Joseph is one of our lead contributors to the weekly newsletter that brings all kinds of great content thanks to people like him.  Of all our team, Joseph really does chase fish with a passion for many species and water types.  His weekly reports are detailed and our clients love to absorb his information.

Getting to Know Joseph

Q:  How long have you been fly fishing?

A:  I first picked up a fly rod about 30 years ago, but have been fishing seriously for the past seven.

Q:  Why do you choose fly fishing over all other forms?

A:  A lot of people will tell you they fly fish because it’s about so much more than catching fish, and that’s true — but I prefer it over any other kind of fishing because it is the absolute best way to catch fish once you figure it out! 

Q:  Do you tie your own flies?

A:  I tie my own nymphs and soft hackles, but buy my dry flies and streamers at the shop because all the materials stick to my sausage fingers and I’d rather just go fishing when the trout are looking up

Q:  What are your favorite species to chase?

A:  My favorite species to chase is trout, with carp in close second. 

Q:  If you could travel to one place to fly fish where would it be and for what species of fish?

A:  If I could travel anywhere and fly fish, I’d head to Ireland. I spent two weeks there without a fly rod five summers back, and it was torture. Unlike the UK, most of Ireland's best trout water is public. And here’s a secret — every castle has a moat, and most moats are just diverted water from a nearby stream full of brown trout. What you do with that information is your business...

Q:  What has led to your success as a fly fisher?

A:  I don’t know that I’d ever call what I do on the water a “success,” but the good days are almost always a result of persistence and a willingness to adapt to the conditions. 

Q:  If you could give advice to someone just starting into fly fishing what advice would you give them?  (Besides always shopping at NWFFO of course)

A:  Advice for someone just getting started — a bad cast and a good mend will catch more fish than a perfect cast and a bad mend every day of the week. Focus on how different current patterns move your fly, leader, and line, and look for the right moments to insert slack into your presentation to keep a good drift alive for longer. Move your feet to get better angles that are more conducive to a good mend. Line manipulation is more critical to catching fish than any other single element of the sport, and one of the easiest to practice.

Q:  What is your most memorable fly fishing trip?

A:  My most memorable fly fishing trip was a week spent in Yellowstone just after I’d really started learning to fish. I hit the road with a ton of confidence and instead got my butt kicked just about everywhere I went. It was a wake-up call about how much I had to learn, and luckily nature saw fit to gift me one really nice fish along the way.

Q:  What is your most memorable fish caught?

A:  Most memorable fish caught — a 22.5 pound carp on the Columbia in the summer of 2022.

Q:  What is your most memorable fish lost?

A:  Most memorable fish lost — a nearly 30-inch redside last winter on the Lower Deschutes. I had it right at my feet before it got itself into a rapid, spooled my line, and broke off. It left me with a tangle so bad I had to permanently retire the fly line, and the worst part is that nobody believes it was a resident trout. They all insist it must have been a steelhead. It wasn’t! I swear.