I'm a 3rd generation fly fisherman raised in NW Arkansas and started carrying a fly rod at the age of 10. It started out with my dad taking me to simple places such as the Missouri State Parks like Roaring River and Bennett Springs when I was young. As I got older, we would travel to further destinations such as the White River (back then a 4 hour drive) and to more technical rivers such as the Snake River.
It started with my Grandparents My whole family fly fishes, from my grandparents, to my parents, my wife and I, and now our 3 daughters. My Grandmother was the first to learn when she was a little girl. Her uncle played professional baseball in the New York Yankees organization. In the winter, when the baseball season was over, her Uncle would travel to the Florida keys to fish and relax. This is where he learned. Prior to the start of the next baseball season he would make his trip to St. Louis to see the family. This is when he took my grandmother fishing and taught her.
I started guiding as an independent guide in 2016. Fellow Guide and friend Brock Dixon mentored me and showed me the way. In 2018, Friend and fellow Guide Steve Dally brought me on at Dally's Fly Shop. This is when the guide collaboration and networking took place to shape me into the guide I am. "Why did I start guiding? Well, it's pretty simple...I love being on the water, I really enjoy people, and like the satisfaction seeing individuals develop/grow in this great sport...it just made sense.
What I love about the White is its diversity. Simply put, you can fish a size #18 midge on low flows to a size 1/0 - 8" streamer on high flows. Then you have the different seasonal hatches. Starting in the early spring targeting the fish with caddis, to early summer with sulfurs, then to late summer and thru fall banging banks with foam hoppers, and ending in late winter chunking big streamers. When asked which I like best...well, I LIKE IT ALL!
Click to see Brian's Gallery
