Back At Camp: July 2026, Week Three

You haven’t been unsubbed, and I haven’t forgotten about any of you. You haven’t received any word from me because I’ve been lost in the peak of season for all of June and most of July. 18-20 hour days are the norm during this time of year but, I’m finally finished with my season here in Wyoming and as I write these words, I’m sitting at a table in the dining lounge of the MV Columbia – in port in Fairhaven, WA. I’m headed north to begin the very first official season of WYAK Outfitters! I am going to have a ton to announce in regard to this new adventure down below so, be sure to check out the details. I finished my 2025-2026 season with WyoFishCo on a high note, with two fish brought to net, each measuring more than 29 inches. Neither broke that 30” mark but, they were very close and, I’d feel like I’m being ungrateful if I expressed anything but pure excitement about it. These fish were accompanied by a handful of other large trophy sized trout, and this final week served as a conclusion to a season that was absolutely inundated with extremely large trophy trout. I helped more anglers to reach their PB  this year than in any of my previous seasons. What a blessing. 

Something about that accomplishment however, is a bit troubling. It has a tendency to associate my anglers and myself with a trope in the culture’s storyline that I’ve grown to resent. The idea that the value of the fight we just triumphed in, or the majesty of the opponent we just wrangled to submission is somehow only substantiated or otherwise solidified by a tape measurer makes me sad for the sport. 

How Big Was It?

I’ve grown so tired of the question and, when I think about how sad that makes me, I find a bit of comfort in the hope that what I’m currently experiencing is just another phase in the evolution of an angler. This complacency in regard to validation, and this contempt I feel when numbers are thrown around, must just be a change in perspective… right? I hope so. I love this sport but, so much of the culture surrounding it has grown so old to me lately. I’m bored of it and, bluntly, I want to run from a conversation when dudes start talking about fish sizes. 

The vast majority of anglers are lying, anyways. 

Conversely, I haven’t measured a fish voluntarily at all this season. Only when a guest specifically requests it, I’ll waste a portion of the limited amount of time I have to safely and responsibly handle a large fish to put a tape on it. That window really is limited and when you catch a truly large trout, you know it. In the end, the number becomes something arbitrary. When you catch that herculean trophy, you don’t need a number to validate it. You can feel it throughout your whole body; from your eyelids that refuse to relax, to your balls – that suddenly feel like they could demolish a city high-rise building. 

Let me tell you something, my friend: If you don’t feel like you could roundhouse kick a gorilla, imposing your will upon him like you’re the protagonist in a cheesy Swayze movie, you didn’t break that two-foot mark. You know it when you do and, more often then not, you’ll miss it entirely. You’ll recognize that pattern of disappointment when you place a tape on that fish and habitually prepare a false but conveniently believable number to spread on social media. You’re not alone. Everyone is guilty of it. I can’t tell you how many 20” fish I’ve seen trying to be sold as 25’s this season. I assume that’s just another phase in the evolution of an angler – to overcompensate in post-action reports until you’ve finally caught that big dawg and found a mechanism to cope. 

Until that time, you’ll continue to over-handle these fish, as I did. You’ll kill a few of them unintentionally and feel horrible about it but eventually, you’ll reach a point of consistency in targeting those brutes and when you do, your ego will settle. Numerous successes will overcome your insecure obsession with substantiation. The need to prove something will subside and assuredly, you will start to find so much more satisfaction and value in the simple concept of spending a moment with that warrior, aiding it in valiant recovery, and releasing it back to its own wild world quickly. Eventually, you’ll see how silly we have been, always seeking to validate our time and efforts with some trivial measurement at the risk of the fish’s life. Then, you too, will “forget” to tape each and every fish you bring to net. 

So, how big was it? My favorite way to answer that is with a big smile and a lackadaisical “I don’t know. It was big.”

June & July Highlights

With the season in full swing, the opportunities to report back about the fishing were minimal but, you can always trust that the fishing was good during that time. I spent the majority of my season on the High Lonesome, with only a few trips on Lil’ New Zealand and the rest of the Freestone this season. The water just wasn’t right up high for much of my time there but, the tailwaters made up for it perfectly with some incredible Drake hatches. The fish dialed in on them and made the topwater action something to remember. 

My good pal Nick came out a few times this year and I was amped to help him catch some real monsters. We did hit the freestone on a random & cloudy Wednesday which produced an awesome hatch of PMDs. Nick bought the boat for the day but didn’t have anyone readily available to fill the second seat so he invited my young Moose to come along. What an experience that was for my kid. He had a great time hanging with the boys and throwing feathers around. 

