Living Off the Land Through Fly Fishing in the 21st Century

The Wind River Range skyline is one of the most stunning in the Rocky Mountains. Crags and imposing granite peaks reach skyward above the aspens and evergreens that color the foothills. But on a portion of the eastern slope, the dichotomy between the scenery and the economy is as stark as that between prairies and mountains for the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone people, who have watched over this eastern slope—now the Wind River Reservation—for millennia. The unemployment rate on the reservation as recently as 2012 was greater than 80 percent, and life expectancy was less than 50 years, according to the Patagonia/Teton Gravity Research film Tribal Waters. And home values are vastly less than their neighbors’ on the other side of the Reservation boundary.

It hasn’t always been this way. The advent of so-called Manifest Destiny in the latter half of the 1800s threw a massive wrench in the cogs of the Native culture and lifestyle. Bison, the tribes’ lifeblood, began to disappear as colonizers profited from the sales of their hides and head mounts. The U.S. government drove indigenous peoples onto increasingly smaller reservations, in violation of treaties and other agreements, while selling off the remaining lands to westward-migrating homesteaders for pennies on the dollar. All that while the tribes prioritized nurturing nature, and a tragic storm of exploitation changed the fortunes of the native peoples. The world the tribes had known for centuries, along with their ability to observe their traditions, practice their spirituality, and live off the land, changed very suddenly.

Fast forward 150 years, and the effects of this colonization are still apparent. Addiction, poverty, and woebegone spirits now plague these homelands, with little reason for hope. But tribal leaders like Art Lawson, director of Wind River Fish and Game (WRFG) and member of the Indifly Advisory Council, and Jeremy Molt, Wind River Youth Programs coordinator for Indifly/WRFG, are doing what they can to inspire the next generation to capitalize on what they have left.

To that end, they and others are working with the nonprofit organization Indifly to find a more contemporary means of living off the land—by creating sustainable livelihoods that use ecotourism to create jobs, industries, and a new paradigm of hope, particularly for young people.

“Personally I want to see the youth we work with awaken to the fact that the Wind River Reservation is a wonderful place to enjoy the outdoors,” Molt explained. “I want them to come to love it with a passion that inspires them to take care of it. In step with Indifly’s larger mission of helping indigenous people develop sustainable and environmentally friendly sources of independent income through ecotourism, I want the youth of this area to realize the immense earning potential of the various careers they might enjoy doing in the outdoors, coupled with a love of the land itself. I hope this approach will give them a chance at a fulfilling and meaningful life, which serves as a viable alternative to the many social problems that come with living in low-income and marginalized communities. In short, I want them to wake up every day and love what they do and where they live.”

Molt also runs fly-fishing clubs in WRR schools, leading river floats, entomology lessons, and camping, archery, hunter education, and other activites to inspire the kids to appreciate the outdoors.

And Lawson, locally known as “the legend,” is the Reservation’s first Arapaho game warden. A passionate man, Lawson is said to have ramped up citations for violations of conservation laws threefold in his first few months on the job.

The “Rez”

Wyoming’s Wind River Reservation, which comprises 2.2 million acres on the east side of the Winds, is flush with pronghorns, elk, grouse, songbirds, range cattle, sage, junipers, and of course, trout. The trout fishing here is spectacular for anglers who can access the creeks and mountain lakes of the Wind River Range, not to mention the upper Wind River (locally called the Big Wind River) and its tributaries. Then there’s the gorgeous Wind River Canyon, a pristine fishery full of healthy browns and rainbows. Only one outfitter is permitted to guide or float the canyon—tribal member Darren Calhoun of Wind River Canyon Whitewater—and while the river would survive with many more guides on this stretch, Calhoun’s conservation ethic prohibits that. He doesn’t believe in exploiting the fishery for profit.

“By the late 90s, I said we’re going to do one boat per section,” stated Calhoun in Tribal Waters. “And I was lectured at length by people saying, ‘You’ll never stay in business. You’re not going to do enough volume.’ But I had a core belief that I’d rather it not work than to hurt it long term . . . I would rather see that river protected and find another way to make a living if I have to, than to ruin it. We’ve created a product now that people highly desire, and we have a sustainable business.”

And that is to say nothing about the reason most anglers find themselves in the area—the mountain lakes. Tribal member Garrett Nimmo and his family operate Legacy Outfitters, which offers horsepack trips to remote parts of the Wind River Range for big browns, tiger trout, lake trout, cutts, brookies, rainbows, and golden trout. Nimmo’s crew, and his fleet of feisty horses and no-nonsense cattle dogs, possess generational knowledge of these mountains’ legendary secret spots.

“He’s the hardest worker I’ve ever met,” Indifly’s Executive Director Matt Shilling said of Nimmo.

A history of broken promises and unjust treatment by nonnatives has left a degree of resentment and distrust among some tribal members. Indifly was not always given the benefit of the doubt, and trust had to be earned.

“Our director Matt Shilling and Tribal Fish and Game Director Art Lawson have worked diligently to present Indifly and its intentions to community leaders and its various outdoor professionals in a way that takes into account the natural skepticism tribes feel whenever someone wants to ‘help,’” Molt said. “Their patient and long-term vision has opened many doors, one of which is my position as youth coordinator and the access we have gained to the youth of the community. It’s about establishing trust. In large part I feel we have accomplished that. As community members see photos of the various activities we are doing with the youth, like Trout in the Classroom, fly fishing, ice fishing, archery, etc.—it gives the community a sense of the positive impact a connection with the outdoors can make on the youth.”

