The Cuttie-thon: a 26.5-mile fly-fishing event completed by daring anglers after they have waded and fished the entire route in one effort. It usually takes from 30-34 hours to complete, and this year it took my buddy Joe Larson and I just longer than 31.5 hours to complete. We started early on Aug. 21st, and ended in the afternoon on the 22nd. It was a tough course on a wild river with Snake River Cutties. We had wonderful assistance from my mother Tricia, father Tom and friends. Several dogs accompanied us during the event, including Ariell, Moriah, Meg and Tucker. The Cuttie-thon is a fund-raising event I’ve done for the last six years to raise money for Cutthroat restoration and to fund research to find a cure for diabetes. I am a type I diabetic, and my dad is a type II. I hope the images below are entertaining and give you a taste of what it’s like to fish for two days straight! Special thanks to Sweetgrass Rods for letting Joe and I use some cane. Joe used a 7′9″, 2 pc., five wt., hex rod, and I used a 7′6″, 2 pc., 4/5wt., pent. rod. They were awesome!

Ariell and I wading up crick. Joe is a bit behind, likely casting to rising fish…

It took a while for fishing to warm up, but after about an hour, I caught
this little beauty of a Cuttie! Not a bad start.

A ways farther up-crick, and Ariell rests on a boulder. Joe continues up-crick…

“Ladies, my name is Joe, and I’m a man of cricks and mountains.”

Joe hooked fast to a feisty Cuttie! Look at that Sweetgrass rod sway.

Nice, Joe!

And then it got dark:-( This is a strange part of the ‘thon, where we are never really sure
of what’s reality and imaginary. Good thing we’re not scared of Grizzlies in the dark… with
a full moon… Maybe we should have been more concerned about Warewolves…

The next day I was a little confused. I really have no idea what I’m
doing here, but I’m sure I’m doing a good job. I know I’m real happy
to be casting Sweetgrass!

Maybe if I change my fly I’ll have better luck…

Yes sir! A self portrait with my biggest landed fish of the Cuttie-thon. I lost others that were
HUGE. But, I think that’s how it works. I caught this 16-inch specimen on a #16 Parachute Adams.

That fine fish was the last I was to catch during the event. It was a great finale to a tough event. Joe and I made ‘er to the finish line and met our support crew there. It was nice to sip a coldie, and sit down for a while. Turned out, I landed 29 fish and Joe got 17 — which is a personal best for him during the ‘Thon. He has finished it three other times in the event’s 6-year history. Yay Joe. Thanks for being there so I didn’t have to whine about being tired and sore alone;-)

Joe: “Where are we?”
Zac: “I don’t know. Finish line maybe. I do know I like Caldera beer and bamboo!”

My wonderful mother and me at the finish.

My wonderful pops and me at the finish.

Every year I wonder how I fished for such a long time. I’m not sure how excited I am about next, but it will be good — as long as I’m fishing cane with good friends, family and dogs!

In Wild Waters,

Zac Sexton
Cuttiethon president

The 2010 Cuttie-thon will take place Aug. 21-22, at 6:30 a.m., on the Greys River route in NW Wyoming! The event will likely last through Sun. afternoon around 3 or 4 p.m. This year is dedicated to the memory of Mojo, Zac’s English Setter, who completed the first five events, and passed away this past Jan. Also, to Taylor Wilcox, a good friend and fishing guide who recently passed away. Their memory will help carry participants through the rigorous event. Contact Zac Sexton if you’d like to help with the event by managing break stations, helping with meal preparation, or taking part in fly-fishing the 26.5 mile route.

We will meet at a river access about 25 miles up the Greys River Rd., near Alpine, Wyo. The turn will be flagged with orange surveyor tape, and you should see our vehicles from the road. Most participants will be camping on the river Fri. night. Arrangements can be made to stay in Jackson or Alpine and commute to the river Sat. morning.

Teams may fish relay routes, with members fishing from 4 to 6-mile stretches. All contestants should bring a small day pack, water bottle, fishing gear (we will have some extra gear if needed), sleeping bag (if planning on camping on the river), headlamp, 2 extra pairs of medium or lightweight WOOL socks, waders and boots. Food, beverages and first aid equipment will be readily available. A 2-way radio and lots of extra batteries are suggested.

