THE SHADOWY ST. JOE
In those tales & fables written by venerable old friends, we hear stories of ancient rivers and streams brimming with hungry trout ready to eat any hapless bug floating downstream through a foam line or seam between fast water and slow. Such was a day on the St. Joe River of northern Idaho. Don’t get me wrong though, while those highly educated cutthroat were sipping dries, they were also ferociously attacking small streamers, and they were tempted out of some 8-12 foot deep pools to do so.
It wasn’t the best of fishing because we had to work hard for our fish. But, it was the best of fishing trips.
It tumbles out of the Bitterroot Range on the west slope of the Rocky Mountains, and then travels through deep canyons, steeped in history. Added to by a myriad of tributaries on its journey, it builds in volume and flow. The St. Joe is a freestone river & as such can be a difficult river to wade. The riverbed is cobbled with an abundance of round river rocks, and can be tricky to maintain balance. Marble Creek, not the least of tributaries, joins the main flow a few miles below the town of Avery. An exploratory trip up Marble Creek should take you to several enchanted campsites, streams and ponds.
At the confluence of the St. Joe and Marble Creek is an interpretive center.
The museum there (closed when we visited) explains a great deal about the history of the logging industry in the region. If you are there when it is open, stop and visit. It is worth the delay in your fishing trip. It is boarded up during the off season, but in the summer and early fall it is open to the public, and it displays old photos and artifacts depicting what logging was like in days gone by.
On its way out of the deep canyon gorges, it travels through the lowland valleys, and past the town of Calder. A community fishing pond at Calder has been established by Buell Brothers Logging.You are welcome to use the pond, but only if you use it responsibly.
Below Calder, the river travels through widening flats, more private property, ranches and commercial camping areas. By the time it gets close to the town of St. Maries, it goes past the “Misty Meadows Campground.” A great place to camp on the lower St. Joe, alongside the river, with full amenity hook-ups. (No RV dump-I think) A few more miles downriver, and you are in St. Maries, a town of 2,600 with all you need as far as groceries, gas, hospital, high school, hardware, sporting goods, liquor and laundromat.
Below St. Maries, the St. Joe dumps into Lake Chatcolet, then into Lake Coeur d’ Alene, then the Spokane River, then the Columbia and finally the Pacific Ocean. The St. Joe River is noted as the highest in elevation, fully navigable river in the USA.
While backpacking in the hills and ridges, camping in the flats or travelling the river bottoms, it wouldn’t be uncommon to encounter several species of animals. Deer, bears and moose are all fairly common. Ruffed grouse and blue grouse are everywhere. I haven’t heard of mountain lions in the area but I’m sure they are there also. On my first visit to the St. Joe drainage, I stopped to watch several fish rising and I was pleasantly rewarded with the sound of elk bugling in the canyons. On my last trip in, as I rounded a bend in the road, I was surprised to see two mountain goats sunning themselves high on a rock outcropping. I didn’t know there were any mountain goats in the region, but there they were. It seems like with every mile travelled there is candy for the eye and a treasure for the memory.
The history of the area includes mining and extensive logging, continued even today. The region is a Mecca for big game hunters and is of course, a blue ribbon destination for fly fishers.
One of the really neat things about this river is the availability of camping. Along its 90+ mile length is a myriad of camping locations. Some are maintained with permanent outhouses and flat asphalt pads for camp trailers. These camp spots each have a campfire ring, BBQ and permanent camp table. If memory serves me, the cost is in the $6-$8 range per day. If that is more than you want to spend, there are almost unlimited, totally rustic sites available. If your lodging needs lean toward something more secure, there is a motel in the town of Avery. Also available there, is a laundromat. And, Sheffy’s is like a remote lost in the woods “one-stop” with groceries, gasoline, propane and fishing supplies. It is also a great place to find one of those big bratwursts on a hardtack bun.
The Fishing!
All of the St. Joe is catch and release for cutthroat. From Avery upstream is single barbless hook and artificial fly. No droppers. The North Fork of the St. Joe, which runs north from Avery for about 30 miles, is the same. No dropper, single barbless hook, and artificial fly. The fish that inhabit the river include Whitefish, Bull Trout (which must not be removed from the water) and of course the Native Westslope Cutthroat. Cutthroat run from 8” to about 20”. The 18”-20” trout are extremely rare, with 10”-14” being the norm. The Bull Trout can get as big as a few pounds but they are also very rare.
I’ve seen cutthroat caught on streamers and nymphs, but upstream and dry is how most everyone fishes. My favorite flies include: Adams, Elk Hair Caddis, X-Caddis, Red Humpy, Yellow Humpy, St. Joe Special (looks like a black gnat with grizzly wings), PMD’s, BWO’s, and a small Sparkle Caddis. But, my all time favorite is the upright feather wing Royal Coachman.
The St. Joe River is a unique and beautiful fishery, and it should be on everyone’s “at least once” destination list. As such, it can also be very vulnerable. It deserves our kindest treatment and highest respect. If we as sportsmen, in whatever user group we’re in, treat that river right, it will treat us right for many years to come.
So, Welcome to My Homewaters!
Come, Fish It, Enjoy.
