Ambassadors

"One Boot" Ed Hays

Ed Has been with us since the very beginning of this journey in the fly fishing industry. One of the most accomplished fishermen I have ever fished with, to out fish Ed on a outing or a trip doesn't happen often, and when it does you can bet you have had a great day! Preferring warm water species, Ed is a self proclaimed Smallmouth addict, and he has the fly patterns to back that up. Check out his Facebook or Instagram below and you will seen see what we are talking about. He is truly a master on the water and at the vise!

Shawn Rakes

Shawn started fishing forty years ago and started fly fishing at age 24, shortly before attending college in Montana on a bird hunting and trout fishing scholarship. Since then Shawn has fished extensively all over North & Central America, as well as the Caribbean. He has a life list of 59 species caught on fly and is an IGFA (Tippet Class) world record holder. He is the former president of the Saltwater Fly Anglers of Delaware based in Lewes, DE. Shawn has been tying his own flies for over a decade. He prefers tying for and targeting new species to add to his life list. Shawn volunteers for Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing and along with the SFAoD makes it his mission to share the joys of fly fishing with as many people as he can.

Ethan Rakes

Ethan has been fly fishing for several years, tying flies for most of that time. Pursuing his passion of fly fishing has allowed him to fish destinations from Pulaski, NY chasing salmon, to Bermuda and Puerto Rico pursuing snook and tarpon, and a multitude of places in between. He's caught many different species on fly, ranging from Bluegills to 25 pound Atlantic Salmon. Though he has only been tying a short time, Ethan has tied at multiple shows as well as being extremely active in his local fly fishing club, helping to represent norvise.

Braden Miller

Temple Fork Outfitters Jr. Pro Staff
Fly Life co. Pro Staff
Braden is 13 years old (our youngest team member) and has been tying flies almost 5 years now. He taught himself by watching videos on YouTube and Instagram. After attending the Virginia Fly Fishing Festival in January 2018, he did a live Instagram story with O’Neill’s Fly Fishing while tying on a Norvise for his first time. He was recorded on his first podcast, and participated in a video interview/story with Temple Fork Outfitters. At the Edison, NJ Fly Fishing Show, Braden was asked to join Team Norvise and he received his very own Norvise. Since beginning to tie on his norvise in late January, he has tied at numerous club functions and local events in the Virginia/DC area. While attending the Lancaster, PA Fly Fishing Show he received some very exciting news, Temple Fork Outfitters made Braden their first Jr. Pro-Staff member ever! Braden is also a partner with Project Healing Waters.

Nome Buckman Stark

I’m a bit of a gypsy at heart who has recently married and settled down on the Coast of Maine. I grew up on the East Coast and spent most of my young adult years in the White Mountains of NH where I’ve guided for trout and moved my guide business to the Midwest to guide for musky in the UP of Michigan. I'm a contributing Editor for Dun Magazine, Pro Tier for J. Stockard and pro staff for TFO Rods, 12wt, Nor Vise, Semperfli , and Pike Skinz.
As a past musky guide, many of my clients were new to the toothy critter game so I designed flies that were easy to cast and would shed most of their water weight on the first back cast keeping my clients in the zone all day long.
If you are looking to get into the toothy game and don't want to cast a wool sock, ya don't have to! My "Quick Shedding" flies will put you in the zone without torturing yourself!
My other job is being a garden coach/horticulturist for individuals and organizations. I’m a contributing editor for the internationally acclaimed Dun Magazine, a women’s fly fishing magazine. My current focus is to build up a predator fly tying company that makes flies for apex predators that exist in eco systems everywhere.

Mike Corrigan

Mike has always been addicted to fishing since growing up in Northern Ontario. He is a self taught fly tier, learning from a book by Bill Blades in 1970. (Eventually he acquired a signed version of the book!). Fly fishing and tying have been his passion since the early '90's. Starting in 2001, He spent 10 summers guiding Trout anglers in Western Canada, while taking sabbaticals from a full time job as a Geophysicist. In 1995 Mike started tying flies commercially. His annual TU fly box donations were much sought after. Like most fly anglers wanderlust seems inevitable, taking Mike to many locations in Canada, the U.S., Bahamas, Belize, Mexico, Austria, Portugal, Slovakia and his favorite, New Zealand (5 trips). In 2017 he managed to coax 30 different species (20 Freshwater and 10 Saltwater) to hand; Mike normally spends 120-150 days on the water. Every year he seeks new species on the fly, adding Shark, Channel Catfish, Freshwater Drum, and Musky to the list this past year. During his many tying demos over the years a constant comment is "You make it look so easy." Mike's response is always, it's the Norvise!

Mike is past Newsletter editor and the current President of the Manitoba Fly Fishers Association. He has have written for or appeared in several Fly Fishing magazines.

