Fly-fishing guide Joey Puettman had an inkling that competitive school club fly-fishing would be a hit in Wyoming when he set off last year to help launch the program, but he had no idea it would get this big, this fast.
Just since the first official state tournament in April, the number of school club teams has ballooned from nine to 22, with no end in sight, Puettman told Cowboy State Daily.
It started off as a high school club sport program, but some middle schools have signed on.
The wild success of the program is outpacing his ability to manage it, he added.
“I need help. I need support. I’ve got 22 teams signed up (for the next state tournament), all from Wyoming,” he said.
The 2027 state school club fly-fishing tournament is set for April 16-17 in Casper.
Puettman said schools from Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and New Mexico reached out to him as well. But he and other organizers at present just don’t have the bandwidth for a multi-state competition.
“They’re welcome to use the model, but we’re focused on helping kids here in Wyoming,” he said.
Triple Threat In Platte County
One of the newest teams is from Platte County.
Rather than trying to parse things down to three competing high school teams, residents in Glendo, Wheatland, and Guernsey decided to join forces and form a Platte County Club.
Puetmann went to Wheatland for a meeting at the high school on Sept. 2 and was, again, overwhelmed.
“I drove down to give a presentation for them, and there were at least 40 people there. We had to move the meeting from a classroom to the auditorium,” he said.
Among those interested were Wheatland Police Chief Brad Otte and his son Colten, 15, a freshman at Wheatland High School.
The team roster is up to 15 students, Brad told Cowboy State Daily.
The adult coaches and mentors aren’t just taking the wheel and letting the kids have all the fun, he said.
The students are expected to take the lead in coming up with bylaws, fundraising ideas, and other particulars.
“We’re really wanting them to have a say in how the club works and what we want to do,” Brad said.
And when there isn’t time to go out fishing, or the weather won’t allow it, “we practice fly-casting in the school gym,” he said.
No Trout? Catch Bluegill
Colten, who was appointed club president, said his interest in fly-fishing started with his grandfather, dad, and uncle teaching him.
The idea of a Platte County fly-fishing team was hatched when he and his dad visited with Puettman at the Sheridan Flyrod Co. in Sheridan.
Colten said that as a school club sport, fly-fishing offers a niche for his peers to enjoy the outdoors.
“With all the kids with video games, kids stuck inside, it’s great to get kids out,” he said.
He appreciates the skill involved, saying that using a fly rod takes angling to another level.
“It takes a lot more skill to be able to cast with the rod and to be able to mimic a real fly. Especially in the rivers, you have to be able to control your fly,” he said.
As part of the program, students spend the winter building their own fly rods.
Building the rods and making our own lures gives us good skills for the future, and we can teach the younger generation,” Colten said.
Platte County might not be thought of as a fly-fishing destination, but there are plenty of good angling spots there, he said.
Despite all the flat terrain out here, we still get out there,” he said. “We have kids at Glendo, casting fly lines off a bridge and catching bluegill.”
‘That Is Our Hope’
Becky Fowler serves as secretary of the Platte County club board, and her son Chase, 16, a sophomore at Wheatland High School, is a team member.
Though it’s been dizzying getting the team from nothing to where it is now in about only a month, it’s worth it to see kids who might not otherwise try competitive sports getting onboard with fly-fishing, she said.
Chase has a bleeding disorder. So, although he loves the outdoors, he can’t compete in traditional sports.
He said he’s not quite sure what to think about fly-fishing yet, but he’s curious to see where it leads.
“Since I’ve never fly-fished, I decided to give it a try,” Chase said.
That’s been a common reaction among the students, Becky said.
“I think it’s just something new and different, to be honest,” she said.
The board has reached out to town leaders and the schools for support and is putting all the effort they can in making it to the state tournament, she added.
“That is our hope,” she said.
‘My Kid Needs This’
Puettman said he’s not sure just how big fly-fishing will get as Wyoming’s newest school sport, but he has high expectations.
He thinks it’s catching on because so many Wyoming adults love fly-0fishing and want to see the next generation take it up.
People also recognize the value and healing power of getting adolescents outdoors, he added. At least one of the school fly-fishing programs so far is focused on at-risk youth.
Parents light up when they hear there’s an alternative for their children who might be struggling to find a sport or activity where they fit in, Puettman said.
“The parents would tell me, ‘My kid needs this. He needs something to do,’” he said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