Contact Zac Sexton, Cuttie-thon President, if you have any questions.

This is the 26.5 mile route Cuttie-thoners will be completing this year.

Robert Walters (Zac's younger brother) fighting a fish and working his way across the Greys. This is a common scene for Cuttie-thoners: fighting fish and the river currents. Good times!

Three anglers finished the Greys River route Aug. 9th, 2009, in an unprecedented time! Robert Walters, Alex Mudder and Zac Sexton started at 7:23:30 a.m., Aug. 8th, and completed the ‘Thon at 11:41:00 a.m. the next day, for a total event time of 28 hrs., 21 min., and 30 sec. That pace beats the previous event time by about four hours.

Desireable weather, and a bit more sleep before starting, may have been the key to the quick finish. The anglers were supported primarily by Zac’s dad, Tom Sexton, who cooked, moved break stations and monitored the event. Justin Stroup, of Portland, Ore., filmed during the event and just released the first documentary on the Cuttie-thon. His tireless work will help spread the word about the most extreme fly-fishing event in the world. Thank you Justin!

Zac’s catch record dropped a bit in ‘09, but the shorter time spent on the river was likely the reason. “Fishing was great this year,” said Sexton. “I didn’t catch the 30-something fish I usually seem to catch, but I also didn’t fish for the 30-something hours. They really liked dry flies this year.”

After completing the 5th annual ‘Thon, the anglers think back, and would like to thank everyone who donated time, gear and food. It’s the support they get that enables them to cross the finish line. Look for the 6th annual Cuttie-thon in August of 2010, again on the Greys River. Please contact Zac if you’d like more information in participating, to donate, to schedule Zac for a presentation, or to receive your copy of the Cuttie-thon documentary.

A Snake River Cutthroat, caught by Zac, on a bamboo rod he made just before the Cuttie-thon start.

Robert Walters, Joe Larson and I finished the fourth annual Cuttie-thon on Aug. 10th at 3:50 p.m.! It took 33 hrs., 15 min., and 20 sec. to do, but we did it in style. Mike Carlson and Cameron Mortenson made it through the first day, putting in great effort and catching many Cutts.–mostly on dry flies. Everyone had a great time (minus the pain, fatigue, rain and cold), and are now readying themselves for next year.

The first morning was wet from a thunderstorm the previous night. We started a little after sunrise after a hot breakfast of Cuttie-thon Coffee and MaryJane’s Farm oatmeal. The good grub got us off to a fine and enthusiastic start at 6:35 a.m. I managed to hook an 8-inch Snake River Cuttie within minutes of casting on the Greys, but unfortunately lost it before getting it to hand.

Special thanks goes out to those who donated time, money and equipment to this year’s ‘Thon. Tom Sexton, my Dad, did an incredible job of making sure we were fed and watered, and even kept dry when we took a break. Mike Peck fished alongside us, and also helped keep us equipped and happy at access points–even managing to find us after we passed all check points in the middle of the night! Tricia Curley, my mom and Jeff Houston, her friend helped keep blisters, cuts and pain to a minimum, with deft first aid kit skills. Ethan Sexton, my youngest brother, helped keep radio contact through the whole event and made sure we stayed on schedule. Heather Johnson and Mandy Mader cooked a delicious array of food for us to enjoy along the route. Jeff Shelly of Big Horn Meat Cutting donated his delicious jalapeno and cheese sausage and Happy Sticks, which did coincidentally keep us happy while snacking on them along the river.

Our corporate sponsors this year did a great job of providing equipment and refreshments that are so vital to our success. Fishing Properties (fishingproperties.com) donated a custom-built graphite fly rod for the angler catching the most fish, a $500 cash donation and access to their Dead Man Ranch on the Greys. The Oskar Blues Brewery donated a wonderfully cold supply of Dale’s Pale Ale and Old Chub for us to enjoy at the finish line. William Joseph provided two Exodus packs which make packing our rain gear, water, food, beer and fishing gear simple. Cloudveil donated a pair of 8x Pro Waders and boots that kept Mike Carlson dry (until he punctured them with a willow, but repaired with the patch kit), and sure-footed astream. Petzel donated two, very bright MYO series headlamps. MaryJane’s Farm donated a supply of her scrumptious, organic dehydrated backpacking dishes that make preparing an energy-filled and healthy meal simple. The Fly Shop of the Bighorns donated more than $250 of fishing gear including tippets, leaders, flies, sink and float putty and Orvis polarized sunglasses. Cliff Outdoors provided their original fly boxes, which I think are the best designs in the market.

Thanks again to everyone helping make this year a success. I will be putting a PowerPoint presentation together soon, to give to any interested parties. Please let me know if your fishing club, diabetes organization, conservation group or business would be interested in having me as a guest speaker. The Cuttie-thon story is an incredible and inspirational one!

Just tried my first mug of Cuttie-thon Coffee yesterdy morning; the smooth, strong and full flavor started off a beautiful, energizing and river-filled day! Bags of Cuttie-thon Coffee are now ready to be shipped to those wishing to savor their mornings. Contact me via. this website or email: zwaterwriter@yahoo.com, to let me know how many bags you need. I will ship ‘em ASAP.

Also, raffle tickets for a custom-crafted 6′6″, 3 weight fiberglass fly rod, reel, floating line, leader and box of flies are available. Mike Carlson built the rod and donated it to the Foundation. Thank you Mike! I had a chance to see his work a couple days ago, when we met in Jackson. It is amazing. His wraps are smooth and tight, the grips are comfortable to hold, and the varnish is sexy! Similar rods sell for $1,700. It is $5 for one ticket, or $20 for five tickets.

See, the ‘Buy these products…’ link for more info.

Joe and I have been busy researching the Cuttie-thon route on the Greys, and taking some time to work on my book in the Jackson Hole area. The Greys has finally cleared and is coming down to a fishable level. Caddis, Mayflies, Stoneflies and Dragonflies, are the bugs to match now. Joe, Morrison, a friend and Jackson native, and myself have been doing well on Elk Hair Caddis, Yellow Stimulator with rubber legs, Marathoner, Bison Sculpin, and a variety of smaller, soft hackle beadhead nymphs. Oh, and the mosquitoes have been miserable–hopefully they’ll be dead by August. In fact, I have been bitten by mosquitoes, deer flies, horse flies, ants, and something else I didn’t see, while fishing the Greys….

The route is going to be challenging. Many willow thickets are impenetrable, surrounded by cliffs and steep hillsides. Sometimes, these obstructions are bordered by deep pools in the river, which would fill your waders. But, we’ve been managing to get through with only a few cuts and bruises. Actually, I guess we have lots of cuts and bruises, but not all are from the Greys It will be easier in August, as we will be able to cross the river once it drops another foot or two. Morrison, a local angling expert, was surprised and disappointed she couldn’t get to the other side. She said the river is much higher than normal now. But she still managed to get around and catch some Cutties!

We will finish marking the route in the next couple days. Soon after, we should have a detailed map of the route and access areas. We are now off to the river–after I finish this delicious tin mug of coffee…. 

Joe Larson and I have been busy catching a few native Yellowstone Cutthroat here in the Bighorn Mountains while we wait for the Greys to clear up and become fishable. Run off is about a month late in the western Wyoming drainages–so we have been wading up and down the Bighorns to get in to shape for the big event in August. Once we get to the Greys, we will meet up with Mike Carlson to do a pod cast interview (which I will post on this site), lure some Snake River Cutthroat to our flies, and mark the two routes for this year’s ‘Thon. Joe and I will be doing a test run of a few miles on the river, to approximate the time it will take for the entire event. I’ll let you know how it goes.

On a recent trip to the Bighorn’s west slope, Joe and I found Yellowstone Cutthroat in post spawn condition in two small streams. We caught several natives in the 5″ to 9″ range, in a variety of colors. We also landed a few Brookies–adding them to our creels and eating them for dinner. They were firm with bright orange meat, and tasty! I found the Cutts. in the tributary stream to prefer wet flies, while the Cutts. in the main channel would rise confidently to dries.

The stream dumps in to a beautiful canyon, with ledges that completely overhang the stream’s width. We found arrowhead chippings, a Water Ouzel nest, and Lupine in full bloom. I was still recoverring from a severe migraine headache the previous week, and found myself gaining strength with each step in the canyon–even though I was sucking air like a raging forest fire!

Thank you for visiting Cuttiethon.org. I hope you like the new look. Check back soon for printable donation sheets and other information about participating in the 2008 Cuttie-Thon!