Montana’s Smith River is the state’s only permitted river, and for good reason. The big, brown, beautiful rainbow trout that call it home make for out-of-this-world fishing and the canyon scenery is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. Montana FWP issues over 1,000 permits each year, with group sizes can reaching as many as 15. It may seem like the river would be crowded with people, but the opposite is actually true. Rarely will you see others on the 60 mile stretch of clear water – especially early in the season.
This year, the Seacat team drew 2 permits for the same window and invited some good friends to join us on our annual Smith River trip. Needless to say, we had a riot.
Our friend Paul slinging ’em out in hopes of catching a monster brown.
Catch of the day.
Badassador Kate Siberell pushes through some skinny water.
The beauty of raft trips: lunch from the river, on the river.
The walls become steep and sheer when you reach mid canyon; it is here that endless eddies and undercuts provide great hangouts for elusive rainbow and brown trout.
Camp means dinner, drinks, and a warm fire.
It holds a special place in our hearts, and is one of the most special places in Montana. We wouldn’t trade the friendship, clean waters, good times, and killer fishing for anything.
