Earlier this summer, Skwala, Trout Routes, and Drift West Outfitters loaded up a restored camper from the 40s and hit the road, visiting some of our favorite rivers and fly shops across the western United States. The Tour de West proved a resounding success. Fish were caught (and lost, and farmed, and also NOT caught), beverages were consumed, laughs were shared, road trip playlists were created, and friendships were forged.
Skwala’s head of marketing, Rich Hohne, took the helm for the first leg of the tour. When he got back, he told us a story about getting lost in rural Wyoming trying to find a secret fishing spot. This story ends well, but it could have gone poorly if not for some help from our friends.
“After a great event in downtown Sheridan, the Tour de West crew hit the road. We had another stop scheduled the following afternoon at the Ugly Bug Fly Shop in Casper, Wyoming and wanted to get some fishing time in between. I live in Montana, which does share a border with Wyoming, but I’m not an expert on Wyoming trout rivers. I know the famous waters to the west, but this particular slice of the Cowboy State was alien to me.
Luckily, I have smart friends. The good people at Fly Shop of the Bighorns suggested we camp and fish at a certain unnamed creek that sits somewhere roughly along the route we were taking, but we had to hustle. Though we weren’t all that far from our destination, the Tour de West rig wasn’t built for speed. (For some reason, trailers from 1947 don’t like to be driven above 65 MPH.) Since we’re all 21st Century digital anglers, we dug out our phones and asked Google Maps for directions. That was our first mistake.
The great and wise Google Gods told us where to exit the highway then led us through a series of winding, dusty roads. We were close. We could almost smell the giant, unmolested trout. But then our phone overlords demanded we turn again, this time onto a road clearly marked “PRIVATE.” One thing Montana and Wyoming have in common, never enter a gate marked private unless you’re looking for trouble.
We parked on the shoulder of that gravel road and did what any rational person does when lost these days, insist that our phones give us the answer. Google Maps, Apple Maps, they all seemed to be conspiring to get us shot. The sun marched toward the western mountains. Darkness would soon consume the landscape, and we had no idea where we were.
Finally, one of us realized what should have been obvious from the beginning and called up TR on his phone. Sure enough, that app knew exactly where we were. Even better, it gave us clear, specific directions on public roads to our destination. I used to think of Trout Routes as a tool to find fishing access, not get me out of trouble when I’m lost as hell in the middle of Wyoming. I stand corrected.
By the time we got to our campsite, we couldn’t see past our headlights, but we could hear the water below. Dawn found us on a bluff above the secret creek. Later that morning, after coffee and instant oatmeal, we enjoyed the best fishing of the entire Tour. If it weren’t for Trout Routes, not only would we have missed out on fishing that spot, I might not be here to tell this tale.
Not all mapping apps are created equal. Google may be great for navigating freeways, getting around in cities, and helping you find that new kombucha spot everybody’s talking about. But if you’re looking for difficult-to-locate fishing spots, just use Trout Routes.”