2024 Year in Review

2024 had everything.  More than I wanted.  While my fishing and travels were some of the best in years, both my mom and Granny had health scares that led to two long summer days in the hospital.  Luckily they recovered 100%.  Furthermore, 2024 will be forever scarred with the loss of my best pal Sammy back in September.  I think about Sam numerous times each day.  I still can’t believe we aren’t headed to Baja here soon.  It’s was a gut-wrenching ending to a storybook 35 year friendship.

 

Looking beyond the downs and the tragedy, 2024 overall was excellent.  I kicked the year off like I usually do, delivering numerous presentations at fly fishing shows throughout the USA and Canada.  I spoke at fly fishing clubs and enjoyed some fundraising events right here in Hayward, WI.  All in all I presented 42 times which is right in line with my annual average.

 

I was exhausted when my speaking tour was over but during it I never felt tired because the light at the end of the tunnel was bright.  In April I was the lucky angler to be filmed chasing mahseer during a float trip on a roaring river of Bhutan.  Our knowledgeable host Bryant Dunn and his Himalayan Fly Fishing crew gave us their all and Yellow Dog leader Jim Klug and stud film maker Chris Patterson created a piece that you don’t want to miss.

 

I was home only a short time before taking off to Darien Lodge in Colombia with friends Ben Furimsky, Scott Wessels and Jess McGlothlin.  We tested every muscle in our bodies wrestling numerous yellowfin tuna, mullet snappers, sailfish and more on the 12-weights.  These oversized fish took a toll on my damaged shoulder.  I should say “shoulders” these days.  But I racked up a few new species from the jagged rocky shoreline with my 10-weight when we needed a break from the big fish.

 

Summer was unreal.  This was the first full summer in Wisconsin where Granny and I didn’t have to do some sort of house or yard repair.  Our new garage was finished by spring and we spent most of our time fishing.   When Granny and I weren’t fishing I was almost always with my friend Bob Butler.  We added several new floats to our resume and this fall we finally caught muskies with consistency.

 

Hands down one of this year’s highlights was putting a couple of my best friends on their first muskies.  Mr. Matt “Howie” Norton has lived in WI for over 10 years and had never landed a musky on fly.  That all changed on October 25^th when I told him to get that fly closer to the bank.  46 inches worth of pure muskellunge!

 

I fished internationally five times.  While I already mentioned Bhutan and Colombia, I had another outstanding coaster brook trout trip to Ontario in June.  After summer Granny and I had the pleasure of fishing with our friend Joshua Hutchins, founder of Aussie Fly Fisher, up on the west side of Cape York Australia.  While I was unable to knock my fourth and final permit species off my list (The Anak), it was a fantastic adventure.  Then only a month ago I found myself deep in the Amazon with buddy Rodrigo Salles, lead man for Untamed Angling, as well as friends Joe Wolthuis of Scientific Anglers and Ross Purnell, editor of Fly Fishermen Magazine.  Let’s just say we had one heck of a time catching payara and other cool jungle fish!

 

Speaking of fish, I caught a total 57 species in 2024 from the countries listed above, my home waters of WI and the states of FL, VA, TX and GA.  32 of these fish came from 21 days of saltwater fly fishing.  The other 25 came from 84 days of freshwater fly fishing.  Most importantly this was a good year for adding new species as they don’t come easily anymore as the list rises.  I added a total of 19 new kinds for my list which is now about 475.

 

Its hard to believe in only three weeks I’ll be on my 2025 fly fishing speaking tour.  I’ll kick off at the Marlboro Fly Fishing Show on January 17^th and wont slow down until May 1^st.  You can see my exact schedule for 2025 here and hopefully you can make one of these events and catch me giving a presentation or visit me at my both while I’m likely going to be doing Sharpie art on a Cliff Fly box or backpack.

 

I normally post this year in review close to midnight on New Years eve but this year isn’t a normal year.  I’ll bring in 2025 during a 30 hour layover in Paris.  Then on New Years Day I fly to Gabon with my Yellow Dog group and we’ll be fly fishing for tarpon, longfin jacks, giant African threadfin, snappers and more off the beach with forest elephants and more extraordinary African wildlife (See my last trip to Gabon).  If I look tired in Marlboro, this might be why.

 

2025 is going to be a great one and I plan to keep the pedal to the metal!  Much of my amazing fishing years are thanks to the best sponsors in the fly fishing industry.  Thank you Simms, Yellow Dog Flyfishing, Yeti, Scientific Anglers, Costa Sunglasses, Outcast Sporting Goods, Winston Fly Rods, Bauer Fly Reels, Aire Whitewater, Afuera Coffee and Kate’s Real Food.

 

Happy New Year everyone!

Jeff Currier Global Fly Fishing