Joe Humphreys Article in York Daily Record

[jdb]

Nice article about Joe Humphreys from the York Daily Record of 8/28/2016.

Here is the link which includes video
http://www.ydr.com/story/sports/2016/08/25/joe-humphreys-pennsylvania-fly-fishing-legend-treasure-penn-state/88603052/

Attached is my scanned in version

 

[rrt]

Interesting article. jh was one of my early ff heroes, but when he sold out to the homewaters club (aka spring ridge club), he lost what was left of my respect for him.

There are several stories not noted in the video of how he obtained that big trout. Maybe his version is true, but you never know.

 

[mattwolf]

I wouldn't call it selling out. He was able to do more by being a part of a larger organization. He's done a lot for the fly fishing industry as well as for stream recognition and preservation. More than most of us.

 

[JackM]

One man's sell out is another man's idol. I never met him and couldn't say whether I am impressed or unimpressed.

 

[CVangler]

First of all, I have met this man multiple times and he is nothing other than a true gentleman and teacher. He went out of his way to have a long talk with me(close to 30 minutes) at the fly fishing show and really cemented my appreciation for his fishing talent but even more for the man that he is.
Secondly, the man is 87 years old and is a true legend in this sport. He is a dedicated conservationist who truly does care about the streams and the trout.
Lastly, in my opinion I feel that this man has done more for this sport than just about anyone.

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear Board,

I took Joe's course when I attended PSU circa 1980. Not only did he teach the fly angling course but he was a Phys. Ed instructor and also taught people how to cast bait casting rods with Penn 920's loaded with Dacron line at targets set up on the basketball court in Rec Hall.

I next saw Joe at a TU Banquet in Wilkes-Barre about 1990 or 1991. I walked in the room where he was signing books and he stood up and shook my hand and said, "Good to see you Murph!"

I've never met anyone who took his class who didn't enjoy it and learn a great deal. He carried on the long standing tradition of George Harvey at Penn State and did it well.

He's the real deal and he has been a great ambassador for both fly fishing and the State of Pennsylvania. I'm glad and grateful for the time I got to spend with him.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

 

[Dave_W]

TimMurphy wrote:
Dear Board,

I took Joe's course when I attended PSU circa 1980. Not only did he teach the fly angling course but he was a Phys. Ed instructor and also taught people how to cast bait casting rods with Penn 920's loaded with Dacron line at targets set up on the basketball court in Rec Hall.

I next saw Joe at a TU Banquet in Wilkes-Barre about 1990 or 1991. I walked in the room where he was signing books and he stood up and shook my hand and said, "Good to see you Murph!"

I've never met anyone who took his class who didn't enjoy it and learn a great deal. He carried on the long standing tradition of George Harvey at Penn State and did it well.

He's the real deal and he has been a great ambassador for both fly fishing and the State of Pennsylvania. I'm glad and grateful for the time I got to spend with him.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

I couldn't have said it better. ^

Although I never was able to fit his class into my schedule, I saw and fished with JH a good bit and consider him my teacher when it came to nymph fishing. I still use a tuck cast, collect the line in coils in one hand, and change my split shot just as he taught me thirty years ago. He was a great teacher.

 

[CRB]

He could have said "No" to Donny and I would have been very,very impressed.
To me a sell out along with Lefty Kray. Some good teaching material came from him but he lost all creditably to me by his selfish decision.

 

[greenghost]

TimMurphy wrote:
Dear Board,

I took Joe's course when I attended PSU circa 1980. Not only did he teach the fly angling course but he was a Phys. Ed instructor and also taught people how to cast bait casting rods with Penn 920's loaded with Dacron line at targets set up on the basketball court in Rec Hall.

I next saw Joe at a TU Banquet in Wilkes-Barre about 1990 or 1991. I walked in the room where he was signing books and he stood up and shook my hand and said, "Good to see you Murph!"

