About Travis

I started fly fishing when I was 12, fishing the tail waters and spring creeks of the Mid-Atlantic. It was on these streams while guiding friends that I set my sights on becoming a fly fishing guide.

I fished for trout all over the east coast, as well as in New Zealand. Three years ago, my wife, Stephanie, and I moved to Durango, Colorado, in part because the region of the San Juans has some of the best and most challenging trout streams and rivers in the Rockies. By then, I had been fly fishing for 15 years and had learned the techniques of the sport. However, I knew that becoming a fly fishing guide would require mastering all of those skills. I enrolled in the pro-fly fishers guide certification program taught by instructor Dave Grooms. This program greatly enhanced my skills and prepared me for my career as a fly fishing guide.

On the river, the key to success is doing your homework. I don’t believe there is a lot of luck involved in catching fish. Trout just like any other animal need to take in more energy they then exert. They will key into the most readily available food source and find a spot where they do not have to use a lot of energy to consume that food. It is this basic principle along with hours of stream sampling that helps me consistently catch trout.

As a guide, my philosophy on the river is simple: have fun and educate. If a client does not learn anything while on a trip, then the guide did not do a proper job. I want everyone do enjoy this sport as much as I do.

I also need to give another important person credit for all that I’ve accomplished. My wife, bless her heart, has been very supportive of my passion for fly fishing and if it wasn’t for her none of this would be possible.