ABOUT US

Richard Witt

Guide/Owner

I began fishing as a young boy in Sheboygan, Wisconsin for species that included trout, bass, walleye, steelhead and salmon. I gained a great deal of fishing experience there which happened to include mastering the art of musky fishing with my bare hands!

Formerly a professional musician, my musical groups were conveniently booked near a number of the country’s finest fly fishing destinations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Colorado, Montana and Wyoming enabling me to fine-tune my fly fishing skills. I am a former Vice President and member of the Land of Sky Trout Unlimited Chapter, former volunteer for Casting for Recovery retreats, collector of antique bamboo fly rods and a big fan of the Green Bay Packers.

As a former freelance guide for local guide services such as Hunter Banks, Davidson River Outfitters, Altamont Anglers and, from 2005 to 2019, as a guide, instructor and shop manager for Curtis Wright Outfitters, I have a great passion for teaching and sharing my knowledge and experience from the 40 plus years I've been fishing (25 of which have been in WNC and Tennessee).

Whether it’s chasing Backcountry Brookies along the Blue Ridge Parkway or in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Midge Fishing for lunker trout on the Davidson River, fighting the acrobatic Rainbows of the Cherokee Trophy Water, catching the Sulphur Hatch on the South Holston River, or stalking Smallmouth Bass on the French Broad River, I have the knowledge and experience to provide the fly fishing adventure you’re seeking.

I believe in three essentials for a successful guided fly fishing trip:

#1 – Have Fun! Keep things simple, make sure we all enjoy the day and have a good time on the water.

#2 – Learn something – Provide patient personal attention to teach each guest enough about fly fishing so that the next time they go they can do it on their own or advance their existing skills.

#3 – Catch fish! Small fish, big fish, a few fish, lots of fish! Catch fish!

As a professional fly fishing guide I focus on providing a fly fishing experience of a lifetime and making memories on the water while growing lasting relationships with each of my guests.

Parker Gondella

Guide/Instructor

Parker is an avid outdoorsman who loves to run white water, hike, and ride bikes, but is most often found on a trout stream with a fly rod in hand. He moved to Western North Carolina in 2018 to pursue a degree in Outdoor Leadership from Warren Wilson College. He quickly fell in love with the natural beauty of the region, and the fly fishing opportunities it held. He spent all of his free time during the school year chasing trout, and his summers guiding fishing trips on Montana's Flathead River. After graduation he spent a year traveling, and a season guiding in Alaska. During this time he realized he wanted to make Western North Carolina his homebase.

Parker loves working with anglers of all skill levels, but taking beginners out is his favorite, because you only get to fly fish for the first time once. His favorite part about guiding is getting to know people of diverse backgrounds and helping them have a meaningful experience in the outdoors. While he loves catching big fish, and putting numbers on the board, he believes that the best part about fly fishing is getting to spend time on the river.

Whether you are a seasoned angler, or first timer, you can be sure to have a memorable day of fishing with Parker!

Peter Horger

Guide/Instructor

Born in Northeast Pennsylvania, Pete grew up a rock’s toss from ample freshwater opportunities from fishing the prolific hatches of the Upper Delaware, to swinging crawfish on the Susquehanna, to fishing the infamous egg hatches of Great Lake tributaries where he forged his lifelong passion for flyfishing.

After acquiring a Bachelors in Environmental Resource Management/Biology at Keystone College in PA, he moved to Jackson, WY where he worked for Snake River Angler, furthering his knowledge of the craft. After spending a season of fishing and skiing in the Tetons, he carried his ventures to Alaska where he has since spent his summers working for a deluxe salmon fishing operation, the Unalakleet River Lodge.

Pete continued his nomadic way of life exploring fisheries and working in various states on the east coast including Vermont and New York, where he guided backcountry smallmouth and pike trips along with trout fishing the West Branch of the Ausable River in the far north reaches of Adirondack State Park.

Following his passions for both fly fishing and playing music, he has settled in the Asheville area and been guiding in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee where he has taken his accumulated knowledge and expertise from his travels to provide anglers with a unique and multi-faceted approach to putting fish to the net. Pete is an extremely enthusiastic, patient, and passionate guide who specializes in working with anglers ranging from novice to expert, while implementing his light-hearted sense of humor and professional demeanor both on and off the water.

Jake Wills

Guide/Instructor

Jake is a native of Tennessee, a devoted husband and father and a passionate fly fishing guide. He started his guiding career floating the mighty Colorado River out west in the Rocky Mountains. He spent his time guiding the Colorado River, Arkansas River, Eagle River, and Blue River before finding a home on the technical tailwaters of the South Platte River near Denver.

After returning home to the southeast in 2020, Jake went to work sharing his knowledge and experience with his guests and fellow anglers all over western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. His passion is guiding people of every age and skill level towards catching every type of freshwater species available. From trout to smallmouth and other species, he can teach you the techniques and strategies to help you accomplish your fly fishing goals.

He also ties all of his own flies, so don’t hesitate to pick his brain about that when you get him on the water!

Patrick Gallagher

Guide/Instructor

Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Patrick first fell in love with fly fishing catching bass and panfish with poppers in the family pond. It wasn’t long before he was standing out in the snow each year chasing the Great Lakes steelhead in the local tributaries.

Patrick earned a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science from Penn State University and spent over a decade in the field of environmental education working at different facilities around the world.

He then transitioned to a career in international travel designing and facilitating leisure tours primarily to Asia and Latin America.

Patrick currently finds himself living in Asheville and taking advantage of the incredible outdoor recreation opportunities the area has to offer. He enjoys exploring the diversity of trout streams in the area. From targeting native Brookies in high elevation plunge pools, stalking wary backcountry wild Browns or enjoying the sheer fun of fly fishing the easy access delayed harvest waters, he can’t wait to share his knowledge of fly fishing and the Southern Appalachian mountains with his guests.

Patrick is also an avid fly tyer and enjoys sharing his many "secret" fly patterns with his guests using his own signature dry flies, nymphs and streamers.

When not standing in a stream somewhere he can usually be found hiking for some mountain views with his wife and dog.