Chuck Yeager & Guide Mike Lawson - One Fly Fishing Contest

Jackson Hole One Fly Fishing Contest • Each year in September, flyfisherman from around the world gather in Jackson Hole Wyoming to participate in one of fly fishing's most unique events. It is a weekend filled with fun, challenges, adventures and of course, the famous Snake River Cutthroat trout.

Give the Cutt-slam a try. • If you want to see some breathtaking country, do a little camping and accomplish something that only around 300 people have done, you might want to give Wyoming’s Cutt-Slam program a try.  This year marks the 10th anniversary of the program that recognizes anglers for catching Wyoming’s four subspecies of cutthroats in their native range. Back in the mid-90s, Wyoming fisheries coordinator, the late Ron Remmick, had an idea to try to bring more public awareness to Wyoming’s cutthroat trout and the management efforts benefitting these fish.  The Cutt-Slam was hatched and a program was developed to recognize anglers for making the effort to catch the Snake River, Bonneville, Colorado River and Yellowstone cutthroat subspecies. 

Fly-Fish-Hooky On The Henry’s Fork • By Reyn Bowman
Growing up, my Dad wasn’t into fishing so in the years before heavy chores began I hid my old hand-me-down fly-fishing rod near the low-lying Ora Bridge between our ranch and where I went to school in the town of Ashton, Idaho. .....................The tiny bridge crosses the Henry’s Fork of the Snake River in the shallow tailwaters, just below the century-old Ashton Power Dam and Reservoir as that North Fork winds its way from the mountains down to a rendezvous on plain 50 miles south and a bit west with the South Fork flowing out of Wyoming.............................I’ve learned as an adult that the the Henry’s Fork including the half mile of riffles and runs just above the Ora Bridge down through the deeper, spring-fed portion a couple of miles downriver to the Vernon Bridge (and even a bit further to the Chester Bridge) reportedly yields some of the best for trout fly-fishing in the world. There is even a lodge now a short distance from there.......................To me it was just convenient...................rest of story

Jackson Hole's Flat Creek • By Scott Sanchez
All of us have waters that have made a special connection to us. Wyoming's Flat Creek is one of mine. Part of the attraction is nostalgic, since this is where I learned the intricacies of spring creek fishing. This stream was my schoolroom for spotting subtle rises, sneaking up on the fish, picking a good imitation, and then presenting a drag-free drift. Flat Creek is also special because its scenic location a few miles north of Jackson, Wyoming, on the National Elk Refuge.........more

Fly-fishers go crazy saving flies • By D Dave Strege
One fly-fisher stripped his clothes off and swam naked into the river to retrieve his fly that got snagged. Another stood on the shoulders of the guide and used pruning shears to cut down the branch where his fly was lodged. A lucky one hooked a big fish that snapped his line, losing fish and fly, only to wait five minutes before the fly somehow dislodged from the trout's mouth and popped to the surface. He netted it — the fly, that is. What would lead a fly-fisher to go to such extremes to save a fly caught in a tree limb or a log in the riverh.................More

Henry's Heaven  • By Jack Ballard
Lake or river -- take your pick. The world-renowned Henry's Fork country of eastern Idaho boasts some of the finest trout fishing in the nation. Who's Henry? That's the question that kept buzzing through my head the first time I motored through a mesmerizing mountain valley just southwest of Yellowstone National Park. The name seems to be ubiquitous in eastern Idaho, with landmarks such as Henry's Lake and the Henry's Fork of the Snake River...............................more

Fishing Henry's Fork of Island Park • By Ben Arellano
Fly Fishing the rivers and lakes around Island Park is an experience that an angler seldom forgets. The spring fed tributaries, creates an ideal situation for enjoyable and unparalleled fly fishing. Not only will you experience the exceptional fly fishing of this area, but you are surrounded with the beauty of the Targhee National Forest, the wildlife and history of people and the life they lived. ...........................more

Fishing The Famous South Fork of the Snake River • By Ben Arellano
It is between the Henry's Fork confluence and Palisades Dam that the South Fork is known as one of the finest dry fly rivers in North America. All of the Fish in the South Fork are wild and fish between eight and sixteen inches must be released because they are the prime breeders. The South Fork typically becomes fishable for the fly fisher sometime between the first week of July and the middle of July, depending on the spring run off. This year (2001)  the run off was for a very short period, thus fly fishing was productive in the middle of June. 

