Steve did find a 20.5″ rainbow toward the end of the day that we didn’t even think about photographing because you could hook up as soon as the flies were back in the water.  It was chilly again today, but hard to think about when the anglers are catching fish all day long.  The dry fly session was certainly a highlight, and Steve and Sean are such nice guys that I would love to have them in the boat any day!