Trust isn’t the only hurdle. Calhoun has many guides working the Reservation, but within that team there’s a dearth of Native guides, due to transportation issues, reliability issues, skill-set issues, and more. That’s what Indifly hopes to solve.

The Economics

The WRR project is only one of several that Indifly operates in high-opportunity areas. And while individuals from the tribes and Indifly are the ones getting their hands dirty, none of it would be possible without the support of eyewear maker Costa Del Mar, Trout Unlimited (TU), and organizations such as the S. Kent Rockwell Foundation.

Part of TU’s contributions includes the involvement of its 5 Rivers Program, which is a “nationwide network of conservation-minded college fly-fishing clubs.” Each club is carrying out the work of Trout Unlimited on their respective campuses and beyond.

“The collaboration between Indifly and 5 Rivers is rooted in Costa’s commitment to community and conservation,” said Trout Unlimited’s Youth Fly Fishing Programs Manager Cliff Watson.

Indifly selects its project locations based on a formula that combines indigenous populations’ needs with existing biodiversity and underutilized fishing opportunities. Other Indifly locales include Rewa Village in Guyana, Anaa Atoll in French Polynesia in the South Pacific, and the Makhangoa Community Camp of Lesotho in southern Africa. The WRR project is the sole North American program.

“I think Indifly chose the Wind River Reservation because it represents a large portion of untouched wilderness area that is destined to become one of the most sought-after places to fish in the country,” Molt said. “That being said, why shouldn’t the Native people who call this place home be the ones to benefit from that earning potential of their own land as well as control the destiny of how that land is managed, so it remains as viable and healthy as possible? There is much to know and learn about how to sustainably allow access to outdoor spaces. I think Indifly brings that knowledge, as well as a true love of the land and people, together under one umbrella to help guide and support the process in a way that respects the autonomy of the tribes themselves. It’s a very delicate thing and not something to be taken lightly.”

And Indifly is not the only economic boon recently presented to the WRR. The Wind River Development Fund was recently granted $36 million from the federal Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program, which is set to be used at several different ecotourism-related job-creation projects.

Weekend In the Winds

Costa, which is a “cause partner” with both Indifly and Trout Unlimited, organized the TU Costa 5 Rivers Ambassador Summit X Indifly in August 2024. The event brought together representatives from the 5 Rivers network of TU-affiliated college fly-fishing clubs, Costa, Indifly, and members of the media for a weekend of conservation work, including trail maintenance, trash cleanup, fly-fishing classes for young tribal members, and lots of fishing.

“The community fly-fishing class was a dream come true,” said Watson of August’s event. “We had more than 30 community members paired up with 5 Rivers students learning the sport of fly fishing. Many of those community members were young people, and I know that they will cherish that day for many years.”

Kids and parents were spread out across a narrow willow-encroached brook trout stream that sunny Saturday in August. Some of the younger kids were “guided” by the 5 Rivers college kids, while some older kids struck out on their own as Watson surveyed the creek playing “mobile fly shop.” An air of positivity surrounded the quality family time. None of the kids were skunked, and their excitement was palpable. Time will tell exactly how far these efforts go in creating a generation of anglers and guides, but if the vibes were any indication, there’s now more reason for hope.

Kris Rockwell, a trustee with the Rockwell Foundation who attended the event, mingled with participants assuaging the financial concerns of those who matter-of-factly mentioned wants or needs, such as funding for Trout in the Classroom (a TU program in which students raise trout and release them into nearby streams) or in-kind needs including rods, reels, and other gear for tribal youth. There is no shortage of belief in this project.

One particular crew of kids at the event has started a social media outfit called Native Boys Outdoors, which has channels on YouTube and TikTok (@NativeBoysOutdoors). These young men showcase the fishing and hunting opportunities on the Wind River Reservation, while embodying the hopes of Indifly and Wind River Fish and Game.

Among the fabulous rivers the college kids were able to fish that weekend was a beautiful foothills stream (restricted to enrolled tribal members only) that holds abundant and beautiful Yellowstone cutthroats. If you don’t pay attention, the stream can sometimes feel like it flows mysteriously upstream. That evening they participated in a sacred Cedar Ceremony, in which cedar smoke was washed over the participants while they shared their hopes.

These college kids were more than capable teachers for the tribal youth. From explaining the difference between casting, or “throwing” a conventional lure and fly casting unweighted feathers and fur, to teaching how to “splatter paint on the wall in front of you rather than brush the ceiling with your brush” when casting, they demonstrated what makes fly fishing so engaging, in ways the young tribe members will understand.

Shilling said that attending such events helps keep him motivated to fight for these tribal communities. He said the best part of his job is seeing fly fishing used as a tool for good.

Fly fishing has been many things to many people in the centuries since Dame Juliana Berners first introduced the idea to the masses. But fly fishing as an entire economy is a somewhat novel concept, which Indifly and Wind River tribal members hope can turn a negative into a positive.

“It’s our hope that the kids in the schools morph into the next generation of outdoor guides,” Molt said.

To support Indifly, please visit indifly.org. To support Trout Unlimited, please visit tu.org.

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Josh Bergan is the digital editor for Fly Fisherman.

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