IN 2006 FOUR OF US COMPLETED THE CALIFORNIA HERITAGE TROUT CHALLENGE, LOOKING FOR ANOTHER CHALLENGE WE DECIDED THIS YEAR TO PURSUE WYOMING'S "CUTT SLAM."

TO ACHIEVE THE CUTT SLAM ONE MUST CATCH WYOMING'S FOUR NATIVE CUTTHROAT SUB-SPECIES IN THEIR NATIVE WATERS.

THE CUTTHROAT WAS THE FIRST NORTH AMERICAN TROUT RECORDED BY EUROPEANS. IN 1545, FRANCISCO de CORONADO'S EXPEDITION CAME ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE CUTTHROAT TROUT IN THE UPPER PECOS RIVER, SOUTH OF PRESENT DAY SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO. THE CUTTHROAT WAS ALSO THE FIRST TROUT ENCOUNTERED BY THE LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION, WHO RECORDED THE WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT TROUT IN 1805 BELOW THE GREAT FALLS OF THE MISSOURI RIVER.

THE FOUR WYOMING SPECIES ARE: BONNEVILLE, SNAKE RIVER, COLORADO RIVER AND YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROATS. EACH HAS IT'S OWN ORIGINAL DRAINAGE WATERS IN THE STATE. FISHING FOR THESE TAKES SOME RESEARCH IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE WATERS THAT WOULD GIVE US THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS. WE CONSULTED PRIOR CUTT SLAM PARTICIPANTS, SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND TALKED WITH WYOMING'S GAME & FISH DEPARTMENT AND THEN DEVELOPED OUR GAME PLAN.

OUR NINE DAY PLAN ALSO GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO FISH SOME OF THE STATE'S WELL KNOWN RIVERS AND STREAMS AS WELL AS A DAY ESPECIALLY SET ASIDE TO DRIFT THE FAMED WIND RIVER CANYON. WE BASICALLY COVERED MUCH OF WESTERN WYOMING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM.

BELOW IS A PHOTO JOURNAL OF OUR ADVENTURE IN THE TIME LINE IT OCCURRED.

THE PARTICIPANTS

ME, CRAIG McMULLEN, JAN HORN & WAYNE HOFER
 

OUR FIRST OBJECTIVE, THE BONNEVILLE CUTTHROAT

WE PLAN ON FISHING THE SMITH'S FORK OF THE BEAR RIVER NORTH OF COKEVILLE, WY

ON THE CLARK RANCH.

THE CLARK RANCH OUR HOST LOWELL CLARK OUR RANCH COTTAGE SMITHS FORK RIVER WAYNE ON THE SMITH
BONNEVILLE CUTT PRETTY SMITHS FORK NICE CUTT OUR WHEELS ANOTHER BONNEVILLE

SUCCESS IS OURS, WE ALL HAVE CAUGHT THE BONNEVILLE CUTTHROAT

OUR 2nd OBJECTIVE, THE SNAKE RIVER CUTTHROAT

OUR PLAN IS FISH THE GREYS RIVER ON OUR WAY TO PINEDALE, WY WITH A POSSIBLE STOP AT LA BARGE CREEK WHERE WE MAY PICKUP A COLORADO CUTT.
 

ON THE WAY TO THE GREYS WATER GOES THREE WAYS START OF GREYS RIVER THE GREYS RIVER
I'M STALKING ONE SNAKE RIVER CUTTHROAT MOOSE CROSSING GREYS ROAD TO LA BARGE IS CLOSED

EVEN THOUGH WE COULD NOT FISH LA BARGE DUE TO THE ROAD CLOSURE, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL GETTING THE SNAKE RIVER CUTT IN THE GREYS RIVER. WE ALSO MADE A BRIEF STOP AT NORTH COTTONWOOD CREEK ATTEMPTING TO FIND THE COLORADO CUTT, BUT NO SUCCESS. SO ON TO PINEDALE FOR THE NIGHT.

OUR NEXT QUARRY IS THE COLORADO RIVER CUTTHROAT

AFTER THE NIGHT IN PINEDALE, WE HEAD SOUTH TO ACCESS LA BARGE CREEK NEAR THE TOWN OF LA BARGE. THIS WAS A SUGGESTION GIVEN TO US BY THE LOCAL FLY SHOP IN PINEDALE AS WE WERE GETTING ANXIOUS AFTER STRIKING OUT ON NORTH COTTONWOOD AND NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS LA BARGE FROM ABOVE.

CONSERVATION SIGN

DINER TRANSPLANT FROM MANHATTAN

AUTHENTIC DINER DECOR

LA BARGE CREEK

COLORADO CUTTHROAT

ANOTHER COLORADO CUTT

WE GOT THE THIRD ONE, THE COLORADO CUTTHROAT FROM LA BARGE CREEK. LA BARGE HAS BEEN A RESTORED PURE STRAIN COLORADO RIVER CUTTHROAT FISHERY, THE FISH ARE NOT AS LARGE AS THE OTHERS WE HAD CAUGHT, BUT WE WERE NOT BE PICKY AT THIS POINT. TOMORROW WE TAKE THE DAY OFF FROM CHASING CUTTHROATS AND WILL DRIFT THE FAMED WIND RIVER CANYON.

OUR FINAL QUEST, THE YELLOWSTONE CUTTHROAT

AFTER A STOP IN CODY, WY WHERE WE GET A TIP ON FISHING THE GREYBULL RIVER FOR THE YELLOWSTONE, WE HEAD THERE, WITH THE PLAN TO FISH SLOUGH CREEK IN THE PARK THE NEXT DAY. THIS GIVES US AT LEAST TWO GOOD POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FOURTH AND FINAL FISH.
 

GREYBULL YELLOWSTONE CUTT

BISON IN THE PARK

SLOUGH CREEK

PRETTY SLOUGH CREEK

WAYNE AFTER HIS YELLOWSTONE

WAYNE DID IT!

SUCCESS FOR ALL FOUR OF US!

WHILE A DIFFERENT TIMES WE WERE NOT SURE WE WOULD ALL MAKE IT, THROUGH PERSEVERANCE AND ASSISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER WE DID IT, AND ALL THOUGH WE SPENT NINE DAYS ON THE TRIP, IT IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO FISH THE MANY WONDERFUL WATERS THIS STATE HOLDS. I WILL BE BACK!