The Skiddy Fishing Chronicles

 WNTC-Bonneville Cutthroat *Format changes based on cell phone or desktop* BCCT Poster- WNTC For those that take resident in any state that contributes to the Western Native Trout Initiative , they have a natural advantage to the program. As a native to Utah, the Bonneville Cutthroat are no secret to me and I take pride in our beloved state fish. However I didn't catch my first BCCT until I was in my late twenties and adventuring the Utah Cutthroat Slam for the first time. I was completely ignorant to an idea that we only had rainbow trout because they are stocked everywhere in the state. Awareness programs like the UCTS deserve so much credit for delivering passion to native trout enthusiast. Before exploration grew to passion, the BCCT seemed like a mystery to me and a remarkable achievement but after years of targeting them, I say with bias off my shoulders that this fish should be one of the easier ones to catch in the entire program. To remain humble though , it wasn't alw...

My Go To Flies **Format changes between cell phone and desktop** The dawn of a new Spring is here and my tenkara season is about to go full swing! Something I am admittedly neglectful of when filming YouTube videos is sharing the types of flies I am using. I often make multiple adjustments while fishing and fail to keep my viewers in the loop. This is something I am working on and I don't treat fly choice as a big secret. It's a topic that I see on Facebook often though.  A new Tenkara angler enters the community and asks publicly what fly they should use. The opinions of fly choice openly are always going to be overwhelming but when it comes down to being in a good river with a good population, there is a reason why everyone has a different answer. The trick for me when tenkara fishing is "confidence" flies. I don't often seek to match the hatch and I believe one of the pinnacles of high altitude creek fishing is you simply don't have to. Trout that are not p...

 A Yellowstone Cutthroat Story: *Format changes based on cell phone or desktop* Editors note: If you read my story about how a forest fire in Wyoming led me to an extra camping day on the Grays River, the story continues here.  YCT Poster- WNTC While attempting the Wyoming Cutt Slam , I knew the Yellowstone Cutthroat was going to be a double whammy by qualifying my entry for the Cutt Slam but also contributing to the WNTC. As a YouTuber though I wanted to center my focus on the Slam as a "series" entirely separate from my WNTC adventure. While departing from Dubois early and forcing our way to our next camping spot at the Grays River, this became my next mission. A forest fire gave us an extra half day to fish the mainstem of the Grays but only my uncle Scott was fortunate to land some YCT. I went to sleep that night a little dismayed that I went an entire day without catching a fish but I needed to redirect my focus to the next day. Afterall, I had only peeked at the rive...

  WNTC- The Adventure of a Lifetime! *Format changes between cell phone and desktop* The Western Native Trout Challenge (WNTC) is a program that encompasses a goal to catch 18 species of native trout and char in 12 states. It's the grand-slam of trout fishing and a fly fisherman's dream adventure. The program started in 2019 and has the authority and compliance of each states wildlife agencies who hand picked which species that can be contributed to the challenge. There are lesser levels to achieve in the challenge as I will discuss but the proper way to tackle this challenge is to be strategic in your selected states. There is no expiration to the challenge. You can do it in one year or your entire life.  Why am I interested? Coming into 2025 I am two fish shy of completing my 5th Utah Cutthroat Slam . I have had so much fun tackling that challenge but I am ready to retire. The purpose of completing up to five was to collect the unique edition challenge coins Utah has produc...

How The Fish Creek Fire Changed My Wyoming Trip **Format changes based on handheld device or desktop** Buffalo grazing with the smoky Teton mountains The day I completed my Wyoming Cutt Slam have been the major highlight of my final Summer adventure for 2024, but catching that gem Yellowstone Cutthroat was only four casts into a three day adventure with plenty of fishing to remain. After camping overnight near Dubois we would spend the day in the general area and lodge in a cabin motel one final night before making our way to the Teton/Grays River for the remainder of our trip. The morning started with a visit to the Cutthroat fly shop in Dubois and some tips for creeks in the general area. Little did we know we would be traveling in the direction of a major forest fire.  Fire scene from the road side As we hunted for creeks it started casually with some road side curiosities. "What about that creek there?" I said to my uncle. He would show some interest but decided to drive...

Adventurist vs Preservationist **Format changes from handheld devices to desktop** A topic that anchors itself in my mind lately is the nature of creating cliques in communities. We see it in schools, we see it in society, and I think most hobbies experience a natural level of this as well. In the world of fishing, there are many cliques. Bait anglers, fly anglers, bass anglers, and ice anglers are just a few options in the deep rabbit hole of sub communities. Many of these shared interests now have Facebook groups regarding a specific topic for a community to express their shared interests. However the purpose of this article is to cover what I believe to be two very common sub groups in the tenkara community.  Initially, most of us that pick up our first tenkara rod seem to be keen on the simplicity of the concept. Just a long running rod, with a fixed line, and a fly. Telescoping and portability; which brings the idea of simplifying the complexity of fishing, is enough to turn m...