Blacksmith Fork

[T-DOG91]

Hit the blacksmith fork for the first time last weekend and had a decent go at it. Two whitefish and one small brown. I made a video of some of the action.

https://youtu.be/YSeXE_VVpVg


Anyone that knows about this place care to describe where the cutts hang out? I didn't make it past hardware ranch up the canyon but would assume I had to go higher to get into them.

How is the public access past hardware ranch?
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[SkunkedAgain]

There is a fork off the canyon down lower called left hand fork, I know there are cutts up that creek. I haven't fished the Blacksmith much above Hardware so I can't comment much there. I do know there is a lot of private land for a little ways above Hardware so you'll have to use your maps to figure where to avoid. That's the biggest problem with the Blacksmith is all the private ground along the river makes it hard to know where you can and can't fish, but I love them little browns... That river is my childhood happy place... Later J
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[chugg]

In my experience the larger cutts have come from the lower reaches. Left hand down to the mouth of the canyon. For numbers rock creek or Curtis creek. Much smaller fish up higher with an occasional large fish from the beaver dams. My favorite stretch would be from hardware south to millers. If you like the blacksmith and fly fishing you’ll love the salmon fly hatch at the end of may. What a riot!
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[T-DOG91]

Thanks, the DWR website says cutts are found higher in the drainage but I wasn't sure if that meant all the way up or not. Pretty sure I was watching a smaller one while observing the river, but it was not in a position that I could cast to it.
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[BagABigOne]

I have mostly fished at the mouth of the canyon down to the first canal diversion dam. Usually catch a mix of browns and cutts.
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[humpy]

As mentioned, Left Hand Fork is a cool place. Good camping spots and dry fly fishing is good in the small creek. I don't think it will be very good this year with the little amount of runoff. I think the creek will have very small flow. just my 2 cents.

humpy
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[Fishnotcatch]

Like everyone else has mentioned, the higher you go, the smaller the fish seem to get. Left hand fork is where the cuts hang out but I have pulled a few out below hardware ranch. I usually look for deeper runs in the river and float a fly through. I've never had much success with spinners or rapalas but I also haven't fished it much in the winter. Good luck!
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