[5xTippett]

I talked my wife into riding up to the Smith with me yesterday. She is a librarian and teaches reading in a small private school in my hometown. She starts school this week and has several books she has to read before school starts. I have permission to fish several spots on the Smith that have chairs in the people's back yards where she could sit and read while I fished. We had some stuff to do in town before we left, so we didn't hit the first spot until about 3:30. I got her situated and headed downstream to fish back up to where I had left her. We had crossed over several bridges on the way to that spot and I had not seen a fish rise. However, when I walked downstream and slid down the bank to the spot I always start from, I saw a fish move next to the bank. I made 1 cast and caught it. Good start! I cast again with the same result. I caught fish on the shady bank, the sunny bank, and the middle of the river. It was crazy. For a thirty minute stretch I caught fish almost every cast. I had a urge to cast on top of a rock and see what would happen. I came to my senses or for what passes for them and fought that urge down. I had over 25 fish by the time I got back to my wife. We got loaded back up and headed to my other spot. I talked to the owner and got permission to park in his yard and use his picnic table to eat supper. I rigged up my other rod with a sulpher and a midge dropper and promptly caught 2. I switched back to my other rod and went back to my beetles. I fished for about an hour in front of that guy's house and caught about 10 more. It was just one of those days when everything goes right. I did not catch but 1 or 2 over 12 inches. Usually when I fish beetles it weeds out the smaller ones, but not yesterday. I caught more rainbows than normal, also. I also caught one brown that promptly threw up a plate of escargot in my hand. I did not know there were any snails in the Smith, and I certainly have never heard of any the browns eating them. Sheesh, maybe the Trout In The Classroom program is stocking French strain browns?(That one is for you, Malcolm)

[headgear]

There's nothing much better when the feesh are on AND you are offering what they will eat. There's nothing much worse when the feesh are on and there's nothing in your boxes that will work.
THANKS for your nice report. Glad the spousal unit went with you. That's a bonus.

[ddoss]

Awesome!!

I was out there late yesterday evening as well, with similar results. I was fishing the lower spec. regs section but this time I was almost exclusively catching rainbows. I was throwing a plain foam beetle, but after seeing all the rainbows changed to a bead head soft hackle.

It was a great day until I ran into 3 of Henry County's finest fishing/drinking at the first big hole up from Rosemont. They were pitching night crawlers and keeping everything they put a hook in. I called the wildlife crimeline but the closest GW was on Smith Mountian Lake. So, my last resort was to confront them and let them know the GW had been called in an attempt to bluff them into leaving. Maybe I saved a trout or two, who knows.
D2

[Al]

Next time you have a problem with Conservation Police Officer availability just speed dial 911 to the Henry County Sheriff's Office. They have the authority to write wildlife related tickets and Sheriff Lane Perry assured David Jones and myself that he will respond.

[Spinycrawler]

The Smith is fishing well. I’ve spent the last 3 Saturdays there and plan on returning this Saturday. It warms my spirit to revisit areas of the river I’d not seen in years. Al and others that are helping protect and improve this resource should be applauded. Personally, I thank you. Regards, Stephen
PS – trout that consume snails will eventually end up with hemorrhoids

[benflyfishn]

You need to change your name to "Beetle Man".
You have any I can beta test for you........

Originally Posted by Spinycrawler

PS – trout that consume snails will eventually end up with hemorrhoids

OUCHEE!

[5xTippett]

Spiny, I am aware of that effect on trout that eat snails. I have seen them like that on the SoHo. This was just the first one I have run into on the Smith, however. I do believe I will call Scott and get a report on the stomach contents. By the way he told me you were older than him. He also said you were the bug expert. Why don't you figure out what bugs are not in the Smith that need to be.

[overbrook]

Nub...sounds like ya had a good one....we need to go together again soon...the Smith, the Saluda...heck...I'll fish a sewer ditch if its with friends .
Now I know why you and Blakey argue that beetle stuff....Billres has been instigating it! Shame on him!!!

take care buddy....I'll talk to ya this week

[Spinycrawler]

Like many of you that enjoy the Smith, I think that a modification in minimum and peaking flows would not only do wonders for the browns, but it would likely lead to an improvement in the invertebrate fauna as well. Yes 5x, I’ve had an “insect vision” of the Smith for years. I know what anglers would like to see in the way of insects, but without the flow modifications, I doubt we’ll ever see much of a change. Even a covert operation where we would violate approximately 100 federal laws by planting invertebrates of our choice would not work. You’ve heard “build it and they will come”. Well in the case of the Smith, I think if “you improve it, they will come”.
Yes, I am older than Scott. My avatar is not a valid representation by any means. I simply like that 18 year old pic. I am on the verge of terminal empty nest syndrome and truthfully I am not dealing well with it. Seeing that pic helps.
Scott is a good egg and I think he does an excellent job of managing the fishery. The Smith is a jewel of a resource. I sometimes forget how much fun it can be. Now that I have more free time, I plan on enjoying it like I did before child. Regards, Stephen

[FlyTiger]

5x, you've gotta be careful about posting such glowing reports about the Smith. I might just have to make a trip up there from Tigertown to check it out now that the heat of summer has arrived.