Conservation Commons: Poppy Cummins

The Red Shed Fly Shop in Peck, Idaho.

In 1964, Poppy Cummins drove from Bozeman, Montana to Walla Walla, Washington along Highway 12 and fell in love.

The Clearwater River and surrounding landscape took his heart and despite the distance over the coming years, the river never left his mind. In 1985, along with his wife, Poppy finally settled in the Clearwater Basin where, to this day, he calls home.

Poppy will be the first to admit that he never intended to open a fly shop. A trucker at his core, he was happy to work on the road and come home to the river, casting a spey rod into waters full of ocean-run salmon and steelhead. After retiring from his trucking business, he turned to the river that had brought him back to Idaho.

“We had this old hay barn just full of junk, so we made it into a fly shop.”

And just like that, the legendary Red Shed Fly Shop was born.

The Red Shed’s customer base grew over the years until it surpassed international boundaries, anglers across the country and the world eager to fish the famed B-run steelhead on the Clearwater River or purchase a 2-handed rod from Poppy’s shop. When the spey rod sales slowed, Poppy began to make his own cane rods and found many anglers eager to purchase one.

These days, you’d be hard pressed to find a Clearwater angler who doesn’t know Poppy, his small shop and kind demeanor a legend among salmon and steelhead anglers. However, Poppy wonders about the future of the fish and the industry that has shaped his life in Idaho.

“Years ago, there were some runs that were pretty bad but we never paid much attention to it. You’d always at least get a couple strikes when you went out on the water. Lately, the runs have been so bad that the business curve has really gone down. We’re not broke but….”

Poppy’s voice trails as he looks out the door, the Clearwater River a stone’s throw down the road from the front steps of his shop. His deep concern is warranted.

Since the closure of the steelhead season on the Clearwater River this year, surrounding communities are losing approximately $8.6 million dollars every month. Opportunities to fish for steelhead remain on the Salmon River and sections of the Snake, but for anglers who come for the famous fish of the Clearwater, the season has been a devastation.

Despite the circumstances, Poppy and others like him aren’t willing to throw in the towel when things get tough. When asked if he’s in it for the long haul, he doesn’t hesitate.

“Yes. I’m going to keep making my cane rods as long as I can. When my time comes, they’re going to throw me in that riffle right up the road. There are other places I love, but this river is where my life is.”