There was a time when fish were caught mainly to eat, and plenty of anglers in Wyoming still do that.
But there’s been a large shift toward fishing mostly for the experience or catch-and-release fishing.
That’s raised some concerns over fish suffering injuries from repeated hooking, particularly in popular fisheries, like the Miracle Mile stretch of the North Platte River in the Casper region.
Most of the fishing along the prized sections of the North Platte seems to be catch-and-release, even though regulations allow anglers to keep at least a few trout, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wyoming Wildlife publication recently reported.
Concerns over mouth-ripping hook injuries are nothing new on the Miracle Mile. The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission in July moved to ban barbed fishing hooks on sections of the North Platte.
Effective Jan. 1, 2026, only barbless hooks will be allowed along popular sections of the North Platte River below Seminoe Reservoir. That includes the river from the Gray Reef section downstream to the take-out at Miles Landing/Government Bridge.
Fishing guide Trent Tatum said that came as a huge relief to him.
“I think that’s the only direction we could go, and we had to go that way,” said Tatum, who is co-owner of North Platte Lodge and The Reef Fly Shop Cottages and RV in Alcova.
Studies of fish populations in other popular Wyoming fisheries indicate that hook injuries from catch-and-release fishing are a widespread problem, Wyoming Wildlife reported.
On Flaming Gorge Reservoir, it’s a mix of fish being caught for food, or caught and released just for pleasure and photos, Tony Valdez, owner of the Buckboard Marina, told Cowboy State Daily.
There is a one-fish possession limit on trophy-sized lake trout, or those over 28 inches on Flaming Gorge. There are no limits on smaller lake trout or burbot, a freshwater cod species.
Older, trophy-sized lake trout might have “battle scars” from past hooking, Valdez said.
Some gigantic old lake trout on Flaming Gorge Reservoir might have hook or drag line scars decades old. (Courtesy Wyoming Game and Fish Department) 
This trout has injuries ranking 1, or mild injury, on a hooking injury scale developed by Jeff Glaid, Game and Fish fisheries biologist in the Casper Region. (Courtesy Wyoming Game and Fish Department) 
This trout has injuries ranking 2, or moderate injury, on a hooking injury scale developed by Jeff Glaid, Game and Fish fisheries biologist in the Casper Region. (Courtesy Wyoming Game and Fish Department) 
This trout has injuries ranking 3, or severe injury, on a hooking injury scale developed by Jeff Glaid, Game and Fish fisheries biologist in the Casper Region. (Courtesy Wyoming Game and Fish Department)
‘Why Do You Do That?’
Avid fly fisherman Shelby Holder of Kemmerer said he’s seen changes over the years along the Hams Fork River and his other favorite local fisheries.
The waters have become more crowded, which is putting more pressure on the fish, he told Cowboy State Daily.
“In places where I used to catch seven to eight fish that would run over five pounds each, that’s unheard of,” he said.
Holder said he releases most of the fish he catches, in hopes of helping to preserve the population.
There are a few exceptions, such as the new state record tiger trout that he caught this summer. He’s having a taxidermy mount of that fish done by Kelsey Reese of Piney Creek Taxidermy in Sheridan.
As Holder sees it, catch-and-release-angling, when done properly, is good fish conservation.
“People ask, ‘why do you do that?’ (catch-and-release). Well, I’m looking at the future for other people, for my grandkids,” he said.
There’s no regulation requiring barbless hooks where he fishes, but Holder says he uses them anyway, because he doesn’t want to injure fish.
“It (a barbless hook) is like putting a needle in a fish’s mouth, it’s in-and-out,” he said.
“Yes, if you de-barb your hooks, you’re going to lose some fish, but oh well,” he added.
He doesn’t fish this time of year because the water is too warm, which makes it more difficult for fish to recover from being caught, he said.
Holder said he likes to take his time “reviving” the fish he’s caught, holding them gently in the water and giving them three to five minutes to fully recover their strength.
Taking good care of fish and respecting the environment go hand-in-hand, he said.
As the number of anglers has increased, so has the trash along the riverbanks, he said.
“I always pick up whatever I can fit into my fly-fishing vest and pack it out with me,” he said.
More Lines In The Water
Just as Holder has noticed around Kemmerer, Tatum said that he, too has seen the number of anglers along the North Platte grow over the years.
And along with that has come an increase in the number of ghastly hook injuries he’s seen in fish.
Although he’s not certain whether that’s because fewer people, going by a percentage of anglers, are keeping fish to eat.
He thinks it might because an overall increase in the number of lines in the water will also mean an increase in hook injuries, another reason he’s grateful for the barbed hook ban in his area.
He added that catch-and-release angling has long seemed to be the rule, rather than the exception, when it comes to fly-rod fishing, although he’s not sure why.
Come Stock Up On Burbot
Kokanee salmon are one of the main attractions at Flaming Gorge, and they’re mostly “catch and consume,” meaning, people catch them primarily for food, Valdez said.
Flaming Gorge straddles the Wyoming-Utah State Line. Wildlife agencies in both states lifted the possession limits on burbot and smaller lake trout – because both of those species devour small kokanee.
The good news is, lake trout and burbot both make fine table fare, Valdez said, so encourages people who want to stock their freezers with fresh fish to come catch as many as they can.
“We’ve been smoking them” (smaller lake trout) and selling the meat in our store,” he said.
Old Scars
Monster lake trout – those true whoppers topping 36 inches, might be over 40 years old, he said. Some that his guided fishing clients have caught have old scars.
“The scars are typically not from our fishermen, they are from the old days, up to about 2010,” Valdez said.
“Fishermen in Flaming Gorge Reservoir used to use a method of catching trophy-sized fish with cable fishing line and flat fishing lures approximately 300 feet behind the boat on the bottom,” he said.
“Just dragging along the cable could cause damage to the fish, even fish that may never have been landed by the anglers. Barbaric, to say the least, but very effective on big fish. So, scars could be as old as 40-plus years,” he added.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
