Cutty Water

I suppose everyone who fishes for trout has a favorite fish.  They may tell you they like the ones that are eating, especially the big ones, but deep down, they have a favorite species, and I am no different.
For me, it's the cutthroat.  Colorful, lovers of purple, and drawn to the most beautiful places on earth- those are the common traits we share.  At times frustratingly indecisive and skittish yet conversely, they can demonstrate remarkable aggression and power.  Depending on who you ask, they may tell you cutthroat and I share those traits as well (are all cutthroats Libras like me?)

I think another reason I love them so much is because my first time targeting them was so special.  I have only been fly fishing for about two and a half years now, but two summers ago, Shaun and I took off to Idaho for some backcountry fishing.  I didn't really know much about cutties, but I love backpacking and was growing to love fishing as well.  We set out on the dusty trail, the river carving along steep canyon walls on both sides, the summer wildflowers long gone in this late August heat.  We gained and lost ground, moving both closer and farther from the river, occasionally finding a reprieve from the heat in a small clump of trees.  From the high vantage points, we could see down on the river, not quite a bird's eye view, but sufficient enough to notice just how pristine and clear the water was- we could see straight to the river stones, even in the deeper pools.  We hiked probably four miles and found a secluded campsite near the banks of the river, shrouded in tree cover for shade (you should never camp directly on a body of water for many reasons- if you have questions, ask). We settled into the familiar routine known to all backpackers: set up the tent, hang the bear bag, eat a snack, etc.  It was nearing evening now, so we decided to go ahead and have dinner, which we cooked on the river bank, well away from our tent (grizzly territory), before hanging the bag again and deciding to try our hand at some fishing.  In the summer, we wet wade which means no waders, no boots, just shoes/sandals and whatever clothes you are wearing.  In extreme heat, the cold mountain streams are refreshing, and in the early mornings, they are chilling!  This evening however, it was an even more welcome treat since our feet were tired from walking.

Camp is all set up, now it's time to fish 

Some of the views along the way

Late evening catches

Such beautiful fish

One thing about cutties is they have smaller mouths than say a rainbow or brown or brook trout, so it's easier to miss the take because they don't get the fly in their mouths, so instead of instantly trying to set the hook, you have to pause, just slightly, to make sure.  So much of the instinct of fishing is reacting quickly to a take, but with cutties, you have to finesse it just a little more, which I like, but it can be frustrating, and as someone who hadn't fished dry flies much at that point, I was worried I wouldn't even know what was happening.  In truth, I didn't at first, but after a few misses, I hooked and landed my first ever wild cutthroat trout.  Nothing special size wise, but what a beautiful fish.  Sparsely spotted along its belly which is a blushing color, the spots grow denser as you move toward the tail, and of course, there is the characteristic slit under its mouth, hence the name.  I have no idea what it is for.  To my knowledge there is no evolutionary benefit of the cut, but aesthetically, it just sets them apart so beautifully from other fish.  We caught tons of fish that weekend, and the striking beauty of those fish had me all in on catching more.

This is the fish that accelerated my fishing journey

Wet wading on a cold August morning calls for winter clothes and summer shoes

Fast forward a bit, and Shaun and I were engulfed in our year long travel adventure.  When there is time, and even when there isn't, a place I always want to go is Jackson.  I know, I know.  Jackson, Wyoming- home to billionaires who drove the millionaires out of town.  Jackson, full of opulent homesites that sit empty for most of the year except when the socialites and oil money owners decide it's cool to be seen there.  Jackson, where people pay $600 a month to park a van or pitch a tent on a concrete pad with no water or electricity hook-ups.  Jackson encompasses so much of what is wrong in this country- where the income discrepancy among residents is unreckonable, where rich, white people vote in support of harsh immigration policies despite the fact their town would absolutely collapse without undocumented workers.  But the thing about Jackson is, if so many people on the wrong side of the income gap endure such ridiculous living conditions, it must be friggin worth it, right?  To me, the answer is a resounding yes.  I've been lucky to visit numerous mountain ranges all over the world, and Tetons captured my heart the first time I ever laid eyes on them and essentially wove themselves into my soul, never to depart.  And the fishing, oh the fishing- the Snake, Hoback, and Gross Ventre rivers are unrivaled in their scenery. Nestled in the shadow of the Tetons, each river has been very generous to us, yielding numerous and sizable Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout and the always coveted solitude.  From moose and otter sightings to wolf prints and elk skeletons, the mountain views aren't the only things that have kept our attention over the years.  

