Smith River Montana: Fly Fishing and Floating
What has spring sprung this season for Montana’s Streamflows? I say, bring on the rain!..and high elevation snow. I attended the Upper Missouri Basin Advisory Committee annual meeting in April that presented information about our current snowpack conditions and predictions for Montana’s Streamflow Conditions for this season. I left excited, yet nervous about Montana’s streamflow conditions for.. read more →
Permit results are out. How lucky were you? You can check your results at MyFWP. Remember, if you didn’t get drawn you still have a chance! For $5 per “Chance” through a separate lottery, FWP will issue one Super Permit allowing the winner of that permit to pick a launch date of their choice. Don’t wait.. read more →
It’s that time of year again! The Smith River floating season will be here sooner than you know it . The deadline for 2016 applications is Thursday, February 18th with permit drawing results being announced online at MyFWP Thursday, March 3rd. Which means you only have 4 weeks to get your act together, pay the man and play the game. Remember,.. read more →
A few more days of Craig looking like a frozen wasteland then it looks like another nice break in the weather coming up for the Helena / Wolf Creek area. According to the weather man it’s looking up for the weekend and following week with highs hitting in the high 50s or even 60s! Weekend.. read more →
Final countdown for getting permit applications in for floating the Smith River!! The deadline for applications is Thursday, February 19th with permit drawing results being announced online at MyFWP Monday, March 2nd. Which means you only have 2 DAYS to stop checking out fly fishing blogs, river flows and the Friday Pin up archive on MoldyChum, scrape together some cash and.. read more →
According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Northwest is supposed to experience above-normal temperatures this Winter. Although we are currently average in most of our regions for snowpack across the State according to today’s SNOWTEL Report by the Natural Resources Conservation service (NRCS), after a two-day hiatus Montana is again experiencing the more Spring-like temperatures and.. read more →
Permit applications for a self guided adventure down the Smith River opened Monday, January 5th this year. The deadline for applications is Thursday, February 19th with permit drawing results being announced online at MyFWP Monday, March 2nd. Remember, only successful applicants are notified by mail. Although there is a $10 non-refundable application fee whether you are a.. read more →
Primitive at best, the Smith River Montana meanders 59-miles through forested mountains, towering limestone canyon walls and green rolling hills from the put-in at Camp Baker to the take-out at Eden Bridge. If you are one of the lucky ones who scored a permit for this 5-day adventure, I hope you have a spectacular journey.. read more →
As soon as the permit results are posted, CrossCurrents is flooded with questions of all kinds about floating the Smith River. Although I’ve only been down this river once, Chris Strainer-owner of CrossCurrents, has floated the Smith since 1999 and is a licensed guide for one of the eight approved Smith River outfitters. CrossCurrents Fly Shop.. read more →
So, you are 1 out of over 6,000 permit applicants to win a Permit for the Smith River in Montana. Congratulations, you beat the 6-to-1 odds! Now you have 6,000 people who want to be your friend. Including the Permit Holder, only 15 people can float on one permit, so choose your friends wisely. And.. read more →
