Our Staff
Joshua Garris
is an Asheville Native who cut his teeth fishing the area water starting around the age of 5 and never stopped. He has been fishing the local rivers and head waters for over 30yrs and is ready to show you what makes him passionate about his home waters. He is married with 2 teenage children and loves to teach. He is wonderful with children and loves to share his knowledge to novices and experts the same. There is always something new to learn with fly fishing and Josh wants to help you find that. Although catching big brown and rainbow trout is exhilarating, Josh can also introduce you to some of the most beautiful fish in the world, our native Brook Trout. They live amongst some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. So whether you are just learning, wanting to learn more, or just looking for the right place, Josh is the guide for you!
After working many years in the culinary field, Josh decided to make a jump to the fly fishing industry to which he has been guiding full time for the last 10+ years. Along with fishing our local area, Josh does a Hosted Western Trip every year. With this and his own travels he has had the chance to fish some of the most fabled trout water in the West. Josh is a member and volunteers for many local nonprofits such as Trout Unlimited, Casting Carolina’s, and Project Healing Waters to name a few. Josh has been featured on the television show Carolina Outdoors on two occasions, writes for Southern Culture on the Fly, and has been featured in several other articles and publications. For more information about the Hosted trip, Questions, or to book a trip, email Josh at joshgarriscwo@gmail.com
Will Loftus
Will is a North Carolina native with a life-long interest in the outdoors, and a commitment to the responsible enjoyment of the natural world. Will came to fly fishing after spending time rock climbing, working as a white water rafting guide, serving in AmeriCorps with inner-city children in Atlanta, and assisting with Mountain Challenge, at Maryville College, which provides a wide range of outdoor experiences for young and old, individuals and corporate groups. In his spare time, he enjoys fly tying, and looking for ways to make them just a little more attractive to sophisticated, picky fish.
As well as being relaxing and a lot of fun, Will shares the opinion of Christopher Rownes in “The Perfect Loop,” where he says that fly fishing “stands for values such as respect for nature, for tolerance, tranquility, self-composure, the ability to enjoy, and a readiness for measure and self-contemplation….the rivers keep us humble…and the trout teach us gratitude.”
In addition to being great fun, whether you’re fishing alone, with family, or with a group of friends or co-workers, you lose yourself in nature, in the river, in the cast, and in the competition with the fish. Whether you’re a beginner or an old hand, fly fishing can be whatever you want it to be — exciting or relaxing, a challenge to be faced, or a Zen moment to be appreciated.
Like a complex corporate problem, fly fishing requires that you, the river, the rod, the fly, the weather, and the cast all come together in just the right way to produce the result you want — everything from quiet satisfaction to sweet success, and all the space in between!
Craig Byers
was born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Weaverville, NC. He learned to fish in the waters of these mountains for trout, Smallmouth Bass, largemouth bass, and anything else that was willing to bite. His true love of the sport has always involved the “Big Fish” and his spare time consists of either fishing for the big boys or formulating new strategies to catch them which involve tying flies, making baits and scouting his next fishing hole. No fish is safe from Craig! He’s caught them all from the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee to the coasts of the Carolina’s and everywhere in between. Craig’s love of the outdoors – which includes a good hunting adventure from time to time – gave him the ambition to obtain an Associates Degree in the Fish and Wildlife field from Haywood Community College in western North Carolina.
With approximately 10,000 miles of water to fish in North Carolina, Craig’s fishing tip is simple. Try all types of water, pick the ones you love the most and spend a lifetime enjoying those waters be it streams, rivers, creeks or the ocean and practice catch and release in doing so. As the old timers say – you’ll save a few for seed. “Take a kid fishing!”
Jacob Rash
Jacob, a native of Weaverville, with family roots that trace back to its founding, has spent his entire life fishing the streams and branches of Western NC, starting out with his Great grandfather at the age of 16 months. “Fishing and caring for fisheries has always been a passion of mine”, says Jacob, his school studies were steeped in environmental and natural resources, horticulture and the effects of acid rain in our mountain ecosystem.
Jacob also served for a stent as meetings coordinator for the Land O’ Sky Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
When Jacob is not on the water guiding or scouting the next riffle, you could expect to find him in his basement workshop collecting and restoring vintage split cane rods, tying flys, building fly rods (some of his work has been featured in the Fiberglass Manifesto’s #glassisnotdead list), writing for and co-managing the “Between Two Banks” blog or reading one of John Gierach’s books.
Jacob is a laid back guide that enjoys a good laugh and does things the old school way. For an enjoyable day on the water for anglers of all skill levels and ages give Jacob a call.
“…..let me introduce an idea- just something to kick around: Maybe you stature as a fly fisherman isn’t determined by how big a trout you can catch, but by how small a trout you can catch without being disappointed, and of course, without losing the faith that there’s a bigger one in there”.
John Gierach
“It’s not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle”. Jacob
Jeff T. Curtis
Prior to launching Curtis Wright Outfitters in March 2003, Jeff worked as an independent fly fishing guide and instructor in Western North Carolina and an innkeeper at Sourwood Inn, a thirteen room inn on 100 acres of land in Asheville, NC. As part of the design and development team at Sourwood Inn, Jeff was instrumental in creating an outdoor-oriented atmosphere, blending a rustic feel with the amenities of a luxury inn. His responsibilities as innkeeper included advertising, bookkeeping, and guest relations. Prior to innkeeping, Jeff worked at two psychiatric facilities, Park Ridge Hospital in Fletcher, NC and Marshall Pickens in Greenville, SC. While employed at these institutions, he worked with other team members to create and implement a comprehensive treatment program. Jeff has also served as Director of Programs at Project SOAR, a wilderness-based therapeutic recreation program near Waynesville, NC. His responsibilities included leading team building exercises and ropes course elements, as well as developing and implementing group initiatives. Jeff also served as partner and manager in a multi-store chain of clothing stores in Florida. He received a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Furman University. Jeff runs the two Curtis Wright Outfitters shops from the main office in Weaverville. Jeff makes his client’s trip fun and has even been know to catch a fish or two! JeffCurtisCWO@gmail.com