January 2024 - 8

NEWS
Kentucky trio completes
Wyoming Cutt-Slam
CHEYENNE - As a resident of Springfield,
Kentucky, and subscriber to Wyoming
Wildlife, Walter Montgomery read a story
in the magazine that stated no one from
Kentucky had completed Wyoming's CuttSlam
- a fishing challenge by the Wyoming
Game and Fish Department to catch the four
native subspecies of cutthroat trout.
Once Montgomery read that, it was clear
what he had to do.
" Challenge accepted. I'm coming whether
I can get anybody else to go or not, " he said.
Montgomery and two friends from Louisville,
Kentucky, Steve Kuric and Michael
Broome, drove to western Wyoming this
summer and completed the Cutt-Slam. All
three documented their catches of Colorado
River, Snake River, Bonneville and Yellowstone
cutthroat. The trio was in Wyoming
for about nine days, and Montgomery said
he drove 4,022 miles round-trip.
Prior to 2023, Kentucky was one of two
states without a resident who completed
Wyoming's Cutt-Slam. The only state now
is Rhode Island.
" It was an epic trip and absolutely wonderful, "
Montgomery said.
The adventure took the three anglers to the
Pinedale area where they caught the Colorado
River cutthroat from Horse Creek. They
caught the Snake River cutthroat from the
Greys River, the Bonneville from the Smiths
Fork River and ended the journey by catching
the Yellowstone cutthroat from Soda
Butte Creek near Yellowstone National Park.
Montgomery said he caught seven fish
during the entire trip, and there were times
when pressure set in for all three anglers as
they moved from stream to stream in quest
of the slam.
" If you were the last person to get your fish,
the pressure mounted higher and higher. It
happened to me once and twice for Steve, "
Montgomery said.
The final leg of the slam proved to be the
most difficult as it took nearly three days for
8 | January 2024
From left to right, Steve Kuric, Walter Montgomery and Michael Broome pose for a picture near South Cottonwood Creek in
western Wyoming during their quest to complete the Wyoming Cutt-Slam. (Photo courtesy of Walter Montgomery)
Cutt-Slam continues to attract anglers
For the sixth consecutive year, more than 100
anglers accomplished the Wyoming Cutt-Slam by
catching and documenting the state's four native
subspecies of cutthroat trout. In 2023, 170 anglers
accomplished the feat, which brings the total number
of anglers to 2,382 since the Cutt-Slam's inception
in 1996.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department's other
fishing challenges continue to grow in popularity.
The Master Angler program was created in 2019
and awards anglers for catching certain species of
the trio to catch a Yellowstone cutthroat. A
summer rainstorm and a lot of other anglers
in the area didn't help their cause.
Kuric said going after all four cutthroat
species was fun and challenging, but enjoyed
going after the Bonneville the most due to a
unique set of circumstances.
" Where we were on the Smiths Fork River,
a lot of it was dammed up by beavers. We
were fishing in all these beaver ponds, and
that was challenging to me, " he said.
game fish of specific lengths. Last year 965 anglers
achieved Master Angler status, which brings the
total to 5,113 since 2019. Among that total were
289 Trophy Anglers and 44 Ultimate Anglers. Trophy
Angler is given to those who catch five species of
game fish at a qualifying length. Ultimate Angler is
10 game fish species at a qualifying length. Brayden
Baker, a 15-year-old from Lander, joined the Ultimate
Angler Club in 2023.
- By Robert Gagliardi
All three are members of Derby City Fly
Fishers, a fly-fishing club in the Louisville
area. Kuric said they gave a talk to the club
about their Wyoming adventure.
" All the cutthroat were spectacular and
neat fish to catch, and the scenery and areas
we were at were absolutely beautiful, " Kuric
said. " We gave a talk to our fishing club to
hopefully stimulate some additional interest
in people going out there and taking that on. "
- Robert Gagliardi, WGFD

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Fishing-and-Boating/Cutt-Slam

January 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2024