RIO X HOGAN BROWN

I grew up on the Lower Yuba River in Northern California, as an only child who really liked catching fish. Playing with bugs didn’t make me the coolest kid on the block and I developed a penchant for solitary activities: fly fishing and playing guitar. As a teen, I worked at the local fly shop in Nevada City and have been a part of the fly fishing community ever since. I have devoted my life to the sport, guiding for trout, steelhead, bass, carp and anything that swims in a river, lake, pond, ditch or body of water I could access within the gray area of California's trespass law. I have worked in all aspects of the industry—behind fly shop counters and in lodges, ran an outfitting business and a non-profit, worked in marketing, and even a brief stint as a corporate rep. Through it all, I have remained in the trenches as a guide because in the end I like being on the water.