Journal
Explore The Journal
After years of journaling my days fly fishing the Greater Yellowstone region, I realized the value this information could bring other anglers. In the journal, I tell the story of my fishing trips and go into detail on what techniques worked for me. I detail the weather, water types, flies, and other important information that led to my success or failure. I go over what I learned from the trip and pose questions about what I left the water curious about.
Spring Fishing Recap 2025
Spring is nearing its end here in the Greater Yellowstone Region, and what a few months it was to fly fish the area. This spring reminded me how special a time it is to be in Montana, with minimal crowds, epic hatches, and beautiful, greening landscapes. I’ll jump right into summarizing this spring of fishing in Montana while sharing how I fished, what I learned, and what left me curious. I hope you enjoy the
The Time Is Now
It is early June in Yellowstone Country. The parade of hatches is in full swing on many of our legendary trout fisheries, and the stoke is high among anglers. If there is any time of year to be a trout angler in this area, it is now. This is the time of year we all dream of and look forward to throughout the year. After a whole winter tying flies and dreaming of big
The Best of John Gierach
I have been reading and listening to a lot of John Gierach lately. John, unfortunately, passed away last year after a long career as a fly fishing writer. The fly fishing world will forever grieve the loss of John, but we are fortunate to have 23 of the best fly fishing books ever written, full of short stories from his life as an angler. He was so good at portraying what goes on in a
Montana Smallmouth
Montana Smallmouth Fishing This spring, I took a trip with a good fishing buddy that, in years past, I probably wouldn’t have gone on. Smallmouth bass fishing here in Montana. I’ve focused on trout fishing for years, barely giving other species a thought. It’s hard to branch out when surrounded by some of the best trout water in the country, and most warmwater fisheries are hours from Bozeman. Chasing bass always felt a little ridiculous—kind
Winter Fishing Recap 2025
We made it! Another frigid winter is behind us here in Yellowstone country. The end of winter doesn’t mean the snow stops falling, but it does mean spring hatches are soon to come. I am beyond excited for spring fishing, with many trips to plan and not enough time. Before we jump into spring, I briefly recap what this winter of fishing looked like and highlight how I found success, what I learned, and
Dwindling Hatches
As a young angler who enjoys matching the hatch to fool trout, I have traveled to fish the West’s most famous insect hatches. This includes the pale morning dun hatch on the Missouri River, the salmonfly hatch on the South Fork of the Snake, caddis on the Madison River, callibaetis on Hebgen Lake, and everything in between. I remember my first time fishing the famous Green Drake hatch on the Henry’s Fork in Idaho.
Worth The Wait
Here in Bozeman, this week’s low temperatures are well below zero, and the highs are in the single digits. A successful morning is when my truck turns over, and the crack in the windshield has yet to move across my line of vision. Not to mention, the few feet of snow on the ground make spring feel so far away. I never appreciated the change in seasons before moving to Montana. This could be
Match The Hatch Fly Box
If you’re anything like me, you love having a complete and organized fly box going into the fishing season. Dreaming of warm days when bugs are hatching and trout are rising, I have been working on a “match the hatch” box this winter. I am filling it with flies to imitate the many hatches we see in the Greater Yellowstone fisheries. Whether it be green drakes, pmds, golden stones, or caddis, I want a
Dark Dry Flies In Low Light Conditions
If you are fishing dry flies, you want to be able to see the fly. Seeing a trout rise to our fly is what we all dream about. If you can’t see your fly, you miss out on the pinnacle of this pursuit. Many dry flies are tied with white, pink, or orange indicators to help the angler see the fly on the water. On many days, these flies are easy to see and
End Of Year Blog Review (2024)
The Curious Angler is still around after another year. What another fun, challenging, and memorable year running this fly fishing blog. Thank you to all who follow along; it means the world to me. In this article, I share an update on the blog and my plans for the future 2024 Blog Review The Curious Angler is a fly fishing blog documenting my journey fishing in the Yellowstone Region. I share what I learn along
Fall Fishing Recap 2024
If you have read my content over the last few months, you may know by now that fall is my favorite season to fish in the Yellowstone Region. The hillsides fill with yellow and orange hues, migratory fish move through the river systems, and bull elk come down from the high country. This fall was no different, as I experienced unbelievable fishing and breathtaking views. In this blog post, I recap this fall fishing season,
Why The Curious Angler?
Recently, I was asked to answer some questions about The Curious Angler for a media company in the fly fishing space. I enjoyed the piece and thought it would be a great read for those who follow along. I go into why I started the blog, what my goals are, and what I enjoy most about running the blog. I hope you enjoy this piece and it provides some clarity around The Curious Angler. Thanks