KEMMERER, Wyo. — Three tiger trout records in three years. That’s what has been going on near Kemmerer.
Shelby Holder, of Kemmerer, set a new record on June 6, with a 14.95-pound tiger trout caught in the Hams Fork River. The fish was 31.2 inches long.
According to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD), Holder shattered the previous record of 12.77 pounds set last year by a 13-year-old Kemmerer resident fishing near the Viva Naughton Reservoir. That fish broke an 11.93-pound record from 2023 by a Cheyenne resident fishing in the Viva Naughton Reservoir.
Holder was fishing for rainbow trout, but he said he saw the tiger trout “come up from behind a couple of rainbows and try to run them out of the hole,” so he decided to try to land that fish instead. Holder was using a 1-weight fly rod and a wooly bugger on an 8-pound-test line as a leader. It took 30 minutes to land the fish.
Advertisement
The tiger trout is a hybrid produced by crossing a female brown trout with a male brook trout. According to WGFD, the tiger trout is sterile and cannot reproduce. They have been stocked in Wyoming since 2005, and specifically in Viva Naughton Reservoir since 2014. Tiger trout eat nongame fish such as Utah chub, which fatten them up for anglers. And since tiger trout don’t reproduce, they cannot overpopulate the waters where they are stocked.
Advertisement
Monica is a Staff Reporter who studied journalism at Syracuse University and has been in the valley since 2015. She loves writing about the local food and bev scene, especially craft beer. When she’s not on the clock, you can find her paddle boarding, sewing, or whipping up a new recipe at home.
JACKSON, Wyo. – Jackson Hole Public Art (JHPA) is proud to announce the public installation of 250 Portraits, a community art project featuring self-portraits created and submitted by Wyoming residents from across the state. Launched in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the project invited Wyomingites of all ages and backgrounds to submit portraits of themselves or other Wyoming residents, resulting in a vibrant and deeply personal collection of artwork.
Portraits were submitted by artists ranging in age from 5 to over 80, representing residents from 16 of Wyoming’s 23 counties. Participants included individuals, families, school groups, and educators who worked with their students to take part. The result is a wide-ranging snapshot of the people who call Wyoming home, from young children just beginning to express themselves through art to lifelong residents reflecting on decades of experience and identity.
The portraits are now on display in five large-scale grid installations located throughout downtown Jackson. They can be found at the Center for the Arts, JH Book Trader, the Antler Inn, the alley at Pinky G’s, and the Jackson Hole Elks Lodge. The exhibition will remain on view throughout the summer, giving locals and visitors alike the opportunity to take in the full collection at their own pace.
The exhibit, 250 Portraits, was designed to highlight both individual identity and collective belonging, weaving together faces from communities large and small into a single, statewide visual portrait of Wyoming’s people. By placing the work in accessible, high-traffic locations in downtown Jackson, JHPA hopes to spark conversation among residents and visitors about what it means to be part of a community that spans such a wide and varied landscape.
Advertisement
A self-guided walking map is available to help visitors navigate between the five sites and experience other public art projects throughout Jackson. For more information and to access the 2026 Public Art Map, visit https://www.jhpublicart.org/art/2026map.
Pair your portrait with an audio story! Please consider adding your voice to another state-wide project celebrating the stories of everyday Wyomingites: Re-Storying the West.
All over Wyoming, there are little free libraries in neighborhoods for those who are looking for a new book. The process is simple. Take a book and leave one for others to experience.
Drew Kirby, Townsquare MediaFree Little Library 5
READ MORE: Wyoming’s Little Libraries
We also have neighborhood food pantries for families in a pinch who need a little help. Again, the process is easy. Take a meal, and when you’re able, leave one for another family in need.
Travis GlasgowTravis Glasgow
READ MORE: A New Local Neighborhood Food Pantry System in Wyoming
Several of the North Platte River’s access points have loaner life jackets. Once again, it’s simple. If you need a life jacket, take one, then return it to another access point for others who need it.
Advertisement
Bill Schwamle, Townsquare MediaBill Schwamle, Townsquare Media
READ MORE: Return The Loaner Life Jackets After You Use Them
These are fantastic programs across the state that show how much communities care about others. I found another program that I think would really fly here, and it’s already going strong in some places around the country, like Montana.
The process, just like these other programs, is simple but very effective. With Wyoming fisheries being so popular, these could help make it an even bigger global sensation.
Flybrary – Take a fly, leave a fly.
I saw this article on FlyLordsMag.com and thought it was fantastic.
Montana artist Brandi Massey is passionate about fly fishing, and she used her own experience of leaving her fly box at home when leaving for a fly fishing trip. After that experience, she remembered seeing a “Flybrary” on her social media timeline and decided to jump into action and do her own version of the “Flybrary” to ensure other fly fishing trips don’t get ruined because of not having any flies.
Advertisement
She had her dad build the box, got her permits, and put up her first “Flybrary” on the Blackfoot River, and has more in the works.
In the article, Brandi explained why she decided to do it.
I’ve been fly fishing since I could hold a fly pole in my hand. Always trying to catch more fish than my dad. I love the fly fishing community and this is a great way to stay connected to the community. I’m an artist and this is an amazing way to show a piece of myself to the world.
Have you ever seen a “Flybrary” out in the wild? LET ME KNOW HERE
