Joe Humphreys, Fairy Tale! To you Pal!

[maxima12]

Joe, I guess this started way before me, a athlete you were and a wrestling Madman! Then, a vision came about, like a bolt of lightning, Fish!, all about fish! And more, conservation, teaching, involvement in youth, old, big and small! George, the love between you pals, it always showed! Love of the old lore, like so many brothers before us! You know the names, so do I, Champions to say the least! My blessings to you for all those long hours, putting fly on the worldwide map! Fly, naturally means more. I still can not figure how you got more out of more! Yeah! I saw you a couple months ago, on Spring Creek, with about 30 to 35 students. I wanted to stop and give you leaders for all but the traffic was terrible. Now let us talk a little more!

Fairy Tale, Wow, the truth! I know you feel the same, what a pure pleasure to help and be a part of the biggest gift man has to offer!
The true meaning and art of fishing. Everyone can do it! Beautiful day, beautiful cast, beautiful fish! I am sure you and me think alike
Love the inexperienced, we give the experience of a lifetime. You get it, good friend! The first fish on a fly rod! Well that never goes away in a lifetime.

The Fairy Tale, Joe, you lived it and I followed too! How lucky we were! I will throw this in, as I just thought of it. Show tickets, why not a Humphrey hand tied leader, with the Ticket in a 3x4 bag. With all the Décor. Joe, you know me, The best, leader dude anywhere! World is small, you will find me if interested!

Maxima12.

 

[ztroutman]

I have been hesitant to share this with all hype around Joe’s movie but, years ago (90’s) when I was guiding for The Yellow Breeches House, Joe and Ed had their fly fishing school at Allenberry. One day I was guiding a woman and we were fishing the first big hole just below where the Run comes in. It was the middle of summer and water was low, hence why we were fishing upstream from Allenberry. Also, it was unspoken, we stayed out of Allenberry out of respect to the fly fishing school. I happened to look up and downstream and here comes Joe. Excited, I quickly shared with my client Joe’s contributions to fly fishing. Well, he walked right up behind us, no etiquette to walk around us. He looks at her, then looks at me and asks if I was a guide. I said yes, and he said well that’s a damn shame. Then he had the gall to ask if he could fish the hole we were in. I said no and he was pissed, mumbled under his breath something about guiding women and how they didn’t belong on the stream. I could not believe it! He proceeded to splash his way above us and plant himself above us. The woman I was guiding was really upset and gave him a piece of her mind which he just ignored. I went home that evening and packed his books in a box and put it in my basement. He might be a great influence in the sport but that day he did not represent himself or the sport.

 

[ColdBore]

Without bothering with details that others will dispute and try to distort, let's just say that I'm in the same boat as ztroutman.

I've met and fished around Joe. I was less than underwhelmed, and just shake my head at the hero worship exhibited, mostly by those with no firsthand experience.

That's my personal perspective, others are welcome to see things differently.

 

[lestrout]

Slings and arrows, but Joe is sure a master with that bow'n arrow cast.

 

[dryflyguy]

lestrout wrote:
Slings and arrows, but Joe is sure a master with that bow'n arrow cast.

Yeah - I bought Joe's video on fishing small streams years ago.
And it certainly helped me out for my forays into tight, brushy streams.

I also ran into Joe on spring creek once.
And he certainly seemed like a nice fella.

 

[troutbert]

If you want to send Joe a message, write him a letter and put it in the mail.

 

[Prospector]

ztroutman wrote:
I have been hesitant to share this with all hype around Joe’s movie but, years ago (90’s) when I was guiding for The Yellow Breeches House, Joe and Ed had their fly fishing school at Allenberry. One day I was guiding a woman and we were fishing the first big hole just below where the Run comes in. It was the middle of summer and water was low, hence why we were fishing upstream from Allenberry. Also, it was unspoken, we stayed out of Allenberry out of respect to the fly fishing school. I happened to look up and downstream and here comes Joe. Excited, I quickly shared with my client Joe’s contributions to fly fishing. Well, he walked right up behind us, no etiquette to walk around us. He looks at her, then looks at me and asks if I was a guide. I said yes, and he said well that’s a damn shame. Then he had the gall to ask if he could fish the hole we were in. I said no and he was pissed, mumbled under his breath something about guiding women and how they didn’t belong on the stream. I could not believe it! He proceeded to splash his way above us and plant himself above us. The woman I was guiding was really upset and gave him a piece of her mind which he just ignored. I went home that evening and packed his books in a box and put it in my basement. He might be a great influence in the sport but that day he did not represent himself or the sport.

+1 and I wasn’t a guide

 

[larkmark]

the man the myth the legend
Didn't he once catch a huge one out of Big Fishing Creek? I believe he used nightcrawlers?

