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Years Fishing?
45
Years Guiding
17-Retired from guiding in 2014 (full time at Yellow Dog)
Who introduced you to fly fishing?
My step father
Can you tell us a little about your home waters and the fish you pursue there?
Fishing Long Island and Cape Cod for stripers with my father and uncle. Then fly-fishing in the Catskill Mountains on the Esopus River for trout and Onteora Lake for largemouth bass.
What's the height of the season for you? What time of year is your personal favorite?
My job as a saltwater program director for Yellow Dog keeps me on the water any time of the year. Summertime in Montana is pretty epic for fishing around home, but I love the spring just before run-off.
What are your favorite travel destinations? What's on the bucket list?
I learned how to saltwater fly fish on Andros Island in the Bahamas in the early 1990’s. It is still my favorite after fishing just about everywhere in the world. Not as much for the actual fishing, but because the friendships I have made on Andros. I’m also addicted to conch salad, so you can always find me at Shine’s conch stand on Mangrove Cay after fishing.
What do you like most about Thomas and Thomas? Which rods do you fish?
Neville and his generosity to protect the fish and environments where we love to fish. I also like that they are not wicked fast. The action allows for subtitle presentations with-in 50 feet, where 80% of fish are caught. Too many rods nowadays are too light and fast. They feel like a broomstick and are no fun to cast. You can hardly feel the fish when fighting them, and no cushion to protect your tippet.
Freshwater – Lotic 744-3 – So much fun, deadly accurate, and a dink trout feels like a monster. Get into a large trout and the action protects the lightest of tippet.
Saltwater – Exocett 9 weight – Bonefish, permit, juvenile tarpon, snook, golden dorado, pacu, peacock bass, stripers, barracuda, sharks, largemouth bass, smallies, carp, trigger fish: need I say more?
Other than fly tackle, what piece of gear do you find indispensable?
Hatch reels
My favorite thing about guiding is:
Teaching my guests how to advance their fly-fishing skills and then seeing them improve year-after-year.
From the angler’s point of view, what do you see as the main value of going on a guided trip?
Learning. Be a sponge. Also, never guide the guide.
What can new fisherman expect to get out of a guided trip? My favorite thing to teach a client is ...
Realistic expectation. Fly-fishing is also not about your fish count at the end of the day. It is about appreciating the setting and forming long-lasting relationships with the people you meet through angling.
What's your ideal lunch when on the water? What do you actually pack?
Fried chicken in the fresh and conch salad in the salt.
What fly fishing blogs/magazines do you read regularly?
The backstage pass to fly fishing: http://backstagepass.yellowdogflyfishing.com
When I'm not fishing you'll find me:
With my wonderful family!