Ryan’s dad and his large group of life-long friends came out and I got the privilege of rowing a handful of those guys down the river a few times. It’s been since all-the-way back in my first season with WyoFishCo since I’ve fished with any of them so it was a great time catching up. We boated some really nice fish on the Freestone before heading to the Lonesome. Down there, we brought a gigantic Cuttbow to net that was inarguably the offspring of a typical Rainbow and a Bonneville Cutty! It was so cool to see it. 

New friends Bob and Madonna came out to experience this fishery. Bob found big dawgs both days and Madonna was able to wrangle a few decent fish in for the first time ever. 

Steve and Ethan were familiar with this fishery but they wanted to see how we do it, so they bought a day on the boat and the fishing remained consistent. We weren’t able to break that barrier to the monsters that day but, we caught 12-15 good sized trout and, it’s on those days I have to remind myself to be grateful. Afterall, even a 22” Brown is a once-in-a-lifetime fish for the vast majority of anglers in this world. I won’t take them for granted. 

My great friend and long-time client Doug came out with his buddies and that was quite the experience, as it always is. Clay and his brother usually row their own boat and the great thing about it is they always fall in line behind me so, it often feels like I’m guiding two boats. There were plenty of big fish to go around and everyone got a taste. Preston hammered two Browns that broke the 2-foot mark. I rowed past the ramp that evening to give Doug a little more time on the water and he was able to get a solid Brown to eat a Mayfly variant. Always a great time with these guys. I can’t wait to see them in Alaska. 

I met Jeff in the 2024 season and we hit it off over the course of three days. He came back this year with his son Monte and we had two days split between the Lonesome and the Freestone. While the Lonesome produced for us in great measure, the Freestone threw quite the fit about us being there. We were able to pull one large Rainbow in, which I had to dip the bear paw into the water to land, after forgetting my net back at the truck. (I haven’t done that since my first season and it’s a type of embarrassing that will make you want to crawl out of your own skin). Luckily, Sugarfoot was running shuttles in the area and she was able to meet me on the river to get my net back to me. Unfortunately, we didn’t find a need for it for the remainder of the day. It turns out, we had to pay our dues for the incredible day we had prior. 

Between the days I just listed, there were dozens upon dozens of other fantastic days on the water and I would just like to take a moment to thank everyone for your continued support throughout my season in Wyoming. My final week was loaded with great company and life changing fish, and for that, I will never forget you all. I hope you’ll come to see me in Alaska! 

WYAK Outfitters is fully operational now and I am ready to share my little hidden archipelago with you! Let’s get lost together!

Current Program Happenings:

At WYAK Outfitters

Alaska is a truly wild place that everyone should experience at least once in their life. Once you do so, I doubt you’ll decide that just once was enough. I’ll be on location there, full-time, beginning in late-July. Coho should be starting to run by then, as well as Pinks. Fall Steelhead to follow in the coming months after. I have available dates throughout the Summer & Fall season, with ample opportunity to experience my home state with plenty of lasting daylight. We have tapped into one of the last authentically wild anadromous fish resources in the world, in establishing this program. Unlike much of the Pacific Northwest, Valhalla boasts an unihibited return, unburdened by competition with manufactured versions of the aquaculture there. This beautiful liberty presents itself in the moments when you’ve connected with one of these brutish fish, and the power of such a critter far exceeds the which one would be sure to expect.

Contact me about your next Alaskan adventure by using the form below or, any of the details on my “About Me” page.

2026/2027 Hosted Trip Calendar.

I have three trips locked down for which I will be hosting anglers in the coming year. All of them have limited availability remaining so, if authentically wild adventure peaks your interest, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Recently Published or Featured Work

• This list isn’t just short this week, it’s totally non existent. I have been grinding on the oars so hard this season, I haven’t had a chance to collaborate with anyone. I’m back in the rhythm now though so, keep an eye out for new featured work.

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Equipment and Organizations I Advocate For:

There’s only one reliable shuttle service in the Green River basin.

My wife and I started Laughing Bear Shuttles to meet a desperate need throughout this watershed, for a professional and reliable boat ramp shuttle service. We are a small organization, with few committed employees of good character, who operate to deliver service excellence for the fishing communities of Sublette, Lincoln, and Sweetwater county.

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