From the time I can remember, I have been fascinated with fish. Bluegills were the quarry on Fox Lake in Wisconsin. Tying mono to a stick, and pitching a poor earthworm to an early demise, was for me, pure nirvana. By the time I was 10 years old, I had transformed my parents backyard into a mini ecosystem with a pond as big as a swimming pool. Just observing the chain of life and trying exhaustively to recreate nature took up most of my time until I discovered cars and girls. While at the University of Colorado, fishing again took over my life. With so many streams to catch trout, it is a wonder that I even graduated. After trying a traditional career, I came to realize that it only got in the way of my fishing. Taking a whole year off to fish the South Platte River everyday honed my skills as a tier and fisherman. I came back to civilization only to restock the pantry. I do not remember the day I decided to make a go at guiding but I guess I have Brad Befus to thank in giving me a job at Front Range Anglers. The fly shop was at the time filled with Colorado’s finest, A K Best, John Gierach, Dr. John Barr, Barry Reynolds, Dr. Michael Kish, and Ben Nilsson to name a few. With so many talented tiers and fisherman to be around I just breathed fishing. Joining the local Boulder Trout Unlimited, Boulder Flycasters, opened the door to many more friends and opportunities to help out the plight of our waters. I moved back to Alabama in 2000. Here, on the shores of Lay Lake, I established my own guiding company, Sunrise Anglers LLC. With the help of my wife Laura, who is resigned to the fact that she married a fisherman, Sunrise Anglers LLC has become my dream come true. My commute to work is a leisurely stroll down to the boathouse and a switch away from dropping the boat in the water. I love to teach clients how to catch fish. The fly rod is not the only tool used to catch fish but is in my opinion the most enjoyable. Fly fishing allows one to be in the moment, not caring about the past, worrying for the future, but simply being, ready for the next take.