Yellowstone National Park and surrounding waters offer world-class fly-fishing- a fly-fisher's nirvana • By Dave Strege
WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONT. – A bartender in town gave a hint as to the essence of West Yellowstone on the fishing landscape." There's as many fly shops here as bars, and we're a hard-drinking town," quipped Thor from behind the bar at The Gusher. West Yellowstone is a town of fewer than 1,000 residents yet features six fly-fishing shops, evidence supporting the claim this is the mecca of fly-fishing. Each year, more than 50,000 anglers drop a line in 220 lakes and 1,000 streams that make up 2,650 miles of running water - and that's just in Yellowstone National Park.........more

Follow the bugs to a good day of fishing for trout • by Chester Allen
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — The noon sun blasted down and through the gin-clear water of the small meadow stream.Long strands of water weeds twisted like big, green snakes in the gentle current, and you could see every pebble and rock on the bottom. Not one trout was in sight. But they were there —..........................more

Fishing Yellowstone • By Daniel D. Lamoreux
With a bit of research and boot leather, you can escape the crowds that invade Yellowstone National Park each summer and catch trout that rarely ever see humans.....................................Roughly 3 million people visit Yellowstone National Park each year. While that number may seem staggering, the reality is that its piscatorial treasures are often underestimated and usually overlooked...................................Fewer than three of every 100 people who enter the park buy a fishing permit, and not all of those bother to go fishing. And more than 97 percent of the caught fish are released to fight another day......................................more

Fly fishing Backcountry Yellowstone • By Mark D. Williams
Don't let Yellowstone National Park's 3 million visitors spoil your idea of high-elevation trout fishing. There's a virtual fishing paradise just a short hike away from all those crowds..............................You would think that with over 2.2 million acres and 1,000 miles of rivers, there wouldn't be any crowded water. But most anglers fish near access points, road crossings, parking lots, campgrounds, bridges, anywhere a river parallels road.........................more

The Yellowstone River • The Yellowstone River drainage hosts exceptional scenery and some of the most diverse wildlife on earth. You can see elk, bison, grizzlies, moose, majestic mountains, canyons and waterfalls. And is a world-renowned trout-fishing destination. It begins in the Teton Wilderness in northwest Wyoming’s rugged Absoraka Mountains 671 miles upstream from the confluence with the Missouri, from here the Yellowstone winds unencumbered by dams all the way to South Dakota's rolling prairies. The upper Yellowstone is pretty much as it always has been, and is being managed by Yellowstone Park and Montana Game and Fish for the welfare of the fish and wildlife that live around it. This has preserved one of the best trout rivers, outside of Alaska or Canada. Winding through Yellowstone Park and into Montana to the town of Big Timber, the famous trout water of the Yellowstone flows for nearly 250 miles. ---------------------> More......

Gardiner River • Rising on the northeast slope of Joseph Peak in the northwest corner of Yellowstone Park the Gardiner River is born. The river starts at 10,000 feet. By the time it reaches the northwest corner of Gardner's Hole it has been joined by several other icy small streams. After it reaches Gardner's Hole, Fawn, Panther, Indian and Obsidian creeks join it. All are small, winding, willow lined, clear and cold, and all host numbers of brook and rainbow trout. The streams of Gardner's Hole are the only ones in the Park that may be fished with worms-but only by children twelve years and under.  Twenty miles from its source from where it passes under the Norris-Mammoth road bridge, there is a mile or so of very pleasant water. But proceed with caution as the walls of the canyon steadily constricts the river, bank fishing becomes tough and wading becomes risky. The river becomes a torrent and soon drops over 150 foot Osprey Falls, and the even steeper canyon below. It is dangerous to continue.-------------> More

