About

I write a lot—but I’m not just a writer. Indeed, my most important work is done at home, where I am a husband to my wife, Leila, who edits everything I write, and father to Maggie and Jeremiah. I also work as the director of the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival, held each year on the banks of the South River in Waynesboro. And as a Christian I believe that we have an obligation to prudent stewardship of the resources God has provided for us, which is why I write so frequently about conservation issues. My family and I attend Gainesville Presbyterian Church, where any who are interested can learn more about the peace that is available in Jesus.

Finally, I’m a firefighter who has served for more than 26 years with the Fairfax County (Virginia) Fire and Rescue Department and some of the best and brightest firefighters and paramedics in the country. These days you’ll find me acting as captain of Engine Company 427 in West Springfield. If you’re in the neighborhood, come on by the station and say hello. If I’m not in, then I’m either responding to a call for help…or out fishing.

My latest book, Fly Fishing the Mid-Atlantic: A No Nonsense to Top Waters, is similar in layout to the Virginia book but includes 45 fresh and salt waters across seven Mid-Atlantic states. Though most of the photographs are my own collected from fishing each and every piece of water covered in the book, I was fortunate to be able to include photography from pros like Jack Hanrahan, Mark Sargent, and Jim Graham. Alan Folger contributed the vivid, original wildlife art that brings the book to life.

In 2005 the Mason-Dixon Outdoor Writers Association honored me with the Talbot Denmead Memorial Award for Best Environmental Writing (sponsored by Bass Pro Shops) for my work on the Chesapeake Bay. My first book, Fly Fishing Virginia: A No Nonsense Guide to Top Waters, won the M-DOWA Book Award as well as the prestigious Excellence-in-Craft Award in 2009. Fly Fishing Virginia has enjoyed a fair amount of success, is currently in its second printing, and is one of L.L. Bean’s bestselling books nationwide.

Thank you for visiting my site. If you’re here, you’re probably interested in learning more about fly fishing. I became involved in the quiet sport relatively late in life: Bob Guess, a genuine Southern gentleman and one of the best-known popping bug makers in the country, introduced me to fly fishing when I was in my 30s. Indeed, I wrote my very first article about Mr. Bob’s fantastic popping bugs—and I’ve been writing ever since.

I consider myself fortunate indeed to be a frequent contributor to the Mid-Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide, a contributing editor for Fly Fish America, and the Mid-Atlantic states field editor for Eastern Fly Fishing. My work has also appeared in Fly Fisherman, American Angler, Fly Tyer, Virginia Wildlife, Flyfisher, Virginia Living, Blue Ridge Outdoors, Virginia Sportsman, Chesapeake Angler, and Fly Rod & Reel.

About Beau