The Smith dipped below 8-feet on the Jed Smith gauge on Wednesday, and fishing had been tough under low and clear conditions. That will all change as the Smith could see up to three to four inches of rain between Thursday and Friday. The river will be on the rise Thursday, peaking at just over 12-feet. Another shot of rain will push it to nearly 13 feet on Friday night. The increased flows should do wonders for the river, bringing in new fish as well flushing down lots of spawners.

Kenny Priest operates Fishing the North Coast, a fishing guide service out of Humboldt specializing in salmon and steelhead. Find it on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and www.fishingthenorthcoast.com. For up-to-date fishing reports and North Coast river information, email kenny@fishingthenorthcoast.com.