The Wyoming Range

Grey's River

The object of our intention here is the Grey's River near the tiny hamlet of Alpine, WY in the upper Snake River basin. The Grey's River delineates the unofficial western boundary of the Wyoming Range, a north-south mountain range with it's highest peak (Wyoming Peak) topping out at 11,363' and located in west-central Wyoming. The vast majority of the range is on public land and is a paradise for hikers, hunters, campers, fisherpersons and horseback riders. A branch of the Oregon Trail known as the Lander Cutoff traverses the range and offered a shortcut to the riches of Oregon for emigrant sod busters. Just this past spring both, the House and Senate, voted to to grant defacto wilderness status to 1.2 million acres in the Wyoming Range thereby protecting it from oil & gas drilling. The Grey's River itself joins up with the Snake River immediately upstream of the Palisades Dam on the Idaho border.

"I'm Gonna Need a Little More Shot"

We came for the cutthroat trout fishing. Particularly the fishing for Snake River fine-spotted cutthroats in a little out of the way corner of the Cowboy State. We had all entertained high hopes for this river with it's impressive population of large fish in a remote, off the beaten path location but, unlike the other rivers that we had already plied earlier in the week, we witnessed no fishable hatches of Mahogany duns or hecubas during our time on the water here. Water temperature was a chilly 48F at noon and not a rise form in sight. But it's just cutthroat fishing.............how tough can it be...........right?

Greg G's Fly Box

You would think so...... Still, we still had our work cut out for us as we tried to draw these fish up off the bottom of the cold river with an arsenal of attractor patterns and nymphs. Success was mediocre at best and none of us could put our finger on exactly the reason why. Sure we caught a few fish on top to save the day but, any way you slice it, the action should have been a little more engaging given the location and the quality of the fishery..

Snake River Fine-Spot Cutthroat
Photo Credit: Greg G.

Once the water temps. rebounded back to 50F, after plunging during the chilly overnight lows, action seemed to pick up a little bit and we got into a few nice cutts.

Riparian Willows

With the possible exception of the banks along the upper Yellowstone River in the Thorofare , this was the thickest growth of riparian willows I've ever encountered along a western trout stream. The picture doesn't do it justice. Unless you stumbled onto a well used game trail streamside travel was difficult at best.

Another One Like the Other One
Photo Credit: Greg G.

Hey, wait a second. Izzat a pink Chernobyl Ant in that beautiful Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout's mouth? Oh well, A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. I guess.

A Doublehauling Doofus in Dan Bailey's Waders
Photo Credit: Greg G.

Prolly some New Wester from back East mucking up the river for himself and everyone else. I don't see any pink flies but isn't that a yellow shirt he's wearing? Doesn't he read Nale or own a Cabela's catalog?

Late Afternoon Sunlight on the Upper Grey's

Once the sun dropped below the western edge of the neighboring Salt Range, the fishing turned back off as quickly as it had turned on earlier in the afternoon and our short window of opportunity came to a close. The Grey's River is a beautiful river with great habitat and gorgeous fish in a remote & scenic setting that I've never visited before. I just hope the fish get over their lockjaw in time for my next visit.