When most folks think of Atollas, they think of salt marshes, flood tides, and redfish pushing through spartina grass. That’s home for us — Charleston, South Carolina — and where much of our gear gets put through its paces. But every now and then, it’s good to change the scenery. Recently, our team packed up a few of our favorite fly boxes and headed west to Jackson, Wyoming for a float down the legendary Snake River. The goal? Field test our gear in the highcountry currents of the Tetons, and maybe fool a few native cutthroat trout along the way.
The Snake River: Big Water in Big Country
The Snake River winds its way out of Yellowstone, curls beneath the jagged peaks of the Teton Mountains, and carves through the valley floor of Jackson Hole. For decades, it’s been a bucket-list destination for fly anglers chasing native Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout.
What makes this river special isn’t just the trout — though the cutties are plentiful, wild, and eager to rise. It’s the variety. One moment you’re drifting past riffles alive with bugs, the next you’re gliding into a glassy pool framed by mountain ridgelines. Cutthroat aren’t known for being overly selective, but they’re wily enough to keep you on your toes. In other words, the perfect proving ground for both anglers and gear.
Our Guide: Eric Frohlich of Teton Troutfitters
We teamed up with Teton Troutfitters, a local guide service that knows every braid and bend of the Snake. Our guide for the day was Eric Frohlich — and if there’s anyone who embodies the spirit of chasing fish wherever the water calls, it’s him.
Eric grew up in the Florida Panhandle with salt on his skin and a rod in his hand, convinced he’d be a saltwater guide. But a summer in Island Park, Idaho changed his course. The mountains won him over, and since then he’s spent years guiding on storied waters across the West including Colorado, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana. Now based in Jackson Hole, Eric splits his winters coaching the Jackson Freeride Ski Team and his summers rowing anglers into fishy corners of the Snake. Safe to say, we were in good hands.
How the Snake is Fished
If you’ve never fished a western river from a drift boat, it’s an experience that sticks with you. The current does the work of moving you downstream while the guide rows into position, sliding you into casting range of riffles, seams, and structure. Every bend in the river feels like a new opportunity.
On our float, the action started fast. We threw dry flies to cutthroat sipping near the banks, watching for those classic top-water eats. When the fish got finicky, Eric had us rig hopper-droppers — a buoyant dry up top with a nymph hanging below — a one-two punch for picky trout. In deeper holes and faster runs, we swapped to streamers with sinking lines, searching for bigger fish lurking down low.
It was non-stop action, a crash course in reading water, changing tactics, and staying sharp cast after cast.
The Gear We Carried
We didn’t just come west to fish — we came to put Atollas gear in the field.
Micro Box
Our Micro Box quickly found a home clipped to the belt loop of our founder, Shea Tighe. It kept our go-to patterns within easy reach, perfect for those rapid-fire fly changes when the trout shifted moods. Compact, durable, and ready for action.
2GO Box
Our larger 2GO Box pulled streamer duty. It packed neatly alongside the rest of our kit and held a full lineup of articulated streamers and baitfish patterns. When we hit the deeper slots, it was the box we grabbed — exactly the role it was built for.
Our hardy and packable fly boxes held up flawlessly, proving themselves just as useful in a Rocky Mountain river as they are in Lowcountry marshes.
A Far Cry from the Marsh, but Just as Rewarding
Floating the Snake River was the kind of trip that reminds you why fly fishing pulls us in so many directions. For us, it was a chance to trade marsh flats for winding river bends, to test our gear in a new environment, and to connect with fish that live hundreds of miles from our home waters.
Whether you’re wading a tidal creek in Charleston or floating a big western river in Wyoming, the joy is the same: water beneath you, fish ahead of you, and the right gear clipped to your side.
Want to field-test our gear on your own adventure? Explore our gear and prep for your next fishing excursion.