My favorite kind of Jackson local

There's a lot less river traffic when you fish the Snake in April

And the fish still eat

But fishing in late summer, early fall is something special

The biggest cutthroat I've caught in Wyoming was on the Gros Ventre 

I could barely hold it

Difficult to beat this backdrop

Great fishing on the Hoback River as well

I had become a more seasoned fisherwoman, catching more fish and becoming more okay with losing them knowing I could always catch more, which I believe is a natural progression in both maturity and experience.  I think that pretty much applies to fishing and to life.  If I go hiking, and the weather is not what I expected, maybe the views are obscured, am I disappointed?  Of course, but is it the end of the world?  No.  Sounds simple, but that perspective has eluded me much of my life.  Basically, the fishing had become less about the fish and more about the experience, and while the fish are certainly part of that and can enhance that, it wasn't an all or nothing deal anymore.  I've had plenty of wonderful days catching very few or even zero fish, and I'm okay with that most of the time.

Salmon River

Sometimes you hike a long way looking for fish 

And sometimes there isn't even a trail to get down, just an outlet stream

Wildflowers, outnumbered only by mosquitoes

Thankful for GPS devices that lead us here

Yellowstone Cutthroat in the high alpine

The best way to see Yellowstone isn't from your car

The further you walk, the fewer people you see

And the people you do see are awesome

Total relaxation

For reference, I wear a size 8.5

Always make time for good times

Between the two of us we caught one fish this day, and it was one of my favorites 

Fishing was cut short this day by hail, thunder, and lightning.  We also got to see first hand how a herd of bison reacts to a thunderstorm.  Not great but certainly memorable.

Fun backcountry finds

Sometimes you are being watched

And sometimes you do the watching

High on our fishing wishlist was heading up to Alberta to fish for cutties in the shadow of the Canadian Rockies.  The Bow River is the most famous, but we chose different options, lesser known to non-natives, but still extremely viable fisheries.  The Rockies themselves are something else, and if you can believe it, the Canadian Rockies are seemingly more grandiose and awe-inspiring than their neighbors to the south.  The people who think everything is bigger in Texas have never been to Alberta.  Here you can really visualize violent tectonic collisions forcing the earth upward, creating these unique formations that characterize the region.

Everyone should see the Canadian Rockies

So much beauty in all seasons

Make sense?

Oh, and the water isn't bad either!  Some of the clearest and cleanest habitat I have ever seen- perfect cutty water.  Cold, highly oxygenated mountain streams with large pools, abundant riffles, and more than adequate cover to protect these wild fish.  Habitat destruction is an issue that plagues so many wild species across the animal kingdom, and the cutthroat are not exempt.  Westslope cutthroat (abundant in our region) have disappeared in 94% of their native range according to US Fish and Wildlife (https://www.fws.gov/fisheries/freshwater-fish-of-america/westslope_cutthroat_trout.html). That is staggering information but unfortunately, not surprising.  Not to give Canada a free pass on environmental issues (looking at you, Trudeau, private Canadian mining companies tearing up South America, and the pipelines, I could go on), but if one wasn't plugged in to the situation, it would be difficult to discern any threat to wild cutthroat based on the waters around Alberta, specifically Kananaskis Country.  We concentrated our efforts on the Oldman River primarily and found abundant, healthy, and willing fish.  While it always feels good to put a fish in the net, I found myself more often than not, marveling at the environment in which they live as much or more than I was that characteristic cut under the mouth that first drew me to this species just the summer before.  Bushwhacking through grizzly country, climbing down ropes to reach waters deep within remote canyons, and finding the holy grail of accessibility to this river was every bit as memorable to me as the several 20" fish we caught.  Fishing in wind gusts of over 50 mph and having the fish still feeding like crazy, the deep runnels holding tons insect bearing moss causing the water to appear deep emerald, and the feeling of being uniquely enclosed in this natural world of canyons and pristine streams is what I love.  This is cutty water.

This is cutty water!!!

I like long walks on the beach

This was such a windy day, but the fish didn't notice

Long, peaceful walks in

Taking time to appreciate the surroundings

This was the easy way down

Great times here

Hard to believe wildfires were raging all across the country at the time this was taken 

Healthy cutties 

This is worth protecting

These fish are special

If you are interested in learning more about the numerous strains of cutthroat trout, here is a good summary:
https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/cutthroat-101/7712788
If you are interested in learning more about the conservation and recovery efforts of Yellowstone Cutthroat by Dave Sweet and his daughter, Diana Sweet Miller, the Return is an incredible documentary of their efforts and discovery in the remote landscapes and far reaches of Yellowstone National Park, see:
https://vimeo.com/306866505
https://flylordsmag.com/2019/03/05/f3t-behind-the-lens-the-return/
Proper fish handling is paramount to protecting these wild and native fish.  The great folks at Keep Em Wet Fishing have established evidence based guidelines for how to ensure the fish we love can live their best lives with minimal interference from humans:
https://www.keepemwet.org