Jacob Nixon

Originally from Bridgeport, West Virginia Jacob was introduced to fly fishing and fly tying at the age of 13. After graduating college from WVU, Jacob became what some might call a “streamer junkie.” The high cost of large, articulated streamers on a college budget led him into his passion for tying flies that are targeted for multiple species. When Jacob is not behind the vise, he is often fly fishing from his kayak or wading through rivers trying new fly patterns, often times for new species. He and fellow fly angler Grant Alvis co-founded the fly tying community known as RVA Bugs and Brews. Jacob is passionate about connecting with other fly fisherman and fly tiers as he feels relationships are a foundation to a great fishing experience. His favorite fly to tie is Russ Maddin’s, “Circus Peanut” and his favorite to cast and swim is Blane Chocklett’s, “Gamechanger.” Jacob is the Social Media Chairman of the historical Virginia Angler’s Club of which Joe Brooks was a founding member. Jacob is very active on his personal Instagram page where he shares his most recent ties and catches.

Kevin Griffin

Kevin was born and raised in Georgia and started fishing over 43 years ago. He is a competitive angler, a Toccoa river guide for BigT Fly Fishing (www.bigtflyfishing.com), a European nymphing instructor and has been featured in Orvis News. One thing that Kevin is as passionate about tying as he is fishing. He started fly tying over 10 years ago and really enjoys his time at the vise. He is a contracted fly designer for Orvis and has been tying exclusively on a Norvise for over 8 years and swears he will never tie on anything else! He ties at numerous Fly Fishing events throughout the year and enjoys paying it forward and passing the art form on to others. Checkout Kevin's Instagram account to see some of his work.

Keith Berfied

I grew up Bass fishing on farm ponds in Sullivan County Pa. In 2007, my brother in law introduced me to fly fishing, it was a struggle to get going. Once I finally caught my first trout on my home waters of Lehigh County - I was hooked.
From that point on my interest, knowledge and participation grew. In March of 2016 I hooked up with Temple Fork Outfitter’s and became on their Pro Staff and eventually moved up to an Ambassador. I am also an Ambassador for Wingo Belts, Yeti and Compass 360, Team Norvise, RiverBum and Columbia . Along with that I am the Sales Rep for Rock Treads and Brook Fishing Equipment. I am honored to represent all of these amazing brands. However, most important I am a husband and father to my wife Ginna and my two amazing boys Dylan and Logan. Who support all I do, without them I’d be lost.

Thomas Lamphere

Hello, my name is Thomas Lamphere. I am a fly fishing and fly-tying fanatic. My Father Rueben got me started when I was 6 years old, and I never seemed to put the rod down. At night I was tying flies all the time with my father. By the time I was 15 I was selling flies to my teachers and other fisherman that I knew. Going to Peninsula High School I was also across the street from my favorite beach on Puget Sound. I would fish every day after school chasing Sea-run Cutthroat and salmon.
               When I graduated high school, I went right into commercial fly tying. I was tying for several fly shops and still do to this day. At the Age of 22 I started working for a company name Fish Hunter ENT. It was owned by Jack Moore at the time who became a good friend over the years. This is also when I met Norm Norlander, who also became a friend who I greatly enjoyed having conversations with over the phone. Over the years working at Fish Hunter I learned a great deal about the industry and started teaching weekly fly-tying classes with The Puget Sound Fly Fisher’s Club in Tacoma, WA. The weekly tying night have become such a part of me that it followed me to Idaho. In March of 2018 Fish Hunter ENT was purchased by Nature’s Spirit, where I am now the manager and reside in Kamiah, ID.
               As for fishing I have targeted every species in the Northwest that I can chase with a fly rod. Sea-run Cutthroat being my favorite along the shorelines of Puget Sound. Along with salmon in the summer and fall, and steelhead in the winter. Add in a tuna trip in the summer and life was great as a fisherman. Being a lover of steelhead as well my decision to move was rather simple with not living on the Clearwater River. Though I will say to its credit the smallmouth fishing has been spectacular.
               When it comes to fly tying, it is by far my favorite thing to do. I tie almost every night either filling orders, filling my boxes, or just playing with new patterns and materials. I have Three patterns with Solitude and sell many custom patterns on my own. I do that through my own business Lamphere Fly Fishing. There is nothing that I have not tried to tie, from trout flies to bass, pike, tarpon, steelhead, bonefish, and even flies for the amazon. My goal with fly tying is to learn and share as much as I can in the life time that I have.

