Bruce Chandler said:
Devon Sinsley said:
John Caughey said:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/ipnf/recreation/fishing/?recid=6762&actid=43
Gee thanks John, Just post for all the world to see right where i am fishing(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif).
So, THAT’S YOUR hand!!! Who knew? Plus, that background really shows exactly where you are… near the water!!! (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
While that is not my hand that is about the size of the biggest cutthroat I caught. No where near the average which was closer to 10 to 12" but the 16" fish I caught was a chunk.
Not that anyone will care but if you read the description that accompanies that picture it talks about the improved fishing on the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River due to improvements to the habitat. I can attest to this being true. I have fished this river nearly all my life. And I have never caught the size of fish nor the quantity I caught this week. It had been a few years since I had fished it; and the fishing was just awesome.
And the last time I was in Idaho, there weren’t any fish, or even water in sight!
Strange place…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
Bruce Chandler said:
And the last time I was in Idaho, there weren’t any fish, or even water in sight!
Strange place…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
Craters of the moon is an awesome and weird place. And yes there is no water in sight. But this is Southern Idaho. Its definitely not Northern Idaho. Its like a different universe.
But, I DO have a fishing story…sort of…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
My bride and I drove across the US on our honeymoon - in a car with 6 cubic feet of trunk space. (And NO air conditioning!!!)
We camped a lot to save money (I was a brand new 2nd Lieutenant with not much money (or even sense(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif))).
We stopped to camp in Yellowstone Park (where we had to buy sweatshirts to keep warm - it may have been June in New York, but summer had NOT reached Yellowstone (it it ever does?).
Anyway…because I was so naive, and not having much room in the car for ANYTHING, I had brought along some “freeze dried” “food”. Just add water and you get something that doesn’t taste nearly as good as paste…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-embarassed.gif)
The guys in the campsite next to us told me that they had caught too many rainbow trout for them to eat and wondered if I wanted some. Well, I was pretty much a city boy at that point and said I didn’t really know how to prepare a fish. Not to worry, they said - they’re all cleaned and we even have the fixins so you can cook 'em up right. Man, I can still remember THAT meal - so GOOD!
Thanks for the memories…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
That can’t be Devon’s hand, he said he was quick releasing.
You only handle the ones you eat, they need their slime.(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Bruce, Is that a Fix It Again Tony 124?
2nd louies can be so brave!
John Caughey said:
That can’t be Devon’s hand, he said he was quick releasing.
You only handle the ones you eat, they need their slime.(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
I’m not sure you should use Devon and quick in the same sentence? (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
John Caughey said:
Bruce, Is that a Fix It Again Tony 124?
2nd louies can be so brave!
It is! The Fiat 124 Spyder. First and LAST Fiat ever. What a POS; had an intermittent short - I remember the dash lights went out and Jean shining a flashlight on the dash while I drove. One morning I opened the hood to find oil puddled between the valve covers. Sheesh, LOTS of maintenance. I ended up selling it because my ITALIAN mechanic told me I should get rid of it!(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-embarassed.gif)
John Caughey said:
2nd louies can be so brave!
Brave and ignorant…
This jeep didn’t fare too well on that last drop…
Bruce Chandler said:
John Caughey said:
2nd louies can be so brave!
Brave and ignorant…
This jeep didn’t fare too well on that last drop…
Oh Chute! er No? Chute!(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)
Yeah, it’s supposed to look a lot better…as I recall (or better yet, as this picture recalls) it’s 3 chutes per vehicle…
Devon Sinsley said:
John Bouck said:
In a few weeks we are riding out of Hawkseye (Shoshone Creek) over the mountains into Trout Creek, Montana and back.
Last year we rode out of Hank to Spyglass and down to the ranger station on Teepee Cr and back.
Have you fished Shoshone Creek?
A few times. Always small fish down low and a few brook trout up higher. Never can find any decent fish.
Guess I’m spoiled with trout in PA …Fished the Yellow Breeches since I could peddle my bike to it and before that. Not to mention the other limestone fed streams that are very local. I don’t really harvest and more into big warm water stuff where you take a selfie with them then put em back…Actually jealous of the pike fishing you have done Devon …“now that is fun” ! Never really got huge into fly fishing…prefer heavy tackle and throwing stuff that looks like a hardware store coming though the water.
Dad used to make fun of me saying “What do you plan to catch with that boy”? However dad asked me numerous times over the years of fishing with him “Son do you want the net or cradle”?
Boy do I miss those days and I can’t get them back !
And getting back to the topic at hand…way back last century we use to backpack and hike into the campground…
Now we do the B&B version…
" Rooster " said:
Devon Sinsley said:
John Bouck said:
In a few weeks we are riding out of Hawkseye (Shoshone Creek) over the mountains into Trout Creek, Montana and back.
Last year we rode out of Hank to Spyglass and down to the ranger station on Teepee Cr and back.
Have you fished Shoshone Creek?
A few times. Always small fish down low and a few brook trout up higher. Never can find any decent fish.
Guess I’m spoiled with trout in PA …Fished the Yellow Breeches since I could peddle my bike to it and before that. Not to mention the other limestone fed streams that are very local. I don’t really harvest and more into big warm water stuff where you take a selfie with them then put em back…Actually jealous of the pike fishing you have done Devon …“now that is fun” ! Never really got huge into fly fishing…prefer heavy tackle and throwing stuff that looks like a hardware store coming though the water.
