By the age of nine, I fished regularly for red drum, cobia, speckled trout, summer flounder, weakfish, spot and croaker. For a greater challenge, I would venture to the "seaside," and fish the shoulders of Virginia's barrier islands for blue fish and striped bass. My fly fishing career began in 1992 on the shores of the Miramichi River where, in a real downpour, I caught my first fish on a fly rod – a five-pound grilse.

After college, I spent some time working in France and served a stint in the venture capital industry. But it was a 24-inch speckled trout that I caught in the mouth of Craddock Creek that pointed me in the direction of my true calling -- one that incorporates my love of fishing, my fondness of paint and color and my belief in preservation.