Taking to the Trout Laden Waters of the Idaho-Wyoming Border

-

- Advertisment -

Sometimes the only reason to go paddling is to get out on the water and wet a line. Sometimes. Especially if you are in the trout laden waters along the Idaho-Wyoming border and the outdoor mecca of Alpine, Wyoming, just minutes from Jackson Hole and its world- class, next-level recreation. You know what they say: come for the winter, stay for the summer.

Not to be confused with some kind of paddling purist, I embarked on a journey into the unknown with some of the top hunting and fishing journalists in the country, to see if I could learn a thing or two as we rowed, rode, and waded our way around various rivers and creeks in the area. And when it came to angling, despite having fished around the world and tied flies for more than 20 years, boy did these guys school me.

Yes, we were deep in the real West, cowboy country, and we were there to catch fish. To keep things looking first rate and satiate everyone’s need to geek out on gear as much as possible, Cabela’s was there to support our trip with not only their latest offerings in rods and reels, but all the apparel we needed to get wet and stay dry — and to keep from getting bit and burned as much as possible in the wooly high-desert along the border between Idaho and southwest Wyoming. Suffice it to say we were like a bunch of kids on Christmas morning when we arrived in camp. It didn’t take long for everyone to let down their guard and keep the kid vibe rolling for four action-packed days.

And although we might have been clowning in camp, on the water it was all business, as this was a classic Western, trip-of-a-lifetime, three-rivers-three-ways kind of a trip.

Our accommodations were on an idyllically non-luxurious family ranch, bunking in sheep herder chuck-wagon style cabins and cooking outdoors using almost every Camp Chef product you can imagine, from smokers to pizza ovens to skillets and grills.

We even had a crawfish boil one night for good measure. Camp Chef had the forsight to send along two of their best camp cooks, one of whom even brought fresh venison and elk from his personal freezer and cooked for us riverside every day. Yeah, there was not a lot of complaining on this trip, which we dubbed Trout Camp.

Our original plan was to float the Snake River for two days, and do an overnight somewhere along the south fork there, but the water was raging. Our new normal late winters have shifted everything back in recent years, and Brooks Hansen and the rest of the crew were agonizing over water levels on a daily basis leading up to the trip.

So due to high water, we opted for the more meandering Salt River, near Afton, Wyoming, still only a stone’s throw from camp by Wyoming standards. And although it was running pretty strong, we had a relatively productive day, seems like everybody caught at least one, thanks to the boat handling skills of our guides from Pioneer Anglers. The day was highlighted by the most incredible riverside venison street tacos you could ever imagine. Even a vegan would have eaten these things, trust me.

The high-pressure Camp Chef Everest Stove was light enough to toss in a drift boat to enjoy a hot meal on the river, from tacos to Elk burgers to grilled cheese, je ne sais quoi.

We then took to foot and horseback for the next few days to explore the diversity of the area’s watershed, venturing into southeastern Idaho and several tributaries to the Snake River, where you can fish for cutthroat working their way up the streams to spawn — which we timed perfectly. These guys were pulling out lunkers from holes I wouldn’t even have thought to fish, throwing big streamers with shocking accuracy and finesse. Their knowledge of ecology, migration, terrain and conservation gave me a renewed respect for the modern sportsman.

Riding horses into the Idaho wilderness is one of the coolest and most efficient ways to access streams most visitors to the area will never even see. You can go to this region and stay on extremely fancy dude ranches and fish a lot of private waters, but one of the best things about this particular trip is that we were on almost entirely public lands (only excepting where the Salt River winds its way through private property). Hiring a local guide is always a huge bonus, but definitely not necessary. And because the area is so rich in public lands, and the weather is so good in the summer, you have a lot of options for camping.

–Paddling Life senior editor Aaron H. Bible is an adventure travel journalist and gear abuser based in Nederland, Colorado. Follow his journey on Instagram at @definitelywild

Special thanks to Gary Lewis for coming along on this trip and being such a cool guy, as well as contributing some of the photos for this article.
Aaron Bible
Aaron Biblehttp://www.ahbmedia.com/
Aaron grew up paddling the rivers and lakes of Eastern Tennessee with his dad, fishing, hunting, hiking and camping out under the stars. Summer trips to Estes Park and high school ski trips had him hooked on Colorado from a young age, and he’s called the Rocky Mountains home since 1990. And while he has paddled in locales ranging from the Boundary Waters to the Rio Grande, from Belize to Kenya, his current backyard is Boulder Creek, in Nederland, Colo. Aaron was an editor at Paddler magazine from 1995 to 2000. He also did time as an editor at Sporting Goods Business, Blue Ridge Outdoors, Summit Daily News, Kickstand magazine, and is currently a contributing editor to numerous national outdoor, ski, bike, travel and outdoor-industry trade publications. Check out more of his work at his website, ahbmedia.com, and follow him on Instagram.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

- Advertisement -

Latest news

Boating Community Mourns Kayaking Death of AW Board Member Chris Tulley

The California, staff, board and friends of American Whitewater, and greater kayaking community are mourning the death last Friday,...

Tales from Helene: Record Flows, and the Paddlesports Industry Helping Out

When a tragedy strikes involving water and rivers, the tight-knit whitewater community is often quick to respond. No better...

10 Kayakers Rescued from Potomac (4 By Helicopter)

Call it getting in a little over your head—with a helicopter coming from overhead to rescue you. And if...

Hurricane Helene Wreaks Path of Havoc and Destruction in SE; Swells Rivers to Record Levels

Some events put recreational pastimes like paddling into perspective. Such is the case with Hurricane Helene, which made landfall...
- Advertisement -

Whitewater Parks Still Making Waves: Mountain towns transforming riverfronts into recreational and revenue hotbeds

A wave of whitewater parks continues to roll into river towns like swells undulating toward a shoreline, ushering in...

Seattle’s Lake Union: A Paddling Primer

 New York has its Central Park, San Antonio has its Riverwalk, but there are very few other places like...

Must read

Boating Community Mourns Kayaking Death of AW Board Member Chris Tulley

The California, staff, board and friends of American Whitewater,...

Tales from Helene: Record Flows, and the Paddlesports Industry Helping Out

When a tragedy strikes involving water and rivers, the...
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you