Good Clean Fun

Catching fish and protecting Greater Yellowstone. 

It’s a beautiful day. Surprisingly warm for Gardiner in the fall. We’re driving to the Park (Yellowstone, in case that wasn’t clear) for a day of fishing. And—dang it!—we forgot lunch again.

It’s a beautiful day. Surprisingly warm for Gardiner in the fall. We’re driving to Ridley’s Family Market to get cheese & crackers.

In my opinion, autumn is the best time to visit the Park. Crisp, cool, sunny days—but more importantly, fewer people backing up traffic to take pictures of the buffalo (therefore, less road rage). We park at the trailhead, slide into our waders, and get our gear together.

As we start hiking in, the nerd in me can’t help but attempt to identify the plants we pass. I’m not an expert by any means, but I find some invasive spotted knapweed and cheatgrass along the way—I make a note to myself to check my boots for any seeds when we get back to the truck. The hike in is only a few miles, but by the time we make it to our spot, I feel like I’ve melted into my waders and can’t wait to step into the water.

I carefully remove the mud and plants that got stuck in my boots to ensure I don’t bring any invasive species with me.

As we fish, I reflect on how special the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is, and I remind myself of some of the ways that I can help protect this place for generations to come:

• Remove plants, animals, and mud from my boots, gear, pets, and vehicles before entering and leaving a recreation site
• Stop at watercraft-inspection stations, and Clean-Drain-Dry my fishing and watersport gear in between every use
• Don’t move firewood long distances (more than 10 miles); instead, use heat-treated certified or local firewood
• Stay on designated roads and trails when possible

After a few hours and multiple fish caught (I’m not lying, we’re just that good), we make our way back to the truck. As I munch on some cheese and take off my waders, I carefully remove the mud and plants that got stuck in my boots to ensure I don’t bring any invasive species with me. When we get home, I hang my waders to fully dry before we do it all again.

Join me in protecting the GYE from invasive species by recreating responsibly, no matter the season. Learn more about responsible recreation at stopais.org/GYE and share your own stories by posting with the hashtag #4good4GYE.

The Invasive Species Action Network is a 501c3 nonprofit based in Livingston. This campaign is in partnership with the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee.