About us
HOW IT ALL BEGAN.
Est. 2013
BLACK EARTH ANGLING CO.
In 2013, Kyle Zempel founded Black Earth Angling Co. Living in Madison, WI, and currently between jobs, Kyle, along with two of his best fishing buddies, Eric and Mark Pavlovich, decided it was time to leave the bustle of the city behind. Wanting to cut their commute time to the Driftless Region, they ventured into Madison’s outer limits. A fortunate search on Craigslist led them to The Black Earth Retreat, a country home in the rural hills of Black Earth, WI. This move is widely agreed upon to have sparked everything that followed.
Black Earth Angling Co. became the reality of a dream shared over cheap beers and designed from the scribbles on a bar napkin. Since its early formation, Black Earth Angling Co. has grown into a full-time guiding operation servicing both cold and warm water fisheries, with a sprinkling of destination travel. While Mark and Eric have since moved on to pursue other life dreams, Kyle remains at the helm, supported by his wife Hannah, as they take Black Earth Angling Co. into bigger and better seasons.
In a time when the American Dream seems increasingly out of reach, the journey to build a successful and sustainable small business continues. With the help and support of an amazing team, Black Earth Angling Co. moves forward in its mission to strengthen the Madison area’s fly fishing community and provide anglers of all abilities with a genuine, world-class experience.
Kyle Zempel
OWNER, GUIDE, PHOTOGRAPHER
Kyle was introduced to the sport of fishing at a very young age by his grandfathers on the numerous lakes of Northern Wisconsin. He was educated on Southwest Colorado's rushing waters, having the unique opportunity to live on the Animas River for numerous summers.
Taking the unyielding passion developed in the Rockies, he returned to Packer Country to guide its diversified bodies of water. Kyle has become known for his guiding and photography on the water, which has appeared in The Flyfish Journal, The Drake, Eastern Fly Fishing, Hatch.com, aTightLoop.com, and Midcurrent.com.
Hannah Matousek
OWNER, BUSINESS MANAGER, BADASS
Hannah grew up in rural Wisconsin, playing in the dirt and catfishing in the creek. She earned a degree in environmental biology and scraped together a living through farming and landscaping while she and Kyle built Black Earth Angling Co. Nowadays, when she’s not running a small business or working her “big girl job” as a project manager, she finds happiness by tending to a garden, chasing their dog through the woods, and standing hip-deep in moving water.
Odds are, if you've crossed paths with Black Earth Angling Co., you've crossed paths with Hannah. Being the owner of a small business and significant other of a fishing guide is far from easy. Without her selfless support, Black Earth Angling wouldn't be where it is today. She isn't a guide, but she sure can fish like one.
Wyatt Reeves
GUIDE, STUDENT OF THE WATER, TROUT WIZARD
Wyatt was raised on a horse farm outside of Highland, WI. His father introduced him to the sport of fly fishing at a young age on the Jefferson River in Montana — a place he calls a second home. He has since taken what he learned out west and translated it to the Driftless creeks of Wisconsin. Living in an area where trout streams are not more than a hop and a skip away, Wyatt was in the perfect natural classroom. He would not be where he is without credit to his father, who taught him everything from casting a fly rod to tying flies.
On days Wyatt can’t be out on the water, you’ll find him on the vise tying new patterns or on the work bench crafting another fly rod. With 10+ years of fly fishing experience, Wyatt’s energy and passion for the sport rubs off on anyone who spends time around him. There is surely never a dull day on the water with him.
Captain Cole Nanney
GUIDE, BEAR DETERRENT, EXPLORER
Cole started fishing like so many other Midwestern kids: bluegills and bobbers off of his grandparents' dock. Somewhere along the way, he picked up a fly rod, and his desire for adventure grew. The trips became longer, and the destinations more remote, until Alaska became the next choice. After his first trip to the far north, he returned to begin guiding in remote western Alaska. For the next ten seasons, he lived in tent camps where bears outnumbered humans and guided anglers to world-class fish in some of the most secluded waters in Alaska.
However, the Midwest's diverse fisheries were too captivating to ignore, calling Cole back to the waters where he first learned to fish. His quiet demeanor and a lifetime of good stories make him an absolute joy to be on the water with.
@capt.colenanney