Why do you love fly fishing?

In so many ways it saved my life. After battling 2 rare diseases and dwindling health- I pressed pause on the corporate grind and decided to chase what was important to me- living every minute of life that I have to the absolute fullest.

How did you get started in the sport?

I’m a lifetime angler from Charleston, SC but when I was in college at Clemson, friends and I would travel into northern Georgia to try to figure out what fly fishing was all about. We spent most of the time with our flies tangled in the pines, but the memories made camping with friends got me hooked. Then a trip to Colorado floating down the Colorado River with one of my best friends- when my health was at its worst- that experience is truly what flipped a switch in me. The connection to nature, peace, serenity, and something I’d never seen before around every bend in the river- it was impossible not to become romantic about fly fishing from that moment on.

Where is your favorite place to fish and why?

Costa Rica without a doubt. It has not really been a location people thought of to fly fish until relatively recently. It took over 10 years of trial and error, gathering local intel, and flat out exploring to figure out how to be successful consistently in this fishery. That learning process has been incredible and continues to challenge myself and my team daily. Xcalak, Mexico on the Yucatán peninsula with my close friends at Xflats is a close 2nd- I recommend everyone who loves fly fishing to visit there at least once in their lifetime.

What is your dream destination to fish?

Australia has always been on my bucket list to visit since childhood. The Great Barrier Reef, Cape York, the Wessel islands to name a few that have always had my attention. Anal and Indo-Pacific permit, GTs, tuskies, blue bastards, napoleon wrasse, coral trout, barramundi, queenfish, yellowtail kingfish, parrotfish, I could keep going…unreal. Oman, inland Africa, the Seychelles, and Amazon are all on the short list as well.

Why is the Atollas brand special to you?

Being a local brand from my hometown- run by a genuine team who truly cares and believes in their product enough to chase their dream, that takes major cajones and I really respect that. Taking risks is not easy and doing it chasing something you love goes a long way in my book.

What Atollas product(s) are in your everyday carry? 

The 2GO Box is my go-to. I also have fly caddy’s stuck all over the place in my car, on our boats, on my tying desk.

Which one is your favorite and why?

I use the 2GO Box the most as it is great for wading on the coast and rivers - lightweight to carry in my bag and allows me to have an arsenal of different flies to be ready at any moment for the many species that stalk the shorelines. I have a feeling the upcoming 3GO box will overtake that quickly upon its release - as we chase big fish with big flies in Costa Rica - and having some input on the design to cater to other big game hunters like me backed by years of experience and never having the exact type of fly box we needed for that... it’s going to be a game changer for our fleet and others around the world. I know it.