Sam grew up in the mountains of Vermont, fishing the docks of Lake Champlain since he could walk. Throughout his childhood, Sam was a focused competitive snowboarder and spent summers wakeboarding and chasing northern pike on the lake. A passion for cooking took hold in high school, and work was all he could do. All while sneaking away in the mornings to target native brook trout in small mountain streams.
His passion and love of snow brought him to Bozeman in the fall of 2009. He fished rivers for a few months with conventional tackle, and then after fly fishing the Ruby River one day with a friend from Three Forks, MT; he put down the spinners and spoons to chase trout on the fly.
In the summer of 2011, Sam took a job as a chef at a fly fishing lodge in Alaska, and his obsession only grew from there. Spending 2 years targeting all five species of pacific salmon and rainbow trout is where he learned how to approach any situation with a fly rod. 8 years and three restaurants later, he left the kitchen to follow his dreams and spend every day he could on the water.
Sam loves to teach newcomers and finds more joy in others catching fish than himself these days. He likes to simplify fishing for people in a way to allow them to learn rather than be overwhelmed. Sam loves to fish big dry flies and streamers but knows the importance of the all-mighty strike indicator when it comes to catching fish. You can still find him chasing deep powder on his board when he’s not on the water or just hanging with his dogs tying flies.
Sam lives in Bozeman, MT. He is certified in CPR and first aid.