Fishing The Bighorn River In Thermopolis WY
What comes to mind when you think about the outdoor experience of a lifetime? What little detail would you remember for the rest of your life? Which little moment would change your entire outlook on both life and nature?
It was January 26th, my birthday. I had not expected any crazy gifts knowing that my parents just spent a fortune on getting my first buck mounted. We were eating at a BBQ place near us with my grandparents and sister. To be quite honest, I had absolutely no clue that my parents were about to give me some of the most exciting news I have ever received.
After everyone at the table had gotten their meals, my dad respectfully got everyone’s attention, and said that he had a surprise for me. Just the way my parents looked at each other right then, It was evident that this was not a small thing.
With smiles on their faces, my parents began explaining how they had worked with my cousin to schedule a week long fly fishing trip in Wyoming during my spring break. They told me I would be fishing the Bighorn River in Thermopolis. As you can imagine, I instantly started researching the river and area. The first thing I remember thinking is how absolutely beautiful and truly stunning the river was. And honestly one of my favorite parts of the whole thing was that my dad was coming with me and we would have a whole week to fish together.
As the trip neared, I began to tie up tons of flies for the trip. Whenever I had a few minutes free, I would be in my room tying dozens of immaculate flies specifically matching the forage in the Bighorn River. It would be 11:00-11:30pm and I would work tirelessly to perfect every pattern. Perfectionist? Maybe. Little bit of OCD? Also maybe. But it sure would prove to pay off.
3 weeks later:
Finally, my dad and I had arrived in Wyoming. We rented a small house near the river where we met my cousin, his brother, and his father. We spent most of that night prepping the fly shops worth of gear we had, and making sure everything was set to leave early the next day…
Everyone woke up about 5:00 the next morning, anxious to get fishing. Since the stretch of river we were fishing was so long, my cousin brought 3 inflatable kayaks. We would paddle down the river until we came to a good looking hole, beach the kayaks, and fish. Believe it or not, the ticket was a fly smaller than your pinky finger nail. A size 20, Black Zebra Midge seemed to consistently get bit along the whole stretch of river we fished. Scuds, Sowbugs, Egg Patterns, and Micro Pheasant Tail Nymphs also seemed to do the trick.
The species of Trout we caught were rainbows, a few browns, and some cutthroats. After having the Brown Trout elude me in Arkansas the year before. It was one of the best feelings ever when I finally caught two browns. I thought it could not get any better, until I caught a tank of a Cutthroat Trout on my own custom midge variant. It was by far the coolest and most beautiful fish I have ever caught. The colors on that species of trout are truly breathtaking.
I can go on forever about this trip, but one thing is certain. I will never forget the memories I made in Wyoming! Thank you so much to my parents for making all of this possible and giving me every opportunity.
Tyler J Hanus