“I make myself rich, by keeping my wants few.” – Henry Thoreau.
I consider myself blessed to be a Missoulian, and a Montanan. This truly is the “last best place,” its not hard to see, especially from my point of view.
My passion for the environment and natural world has shaped my life and direction for the future. Ive always been an avid fisher, backpacker, snowboarder, mountain biker, and generally active outdoorsman. My turn to becoming a full fledged fly fishing addict started while ski bumming in Mammoth Lakes, California, where I lived for 4 years before coming back to Missoula to settle in. Ill never forget the day my good friend took me out to his secret spot and completely blew my mind with the number and quality of trout he was pulling out, on large stillwater, with size 20 midges none the less; I saw the light on that day. I bought my first fly set up that same night, gave away my spin gear, and never looked back. Ill forever have a debt of gratitude to my friend.
Since then Ive made it back to the 406 for countless reasons, but most prominently – fishing and pursuing a career in the wildlife / conservation field. I want to protect, and work around what I love. Outside of work and school, all my other hobbies are trumped by fishing. Even if I were about to jump out of a plane skydiving, very possible I could be daydreaming about fish. Im out on the water as much as possible fly fishing. My drive to visit new waters, catch bigger fish, and hang out with my dog while experiencing nature is insatiable; and Im extremely grateful and proud to be apart of the Catch team.