The Firehole River   • The Firehole River is one of two major tributaries of the Madison River. It flows north approximately 21 miles from its source in Madison Lake on the Continental Divide to join the Gibbon River at Madison Junction in Yellowstone National Park. The Firehole flows through several significant geyser basins in the park to include the Upper Geyser Basin, which contains the world-famous geyser Old Faithful. Early trappers for the steam that makes it appear to be smoking as if on fire named the river.-------------------------------------> more

Lamar River • The Lamar River is the largest tributary of Yellowstone River within Yellowstone National Park. We are fortunate not to have to use the full moniker, Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, of the Secretary of the Interior for whom the river is named. It originates in the high peaks, steep ridges, U-shaped valleys of the Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains and it is approximately 40 miles long. Large herds of Bison and Elk lazily graze along the river in the Lamar Valley. Wolves can even occasionally be spotted if you are an early riser or get lucky in the evening and it is one of the best places in Yellowstone to spot Grizzlies. The Upper Lamar River is another tremendous cutthroat fishery. The main river along with tributaries such as Cache, Miller and Cold creeks fish very well with dry flies for 12"-18" cutthroats. As with all of backcountry trips the wildlife, wildflowers and scenery are tremendous. wolves, grizzly bears, elk, bison, deer and moose are among some of the wildlife you may encounter in this area of the park. -----------------------> More

The Lewis River • The Lewis River is a tributary of the Snake River and is a popular destination for Yellowstone backcountry travelers, fishermen, and campers. The entire course of the river is located within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming about 70 miles north of Jackson Hole. The river is named for Meriwether Lewis, commander of the Lewis and Clark Expedition though Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery never saw Yellowstone. The Lewis River begins at the southern end of Shoshone Lake and flows southerly approximately 3 miles to Lewis Lake; here the river is called the Lewis River Channel. The river reemerges at the southern end of Lewis Lake and flows in a general southerly direction through a steep canyon roughly paralleling the south entrance road toward the south entrance of the park. Shortly before leaving the park, the Lewis River merges with the Snake River just north of Flagg Ranch, changing its course southward. The Snake soon flows out of Yellowstone into Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Lake ------------------------------------- > more

Gibbon River • The Gibbon River begins its short journey into the Madison in the center of Yellowstone National Park, at Grebe Lake from there It flows for a short distance into Wolf Lake. Upon its exit from Wolf Lake, the Gibbon River twists and turns through narrow canyons and great meadows and thermal areas until meeting with the Firehole River for the genies of the Madison River. The upper section of Gibbon River has very difficult access, not much volume and involving bushwhacking through difficult terrain. You will catch brook trout, cutthroat trout and grayling, all on the small side, rarely exceeding 10 inches. But the difficulty is worth it for the opportunity to catch grayling, as they require the cleanest of waters.-----------------------------> more

Grand Teton National Park Grand Teton National Park's Snake River • The source of the mighty Snake River is in Yellowstone National Park, from there it flows past Flagg Ranch south through the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway, and into postcard perfect Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. Below Jackson Lake Dam, the river meanders through Grand Teton National Park. Above the river to the west, the Grand Teton mountains rise suddenly, with no foothills to soften their dramatic rise to the sky. These are mountains the way we always expect mountains to look, The snowcapped, Grand Tetons are America's quintessential mountain range, rearing up with sawtooth like exaggeration crowned by the 13,770-foot Grand Teton. More.......

Jackson Hole Wyoming's Snake River • The Snake River as it leaves Grand Teton National Park is equally as breathtaking as it is as it flows through the Park but allows you to see the Grand Teton Mountain Range from different angles and vantage points. This escarpment of perpendicular granite is awesome no mater which angle you view it from. There also good views of the Sleeping Indian in the Gros Ventre Mountains to the east. More.......

