Pros

Bio

"I wonder what my life would be like if I wasn't always thinking about fishing," Brandon often ponders. His passion for fishing started at an early age. He has lived in Montrose, CO his whole life, his childhood home was next to the Uncompahgre River where he spent most days fishing, swimming, collecting bugs, and gazing at the San Juan mountains. Brandon picked up his first fish on a fly at only three years old and he stayed consistent later in life to save his parents' frustration. Brandon's parents were avid fly anglers embarking Brandon on many journeys on the Gunnison, Dolores, and Uncompahgre Rivers. They hiked to caves, camped on beaches, encountered many bears, and of course, caught wild trout. “ I want to say that my earliest memory is sitting on an old aluminum boat on the undisturbed water of Lake Nipigon, Ontario, CA surrounded by orange skies. I still recall the tug and thrill of reeling in a fish on such a perfect evening.”

Brandon later joined the fly fishing industry right out of high school by getting a summer job at “Eds Fly Shop”, a local fly fishing store in Montrose. Brandon works as a seasonal employee while he attends Western State University, in Gunnison, Co, where he fishes more than he studies. He is currently pursuing a degree in business while also working as shop manager and guiding on the river as often as possible.

Brandon's passion for fly fishing wouldn't exist without Scott Fly Rods, bringing him on many adventures on freshwater and saltwater. it was an old Scott fiberglass rod that helped him catch his first fish, then the Radian being his first rod with his name on it. “A Scott rod is more than cork, thread, and carbon. It's something that has soul. I know when I send a rod off for repair, I can trust that some machine isn't the one fixing my rod, it's a real person fixing something I hold dear.” Brandon doesn't have a favorite single rod, but rather a favorite rod for different scenarios:

Trout Lakes: 10’ 5wt Centric, Carp: 9’ 5wt S3S, Bass: 9’ 7wt Sector, Gunnison River: 9’ 8” 7wt Swing, any other river: 9’ 5wt Radian, and Creeks/Streams: 7’7” 2wt G2.

You can usually find Brandon working at Ed’s Fly Shop sharing his love of fly fishing, or you can definitely find him on local waters trying to wrangle up a few fish, or better yet, tying the next best fly to be!

“Life is short, fish hard!”

-Mom