Paying back fond memories of cutthroat fishing on Yellowstone Lake

Native Yellowstone cutthroat trout like this one are threatened by the presence of introduced lake trout in Yellowstone Lake. Dave Sweet photo

By Dave Sweet and Brett Prettyman

Dick Crysdale is putting money where his memories are: great fishing for native cutthroat trout on Yellowstone Lake.

Crysdale spent time guiding anglers for native Yellowstone cutthroat trout on Yellowstone Lake in the late 1950s and then patrolled the massive fishery in Yellowstone National Park as a ranger in the early 1960s.

To say the lake and its native cutthroat trout are special to him would be a serious understatement.

When someone suggested Crysdale pen a book about his experiences on the lake, he wondered if the memories would mean anything to anyone but himself.

The answer is a resounding “yes”.

Crysdale self published “Yellowstone, Cutthroats and Me: A Fishing Guide’s Autobiography” in 2009. Since then Crysdale has donated more than $20,000 – 100 percent of the proceeds (not just the profit) from the sales of his book — to lake trout suppression efforts in Yellowstone Lake.

Most recently, in December, he presented a check for $1,500 to the Yellowstone Lake Working Group meeting.

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Author Dick Crysdale presented TU's Dave Sweet with a check for $1,500 in December. Crysdale has given more than $20,000 to Trout Unlimited in an effort to protect native cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake.

The group - dedicated to helping native Yellowstone cutthroat trout survive an invasion of nonnative lake trout - gathered to review results of mackinaw suppression efforts in 2015 and share plans for 2016.

The Yellowstone Lake Working Group is comprised of representatives from Trout Unlimited and the TU councils of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho along with members from Yellowstone National Park Fisheries and Natural Resource Center, USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Research Center, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, National Parks Conservation Association and Yellowstone Park Foundation. Several universities working as contractors to various studies related to Yellowstone Lake are also involved with the group.

Wyoming Trout Unlimited has been the key fundraising organization supporting a telemetry study on the lake. Funds raised have been used to provide information to the National Park Service fisheries crew on lake trout movements and especially on the location of lake trout spawning beds.

Wyoming Trout Unlimited has helped raise approximately $1 million, with about 75 percent coming from the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust (WWNRT). Private individuals, TU chapters and corporations have contributed the rest and are vital to provide a “match” for the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resources Trust funds.

Crysdale, who now resides in Littleton, Colorado, has been one of the major private individuals providing money to the cause.

But Crysdale is doing more than sending money to the cause – he is also visiting groups to let them know why the issue is so important.

“Dick has traveled all over the Rocky Mountain region and his native Midwest talking about the plight of the Yellowstone cutthroat to any group that will listen,” said Dave Sweet, Yellowstone Lake Special Project Manager for Wyoming Trout Unlimited. “His passion and devotion has persuaded many others to donate to the cause as well as informing thousands about the situation.”

That passion was driven by many memories of incredible fishing at one of the most special of places on the planet.

“In four years as a fishing guide I only got skunked twice and there were extreme factors like the weather involved. And that was when I was doing two or three parties every day six days a week,” Crysdale said.

On one particularly memorable trip Crysdale took a father and son fishing.

“The father was writing a book about recreation management of waters. We caught 60 cutthroat in 60 casts,” Crysdale said. “We were spoiled. We joked that if we didn’t catch fish in three casts something was wrong.”

Years later the former fishing guide returned to his old haunt and found a much different kind of memory.

“Four years after that trip with the father and son we went to one of my fail safe areas and in an hour and half three of us managed to catch one fish,” he said. “I decided then I was going to dedicate my book and all profits to saving Yellowstone cutthroat trout.”

Crysdale said many people end up paying more for his book once they hear his story about the impact the lake trout invasion has had on his beloved cutthroat fishery in Yellowstone. He elected to share his money with Trout Unlimited and Sweet because he knew it would end up going directly to the battle against lake trout.

“Dave offered me an opportunity to join the Trout Unlimited effort. The park service could not guarantee my donations would go specifically to Yellowstone cutthroat trout efforts,” Crysdale said. “I didn’t want the money to pave a road or buy a patrol car; I wanted to make sure every penny went to Yellowstone Lake.”

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Biologists believe up to 42 species, like grizzlies, utilize cutthroat as part of their diet in Yellowstone National Park. Invasive lake trout are not available for consumption like the cutthroat. Animals turn to other means when cutthroat are not a viable part of the ecosystem. Yellowstone National Park photo.

Thanks to contributions like those from Crysdale and continued efforts by National Park Service employees, Sweet said cutthroat are showing some signs of recovery.

Some cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake are making it through the lake trout gauntlet and reaching a size where they can spawn to create future generations. People are witnessing wildlife like bear, eagle and otter eating cutthroat – an indication that the native fish are again a working part of the ecosystem.

The book was recently awarded first in non-fiction from the Wyoming State Historical Society.

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To obtain a copy of “Yellowstone, Cutthroats and Me” send $35 to Dick Crysdale, 4628 W. Lake Circle S., Littleton, Colorado, 80123.

 If you would like to talk with Crysdale about his efforts send an email to bprettyman@tu.org and arrangements will be made.

Dave Sweet is the Yellowstone Lake Special Project Manager for Wyoming Trout Unlimited. He is based out of Cody, Wyoming.

Brett Prettyman is the Intermountain Communications Director for Trout Unlimited. He is based out of Salt Lake City.