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. 

Those who do catch all four fish are eligible to receive an certificate depicting the four subspecies along with the angler’s name and information on the date and location of each catch. 

Participation in the program is easy.  Simply catch the four subspecies in their native range, take a photograph of each and submit photos along with location and date of catch to Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Attn: Cutt-Slam, 5400 Bishop Blvd., Cheyenne, WY 82006.  The application is reviewed by fisheries personnel, and once verified, a certificate is issued. 

There is no size requirement for the fish, and over the years, fish from 6 to 20 inches have been entered.  Once photographed, the fish can be returned to the water, and in fact, release of some fish on different waters may be required under Wyoming fishing regulations.  Information on the program and where the various subspecies can be found is on the Game and fish website.

One nice thing about the Cutt-Slam is that three of the subspecies can be found in relative proximity to each other.  While there are numerous waters where each species is found, there are several waters, probably because of their short distance apart and good fishing, that seem to crop up on a number of applications.  As one might expect, the leading entries for the Snake River cutthroat are the Snake River and its tributaries such as the Grey’s and Hoback Rivers.  For the Bonneville cutthroat, most popular waters include Salt Creek (not Salt River) and the Smith’s Fork..  For the Colorado River cutthroat, LaBarge Creek has a lot of entries, however the creek is now in the midst a rehabilitation project to remove unwanted fish and enhance the Colorado River cutthroat in that stream. Anglers might want to try one of the many other streams in the Green River drainage, most of which have Colorado River cutthroat.  Waters containing all three of these species are close together, which leaves the Yellowstone cutthroat as the only one that might require a drive of 100 or more miles from the other waters.  As might be expected, most Yellowstone Cutthroat come from Yellowstone Park waters such as Yellowstone River and Yellowstone Lake and the smaller streams such as Slough Creek and Lamar Rivers in the Northeast corner of the Park.  But, don’t overlook the waters outside of the Park.  The streams in the Sunlight Basin area north of Cody have Yellowstone Cutts, as do the North Fork of the Shoshone River near Cody and several streams in the Bighorns.  Yellowstone cutthroats are also found in a few streams in the Dubois area along with Pelham Lake to name a few.

As mentioned, a key requirement of the program is to catch the fish in their native range.  Cutthroat trout caught out of waters other than their native range do not count.  For example, there are numerous waters in eastern Wyoming where cutthroats have been stocked and while these fish provide fishing opportunity, they will not qualify for the Cutt-Slam program.  Maps containing waters which qualify for the Cutt-Slam are on the website.

Since these waters are located in mountainous regions, runoff of winter snows is an important factor to consider when determining the best time to make a trip.  Generally speaking, when July rolls around, the streams get in good fishing shape.  In years where the runoff is heavy, an angler might want to wait until after mid-July.  The overwhelming majority of entries were caught from mid-July through September.

One nice thing about fishing for the Cutt-Slam is that the fish can be caught by a variety of methods.  Fly-fishing is by far and the way the most popular, and the fish often aren’t that particular as to which fly pattern they will take. Some have been caught on lures and a few on bait, but anglers need to check the regulations for the water or stretch of water they plan to fish to see if bait fishing is legal.

Over the past few years, the Cutt-Slam has picked up speed as more and more anglers become aware of the program.  Articles on the Cutt-Slam have appeared in Wyoming Wildlife, Fly Fisherman, and American Angler magazines, and the Cutt-Slam was the topic for a Trout Unlimited television show.  Anglers wanting more information can go to the Game and Fish website or give us a call at 307-777-4600.

hunter and angler.  Contact Al at al.langston@wgf.state.wy.us.