Right on the border of Idaho and Wyoming lies Salt Creek (not the river farther north). The online instructions state that one heads south from Smoot, WY, for 14 miles and voila, Salt Creek will be present to you. Coming south from Cokeville, I used Google Maps to lead me to Smoot, and stopped 14 miles before reaching Smoot. There were no signs indicating the name of the river, but OsmAnd+, running on my Kindle Fire, works offline and has great detail, including the names of very small streams.
I pulled off the highway where a dirt road crossed Salt Creek. I got my minimal gear on and planned to work from the bridge either up or downstream, dropping the mini-hopper anywhere that looked good. But first, I pulled out my chair and decided that I had to fish the pool by the bridge, hoping to keep from walking (LOL), and maybe picking up a 4-inch fish.
I flipped the hopper into the current on the right and allowed it to flow down into the pool. Then I placed the hopper on the far bank in slack water. I was shocked when I saw a small fish rise for the fly. Wow, fish were in the first pool I attempted to fish. I just kept plopping the hopper into the water, not worrying about spooking the fish as they were small. And, after one regular plop of the hopper: BAM.
A 9 to 10 inch fish exploded from the bottom of the pool and grabbed the fly. I quickly got it into my net for a photo. How in the heck did it live in the small pool, grow so big, and get fooled by my fly. I spent less than 15 minutes fishing, happy as can be, although I was not happy having to hike back to the van.
I made it back to the van without running out of breath. I guess I am starting to get into better shape. Seriously though, what a beautiful large trout to be caught in such a small creek.
With this fish I have completed the Wyoming Cutt-Slam and will be receiving a medallion in recognition of this achievement.
I was done fishing by noon. What to do? Well, I drove two hours to Logan, Utah, to fish for the Bear River Cutthroat Trout in the Logan River. There are three dams on the Logan River, to keep non-native fish from moving upstream into the headwaters. I scouted out the river, picked out a campsite, and waited until the next day to try to land a Bear River Cutthroat Trout.
Tight Lines!