A Smith for All Seasons

When is the best to time to enjoy the Smith River?

Whenever you get a chance to get out there..

Every season has something new to offer on the Smith and even the time of day reveals the rivers character in different ways. Fog rises off the river below the Philpott Dam in the late evening.

Cardinal flower and wingstem are the late summer blooming wildflowers on the Smith
They seem to be making their final stand with a late season burst of color before the inevitable arrival of fall. The generation schedule for the last couple for weeks has been from 1 pm till 6 pm.
During the falling water after the generation cycle, the trout begin to feed, sometimes only for an hour sometimes even less. If you are on the river at the golden hour, you have a few moments of productive strikes as the trout begin to rise to the grasshoppers, beetles and insects shaken loose from the overhanging trees. They are attracted as well to the metamorphosis of benthic aquatics in larval stage, drifting toward the surface to begin their brief life above the water before returning to the river once again completing the cycle. It's impossible to wade the river during generation so one must wait till the water levels drop and the speed of the water slows to allow wading. This is usually accomplished by arriving at your favorite spot when you know the river will be dropping, then waiting for just the right levels to slip in for a few moments of quiet casting. Since the cut-off point for generation has been 6 pm the past few days, and sunset is at 7:20, that does not allow much time for fishing. But that's the cool thing about the Smith, especially if you live close by. You can pop out there and get in an hour of fishing, enjoy the scenery, take some photos and be rewarded with incredible sites and quiet relaxation as you enter another world where the troubles of the day slip beneath the surface of the stream and drift away with the current. Even if the trout do not cooperate, there is still the beauty of the Smith in all its fog-shrouded mystery.Of course it's always nice to pick up a brownie or two as well. Enhanced colors on the browns will be the indication they will soon be breeding again. Yet another harbinger of fall. This is a great time of year to get out and enjoy the beginning of the changing of the seasons on the Smith. Contributed by: Brian M. Williams