A former chemistry teacher, chemical engineer, inventor and manufacturing company owner for 20+ years, Kent moved to Mammoth in 1992 so he could ski full time and didn’t have a clue what he was going to do to kill time in the summers. He walked in the Trout Fly the first summer to see what this fly fishing 'thing' was all about and the rest is history. By the end of that summer he was fishing 5-6 days a week and hasn’t let up since.
After buying the Trout Fly and then the Troutfitter he kidded that he didn’t tie flies or guide because it cut into his fishing time. We’ll, he gave in on both fronts and now guides and ties, both, but restricts his activities to Crowley Lake and his custom "Optimidge" chironimid patterns to use on the lake. “I like to fish streams too, but let’s face it, the odds of catching a big fish on any given day is best on Crowley and that’s what does it for me. It’s a different puzzle figuring out how to find and fool the monsters every day. I love solving the puzzle and sticking the big ones!
In his guiding Kent likes to concentrate on the teaching aspect. “The biggest reward for me is to see kids get turned on to fly fishing and to have clients come back and tell me that the things I have taught them have made a major difference in their ability to catch fish on their own."
“That is the most rewarding thing about owning the Trout Fly and the Troutfitter, whether guiding or helping customers in the shop, you are giving them ‘the best gift of all’ - the tools and knowledge to catch more fish and that’s what it is all about if you love fishing.
Kent also hosts several trips every winter and takes customers to the Bahamas and Belize to chase Bonefish, Tarpon and Permit.
Drop him an e-mail, kent@thetroutfitter.com, if you'd like to find out about these trips and possibly join him.
So, if you’d like to get a lesson on Crowley, catch him in the store or go out for a day on the lake, but don't ask him how to get to Hot Creek, he'll have to pull out his map!