Snake River Canyon • A blue sky overhead hosts a few cumulous clouds, the towering Snake River Range overwhelms you on the right but the majestic Wyoming Range balances it on the left, an osprey plucks an unsuspecting trout from its watery home with a quick swoop from the sky and some handy work with it's talons. You can count your blessings when you're floating down the mighty Snake River that divides these two mountain ranges here in the bottom of Wyoming's Snake River Canyon. The Snake River is a gorgeous ribbon of blue, green and white that comes alive and deposits itself in you face on a regular basis in this imposing canyon where towering spruce, pine and fir trees wear rags of moss and bald eagles perch watching the parade of kayakers, fishermen and rafters float by. More...........

The Gros Ventre River • The Gros Ventre River (pronounced 'grow-vont') flows from it's headwaters in the Gros Ventre Wilderness which forms much of the eastern boundary of Jackson Hole and lies mostly to the south of the river. The Gros Ventre is a swift medium-sized freestone river providing plentiful pocketwater, runs and pools. There are not many riffles on the Gros Venture. The River contains expansive open terrain with exposed sedimentary rock layers of many colors, cliff bands, dense forest, and narrow canyons. In places the color scheme of this beautiful river valley resembles the southwest. The river alternates between a broad cottonwood-lined bottom and narrow canyons. Views of the Grand Tetons Range are spectacular. It is a beautiful, undeveloped region with abundant wildlife. The Gros Ventre River is home to the Snake River Fine-spotted Cutthroat Trout, and whitefish. Brookies are in some of the tributaries of the upper Gros Ventre drainage. Early season kayaking is classic, the fishing is remarkable, and photographers will have no shortage of subject matter. More......

The Salt River  •  The Salt River is a small river that originates on the western slope of the Salt River Mountain Range just south of the town of Afton. It flows north through scenic Star Valley Wyoming between the Salt River Range of Wyoming and the Caribou Range of Idaho into Palisades Reservoir at its confluence with the Snake River. On it's way it meanders through miles of ranch land until it reaches on Idaho-Wyoming border. The Salt River is home to Brown, Rainbow, Brook and Snake River Fine Spotted Cutthroat and Trout. The Salt is a flat-water river but does offer scenic canoe, kayak, rafting and tubing floats.------------------------≥ More......

The Green River • The Green River a major tributary of the great Colorado River system, it is born from the glacier melt water high in the Wind River Mountains, it dumps from the glaciers into a pair of large scenic lakes in the northern region of the Winds and emerges suddenly as a fast-flowing, freestone river with a deep emerald color which appropriately gives the Green its name. From Green River Lakes, it runs 730 miles to join the Colorado deep in Utah's Canyonlands National Park, passing through Flaming Gorge Canyon along the way. The Green River joins the Colorado River to form the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Beginning in the Bridger-Teton National Forest at Green River Lakes, one of the prettiest places on earth, the river makes a big bend and then turns south before entering private property. Unpaved National Forest roads skirt the river and afford many places along this 20-mile stretch to fish, watch wildlife, and enjoy the sound of tumbling water. --------> More

The Wind River  • The Wind River is the name for the upper reaches of the Bighorn River in Wyoming. As the story goes, a miscommunication between 19th century explorers led to the portion of the river that enters the Wind River Canyon to  be  named the Wind River, while the one that exits the canyon is called the Big Horn River. The Wind River begins its journey in the icy waters of Wind River Lake and Brooks Lake at the top of Togwotee Pass in the Absaroka Mountains. Glacier fed creeks pour into it from the glacier studded Wind River Range, Dunior, Horse Creek and the East Fork of the Wind River just east of Dubois all which drain the southern Absaroka Range join it before it hits the desert of the Wind River Indian Reservation. It flows southeastward, across the Shoshone Basin and the Wind River Indian Reservation and joins the Little Wind River near Riverton. It then veers northward then is temporarily tamed at the juncture of the Owl Creek Mountains, where the river is dammed to form Boysen Reservoir, the Wind River officially becomes the Bighorn River at the Wedding of the Waters, on the north side of the Wind River Canyon.---------------------------> More

