Collection: Guide Profiles

Mike Geisler - My dad had a Pontoon boat with a crib on it. He would put me and my two sisters in it while he fished. My sisters would feed me worms, but I was really checking to make sure the bait was fresh. He once caught a huge northern pike with three screaming kids in the boat. Without a net he wrestled that beast in the boat and everybody in town took pictures of him. When I was ten I had sold enough fresh worms to buy my first fishing pole. I bought a fly rod because I thought it looked neat, and I still have that rod. Once, on summer vacation my friend caught a big musky on a bobber with a worm, when he first saw the fish he threw me the rod. When I was older I tied a diamond ring on the end of a fishing pole and had the catch of a lifetime. My beautiful wife, a skilled angler herself. One time she tried to lift this gigantic lake trout out of her ice hole when the line snapped, but the fish was soooo big it was stuck in the hole. Another time she thought she was stuck in the weeds and it was a monster bass, or was it a walleye. That woman catches so many fish one time I "accidentally" kicked the tackle box and all the lures stuck in the back of her sweater. I'm glad she puts up with me.  Our daughter once dropped her fishing pole to chase a butterfly, with a nice trout on it! She also fell in an ice fishing hole after I promised my wife she wouldn't fall in the ice fishing hole. I am a hard working guide who loves his job. I can't wait to hear your stories, or make some ourselves.

 

Mark Wechsler – Bringing over twenty years of experience, Gore Creek Fly Fisherman guide Mark Wechsler began fly fishing a few years after moving to the Vail Valley in 1994. Since then, fly fishing has become more than a favorite sport or hobby – it’s become a passion that he enjoys sharing with clients, friends, and family. Mark has been working for Gore Creek for over a decade and has successfully guided clients of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels on the Eagle River. He is also on the pro staff for Cortland Line – a pioneering fly fishing company that is known for creating the most advanced products on the market. When Mark is not guiding trips for Gore Creek, he can be found on the river with his wife Kirsten who also loves to fly fish.

 

Nathan Simmonds - I grew up fishing the mountain lakes of the Appalachians with my dad. It was there I learned waking up early to fish is always a worthwhile endeavor. After graduating from the University of Georgia, I packed the truck, loaded my dog and drove west to the Rocky Mountains. It was here I met my wife, Lindsey. Over the past 18 years we have been traveling, exploring and fishing. Now, we bring our 4 year old son Fisher along! I’ve been lucky enough to fish waters from Bermuda to Hawaii- and all the great stuff in between! When I moved to the Eagle Valley, I knew we had to live near the water. Now, I have the Eagle River in my backyard. Most nights I can be seen sneaking off to wet a line, until darkness comes and pushes me home. I am proud to work with the amazing staff and anglers at Gore Creek Fly Fisherman. I look forward to sharing my experience and love of fly fishing in the Rockies with the clients we serve.

  

Seth Johnson - Since moving to Colorado as a small child, the outdoors have always called to me. Growing up in Boulder, I loved going camping and fishing whenever I could. Fly fishing always intrigued me when I was younger. I still remember the first time I ever saw a fly fisherman. I was at a lake fishing with my grandpa and there was a guy casting out dry flies from the dock. I was mesmerized, and I remember thinking, “that’s what I want to do when I’m older”. I later moved to Avon in 2008, right after graduating high school, and I finally got my first fly setup a couple years after that. From that day forward I was hooked. The challenge of learning and the degree to which you can fine tune everything to catch more fish drew me in like nothing else. I still haven’t fished with a spin rod since that day because I got too addicted to catching fish on a fly. It’s become a way of life for me now and has taken me to some of the most amazing places I’ve been and given me many of my best experiences. Now let me share a piece of that experience with you.

 

Josh Casciano - I grew up fishing and fell in love with being outside and enjoying the great outdoors. When I was 11 saw someone fly fishing in the River I lived on in Florida and thought it was awesome. Taught myself how to do it and never turned back, started tying flies and selling them to all the local shops then started to take people out and share my passion for fly fishing. I’ve fly fished around the world from my travels with the Military and hands down Colorado Fly Fishing, having mountains surrounding you is much more than just a fishing experience.

 

Andres Remirez

 

Tim McCabe

 

Jake Searer

 

David Phillips - 20 years of experience chasing Trout in the Vail valley. Originally from the great state of Michigan I've found my home here in Vail. I'm always excited to take anyone who is interested fishing our amazing fishery. If you have not given the vail valley a shot you're missing out on one of the best fishing experiences in the west.

 

Dan Werney -Growing up in the suburbs of New York City, fly fishing does not come to mind for many people. My father had always been a fisherman. “Whatever gets a fish on your line” is what I remember him saying. I never had any appreciation for fly fishing until after graduation from The College of Charleston in South Carolina. I began working in the city commuting from home, about an hour and a half each way. That was a long year working in midtown Manhattan for me, and what helped me through were the long weekends spent in the woods in Westchester county fly fishing local streams. After a that year I made my way out west to Gods country, Colorado!