A Dash Across Idaho

A Dash Across Idaho

Thank you for reading this week’s post, A Dash Across Idaho. This week again has been just awesome!
———————————————
Readers may know I’ve been writing a travelogue for Global Outdoors. You can see some of those posts here- https://blog.globaloutdoors.com.
———————————————

A last photo of the stunning Oregon coast.

After leaving the Oregon coast (one last photo!), we spent a couple days around Portland. Went into the city one day. It doesn’t take long to understand, “Keep Portland Weird,” is taken to heart by the people living there. We didn’t know where to go (poor research on my part) and parking was a nightmare, so after walking a bit, visiting the world’s largest independent bookstore, and getting something to eat we returned to our hotel.

Lots of these coming off the Columbia!

We drove through the Columbia River Gorge. You can see where salmon might have trouble returning to their natal streams, what with all the dams. The gorge still has great beauty, though. I can hardly imagine what the Lewis and Clark party must have thought as they descended, and later ascended, the river!

As we drove inland, the berries were past their prime.

We had intended to spend a few days in western Washington and several days in Idaho. Triple digit temperatures and thick smoke from wildfires changed that plan, right now! We got on the interstate and drove four hundred miles in one day, from the Columbia River Gorge to St. Regis, Montana, where I just ran out of gas. What a dash across Idaho it was! We found an RV park, booked two nights.

Two sports and their guide, drifting the Clark Fork.

The next day I broke out my tackle, went to the local fly shop for some advice and a fishing license, and went wading in the St. Regis River, starting at its confluence with the Clark Fork of the Columbia. This was to be my very first fishing in Montana. It did not disappoint.

Rainbow on dry fly, awesome catch!

On my third cast I hit a beautiful cutthroat trout (15-16 inches, best guess) that took a drifted nymph. No, I did not use a bobber. I could hardly believe my luck! Until, not having a net, I leadered the fish. It surged and popped the 5x easily. I was out the fly, fortunately barbless, and did not get a photo.

Same fish, different angle.

I’d love to say it got better, but that would not be true. However, it did not really get worse, either. In four hours, I unhooked eight or nine fish, all cutts but one feisty rainbow. That fish nailed a Purple Haze (basically an Adams with a purple body), and jumped a half-dozen times! I got several other fish on dries too, not to mention all the hooked and lost and missed strikes. It was pretty awesome!

We drove to Missoula and booked two nights in an RV park. While checking out town and an art gallery, we were advised to visit the National Bison Refuge. An hour later we were literally on a bison safari there- un-bee-lee-va-bull! Can’t recommend it highly enough.

 

Don’t know what these are called, but suspect they are invasive.

 

All the smoke made for a blood red sunset.

The next day we visited Garnet, a gold mining ghost town. Different than I expected (I was thinking of the OK Corral), it was a worthwhile delve into history made real. The town had a school, but it also had thirteen saloons. I guess mining is thirsty work.

It’s a ghost town, but she is quite real!

 

Suspect this beautifully colored thistle is invasive, too.

We switched campgrounds and ended up on the bank of the Jocko River. I wanted to fish immediately but another camper told me I needed a reservation permit.

One of the few photos I shot at Glacier National Park. Note the smoke.

Dean Altenhofen texted me, telling me he and his wife had a Glacier National Park Pass for the next day, and did we want to go? We met them in Polson, and went with them to the park. It was a lot of car time, but the park is amazing. The only problem was that there was so much smoke in the air, photography was a wash. Thank you, Dean and Sunday, for an amazing day!

Didn’t fish this, but sure would like to!

 

Dean works the Jocko.

Dean and I planned a fishing trip for the next day, fishing the Jocko. It’s a small stream but one of the prettiest I have ever seen. The gravel was awesome, lots of red and pink and orange. The fish ran small, but they were plentiful and eager. We caught many. The best was about 12 inches long, a cutt that took a wooly booger. Most fish were caught on dries, though. Another great day, and thank you once again, Dean!

Typical Jocko cutthroat.

 

A lovely pool gets a line.

 

And that’s the report for this week. Thank you again for reading the post, A Dash Across Idaho. Life is great and I love exploring the USA!

Every day is a blessing. Don’t waste it- Go fishing! Go hiking! Take a walk! Do SOMETHING!

John Kumiski, author of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide

Purchase a signed copy of Fishing Florida by Paddle- An Angler’s Guide at http://www.spottedtail.com/fishing-florida-by-paddle/

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2021. All rights are reserved.

Father’s Day Whale Pass Fishing Report

whale pass fishing report

A coastal cutthroat trout from Barnes Lake.

