Matt Miles - Brookside Flies

Fly Designer: Matt Miles

At the age of 14 my parents bought me a fly tying kit for a birthday present. So I watched the vhs that came with it and became very confused, but started to whip out the ugliest flies anyone has seen and to my surprise I actually was able to catch several wild brookies on my first flies. That feeling got me hooked on tying flies. Its nice to catch fish on your own creation. When I turned 18 years old, I moved to Colorado from Virginia. I was fortunate to meet some great fisherman in the west, which helped me become a better tyer and fisherman. At age 20, I started guiding full time and had a fun six year career until I decided to give it up in 2003 and move home to Virginia (I really missed smallmouth bass). Now back in Virginia, I still guide part time, but full time I work for a telecommunications company.Virginia doesn't have the best trout streams around but we do have some of the best smallmouth bass rivers in the country. In the summer, you'll find me floating the river for bronzebacks every weekend either with friends or my wife, which I taught fish before we were married. Now if I could get her to row the boat and tie the flies I would have it made.