Work sucks, go fish.
In the beginning, when God created man and fly fishing...
I've been infatuated with fish and the challenge of catching them since I was 2 years old. I grew up in Ohio, fishing for bass and bluegill in ponds, streams and lakes - but I got my real start and much of my knowledge doing most of my fishing on the Outer Banks of North Carolina with my extended family. When I graduated from Ohio University in 2012, I knew I needed to be near the water and moved to the greater Tampa Bay area to begin my career as a pilot - one of the few careers that would give me an opportunity to fish all over the world and have a lot of time off to pursue my home waters.
The past 6 years in the Tampa area have been great. I have my boat in a Port Richey marina and have spent almost every single day at home, on the water. Cliché I know, but I live and breathe fishing.
As is the case with most saltwater fly anglers, my interest in it didn't start with a fly rod. It started with spin gear and live bait/artificials. Eventually, as I honed my craft and found more and more consistent success, I found myself longing for another challenge. Fly fishing captured my desire for a new kind of hunt. The variables that now enveloped my fishing prowess tripled - and that's exactly what I needed.
My first fish on fly was on a trip for work to the Stuart, FL area. While on an overnight there, I took my newly purchased 8wt and store bought flies to wade an area I scoured on google earth. I waded out halfway down a 60 yard dock and on my second cast I set the hook on a 24" snook. In that moment, a new life began. I was hooked. Fly fishing reeled me in like a bluegill on a Penn 80 wide. It was over before it began.
My interest in tying began not long after my new found addiction. I bought my first vice and material with no almost no idea of what I was doing. It didn't take long, but a few months and hundreds of dollars later I was completely engulfed in tying.
I don’t tie for the money. I tie for the moments when customers score big on a high flies pattern. That’s what really makes me happy. High Flies is my attempt at becoming a better fly tier and angler. Tying flies for others to purchase forces me to be more disciplined and ultimately a better fly tier. I care about the products that I ship out, and no detail goes unnoticed. Fly fishing is about confidence - without it, you’d be holding a spinning rod.
I tie custom flies to order. If there is a fly you do not see listed, contact me and I will tie what you want, to your specifications. If you would like a truly unique creation, explain to me the environment in which you fish, how you fish it and together we can design a custom fly for your needs.