The Greys River • The Grey's River is located just east of the Idaho/Wyoming border near Alpine, Wyoming. The river is about 55 miles long and flows into Palisades Reservoir. The Grey's River area is considered by many northwest Wyoming locals to be a one of their favorite multiple use playgrounds, the river offers great trout fishing, kayaking, rafting and canoeing and there are many access points along the road to access the river. The towering Salt River Range to the west and the matching Wyoming Range to the east, both hosting several peaks that reach above 11,000 feet in elevation, this results in an awesome place to be. The surrounding mountains and their many canyons offer OHVing, horseback riding, hiking, and trophy elk and deer hunting with many Boon and Crocket records to prove it. This mountain valley is alive with the sweet smell of wildflowers, the green forest floor is shared with yellow Balsamroot, red Indian Paintbrush Yellow Arrowleaf, and purple Fireweed. More..........

Hoback River • Twelve miles south of Jackson you will find the Hoback River which is one of the more accessible rivers in the Jackson Hole, Yellowstone region. Highway 191 parallels it the river most of the Hoback's length from the confluence with the Snake River to about five miles south of the town of Bondurant where the river turns west into the Wyoming Range. Much of the lower section is private land but there are several access points and patches of national forest and BLM land, which provides access points. Here there isn’t a lot of drop but there are several good waves and fishing holes. During the spring, winter and late fall you can often see Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep on the cliffs by Camp Creek Inn.-------------------------------------> more

The Greybull River • The Greybull River south of Cody Wyoming runs through some of the most remote backcountry in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The river rises near Francs Peak in the Absaroka Mountains in the southwest corner of the Big Horn Basin. The Wood River, which drains a part of the Absaroka Mountains to the south, joins it west of Meeteetse, continuing through the southern parts of Park County and Big Horn County before flowing into the Big Horn River near Greybull. Along its 90-mile corridor, water travels from snow-capped peaks in the Absaroka Mountains to sagebrush flats and prairie at its confluence with the Bighorn River.------------------------------------- > more

Clarks Fork Of The Yellowstone River • The Clarks Fork is a tributary of the Yellowstone River, flowing southeast through Montana, and Wyoming. It carves a path from the Beartooth Mountains in the north to the Absaroka Range this river is famous for its recreational opportunities and breath-taking views. It is in the northwest corner of Wyoming adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. Originating in the high mountain peaks close to the Montana/Wyoming border at the western end of the Beartooth All-American Road, The Upper Clarks Fork headwaters are near the town of Cooke City, Montana, some 12 miles north of the Wyoming border. The Upper Clark’s Fork of the Yellowstone River parallels the highway for seventeen breathtaking miles which facilitate easy access.-------------------------------------> more

Shoshone River • The Shoshone River is a northern Wyoming river whose headwaters are in Yellowstone National Park, and is a heavily traveled corridor for people visiting Yellowstone Park via the east entrance of Yellowstone. The Shoshone River here has been rated among the top ten freestone trout fisheries in the Rocky Mountains. Teddy Roosevelt once called the North Fork corridor the most scenic 50 miles of land in America. Cities it runs near or through are Cody, Powell, and Byron It ends when it runs into the Big Horn River near Lovell, Wyoming. The Shoshone River combines all the streams, rivers, and waterways to create the main eastern drainage of Yellowstone National Park. The scenic vistas of Red Rock Canyon and Lower Canyon are sure to have you looking back in time. It runs through a volcanically active region of fumaroles known as Coulter’s Hell. This contributed to the river being named on old maps of Wyoming as the Stinking Water River.----------------------------------------> More

South Fork of the Snake River • The South Fork of the Snake is in southeastern Idaho close to the Wyoming border. The South Fork begins as it flows out of 20 mile long Palisades Reservoir in the community of Swan Valley, forming a 64-mile stretch of legendary tail-water fly-fishing. The South Fork is also a beautiful river for flat water rafting, canoeing and kayaking. If you float this river in a canoe know what you are doing as it is big water and its flat-water appearance can fool you to its dangers. More.........

