California’s Smith River The Smith is also seeing some hard times due to weather systems dumping rain and raising water levels, even with this Guide John Klarr has gotten the reputation for being very catch consistent, fishing one day at the forks and the next moving down river where he and his clients went 1 for 3 one day only to boat 5 for 5 the next while side drifting. Keep an eye on this river as weather systems move through, look for that emerald green tint and get the roe ready. As January comes into view so will larger steelhead and more of them. Start tying up those yarn balls and egg loop hooks, would rather have too many than not enough. What dictates fresh fish entering any system are the following, river levels, weather/ rain and rough surfs at rivers mouths, salmon are more tolerant than steelhead of silt and sandy water conditions. Look towards fishing tributaries that flow into the main dirty or silted river, this is where fresh water is flowing, fish will seek these areas.