Today I headed for the St. Joe in North Idaho. The weather was perfect, and there was very little wind. I was anxiously waiting to find out if my Foam Back Royal Humpy was going to work as well for me as it did for John Scott.

There is more to fishing than fishing.


40 steps to my favorite fishing hole. Last October I could do no wrong and hooked up about a dozen times. This trip I only saw 3 rises and only 1 was a rise to my Orange Blossom Special but no hookup. My Orange Blossom Special is a streamer with an orange bead head, orange tinsel chenille body, and an orange marabou tail.


A trip to the St. Joe would be incomplete without a stop at Scheffy's for a bratwurst on a hardtack bun. They also accommodate folks who want lodging during a hunting or fishing trip. Nice folks.


When the Creator lends his hand to something, He doesn't mess around.


At my last stop, some 87 miles up the river from St. Maries, I discovered that my balance has digressed to the point of being unsafe in the water. All I had to do was to put my foot in the water, and all my balance completely disappeared. This has been coming on for some time, and I haven't been looking forward to it at all. I shed a tear today, thinking that my wading of the St. Joe may have just come to an end. I'm tentatively scheduled to spend a weekend with John Scott and Z in August on the St. Joe, and I'm looking forward to that trip but I think I may be the camp cook on that outing and curtail any fishing. This isn't something that I want, but I'm sure the Lord has better plans for me.
No fish today, but all in all, it was a beautiful day on the "Joe." I love that river and I hope everyone who goes there enjoys it as much as I have.