...to set aside the daily challenges and associated stresses of running a small business to re-connect with the many things in life that make it truly, worth living. Montana is an amazing place to live and raise a family, getting ‘reacquainted” with both and enjoying time fly-fishing the tropics has been my focus as of late. However, spring is here in Bozeman and my attention is firmly set on the fly-fishing opportunities in the region that I can enjoy both personally and professionally in ways that have escaped me for nearly two decades.

I spent much of the last 6 months either on sand or snow with multiple fly-fishing trips to destinations in Louisiana, Belize, and Turks and Caicos while skiing at Big Sky on my “off” days here at home. The adventures have been amazing, whether they have been focused on driving through Gallatin Canyon in a blizzard or ripping across the unknown flats I am learning to discover on my own in T/C. Through it all, reconnecting with long-lost of art of “living in the now” has been the greatest reward to date and has me more excited about being able to enjoy my life on the water – both liquid and solid – than ever before.

The adventures to Turks and Caicos remind me of my younger years when my dad and I were learning how to Bass fish and Duck hunt – with very little experience to draw from and a bit of counsel from my father’s friends. I am now learning to navigate shallow saltwater systems all the while trying to understand where the fish that inhabit them move to feed with changing tides, weather, pressure systems, and the ever-persistent wind that makes 17 mph seem calm. I am “boat wreck” free to date and have managed to reliably find Bonefish on the incoming and dropping tides. I have seen a few Permit and exactly 2, large Tarpon – in addition to many sharks, Trigger fish, and Barracuda which are all part of the “game” these days. I hope to get back there a few more times in 2023, but my attention is now firmly set on enjoying the regional fisheries that I have called home for over 30 years.

I have been on the Madison the last week - mostly being blown around in the wind or working out how to catch some fish with changing water conditions – but out there, nevertheless. The nymphing his time of year is always fun for me as I love picking water apart, zeroing in on the subtle nuances of holding water this time of the year. The dry fly fishing is getting going later than usual with Midges hatching most days now, but more abundant on overcast days free of wind. The BWO and Caddis hatches shouldn’t be too far away, so I have been busy at the vise – for a change – getting stocked up with some longtime favorite patterns for the next month or two on the Missouri River near Craig, Montana.

My 24th guide season starts on April 24 on the Holter Dam section of the Missouri River – about a week from today or exactly one week from tomorrow (I can still read a calendar). That river fishes so well this time of the year, I can’t wait to get started and am planning heading up there a few days in the week ahead. I have a few open weeks this season as some of my clients have had to move their dates around – you can check availability out online when you click on one of the online booking buttons. Currently, I have most of the week of May 1-5 and May 16,17,22,23 and 24 available on my guide schedule – this can be fantastic fishing so consider joining me! You can book online or send me an e-mail to secure a reservation.

The 2023 fly-fishing season here in Bozeman typically really kicks off in late June with Salmonflies on the Madison, followed shortly with clearing water on the Yellowstone and Gallatin Rivers in very late June or early July. I have been closely watching the snowpack all winter and am thinking that we are in for a great season so long as the summer does not start off unusually hot and dry. Fishing reports are just getting started on the new website and these are a great way to watch the local are for trends as your Bozeman fly fishing outing or guide trip approaches.

Thank you for being a part of my journey in this fly-fishing adventure and I look froward to hearing about yours when we meet on the water in 2023. Please reach out to me via e-mail with any questions you have about fly-fishing the Bozeman area, guided fly-fishing trips in Montana, or even help with picking out the right flies for your next saltwater trip.