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Years Fishing?
26+
Years Guiding?
8+
Who introduced you to fly fishing?
My neighbor growing up. He set me up with my first rig to
target Stripers in the Etowah.
Can you tell us a little about your home waters and the fish you pursue there?
During the fall, winter and early spring I Guide the Toccoa
and smaller streams in the Blue Ridge area for rainbows and
browns. Late spring through the summer, I guide for Stripers
and Spotted bass on the Etowah.
What's the height of the season for you? What time of year is your personal favorite?
The trout fishing keeps me the busiest, however the Striper
fishing is my favorite. It’s a lot of blind casting at log jams
with 9 and 10 weights, but the eat and fight makes it well
worth it. Throwing big streamers for browns is also a lot of
fun.
What are your favorite travel destinations? What's on the bucket list?
My favorite place to travel is definitely Baja for
Roosters. The fishing and food is absolutely incredible. Id
really like to go down to Belize in the future.
What you like most about Thomas and Thomas rods? Which rods do you fish?
They make a rod for any type of situation that you find
yourself in. Anything from throwing tiny dries up in the
mountains for Brook trout to throwing big poppers for Bill
fish. They’ve got all the situations covered. I currently use
the Paradigm and Avantt for trout and the Sextants for any
type of streamer fishing.
What's your current go-to fly?
A sparkle minnow or spot on baitfish
Other than fly tackle, what piece of gear do you find indispensable?
A good set of nippers.
My favorite thing about guiding is:
Seeing the look on someone’s face when they see a big fish
eat their fly. It never gets old.
From the angler’s point of view, what do you see as the main value of going on a guided trip?
You’ll always learn something new about how to enhance
your angling skills.
What can new fisherman expect to get out of a guided trip? My favorite thing to teach a client is ...
It will shorten your learning curve and will also help you to
not develop bad habits. My favorite thing to teach a client is
how make a fly hunt.
What's your ideal lunch when on the water? What do you actually pack?
The ideal lunch is a roast beef sandwich from Publix but I
typically have a purple power aid.
What fly fishing blogs/magazines do you read regularly?
Gink and Gasoline, S.C.O.F. (Southern Culture on the Fly), The Drake, and Eastern Fly Fishing.
When I'm not fishing you'll find me:
Working at Cohutta Fishing Company or playing with my
kids at home.