Ernie Denison has been with The Fly Shop for 18 years now, and most years puts in over 300 days on the water. Ernie is as much a part of the area’s ecosystem by now as the river otters and osprey that share the rivers with him…and he’s just as adept as they are at finding fish. Ernie has an intimate knowledge of almost every piece of water in Northern California and Southern Oregon that holds trout and steelhead. With all of Ernie’s experience and knowledge, it’s no wonder that he’s our most requested guide; bookings often come a year (or two) in advance, so plan well ahead to spend a day with this top-notch guide.

Ross Wilkerson has been guiding for The Fly Shop for almost a decade now, and grew up fishing the waters of the North State. He has also guided several seasons for El Saltamontes lodge in Chile. When floating the Lower Sacramento River, his 21’ drift boat is extremely comfortable to fish from – we call it the “Cadillac” of drift boats. Ross has studied the Upper Sacramento, McCloud, and Hat Creek for years, and even knows some of the fish up there by name. In the wintertime, Ross is one of our Trinity River experts, specializing in bringing big steelhead and sea-run brown trout to the net.

Larry Lewis has been with us for 8 years now, often putting in close to 300 days a year on the rivers of Northern California. He spent several years guiding the fish-rich waters of Alaska before that. Larry is a true gentleman, very patient with beginners and informative for more experienced anglers. Over the past few years, Larry has developed a very loyal client base guiding primarily on the Lower Sacramento and Trinity Rivers. If you’re looking for an enjoyable, fish-filled day on the water, plan ahead to book Larry well in advance for the 2006 or 2007 seasons.

Bryan Balog joined The Fly Shop’s Guide Staff in the fall of 2002. In his first month of guiding, he took 26 trips on the Lower Sacramento River. Since then he’s proven to be one of the best guides in the area, consistently boating good numbers of fish on whatever river he’s on, whether its giant rainbows on the Lower Sacramento or powerful steelhead on the Trinity River. Bryan’s hard work ethic and great personality makes every day on the water a memorable one, and the result is one of the highest return rates out of any of our guides…so call now to spend a day fishing with this mild-mannered professional.

Mike Parker came to us in 2003 after spending five seasons with Lees Ferry Anglers on the Colorado River. Mike’s patience and sense of humor make him the perfect choice for both beginner and advanced anglers. He may be the old man on the block around here, but he’s one of the hardest working guides we’ve ever had, putting in long, hard days on any and all of our local watersheds. Mike is a true professional, one of the best in the entire industry, and we’re proud to have him our guide staff.

Chris Parsons was a new addition to our guide staff back in 2003, and things have never been the same since. Chris’ positive attitude and hard-working demeanor sets the bar high for any guide, anywhere. He’s also a patient instructor, certified by the Federation of Fly Fishers, who likes to work with anglers of all skill levels. Chris specializes in chasing steelhead and trophy trout on all of our local rivers and lakes. He’ll fish anywhere there’s water, but especially enjoys the Lower Sacramento, Trinity, and Klamath Rivers. View Chris’ website at www.bethefly.com.

Greg Dean has been fishing the waters of Northern California for over twenty years. Seven years ago he started guiding independently, and he joined The Fly Shop’s guide staff in 2004. His great passion and enthusiasm for fly fishing, and his ability to infect both novice and experienced anglers with that passion and enthusiasm, led very quickly to Greg becoming one of the most requested guides we have. Greg’s ability to fish such a wide variety of waters and species in our area – from steelhead on the Klamath to shad on the Lower Sacramento – provides an almost unlimited array of angling options for fisher-folk interested in trying new things. Greg is also our resident Stillwater expert, guiding and fishing many of our local lakes whenever he finds time in his busy schedule.

Dennis Franco (Popeye) began his guiding career in 1989, rowing many of the fabled steelhead waters of the west, including the Smith, Rogue, Klamath, Trinity, Bogachiel, Eel, Gualala, Garcia, Yuba, American, and even 7 years on the rivers of the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, before coming to The Fly Shop® 8 years ago. Dennis is one of the most versatile guides we have on staff, utilizing either his drift boat or jet boat to fish such watersheds as the Lower Sacramento, Feather, Yuba, Klamath, and Trinity Rivers. Dennis' willingness to try different things sets him apart from other guides on other rivers, and you can expect a fun and exciting day on the water with him, whether chasing elusive rising trout on the Lower Sac, steelhead on the Feather, or shad and stripers in the springtime.

Brian Bommarito grew up fishing the fabled waters of northern Michigan. A 22-year Navy career allowed him to pursue numerous exotic species all over the globe, but Brian and his family have finally decided to settle down and call Redding “home”. His easy-going personality and genuine enthusiasm make for a great day on the water. Brian is an FFF certified casting instructor who welcomes beginners and will tailor an instructional and productive day to hone the angling skills you’ll use all over the west. When not guiding, you’ll likely find him casting a long leader on the area’s numerous stillwater venues.

Lonnie Boles learned how to row a drift boat on the Sacramento River before he was old enough to drive a car. He started guiding on the river in 1989, and first joined The Fly Shop's guide staff in 1992. Since then, Lonnie's become one of the premier guides in the region, putting in close to 300 days a year on the water, working seasonally on the Lower Sacramento, Trinity, and Feather Rivers, and also targeting Shad and Stripers on the Lower Sacramento.

Born and raised in Redding, Todd Carnes has been fishing this area since the age of 12. One of our weekend guides, Todd has been a valuable asset to our operation for 13 years. His great demeanor and wonderful sense of humor are a perfect addition to a scenic trout-filled float down the Lower Sacramento River or Trinity River. Anglers fishing with Todd should expect a lot of laughs, good fishing, and delicious home-made cookies from his wonderful wife.

Joe Vasquez came to us from the Sacramento area 8 years ago. He specializes on the Yuba, Feather, and Lower Sacramento Rivers. Joe, a family man and FFF Certified Casting Instructor, has unsurpassed patience with beginners, as well as the expertise to further educate more advanced anglers with ease. He seems to have a nose for sniffing out the few fish that might be feeding on dries on any given day. Joe mostly guides weekends for us, so his available days often fill up well in advance: call early to get a date with this mellow-mannered professional.

Matthew Swan comes to us from Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River and Hubbards Yellowstone Lodge in Montana, where he still guides during the summer. He's the definition of a true professional, and we're proud to have him on our guide staff. Matt has been guiding for over 10 years and is an FFF Certified Casting Instructor with lots of patience.

Shane Kohlbech ran the guide service for The Fly Shop for many years before deciding to broaden his horizons, spending the springtime fishing and guiding the pancake flats of Los Roques, Venezuela. From there he took a major climatic switch, heading up to Alaska to guide for monster rainbows in Alaska. And now he's back, guiding for us on a seasonal basis. Shane's experience and expert instruction make any day on the water a productive fishing and learning experience.

Michael Caranci started with The Fly Shop in 2001, teaching at our acclaimed FISHCAMP program (www.flyfishcamp.com). That led into several years of guiding for the shop, specializing on the Lower Sacramento and Trinity River. This summer, Michael agreed to trade in his rowing bench for the Outfitters desk, helping to manage the Guide Service and operate The Fly Shop’s Fly Fishing School’s and FISHCAMP. He is also an FFF Master Certified Casting Instructor.

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