About After The Hatch: Fly Fishing Stories from Big Sky Country & Beyond
You've done the research. You've read the forums, watched the videos, and still can't tell what to trust. After The Hatch is a fly fishing documentary podcast for anglers who want to step onto the water, in Yellowstone country or wherever the season takes them, with real information and confidence.
In each episode, host Steve Hoovler of Big Sky Anglers pairs a day on the water with an honest conversation with the guides, local legends, and veteran anglers who know these rivers best. The result is a lived-in perspective you can't find in a fishing report - the kind that tells you what’s actually happening out on the water this season, and how to make the most of the trip you've been planning.
Fly fishing stories from real days on the water in Big Sky Country and beyond.
Brian O’Keefe on What Makes Yellowstone a World-Class Cutthroat Fishery
Every episode of After The Hatch starts on the water. This time, Steve Hoovler joins Brian O’Keefe for two days on the Yellowstone River around the July opener, finding cold water, scattered hatches, and big, healthy cutthroat that make them earn every eat.
Having spent decades fishing and photographing remarkable waters around the globe, Brian brings a distinct perspective to what makes Yellowstone world-class. He and Steve break down the challenge of fooling selective cutthroat on dry flies, from recognizing spent caddis in the drift to approaching subtle rises without disturbing the whole flat. For Brian, figuring out those fish is part of the attraction, not an obstacle to a good day.
They also explore Yellowstone’s “total experience”: native trout, bison in geothermal steam, changing light, and the details that reward looking beyond your fly. Brian shares practical advice for taking better fishing photos while keeping fish wet, along with reflections on the curiosity and sense of adventure that keep him coming back.
22 Oct 2026
Eat Your Lunch First: Jonathan Heames on the Power of Patience and Observation
Every episode of After The Hatch starts on the water. This time, Steve and his Big Sky Anglers co-owner Jonathan Heames fish the Gallatin River in Yellowstone National Park on a cold, rainy June afternoon. The Green Drakes they're hoping for are slow to show, so they spend more time watching than casting, and that's what turns the day around.
Jonathan has been guiding for about 30 years, much of it on the technical Henry's Fork. He explains why he believes "observation is a superpower" and how hatch-focused "ranch style" fishing shapes the way he reads every river. He also covers why Green Drakes bring up fish you might not see the rest of the year, and how to treat spinner falls like a crop you can predict from the wind and weather. And he tells the story of the day his mentor Bob Jacklin handed him a ham sandwich and told him not to make a cast until he'd finished it, a lesson every first-time Yellowstone angler should hear.
8 Oct 2026
Doug and Dan Daufel on Slow Rods, Smart Flies, and Fishing to Rising Trout
Every episode of After The Hatch starts on the water. This time, Steve Hoovler spent a cold, snowy spring day on the Madison in the park with twin brothers Doug and Dan Daufel. They're Bozeman anglers, longtime fly tiers, and the builders behind Montana Brothers Rod Works. The fishing was slow that day, and when they sat down afterward the brothers said what most anglers won't: they should have moved sooner.
Most of the conversation is about what it means to be a "classically oriented" angler: hunting for feeding fish instead of blind fishing. The brothers make a strong case for slow-action rods, explaining how a rod that bends deep casts better at 20 to 40 feet, gives you better feel, and even fights fish more efficiently. They also explain why you should get close and plan as if you only get one cast. From their years as commercial tiers (90 dozen flies a week), they break down their design philosophy (flies that float well, are easy to see, and are easy to tie), the origins of their Improved X-Caddis, and why they now fish greased nymphs in the film during big mayfly hatches. They round it out with their must-have spring flies, the early park opener, fishing rested water away from crowds, and simple trip-planning advice for first-time visitors.
8 Oct 2026
Craig Mathews on Fly Design, Emergers, and Being a Good Ancestor
Every episode of After The Hatch starts on the water. This time, Steve spent a rainy PMD day on the Firehole with fly fishing legend Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies and co-founder of 1% for the Planet. When they sat down afterward, Craig talked through what 56 seasons in Yellowstone have taught him: sit and watch before you cast, recognize when trout are eating emergers instead of duns, and stay flexible when the hatch charts don't hold. He also tells the stories behind the Improved Sparkle Dun and the Pheasant Tail Sparkle Dun, and explains why he's moved from 4X down to 6X tippet.
The second half turns to conservation. Craig covers the Yellowstone cutthroat recovery, why the lake trout removal work is far from finished, how anglers can get involved, and why wild places and wild fish are worth fighting for.
8 Oct 2026
John Juracek on Observation, Hatches, and the Joy of 12-Inch Trout
Every episode of After The Hatch starts on the water. This time, host Steve Hoovler spent Memorial Day weekend on the Firehole and Madison with John Juracek, the casting instructor, co-author of Fishing Yellowstone Hatches, and Steve's longtime mentor. When they sat down afterward, John made the case that observation is fishing. He explains how he reads weather, water temperature, and flows to decide where and when to fish, and what happens when a sudden runoff "shocks the system." He also explains why a basic knowledge of insects answers the eternal "what fly should I use?" question.
They also dig into how Yellowstone's hatches have shifted over 50 years, including the recent surge of PMDs and White Miller caddis on the Firehole and the much longer Drunella hatch on the Yellowstone. John shares his single best casting tip, explains why better casting opens up the park's uncrowded water, and gives a spirited defense of the 12-inch trout.
17 Sept 2026
Introducing After The Hatch!
After the Hatch is a fly fishing documentary podcast about how experienced anglers observe, adapt, and make decisions on the water. Hosted by Steve Hoovler of Big Sky Anglers, each episode begins with a day of fishing alongside guides, local legends, and veteran anglers who have spent years learning the waters they fish. Afterward, the conversation continues off the water—digging into the decisions that shaped the day, the experiences that shaped them as anglers, and what they’ve learned through a lifetime of fishing. It’s not about secret spots or magic flies. It’s about experience, observation, and the lived-in perspective that helps great anglers continue to find great fishing season after season.
Season One takes us into Yellowstone National Park, where we fish with and learn from anglers who have spent decades exploring its rivers, streams, and lakes.
Subscribe Now, and join us After the Hatch.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.6 / 5
11 ratings
Contact After The Hatch: Fly Fishing Stories from Big Sky Country & Beyond
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
