2023 was a crazy year in my life for many reasons. One of the best things to come out of this year was having the courage to start this blog, The Curious Angler.
In this article, I go over the status of The Curious Angler, how I feel about it, and my goals going forward. I hope this gives you a better perspective on why I started it and my success measures. I greatly appreciate everyone who followed along this year and I hope to share this journey with you for years to come.
2023 Blog Review
I started The Curious Angler website in March of 2023, so it has been alive for about 9 months. In that time I have posted 31 articles along with 10 monthly photo essays. These blogs have been a mix of journals where I share what I learned or tips on topics that may help you on the water. I also published a few articles about the psychological nuances that play into our days of fishing. I enjoy these articles as they help me understand how to have more fun on the water and learn about life through a fly fishing lens.
In 2023, the website received 1,382 page views from 291 users. The most viewed articles were:
Best Flies for Fishing In Yellowstone National Park (96 views)
The Fish That Left Me Heartbroken (46 views)
Five Best Flies For the Upper Madison In the Spring (37 views)
Seeing these numbers is amazing. I had no clue if others would view my website and read my articles. Thank you for taking the time to browse an article of mine this year. This is my first website and I have little knowledge of how to run and grow one. I am proud of these numbers for my first year and can’t thank you enough.
While the numbers are a way to track if people are reading my articles, I do not put much weight into them. The success of The Curious Angler will not be determined by a Google Analytics report. The Curious Angler is a passion project of mine where I look to develop my skills, make connections in fly fishing, and most importantly have fun. While I will always check and look to improve the numbers, I hope you understand they are not a primary success measure for the website.
Why The Curious Angler?
I started The Curious Angler to satisfy a lifetime goal of mine to make a positive impact in the fly fishing space, no matter how big or small. I believe I can satisfy this goal and help create the life I want to live through The Curious Angler. I find satisfaction and success in just running the blog as I know it is something I will forever be proud of, whether people read it or not.
I also look forward to reflecting on many of my favorite fishing memories and thoughts. It will be gratifying to look back at my stories and articles in five, ten, and twenty years. To capture this part of my life through writing and photos will be beautiful to share with my kids, family, and friends. We all have stories from our early years that we wish we could relive, and the blog is my attempt to store these amazing times.
I started the blog to learn and grow with a like-minded community. I knew that one of the best ways to learn is to teach, and getting my thoughts on paper has refined my beliefs. It has and will continue to push me to become a better angler, conservationist, fly tyer, and writer. I’ve always appreciated writing, and writing about fly fishing has made it even more enjoyable. I hope to develop my writing skills over time so I can bring a better product to my readers.
Lastly, my aspirations with the blog wouldn’t be fulfilled without the connections I make along the way. I am blown away at how many people have expressed their kind words and have stayed around to give their feedback. I have connected with some amazing anglers who have shared insights into the problems I am having. This is one of the greatest benefits of the connected world we live in today, and I am so excited for this to continue to grow.
I hope you understand I started The Curious Angler for the fulfillment and joy it brings, and I will continue to set boundaries in my life and the blog to keep it that way.
2024 Goals
Now what is in store for The Curious Angler in 2024? While I am aware that these goals may change as the year goes on, here are my initial goals for The Curious Angler in 2024.
– Post one article a week to share in the weekly newsletter. I want to increase the amount of content on the website while creating more consistency for my readers. One article a week is a goal I believe I can accomplish, even in a busy year where I am working full-time, planning a wedding, and fishing as often as possible. If you have not already signed up for the email notifications, scroll to the bottom of The Curious Angler Home Page to receive emails when I post a new article.
– Incorporate SEO-friendly content into the blog. Search engine optimization (SEO) is key to ranking my articles on Google and bringing more readers to my sight. While Instagram is my main referral source for the site, I hope a few of my articles can rank on the first page of Google this year and bring value to a wider audience of anglers.
– Continue to write articles that will help anglers in the Greater Yellowstone Region. I have many article ideas that will help anglers plan trips, catch more fish, and have a curious mindset on the water. I hope The Curious Angler can be a resource for those planning trips in this region of the world.
– Create a “Fly Box” page where I showcase the flies I keep in my fly boxes when fishing in the Greater Yellowstone Region. This will include a section for each hatch and a list of my favorite flies for each watershed. It will be a big project that will be updated as I discover new fly patterns.
– It is my goal this year to write for another website or magazine.
– Lastly, I plan to judge each article I publish based on three criteria. If I can answer yes to these questions, I will be proud of what the website develops into.
– Is this article humble/curious?
– Is it helpful to the DIY angler in the GYR
– Is this something I want to write about and do I enjoy writing it?
I can’t thank you enough for showing interest in my fly fishing journey and sharing yours as well. I look forward to further conversations and learning along with you this year. I invite you to share your feedback on the blog as I would love to hear what you enjoyed/didn’t enjoy about it. What would you like to see over the next year? What articles do you enjoy reading? Thanks for any feedback and suggestions you have!
I look forward to another year of The Curious Angler. This project has brought a lot to my life and I can’t wait to see where it takes me. I have many fishing trips in the works for the 2024 season. I’m planning to get off the beaten path this year and explore more of the Montana and Idaho backcountry. Until then I have a lot of work to do tying, planning, and getting in shape for many miles on the trail. It’s time to get to work and start 2024 strong. I wish you the best this year and hope you have a few trips planned yourself. If you are planning a trip to this area of the world, feel free to reach out and let me know!
-Nick
2 thoughts on “End of Year Blog Review (2023)”
Nick, The Curious Angler is awesome. Wish more people did this. Wish I had the time to do this. The “Fly Box ” sounds like its going to be a neat feature. Did you happen to see the YouTube of the Simms factory from the Fly Fish Food guys? Really good.
Thanks Dan! I really appreciate your commments and interaction with the blog this year. It is in my “Watch Later” playlist and am excited to give it a watch!
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