Day Three, The Confluence of Frontier Creek and Wiggins Fork

We have wanted to go see the Wiggins fork for some time. It originates on the east side of the Absarokas and merges with other creeks before adding its water to the East Fork of Wyoming’s Wind River. So, on our last day we passed up on a morning of fishing and headed up the Forest Service Roads to Wiggins Fork.

It had dried out from the last evenings rains storm and so the road was good but narrow. We hoped we would not meet any large campers as the drop to the valley floor was in places severe. At one stretch sheer cliffs appeared and we stopped for several images. The road then descended in a series of switchbacks before climbing up to the next mountains ridge.

It was actually a pretty easy drive and we did not meet any possible muddy conditions until we reached Double Creek Campground and the confluence of Frontier Creek and Wiggins Fork. At the confluence, the steams had emptied out of large canyons and the streams were a series of meandering braided channels.

Frontier Creek was closed because a grizzly bear was sitting on a dead cow and as we watched a cowboy was moving his herd out of harms way. We were surprised at the numbers of outfitters, hikers, and campers at the trail head but it is a trail head and so we should not have been.

Putting on our waders we decided to walk the steam and do some rockhounding and keep an eye out for any rising fish. Two fly fishermen were working upstream from us and we questioned their decision as that is where the grizzly bear was supposed to be.

We did have our bear spray with us and so we waded across several small channels and walked toward the confluence. We did find several small possible agates and a piece of petrified wood, but we never did see any rising fish. It was so beautiful to be surrounded my step mountains and so we took several panoramas of the view.

We decided we would return here another time and headed back to our vehicle. As this was our last day of this trip, we headed back to the Horse Creek Picnic area for a bit of fishing before we drove back to our place in Star Valley Ranch Rv Resort.

We got back just before lunch and we did meet other trucks and side by side four wheelers but there was enough room to pass by. Just as we reached the place we were going to fish; another vehicle had beaten us there and they were starting to fish. We watched as they were catching some fish and they were keeping them, we probable should have kept enough for dinner as we did catch a nice brook and brown trout, (all Yellowstone cut throats must be released).

Renita moved ahead of me and she did quite well, catching five fish to my two. She did catch a nice plump brook trout while I caught a nice brown. We both caught and released more Yellowstone Cuts before returning to the truck.

Renita has worked hard to become a skilled fly fisherwoman and she has definitely achieved her goal. She can lay out line, mend, and strip her fly line as needed, besides setting the hook, landing, and releasing her catch. Well done Renita!  Now she needs to catch a Colorado Cut she will have her Cut Slam. Clear skies