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.
Joe,
As you know, I was on the Joe a day ahead of you. I had success with your Royal Humpy, as well as a few others. My step-son and I left home at 5am and we were wet by 7. (We had to coax two moose off the road between St. Regis and Red Ives). We hooked up with cutts at every hole we stopped at and headed home by about 2pm. The crowds were beginning to gather for the holiday weekend by then and I didn’t want to “wedge my way in” to a spot to fish. My nicest fish was about 20" and was taken while I was “dancing” your humpy across the top of the riffle at about the 65 mile marker. I was using my 3 wt. Z-Axis and it bent me over nicely. A lot of the time I was using a Peacock Stimulator and was trailing a small, green, bead-head nymph. We did a fair amount of hiking and climbing to a few spots, but most of our stops were only a few feet from the car. All in all, I guess that I was at about 25 fish to hand and maybe another 15-20 hook ups… I wish your own success had been better, but as we both know, a day of ANY kind on the Joe is a good day. As always, Best Regards…
Joel
That balance thing is a bummer. I mentioned it to my wife, and she wondered if it might be a visual thing, rather than balance as such ?? If you haven’t looked at it that way ( pun intended ) you might consider talking to an opthamologist about it.
Not to worry about the Royal Humpy being a part of the problem. Along with Joel’s good results on the St. Joe and those I already reported elsewhere, I drifted it in a few spots on the West Fork of Rock Creek ( at about 6000’ elevation ) yesterday afternoon and landed three small cutts, lost three more, and had several additional hits, all in about half an hour.
Great pics. Really looking forward to getting some time in on that piece of water.
John
P.S. Thanks for posting the dates for the St. Joe Fish-In. If all goes as planned with our move, it should work out nicely.
Absolutely Gorgeous, Joe!
Ya know, I’ve been thinking for a while now about one of those self inflating vests in case I fall and get washed down stream.
Might make the difference of me posting about me being a fool, and somebody else posting about a fool.
Have you considered a wading staff? Would it help any? They make several that fold and are really light. My Brother-In-Law has a pair he uses when walking and he really likes them.
God! I can see the fish in those riffles! What a gorgeous river!
I’m more of a stream/creek fisherman, smaller waters to be sure. (Well, maybe not much smaller)
Maybe a turn up a tributary could keep your waders wet and your lines limber?
I’m sure the St. Joe is a bit softer for that tear you gave it.
Please count me in the ranks of those ready to help you with those slippery spots. :tieone:
Joe, maybe you have your balance problem covered…but for your consideration…
Balance /equilibrium is made up of three components…
Vision
Inner Ear
Proprioception…sensory receptors in joints …etc.
We can get along with only two working but if two are bad we’re in trouble…there are various degrees…
If this is really important to you …you ought to consider being evaluated by a good otolaryngologist or neurologist…some…and there are centers that specialize in balance disorders.
There are exercises you can do to help.
I’m curious what happens if you get up at night …in the total dark?
Hate to see you not be able to wade…though I’m getting there too…
:tieone: