The Imperiled Cutthroat ― Tracing the Fate of Yellowstone's Wild Trout

Yellowstone, the world’s first national park and one of America’s truly great trout fisheries, has been a crucible for ideas on how to look after wild places. Renowned Australian fishing writer Greg French gives a sparkling firsthand account of how the park’s history, landscapes, wildlife, and people have touched anglers worldwide and why this matters.

Imperiled Cutthroat is a travelogue that covers the story of the Yellowstone cutthroat trout: its discovery, biology, decimation, modern-day allure, and uncertain future. Although set against the dramatic backdrop of Yellowstone, comparisons to Australia, New Zealand, and Europe are inevitable. It is a cautionary tale too, ending up in Mongolia, which is as pristine as Montana once was.

The Yellowstone fishery is at a crossroads, and debate about what to do is dangerously narrow. Anglers everywhere need to be constantly reminded that hatcheries are far from a panacea for ailing fisheries: fostering conservation of the natural environmental delivers far better outcomes at a fraction of the cost.

The power of Greg’s stories comes not just from the quality of the writing but also from the quirks and passions of the people he meets. Greg's compelling storytelling enthralls anglers and naturalists the world over.

Greg French is one of Australia’s best-known fishing authors. He spends most of his time in Australia and New Zealand, but he has fished extensively in South America, North America, the British Isles, Iceland, Eastern Europe, and Mongolia. French has spent most of his life in nature-based employment: first as a wilderness guide, followed by stints as a park ranger in Tasmania’s Wild Rivers National Park and a hatchery officer at the historic Salmon Ponds.

He’s written numerous books, including a comprehensive guide, Trout Waters of Tasmania, originally published in 1984 and last updated in 2011; Frog Call (New Holland, 2002) a work of literary nonfiction; and its companion, Artificial (New Holland, 2008).Menagerie of False Truths was published by Exisle in 2010. French also cowrote with Nick Reygaert the acclaimed documentary Hatch. In 2013, Reygaert and French produced a companion DVD,Predator, which won the Best DVD award at the 2013 IFTD tackle show in Las Vegas. He lives in Molesworth, Australia.