I've never met anyone who took his class who didn't enjoy it and learn a great deal. He carried on the long standing tradition of George Harvey at Penn State and did it well.

He's the real deal and he has been a great ambassador for both fly fishing and the State of Pennsylvania. I'm glad and grateful for the time I got to spend with him.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

We may have been in the same class, Murph. Ha! Here's what I think of when I hear about Joe...

"Squeeze that handle on the forward stroke... squeeze, squeeze."

"Keep a 90 degree angle between line and rod when drifting wets. And that rod tip up!"

"If you fish nymphs right, there's no need for indicators!"

"Use nymphs with weight tied in. Then flatten them with pliers so they "rock" naturally in the current."

"Fish streamers with a small loop at the eye for more life-like movement."

And a whole lot more. He's the reason I'm fly fishing today. A good guy. A great teacher. And somewhat of a character.

 

[afishinado]

rrt wrote:
Interesting article. jh was one of my early ff heroes, but when he sold out to the homewaters club (aka spring ridge club), he lost what was left of my respect for him.

There are several stories not noted in the video of how he obtained that big trout. Maybe his version is true, but you never know.

Joe can be cantankerous, but overall is a decent guy and has giving a lot to the sport of fly-fishing, especially FFing in PA. I have great respect for the man.


Hey Rich,

I think you are a decent guy and I respect you, but I certainly don't agree with everything you say and do.

The same with Joe.

Allowing a little slack gives you a better drift....

My 2.

 

[dsmith1427]

He was at the Midwest FF show this past spring and I saw his demo...Funny thing he is still teaching the same thing..... Squeeze, squeeze squeeze...tuck cast. It was a great hour of teaching and entertainment. BTW, the bleachers were packed to see him.

 

[dc410]

I have a lot of respect for Joe. I was fortunate enough to take Joe's class at PSU in 1987. Getting to fish with him on Spring Creek was just an all around great experience for me that I will never forget. There sure are things that just stick with you like that "squeeze" on the tuck cast. When he was teaching us his casting cadence he used the phrase - "Boalsburg ... is a great place ... to live". I can still hear him saying it and I think back to that lesson often. He is an all around great ambassador of this sport.

 

[pcray1231]

I've only met him for short time periods, a couple of times. Mostly at fly shows. Once on the stream and once in a fly shop.

But well before I ever met the man he basically taught me to fly fish through his videos. He starts off those videos with "this is public water, there are no setups here". That pretty much sold it for me and I can't express how much I appreciate that. Sometimes I want to like these FF TV shows. But it's either far away places that I'll never see, or when they do fish here in the east, it's at some club with private hatchery fish. Not that such places can't be enjoyable. But it's just a different world. Tactics and so forth are so different.

Anyway, I have most of the video's and have watched them countless times, and still learn something new every time. I also use his leader formulas, learned a lot about reading water from the book, etc.

He's the real deal and he's as good as people say he is. And a nice guy on top of it.

As for the complaints, I'm no friend of SRC, and they do list him as an honorary member. But I've never once heard him out there talk a bit about them, either in a negative nor positive light, or any light at all. It's not like he's their spokesperson or out selling their product.

I can say that while he's really, really good, he knows he's really good. There's no lack of ego. But it's ego in the friendliest, "I'm awesome, but I want to help you get better" sort of way, which I think is genuine.

Always laughed at the casting pool at the FF shows. There'd be some distance casting instructor ahead of him, with like a 12 foot 8 wt. Slowly working out more and more line with exaggerated technique, and telling you the biggest mistake everyone makes is "pressing the button" with their thumb. Finally hitting the end of the pool and asking everyone to look how far he was really casting with this technique.

Then Joe will step up. While stripping out line to his feet he'd say "this is a 8 ft 4 wt rod". One backcast, picking up all that line, and a short forward snap and he nails the end of the pool, saying "it's all in the thumb". Sticking up his thumb he'll say "this is the key to your kingdom". lol.