The churning waters of the Snake have carved North America's deepest gorge along the border of Idaho and Oregon. The yawning chasm is so impressive it was protected as Hells Canyon National Recreation area in 1975.

It's about 8,600 feet from the deepest part of the canyon to the highest peaks of the Seven Devils Mountains overlooking the gorge. It's steep, rugged and lonely country, with over two hundred thousand acres on each side of the river corridor designated as wilderness.

Congress has also set aside large sections of the Snake River itself as either a wild or scenic. And while there are dams on the river both above and below the recreation area the Snake flows freely for a hundred miles through the heart of the canyon. In those wild waters you'll find salmon, steelhead, bass, catfish, trout… and one of the world's largest freshwater fish…the white sturgeon.

Long-time Riggins fishing guide Sam Whitten is a local resident who spends lots of time in the impressive canyon pursuing the giant sturgeon.

Sam Whitten-Fishing Guide:
"There's all kinds of fish that live here, but like I say most people attracted to sturgeon because of size… Its nice to go home and say I got an eight foot fish today."