Henry Winkler’s Been Fly Fishing In Wyoming Since He Was The Fonze
There's a long list of famous actors who love Wyoming, but none of them have explored the Cowboy State more than Henry Winkler, who's been fly fishing rivers across the Rockies since he was "The Fonze".
Winkler discovered fly fishing came on a break from "Happy Days" in the late 70s. After his very first trip, he was hooked and he's been a frequent visitor for four decades.
"It's odd because Henry is a native New Yorker and we live in Los Angeles," Winkler's wife Stacey told Boat US in 2011."In both of those high-stress places, he's never flustered or overwrought. Only in the serene beauty of fly-fishing country does the crazed and competitive Henry appear."
Where are Henry's favorite places to fly fish?
"New Zealand, Wyoming, and Montana," he told a Chicago Tribune reporter in 2011. That same year, Winkler released his first book I've Never Met An Idiot On The River which "started with photographs and the photographs started in Jackson Hole."
Winkler has become an avid photographer over the years and often posts pictures of his fishing trophies on social media. In July, he tweeted "As I drive across Wyoming today, the thought comes to mind, how can not take care of our planet?" The following day, Winkler tweeted a picture of a rainbow trout he caught on the Hoback River.
Unlike other celebrities, Winkler's love for Wyoming isn't limited to Jackson Hole and the Tetons. In 2017, he visited Casper and appeared at a fundraiser for the Central Wyoming Boys & Girls Club. And, of course, he spent a few days fishing the acclaimed "Miracle Mile" on the North Platte River.
Yesterday, Winkler was spotted at a fly fishing shop in Laramie, presumably on his way to another Wyoming adventure. Next time you're on the river, keep an eye out for the Fonze. If he's in your neck of the woods, he could end up catching all the fish.