fly fishing in Italy Archives

The World Masters Fly Fishing Championships in Italy

August 6, 2022July 18, 2022 by Jeff

Today was registration day and the start of the World Masters Fly Fishing Championships here at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy. Though Stefano offered to guide us fishing this morning, everyone opted to make today a rest day and a day to tidy up the tackle to be ready for the first session tomorrow. Pete, Stefano … Read more

The Hottest Wader Day of My Life

August 3, 2022July 16, 2022 by Jeff

Today was team practice on the feared Noce River. I say feared because our Italian guide Stefano thinks this river will blank many contestants in the World Master’s Fly Fishing Championships next week. A blank and your team is in trouble. With that in mind, we all had to catch at least a fish today … Read more

Good Fishing Times in Italy

August 2, 2022July 15, 2022 by Jeff

We had a full team practice today. We split up a little only because in Italy they don’t allow more than three anglers on a piece of water at the same time but for the most part we hung together. Pete and I watched a lot to give the new arrival teammates more time to … Read more

The Full Team USA is Here Now

August 1, 2022July 14, 2022 by Jeff

The rest of our World Masters USA Fly Fishing Team (Brett Bishop, Mike Sexton and Loren Williams) landed in Milan, Italy this morning and began the four hour drive up to meet Pete, Jerry, Stefano and I. Jerry and Stefano drove to the lower Sarca River to meet them to immediately get them on the … Read more

Practice on the Difficult Noce River

August 22, 2022July 12, 2022 by Jeff

Before I get started on today’s fishing adventures here in Italy, I want to re-introduce our Team Manager, Jerry Arnold. He’s been on this blog many times – with every World Masters Fly Fishing Championship along with a couple trips to Mexico over the years. Plain and simple, we (me, Pete and the rest of … Read more

The First Day of Practice

July 17, 2022July 11, 2022 by Jeff

We got in so late last night it was weird waking up. When I first opened my eyes I didn’t know where the heck I was. Then came a deep snore from Pete in the bed next to me and it dawned on me, we are here in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy for a week … Read more

Arrival in Italy

July 12, 2022July 10, 2022 by Jeff

I’ve had a lot of big travel the last six months and I can’t tell you how good it feels. I’m not sure the pace I was moving before Covid would be welcome, but a big trip every four months or so fits the bill. And keep mixing in the speaking gig travel once a … Read more

Contact Jeff

I started fly fishing at age 7 in the lakes and ponds of New England cutting my teeth on various sunfish, bass, crappie and stocked trout. I went to Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin, where I graduated with a Naturalist Degree while I discovered new fishing opportunities for pike, muskellunge, walleyes and various salmonids found in Lake Superior and its tributaries.

From there I headed west to work a few years in the Yellowstone region to simply work as much as most people fish and fish as much as most people work. I did just that, only it lasted over 20 years working at the Jack Dennis Fly Shop in Jackson, WY where I departed in 2009. Now it’s time to work for "The Man", working for myself that is.

I pursue my love to paint fish, lecture on every aspect of fly fishing you can imagine and host a few trips to some of the most exotic places you can think of. My ultimate goal is to catch as many species of fish on fly possible from freshwater to saltwater, throughout the world. I presently have taken over 440 species from over 60 countries!