 

[Dave_W]

larkmark wrote:
the man the myth the legend
Didn't he once catch a huge one out of Big Fishing Creek? I believe he used nightcrawlers?

Yes, but not on a worm.
This was a nighttime fly caught brown trout back in the 1970s. It was the state record for many years and is still - to my knowledge - the largest fly caught brown trout in the state.

 

[Dave_W]

I've had many encounters with Joe, including at Allenberry back in the 80s. He was always nice to me and I enjoyed the time I got to fish with and near him (one time at Allenberry I even out-fished him)

One of my regrets is that as a student at PSU back in the day that I did not enroll in his FFing course. Frankly, I thought I was too advanced to get anything out of the class (my gosh how stupid we could be when we were young.)

 

[acesedgley]

I have an autograph from him chiding me for not taking the class when I was at PSU. HE was always nice to me when we talked at shows, never met on the stream.

 

[Bamboozle]

I've drank with Joe on a few occasions which is where I make my serious evaluations of most folks.

Joe measured up just fine and fishing never came up. Maybe because I was never into the hero worship thing.

 

[jifigz]

You're the best leader guy? Maxi, mail me a few. I'll forever love you. P.S. your favorite leader admirer.

 

[maxima12]

Back to this guy Joe H., I find it rude and inconsiderate to post a bad vibe about something you may feel true but the rest have no idea because we weren't there. A good "ol boy", made it! Be Pa. proud! Be supportive, Be willing to accept the "Big Picture". Yes, I studied Homewaters Club. After I got the emotions and envy out of the way, I looked at it, this way! As follows:


Most will never have a opportunity, to get a taste or smell! I know I will never! Personalities, Figureheads, Diplomats, Blue Bloods, Wealthy, Athlete's, etc. How many would crowd a stream, knowing a very special person was coming? How many would come to say bad things? Although some great people, do like a cooked fish streamside, it's not what they want every day. If I was rich, sure I would have a spam sandwich with you, today but tonight I want crab, lobster, cold wine and maybe a little Bachman Turner Overdrive!


Be generous in your support of a "Fly Brother". I can't do it, you cant too! When I see this "Old boy now", I wonder how he keeps the steam rolling. Many a good man came down the pipeline and many a good man had the best respect for "Old Joe".

Most men get it done but I feel "Joe" got the job done, "worldwide".

Very pleased in life to have met this fine gentleman!

Maxima12

 

[maxima12]

A few errors in last post, commas, etc. Remember this, I don't write for you, I write for me and my feelings at the time! Follow or discard,

Maxima12

 

[dc410]

I’m very glad I took the opportunity to take Joe’s flyfishing class (one of the last ones he did) in the late 80’s at PSU. I was learning a lot about flyfishing at that time and soaked up a lot of information that I still use to this day from Joe. I got the opportunity to fish with him on Spring Creek and he cleaned up that day on wet flies as we worked the riffles side by side. I still remember his casting cadence that he used when teaching us casting “Boalsburg ... is a great place ... to live”. I enjoyed the chance to meet him, fish with him and learn from him.

Dave W., my biggest screw up was never looking you up after we both got up to University Park. Imagine the fun we could have had tearing up central PA’s classic limestoners together for those few years. Different time back then with no cell phones and social media. Dang!!

 

[OrangeCahill]

Having known Joe for over 40 years this seems completely out of character, I really don't know what to make of this

Note; this is in response to ztroutmans story, not sure how quotes work here

 

[greenghost]

I took Joe's class in the early 80s at PSU. He's the one who got me going on flyfishing. One hell of a great teacher... not just his technical knowledge, but his passion for the sport transfers to his students.

As a person, I have no idea what's he's like. Though I've met him a few times since PSU and he's always been very nice. I've heard stories about him on campus, but they were just stories.

Look, nobody's perfect. Every person on this planet has flaws. But I suspect when you look at the sum of his life, Joe's positives far outweigh the negatives.

And he is one hell of a fly fisherman.

 

[FarmerDave]

I don't know him, but know of him and I was thinking the same thing.

Everyone has a bad day from time to time ... except me of course.;-)

 

[huntfish]

I took the PSU "master" FF class in 2016. Joe came and helped out many times. Everyone in the class participated in a program where we were matched with one minority student each, that had 0 fishing experience and we taught them how to fly fish--this was organized by Joe and he taught the casting part of the class. We then went to Spruce Creek and fished the Evergreen Farms stretch with our mentee; Joe was there helping at all times. He was very inclusive to every student in that class as well as the minority mentee student we were paired with--whether male or female. My mentee was a female and she caught a monster brown, Joe was amped up for her. Ztroutmans story blows my mind that he would do that..