Father’s Day Whale Pass Fishing Report

Pagans of the world celebrate the summer solstice today. Additionally, it’s Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day to all of the good dads out there, and pardon me while I pat myself on the back…

Thanks to all who participated in last week’s photo quiz. The picture was taken at the Chihuly Museum and Gardens in Seattle, and the artist was Dale Chihuly. David Gunn of Massachusetts sent the first correct answer in about three minutes after I posted the email, and gets the Johnny-on-the-spot reward of a copy of Flyrodding Florida Salt.

So I’ve been at the Lodge at Whale Pass for a week, this summer’s gig, and have only been out fishing a couple times. The silver salmon run at the Neck Lake Outlet is decidedly late this year, with very few fish having shown up yet. Capt. Kurt Gorlitz on the Etolin says halibut fishing has been slow. He has been bringing back fish every trip though, with Pacific cod and some rockfish in the catch as well.

We spent three hours trolling the north entrance of Whale Passage on Saturday, getting three bites and catching two silver salmon in that time. The downriggers were set at 30 feet, and the bait was a hootchie behind a flasher.

I was able to get a Barnes Lake trip in with two young women and the 10 year old son of one of them, a boy named Hunter. Hunter caught several nice sea-run cutthroat trout on a Dardevle. Ashley received a fly casting lesson from me. I was able to get several nice cutts on the fly. She was not so fortunate. The fish should remain in there for a couple more weeks.

And that is the Father’s Day Whale Pass Fishing Report from Spotted Tail.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short- Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
http://www.spottedtail.com/blog
www.johnkumiski.com
www.rentafishingbuddy.com
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jkumiski

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2015. All rights are reserved.

Share |



June’s Last Fishing Report from the Lodge at Whale Pass

June’s Last Fishing Report from the Lodge at Whale Pass

Late afternoon light from the Lodge.

Late afternoon light from the Lodge.

Last Sunday I did not fish. Even though it was raining I went for a walk, hoping the discover more about the local surroundings. Shortly after leaving the lodge I came upon a blacktail deer doe.

I could probably have roped this doe.

I could probably have roped this doe.

These critters are a lot less spooky than whitetails. The photo was taken with a wide angle lens. There’s not much to Whale Pass- a library, a public boat dock, a store whose hours are 6-9, twice a day (it wasn’t open when I got there), and that’s about it.

I got out on halibut boats three times this week. Once I was with Capt. Jared Cook, once with Capt. Kurt Gorlitz, and once with Capt. John Kumiski. Although the halibut limit is only one per person, we got limits on every trip. Trips I was not involved in also all got limits. I guess you would have to say the halibut bite has been consistent.

fishing report from the lodge at whale pass

Oday John has a halibut close to the boat.

fishing report from the lodge at whale pass

Lucas Ryter gaffs a halibut.

 

fishing report from the lodge at whale pass

Oday John and Oday with their halibuts.

Apparently slowing has been the trolling for salmon, both silvers and kings. At the start of the week we had an eleven fish day (after the halibut), but last time we tried we only got three bites, with one silver landed.

Yesterday Alex and I took Oday Lavergne and his son Oday John up into Sweetwater Lake for some trout fishing. Like the last time we went there, we had to wait again for the tide to flood the rapid so we could get in, which gave us some time to explore a little and get some photos. The water rose, the rapid became passable, and off we went.

kelp beds near whale pass

There’s lots of kelp growing around here.

You find a wide variety of sea stars here. This one is pretty straight up, though.

You find a wide variety of sea stars here. This one is pretty straight up, though.

The first place we tried we did not get a fish. I was shocked and dismayed.

The second place we tried was Hatchery Creek. I had long been of the opinion that every stream in North America had a path along it, made by bears if not people. This creek proved that assertion wrong. But I got several blackfly bites while bushwacking through the woods looking for the non-existent path. We got a handful of small cutthroats on a small marabou jig there.

As we headed back down the river we discovered that the flow had reversed. What the…??

Alex picked a narrow spot with good flow and said we should try fishing there, so we stopped. I didn’t expect much but Oday got one of the biggest cutthroat trout I’ve ever seen, a fish over 20 inches long and several pounds in weight. Both of the Odays also got smaller but still solid fish there, too. But the tide soon flooded out the spot.

fishing report from the lodge at whale pass

Afraid of dropping this trout, we never removed it from the net until we released it.

We went back to the first spot we had fished. There was still a rapid there, although now to current was flowing the other way. We got several more fish, all small side.

When we were done we headed back to Lodge Bay to look for silvers. We found them. The fish were lying at the surface with their fins out of the water, easy to see even though it was cloudy. Both Odays tossed Pixies at them and soon we had two six fish silver limits aboard, at which time our fishing ended. Not a bad day A-tall.

And that is this week’s Fishing Report from the Lodge at Whale Pass.

God bless America!

God bless America!

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short. Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2014. All rights are reserved.

Share |