The Henry's Fork • The Henry's Fork of the Snake River, located in eastern Idaho, is one of the most famous trout streams in all of the United States. It's legendary hatches and abundant large wild rainbow trout make the Henry's Fork one of America's top fly-fishing destinations. The river flows for approximately 150 miles and within its journey passes some of the more classic dry fly water in the United States. Gentle flowing meadowland, pocket water, and spring creek like sections make up much of this legendary fishery made popular by Avril Harriman the railroad man. The Henry's Fork of the Snake is a spectacular river and fishery. Anglers come from all over the world to this river to fish its diverse and productive waters. More........

The Fall River • Tucked in the southwest corner of Yellowstone National Park, the Falls River basin is truly a fisherman's and waterfall lover's paradise. The Fall River is aptly named because of the many waterfalls along its tributaries. This is the major river that drains the Cascade Corner, of Yellowstone Park. The four major streams in the Fall River drainage are the Belcher River, Boundary Creek, Mountain Ash creek and of course the Fall River. They begin on the Madison and Pitchstone plateaus and they carve canyons across Yellowstone Park's southwest corner. Some of Yellowstone's most beautiful waterfalls are in this area. As the runoff of many creeks drop off the Madison and Pitchstone Plateaus, many waterfalls are formed. With nearly 80 inches of annual precipitation, the Falls River drainage is one of the wettest portions of Yellowstone National Park. The Falls River is a backpacking, fisherman, and photographer's nirvana. More......

The Teton River  • The Teton River begins its journey to the Columbia in the upper reaches of postcard perfect Teton Valley. Much of this mountain valley is pasture, grain and potato fields, and open range bordered by the forested hills of the Big Hole Mountains and the famous peaks of the Grand Teton Range. The rugged peaks of the Tetons and the forested hillsides of the Big Hole's stand in stark contrast to each other, this diversity adds character to the Teton River Valley. The upper Teton River is a meandering spring creek that is a fly-fishing nirvana. Huge rainbow and cutthroat trout live throughout the entire river. This is a dry fly paradise! Mayfly hatches are prolific and often there will be four or five different hatches at the same time. The Narrows (the lower Teton) has all the adrenaline rush attributes of any class IV and V whitewater river. The Teton River is a diverse waterway providing the gamut from tubing to world class whitewater and trout fishing. More......

The Gallatin River • The Gallatin River of southwestern Montana is a beautiful freestone trout stream that doubles as a whitewater adventure destination, it is an amazingly scenic The Gallatin is a well-known, easily accessible, and heavily fished, trout stream that, despite those pitfalls, offers three species of trout that eagerly take dry flies and nymphs in one of the most beautiful and rugged portions of Montana. The Gallatin has 120 miles of appealing trout water, including a delicate upper portion that flows through lush meadows, a roily middle section that cuts through a spectacular, heavily forested canyon, and a lower stretch that twists across a broad valley before meeting the Jefferson and Madison rivers at Three Forks. Parts of the movie A River Runs Through It were filmed on the Gallatin. The River winds through high alpine meadows, dropping into the rocky Gallatin Canyon, and flowing out into the Gallatin Valley. It is also known as a blue-ribbon trout water. It is a tremendous asset to the communities of Bozeman, Big Sky and West Yellowstone.--------------------------> More

Madison River • The legendary trout waters of the Madison River originate at Madison Junction inYellowstone National Park where the Gibbon and Firehole come together to form the Madison. It was here in late summer of 1870 in what is known as National Park Meadows that the Langford-Washburn-Doane expedition conceived making Yellowstone a national park. It's logical to think that the river's origin in the high plateau region of Yellowstone Park, which is notoriously cold, would keep the river cold, however, the Madison and its upper tributaries run right through the most thermally active region in the United States, the water temperature on most sections of the river is remarkably warm for a high mountain river, often more than seventy degrees in the summer. Despite its high, mountain environment, which usually leads to low nutrient content, the Madison has an amazingly high nutrient level fostering great fishing. ................... More