“Some October days in Wyoming can feel more like full-on winter than fall, the department said. “And it was one of those days, with a cold steel wind blowing across the water of Soda Lake north of Pinedale. Sam Gertsch of Alpine admits he had thought twice about whether he really wanted to be out in it that day, but he decided to go for it.”

“Turns out he was awfully glad he did as on his seventh cast he would tie into his tenth trophy class fish, a 24-inch brown trout, earning him the unique distinction of being an Ultimate Angler in the state of Wyoming.”
Gertsch told Gamd and Fish that he spent over 200 days traveling around the state and fishing in pursuit of the Ultimate Angler status.

“He says he didn’t have money for any hotels, as he spent most everything on a 14-foot v-hull boat,” the release states. “He camped every night and even slept in his boat some nights.”

Gertsch told Game and Fish that Boysen Reservoir’s diversity of fish species made him continually return to the area.