I had some work booked in Monument Valley on monday and some friends fishing the White Mountains for a few days before that so I made a big loop from Phoenix out to Springerville then headed north through nearly all of Navajo Nation en route to Monument Valley. I made sure to finally check out Canyon de Chelly and boy, that spot did not disappoint. What an incredible place. Monument Valley was unusually foggy but it made for some great work.

Niko Ebert and I headed out to New Mexico to shoot some stuff with James and About Trout. We were hoping to recreate the streamer magic from our last trip and while we did find success, it was really only because James is a great guide. Not because the river really wanted to cooperate. The drop in flows tightened up the browns and most of the fish in that river wanted to eat midges and baetis. We were lucky to float the river in peak fall colors though. The swing bite ended up being a pretty good and we found a few good ones on the switch rods.

Check out AboutTrout and book a trip. All year round, you can find creative ways to hook some big fish.

This trip was amazing. Kris Bare and I closed up the shop friday night and drove straight to the white mountains. The first day was mostly a lazy day of drinking beers and casually casting around the lake. Brad Dahl even smoked some pork shoulder. This trip was open to anyone that wanted to join us. Arizona has a small but friendly community of anglers and whether you are new to the state or new to the sport, I am proud of how welcoming we are.

I have been fishing the San Juan once or twice a year for the past 8 years and it’s a fishery that’s never really caught my attention. I’ve never been a big fan of nymphing or fishing tiny flies and the crowds on that river have also been a deterrent. James (About Trout) totally changed my perspective of this place.

Nets are something that anglers are often really particular about. The size and shape of the basket, the length of the handle, and the materials used, all play into how we choose which nets fit our needs the best. I really love the wood handles that Hex Fly Co. uses. The netting material is really subtle and you can choose between a black or clear netting. The most interesting part of their nets, in my opinion, is that the basket is actually a little bit flexible. These nets are made with the rugged, backcountry angler in mind.

Every summer, my friend, Damien, and I take some sort of out of state fishing trip. Over the years we have fished together in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, California, Wyoming, and Montana. This year we decided to do a two-parter and fish some of the southern Utah stuff and then kicking it in the Tetons. We drove past a number of different wildfires and man, the Grand Canyon fire is massive now. We also had to keep our eyes on the Monroe Canyon Fire as it seemed to double in size each day.

Glade Optics is more well known for their snowboarding goggles but they are starting to make waves in other corners of the outdoor industry. This campaign was part of their push into the world of Fly Fishing.

The Eastern Sierras have eluded me for years up until last summer. This range is so out of the way from everything else that I usually fish that I have had a hard time committing a trip to the region. Last summer I ventured out there with my friends; Damien and Kyle, to backpack the Golden Trout Wilderness with a few days after in the Mammoth Lakes area.

For the past 8 years or so I have made a routine of solo tripping all over the west and taste testing the fishing opportunities. I know, what a cliche. I like to think that I am making it my own by incorporating photography into the mix but that would probably just dig into the stereotype even more.