Dad used to make fun of me saying “What do you plan to catch with that boy”? However dad asked me numerous times over the years of fishing with him “Son do you want the net or cradle”?
Boy do I miss those days and I can’t get them back !
Warm water? All I ever caught there were too many Suckers! I remember the time I convinced Mom to cook one … (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-yell.gif)I don’t remember the taste, Mom let me off the hook after one bite.
Devon Sinsley said:
Bruce Chandler said:
Devon Sinsley said:
John Caughey said:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/ipnf/recreation/fishing/?recid=6762&actid=43
Gee thanks John, Just post for all the world to see right where i am fishing(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif).
So, THAT’S YOUR hand!!! Who knew? Plus, that background really shows exactly where you are… near the water!!! (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
Not that anyone will care but if you read the description that accompanies that picture it talks about the improved fishing on the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River due to improvements to the habitat. I can attest to this being true. I have fished this river nearly all my life. And I have never caught the size of fish nor the quantity I caught this week. It had been a few years since I had fished it; and the fishing was just awesome.
I wonder if the foil hat , had something to do with attracting the larger fish …Hmmmmm (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
" Rooster " said:
Devon Sinsley said:
John Bouck said:
In a few weeks we are riding out of Hawkseye (Shoshone Creek) over the mountains into Trout Creek, Montana and back.
Last year we rode out of Hank to Spyglass and down to the ranger station on Teepee Cr and back.
Have you fished Shoshone Creek?
A few times. Always small fish down low and a few brook trout up higher. Never can find any decent fish.
Guess I’m spoiled with trout in PA …Fished the Yellow Breeches since I could peddle my bike to it and before that. Not to mention the other limestone fed streams that are very local. I don’t really harvest and more into big warm water stuff where you take a selfie with them then put em back…Actually jealous of the pike fishing you have done Devon …“now that is fun” ! Never really got huge into fly fishing…prefer heavy tackle and throwing stuff that looks like a hardware store coming though the water.
Dad used to make fun of me saying “What do you plan to catch with that boy”? However dad asked me numerous times over the years of fishing with him “Son do you want the net or cradle”?
Boy do I miss those days and I can’t get them back !
The small fish response was to that one particular stream which is a tributary to the river (stream) I was fishing. We have excellent trout fishing and I am very spoiled myself. Just a little lay of the land for better clarification. The North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene river is the “main” branch of a pretty decent size river that runs into Coeur d’Alene Lake (one of two). By the time you get to where I camp and fish it is only about 30-40 feet wide and no more than three feet deep in most places. It has nice deeper holes. The upper reaches (where i fish) are the spawning grounds for the fish that reside lower in the river year around. The big fish are usually gone by June. While some nicer fish like the ones I was catching do live in the upper river year around they are few and mainly the fish are young fish from fry to about 12". At times and in certain locations you can catch trout up to 24" in the river. And the other River that feeds the lake is even better. The other thing about the CDA river is that it was heavily mined and logged from the late 1800’s to the 1980’s (logging). Mining N Fork was pretty well done by the early 1900’s and logging still takes place but much more responsibly with stream management a priority. They have gone in and done some restoration projects to mitigate heavy metals and silt entering the river. In doing so the water and fish habitat has improved vastly. And we are seeing the results in much better fishing. That and they have all but eliminated the much more aggressive Rainbows and Brook trout (non-native) and the native Cutthroat are doing much better.
And if I’m not mistaken, the Cutthroat Trout is catch and release only, with barbless hooks, on the N. Fork. It might even be “Fly fishing only”, because I have never seen any other fishermen (bait, lures, etc) on that river.
One time we were camped near Big Hank, and two fellas asked if they could walk thru our campsite. Carrying fly rods of course. One was a guide and the other was a client from the midwest somewhere. We chatted for a while and the client said, outside of BC and Alaska, this is his favorite stream.
John Bouck said:
And if I’m not mistaken, the Cutthroat Trout is catch and release only, with barbless hooks, on the N. Fork. It might even be “Fly fishing only”, because I have never seen any other fishermen (bait, lures, etc) on that river.
One time we were camped near Big Hank, and two fellas asked if they could walk thru our campsite. Carrying fly rods of course. One was a guide and the other was a client from the midwest somewhere. We chatted for a while and the client said, outside of BC and Alaska, this is his favorite stream.
The “new” regulations put in place last year designate the entire river system (and St Joe also) as catch and release for cutthroat. Below Yellow Dog Cr. you can use barbed hooks and bait if you choose to keep rainbows and whitefish but still must release the cuts. Above Yellow Dog it is catch and release for everything and you have to use barbless hooks and no bait. This is just a slight variation over the old regs which allowed catch and keep for cutthroat below Yellow Dog. I saw no rainbows anywhere and I fish dry flies so I have no worries about whitefish taking my flies. I also always use barbless hooks as I never keep any trout from the river which makes for a quick release by just grabbing the hook either with my fingers or with forceps and letting them wiggle off. You can also use lures with a barbless hook above yellow dog. My friend does not fly fish much and spent his days casting rooster tails. I did this for one day, myself.
Fy fishing, eh? How many flies did you catch? 
I’m glad you had this chance to get away and have a little fun and relaxation, Devon.