While I’m relatively new to fly fish at the core, I am a craftsman. I spent 13 years in the custom woodwork industry while living in Charleston, SC. I then started a handmade bow tie and necktie company in 2010. I enjoyed the creative outlet this business provided me and the opportunity to work with clients to design the perfect custom ties. By 2016, I was beginning to want to return to my first passion, woodworking.

While fly fishing in Colorado I decided the time was right to try something new. In late 2017, I began work on a prototype net. I admit, the first few nets may have resembled 1970s tennis rackets, but that initial work helped me realize what I wanted to accomplish. After several months refining the net design, I launched Stonefly Nets Jan 1 2018. 

For me, fly fishing is a memory created from casting a 3wt bamboo rod on a beautiful stretch of water in the morning sun. That rod belonged to my great-grandmother who passed it on to my father who in turn gave it to me. When I design my nets, it is my hope and goal to help others form such lasting memories.

The design process starts with selecting wood for a handle based not just on colorization but also the grain pattern and depth. Strips of hardwood for the hoops are chosen to compliment and accentuate the handle to create a piece of functional art. Finally, materials are selected to fill knot inclusions in the handle to complete the look. Every net is then gets two coats of a proprietary oil rub and is then finished off with five coats of a high quality polyurethane. Overall, my goal is to create a uniquely distinctive yet classic net every time.