December 2023 - 4

A COUPLE PENNIES
WYOMING
WILDLIFE
VOLUME 87, NUMBER 12 * DECEMBER 2023
State of Wyoming
Special day on
the water
By Robert Gagliardi, associate editor
There's a sense of honor and pride every
time I write a story for Wyoming Wildlife.
Whether it's this column, a blurb for Project
Profiles, a news story or a long-form
feature, they all mean a lot.
But some mean more than others, and
this month's issue is an example of that.
Prior to my time at Wyoming Wildlife, I
spent nearly 26 years as a sports journalist
at newspapers in Cheyenne and Laramie. I
covered a wide-range of sports and events,
but mostly University of Wyoming football
and men's basketball.
This summer I delved back into the
sports world a bit, but what made it better
was incorporating an activity I truly
love - fishing.
In mid-August I spent a day fishing
with UW men's basketball coach Jeff
Linder, who was hired after I left sports
and joined the Wyoming Game and Fish
Department. I learned Linder loved to
fish, and in particular, stream fish. That's
in my wheelhouse, but more so was a story
about going fishing with one of the most
well-known figures in Wyoming.
What started with an initial meeting
in November 2022 resulted in a day of
fishing in August. It was kind of odd to
get back into sports-writing mode, but
the story inside this issue isn't all about
sports. It's about a man who loves to fish,
is appreciative of the place he lives with
abundant angling opportunities and about
someone who recently went through a lot
personally and professionally.
There also were some elements of
pressure.
First, where to fish? The initial plan was
to head to the Snowy Range and fish a
4 | December 2023
small stream I tried a few times for some
brook and brown trout. I had limited
success there in the past, but there wasn't
much time or flexibility for both of us to
go much farther away. What if Linder
didn't catch any fish? I felt like a fishing
guide and the last thing I wanted to do
was fail.
Thankfully, Linder picked the spot -
and it was spectacular.
Second, this was a fly-fishing outing
and that isn't in my wheelhouse. It had
been nearly 10 years since I fly-fished.
Most of my stream fishing experiences
are with spinners or bait. What if I made
a fool of myself? What if I hooked Linder
in the head with an errant cast? Those and
many other what-ifs entered my mind in
the days leading up to the trip.
Thankfully, nothing bad happened.
Yes, my torn waders leaked and I sloshed
around the stream in waders that felt like
they had cement in them. Yes, I almost
took a digger in the stream walking over
some slick rocks. Yes, I lost one of Linder's
flies in the willows after an errant cast. Yes,
I nearly misplaced the camera after I set
it down to fish. Honestly, that's a good
day compared to most angling mishaps
I encounter.
In the end I got to write about sports
and fishing, two things that have been a
big part of my life since I was a kid. I also
got to tell the story about a unique man
with similar interests as myself, and likely
many who read this magazine. Whether I
did this story justice is for you, the readers,
to decide.
All I know is it was an honor to
spend the day fishing with Linder, and
an honor to be able to tell his story in
Wyoming Wildlife.
Wyoming Game and Fish Commission
Governor
President
Vice President
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Ralph Brokaw, Arlington
Richard Ladwig, Manville
John Masterson, Casper
Rusty Bell, Gillette
Kenneth Roberts, Kemmerer
Ashlee Lundvall, Powell
Mark Jolovich, Torrington
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Director
Deputy Director
Deputy Director
Chief of Fiscal
Chief of Wildlife
Chief of Fisheries
Chief of Services
Chief of Communications
and Education
Brian Nesvik
John Kennedy
Angela Bruce
Greg Phipps
Richard King
Alan Osterland
Eric Wiltanger
Nish Goicolea
Magazine Staff
Editor
Associate Editor
Creative Director
Contributing Designer
Mark Gordon
Tracie Binkerd
Robert Gagliardi
Patrick Owen
Emalee Smith
Wyoming Wildlife (ISSN 0043-9819) is published monthly (including the November
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December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of December 2023
