During a season, an IRJ guide may hear or read something about the Middle Fork that they want to share with the crew. Frequently it’s something a guest talked about or perhaps it’s from an article or news piece. Idaho River Journeys guides have extensive knowledge about the river and how to structure trips, so the topic usually augments what they already know and practice.
When a guide has discovered something new about the Middle Fork of the Salmon and wants the crew to know about it, we host a Pizza Seminar. IRJ buys a bunch of pies and assorted drinks, and the guide covers the subject. Most Pizza Seminars last about half an hour and the topics run the gamut of how to cook rice for a large group to recapping some geologic features of a nearby canyon. The subjects that the crew always paid rapt attention to were those about fly-fishing. Here are two snippets from Pizza Seminars about that topic.
Chris Swersey worked for IRJ on the Middle Fork for several seasons. He no longer guides but when he did, he brought remarkable boating skills and knowledge about fly fishing to our crew. Here is his Pizza Seminar, in its entirety, about fly-fishing: “Unlike people, Cutthroat Trout care only about two things: oxygen and food. When you figure out where trout can find both, your guests will recognize you as a fantastic fishing guide.”
A somewhat more detailed Pizza Seminar about Cutthroat Trout was hosted by Michael O’Malley. Michael joined our company in 1979 and has guided at least one trip a year since then. After retiring from his marketing position with the Economic Development Corporation of Utah he narrowed his focus to working as a ski and hiking guide at Deer Valley Resort and occasionally guides on the Middle Fork with Idaho River Journeys or on Oregon’s Rogue, with Indigo Creek Outfitters. He brings a wealth of knowledge and wonderful stories to the trips he works.
His Pizza Seminar focused on the characteristics of native Cutthroat Trout, the state fish of Idaho. He concluded his presentation with, “and remember, a native Cutthroat is able to migrate across the continental divide.” An intriguing bit of info guides immediately looked forward to sharing with guests.
His statement was based on the theory that more than ten thousand years ago Cutthroat Trout colonized Yellowstone Lake by traveling up the Yellowstone River to Pacific Creek and then to the lake. They had the lake to themselves for centuries and eventually migrated to trout fishing waters to the east and west of the Divide by choosing an arduous downstream route at Two Ocean Creek. Some were lucky and found themselves on the Middle Fork of the Salmon.
