As a native of the Millinocket area I grew up fishing and hunting around the Penobscot watershed in the shadow of Mt. Katahdin. My earliest fishing memories include combat wading by myself on the East Branch with a Zebco rod and reel and a Daredevil trying to hang on to a 5lb smallmouth bass. I was also very fortunate to have a very remote family hunting camp on the east border of Baxter State Park. I have some great memories of my grandfather and I catching brook trout hand over fist and being on the verge of tears when we had to go home. My father and I would have many special moments as well catching Salmon and Perch below North Twin Dam or Smallmouth and Pickerel at Dolby Flowage. After finishing high school and spending a few years figuring what I didn’t want to do in life at college, I became a rafting guide and settled in with my true passion of being in the outdoors.
Of course, making a living at it and connecting the dots from season to season is the hard part. I spent the next 10 years on the West Branch of the Penobscot during the summer, and working at Sugarloaf, skiing in the winters. It’s my time on the West Branch though that solidified a passion for fly fishing in me that I can’t get enough of even today. Every evening after paddling 14 miles pushing rubber as a raft guide, I’d grab my fly rod and race back up to my favorite spot, tie on my favorite caddis imitation and take a few casts during prime time in hopes of catching the big one.
In 2001 I became the Outdoor Operations manager for a major outfitter, which landed me in The Forks area and the Kennebec water shed. At this point my guiding toolbox had become year round, with rafting, fishing and ATVs in the summer, hunting for moose and deer in the fall, and guiding snowmobilers in the winter. That same year in 2001 I met my better half, Liz, on a winter backcountry trip to Katahdin and a year later we were married, setting our roots in Caratunk. A year after we had our first child Jeremy and shortly after, our youngest boy Christopher, with our newest addition to our family, Maggie, our golden retriever 2018.
It was around that time in 2001 that Chris, Mike and I had started doing some serious fishing together and laying the groundwork for our next adventure, Kennebec River Angler. A lifetime of fishing every remote spot and every nook and cranny we could find, helped us to hone our craft for the high quality fishing experience we offer. Our friendship has brought us on a long journey of learning and exploration that we truly enjoy sharing with our guest today. Come join us!