It's Called Fishing, Not Catching...

Last week, as I drove from Pullman to Coeur d'Alene, I couldn't help but take a detour to fish one of the most beautiful rivers in the country. The St. Joe.

I know it's a BIG statement to say that it's one of the most beautiful rivers, but it's even designated as a Wild & Scenic River, so lots of people agree! Definition here: http://www.rivers.gov/

The first (and only other) Wild & Scenic River I have fished is the Flathead River. This doesn't QUITE compare with the Flathead, but it was still beautiful. Here's a good shot of a great fishing hole on the Flathead from last Summer:

OK, back to the St. Joe - Well, this was my first time fishing by myself. It didn't seem like anything out of my capabilities: Get a Fishing License, Rig up Flies, Read the River, Cast. I can do that!

My adventure started at the local Conoco in St. Maries. The St. Joe Sport Shop. Yes, it's a Conoco Gas Station and Sporting Goods Store - this is Idaho, what do you expect?? You can fill up yer tank, get a fishin license, buy a gun and a Red Bull, then head to the mountains! Not to mention the Lady working behind the counter is, of course, the nicest person you have ever met in your life!

After getting my license, a Kokanee and some chips, I headed up the river. I was thankful to have gotten a Regulations Book because it told me that none of the tributaries were open until the Saturday of Memorial Weekend. OF COURSE I was 2 days early. Sheesh.

The river was exceptionally high. It took a good hour to get up to fishing territory, and even then, the water was way bigger than anything I've ever fished. It was all I could do to not drive around the "Road Closed" sign that went up next to the North Fork of the St. Joe. Why do I have to be such a Rule-Follower??

Eventually, I found the slowest looking spot I'd seen in an hour and decided to rig up. Here's Mr. Belay waiting patiently for me as I suit up and rig up:

I'd read a blog before heading up the river that told me to use a Stimmy on the top with a wet Muddler Minnow on the bottom - size 10 -12, or a weighted Emerger. Great! I know what those flies are! Well out of cell phone range, I realized I didn't know what a size 10-12 is, how to make a Muddler Minnow "wet", nor how to "weight" an Emerger!

So much for fishing on my own!

I did my best to pick the biggest Stimmy & Muddler Minnow I could find in my gear and toss it on out into the water. Which was BIG:

It was beautiful - nice and green. But, big. I only went out to about my shins in depth because it was moving so fast. If I'd have gone much deeper, it could have pulled me down, for certain! After about a half hour of chucking my fly as far as I could get it, only to have it not sink, and whiz by me at record speeds, I decided to go further up-river. There had to be a smaller, slower section!

Well, at least I had my one Kokanee in nature's cooler back on the bank of the river.

I packed up the dog, popped my rod in my handy-dandy short-distance rod-holder...

...and headed for a better spot:



The water was much slower here, but I wasn't fishing any better. After about 40 minutes of untangling line, no bites, STILL not sinking my Muddler Minnow, I decided to call it a day.

Just in case I saw one good spot on the drive back, though, I kept my waders and boots on for the drive. It was wishful thinking - had I found one good spot, I probably still couldn't fish it!

Note to Self: Next time, bring a Mentor.