I started my fly fishing journey at 18 in the Ozark streams of Missouri purely out of curiosity. Soon I found myself daydreaming in my college classes about brown trout, and anything I could get to eat some feathers to be honest. Fast forward to the following fall when I made my first pilgrimage to Key West and jumped my first tarpon on fly. The game had changed, and I wanted to play more than once a year. However, I put my guiding dreams on hold for a couple of years while playing in a traveling band but the water was still calling. After speaking and fishing with many guides about their choice in skiffs Gregg Mckee put me in touch with Will and Liz. I’m pretty sure it was the accent that got me but damn they build a nice boat. Being my first boat, Liz held my hand through the whole build process. In less than three months after moving across the country I took delivery of my Beavertail Strike. I haven’t looked back. The ride is smooth, skinny, and remarkably dry.
I spend my days off poling around the flats of Matlacha and Pine Island Sound chasing tarpon, snook, redfish and trout almost exclusively with fly, plug, and artificial baits. Catching these pressured fish in skinny water is incredibly rewarding. It literally keeps me up at night (ask my fiancé Whitney). If you want to come experience this gorgeous fishery for yourself feel free to hop on the bow of my Beavertail Strike. Get ready to laugh, we’re going to have a blast.
