A bill calling for more regulation of fishing guides in Wyoming prompted a broader discussion about whether all forms of outdoor recreation need more oversight here.
In Idaho, all outfitters and guides are licensed and regulated by a board that covers all outdoor activities, such as hunting, fishing, rock climbing and more, seasoned Wyoming hunting guide Lee Livingston told legislators Thursday.
Livingston sits on the Wyoming State Board of Outfitters and Professional Guides.
That body, which regulates hunting outfitters and guides, is self-funded through such things a license fees, Livingston told the Wyoming House Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee.
So that raises the question of whether Wyoming should have a similar board for all outdoor guides.
Livingston said he couldn’t speak for the entire Wyoming outfitters board regarding whether they favor or oppose the idea of a universal outdoor outfitters and guides board.
House Bill 5 is specific to fishing guides, which are largely unregulated in Wyoming. It would require such things permits and stickers for gudes’ boats and boat trailers.
It might also allow the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to restrict the number of guide boats allowed on some stretches of river.
The bill also calls for an advisory committee to look into whether a board should be appointed to oversee and regulate fishing guides in Wyoming.
Some Wyoming guides says that prime Wyoming fishing waters are getting overrun by mobs of out-of-staters.
The committee voted unanimously to forward HB 5 to the House Floor.
Numbers Speak For Themselves
Testimony before the committee regarding the bill was mostly positive toward the general concept of more regulation for fishing guides.
Some said that Game and Fish restricting boat numbers could have a chilling effect on fishing tourism, which is vital to the local economies of places such as Casper.
There’s no doubt that the number of anglers has ballooned on the legendary Grey Reef section of the North Platte River, Thomas Shanor told the committee. He’s an attorney and former fishing guide from Casper.
Surveys indicate that in 1995, 230 boats floated in the Grey Reef section, he said. Of those, 22% were nonresidents, and virtually none were commercial fishing guides.
In 2022, there were 4,400 boats, of which 90% were nonresidents and/or commercial guides, he said.
Game and Fish research also indicates that up to 25% of the fish along that stretch of river have severe hook injuries, possibly from being caught multiple times, Shanor said.
We Don’t Even Know How Many There Are
Some form of regulation over fishing guides is in order, Shanor said.
“The reality is, unfettered use of a public resources doesn’t work. It doesn’t work with oil and gas, it doesn’t work with agriculture, logging, mining, hunting and we can’t ask it to work with fishing,” he said.
Livingston said that without licensing and certification – such as required of big game hunting outfitters and guides – it’s impossible to track the number of fishing guides in Wyoming.
“The big elephant in the room is, we don’t know how many fishing outfitters are out there,” he said.
Roll Call
HB was approved by all members of the committee: Reps. Andrew Byron, R-Jackson; Elissa Campbell, R-Casper; Marilyn Connolly, R-Buffalo; Steve Harshman, R-Casper; Julie Jarvis, R-Casper; Karlee Provenza, D-Laramie; Liz Storer, D-Jackson; Pam Thayer, R-Rawlins; and Robert Wharff, R-Evanston.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