Thomas Williams

Owner, Stoneys Custom Flies
Born and raised in Reno, Nevada Thomas grew up fishing infamous waters like the Truckee River, and Pyramid Lake on the hunt for big Rainbow, Lahontan Cutthroat and Brown Trout. At the age of 21 he enlisted in the United States Army as an aircraft electrician. The opportunity to travel allowed him to diversify his fishing options and he soon found himself spey casting to wild Salmon and Steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula. From there his passion and what most would call an obsession took hold of him. After multiple combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan left him struggling he found himself more and more immersed in fly fishing and he wandered deeper and deeper off the beaten path in the pursuit of what he loved. His absolute favorite place to fish is outside the village of Kobarid, Slovenia. There in the River Soca, monstrous Marble Trout are king and years of experience are put to the ultimate test. He spent his summer walking the white sand and limestone streams chasing Marbles and Grayling. Often he found himself crawling on his stomach to approach weary fish with only a cast or two if he’s lucky to get it right. After a decade of honing his skills he opened Stoneys Custom Flies in 2018. Fly fishing has forever changed his life and given him a peace that is hard to justify in words. Today serving on active duty he spends his days training Soldiers and his nights tying flies, growing his company and dreaming of his next adventure.

Marc Williamson

Throughout my career as an educator (spanning more than 45 years), as a Teacher, Principal, Assistant Superintendent, and Professor of Education at Warner Pacific College my love for teaching has continually grown. My passion for teaching and learning has only grown more with time. Through all these years I have learned many lessons, one of which is that learning must be relevant and fun. I find teaching fly fishing, fly casting, and fly tying a great opportunity to give back, and share my passion, on what I have learned. I love to see people get excited about learning. It is exciting to see people tie their first fly, cast their first cast or catch the first fish on a fly...The joy of learning is a powerful motivator. I began fly-fishing at a young age. My father, (my best friend), purchased a JC Higgins fly rod outfit for me. The purchase of that outfit began a life-long love affair with fly-fishing.
I got my start in the fly fishing industry in 1983 at Stewart’s Custom Tackle. At that time, I taught fly tying classes from beginning to advanced. I instructed fly fishing seminars. In those seminars I did in-store demonstrations on knot tying, entomology, reading streams. I co-taught with Doug Stewart the on-the-river portion which covered instruction on casting and general fly fishing techniques. I am a fly fishing instructor. I present to clubs throughout the Pacific Northwest and teach a fly fishing school in Montana. I was a co-founder and, was the Director of the Northwest Christian Fly Fly fishing Inc. Our organization has since 1995 put on a fly fishing camp.

Dave Allison

Originally from West Texas, Dave spent 30 yrs in So.Florida working in Veterinary Medicine. After retiring and moving to Utah, Dave started fly fishing and tying like someone was chasing him
Active in TU, Casting for Recovery, Project Healing Waters, and the current President for the High Country Fly Fishers, Dave also travels the country tying at expos throughout the year. He also enjoys fishing in UT, WY, ID, MT, AK, and Canada.

Brittany Davenport

I started fly fishing 7 years ago. I have been tying flies for 6 of those years, 5 of which have been on the Norvise. I was fortunate to have my husband to teach me how to do both, along with some members of our local fishing club. I love to pursue Westslope cutthroats in our home waters of Central Idaho. In recent years, we have started traveling to the Henry’s Fork each summer and I have quickly developed a love for that area and the fish that inhabit it. Simply put, fishing gets us to some beautiful places!
I served on the board for the club for 4 years, serving as President for two of them. I was awarded the Bill Alspach Fly Fisher of the Year award during my tenure in 2016. In, 2017 I received the Bronze Tying Award through the Fly Fishers International. I have been demo tying at shows for 3 years now, and staring to branch out into other areas, to include teaching classes for local groups. I host a monthly tying night at one of our local shops and hope to broaden the scope in coming years.

John Schultz

I tied my first fly, at age 10, using my mothers sewing basket, a pair of vise grip pliers for a vise, and feathers from my pillow for materials. My grandfather was an avid fly fisherman, and though I was only able to fly fish with him once before his health made him stop fishing, he gave me the fever! I grew up a few blocks from a great little Trout stream, that I fished nearly daily from the time I was allowed out on my own. I took my first flies out for a “test drive” and was successful! Been Hooked ever since!
I have taught hundreds of kids and adults how to tie flies, and really enjoy doing it. I think I gave Dave Allison his first lesson, and now the Student has far surpassed the teacher!
I grew up as a stream and river fisherman, but about 40 years ago, my wife’s parents gave me a float tube for a Christmas Present. The following June I took my new unused tube to Henries Lake in Idaho, and in one weekend I caught more really large fish than I had caught in my whole live. I gradually evolved into a “Still Water Junkie”! My wife Susie started fly fishing with me about 30 years ago, and now loves it nearly as much as I do! We leave our two kick boats and all our gear in the back of our truck all year long, except when all our lakes are frozen.
I have been tying in fly fishing shows for about 12 years, and have really enjoyed the opportunity to do it. The Wasatch Fly Fishing and Tying Expo, and The Eastern Idaho Expo are the two major ones that I always tie at, but I also tie in the Boise “Wester Idaho” show when I can, and numerous small regional shows, in Utah, Idaho, and Montana.
I am a past president, and active board member of High Country Fly Fishers, our local TU chapter. I have been a Life Member of TU and IFFF, as well as The Henries Lake Foundation for many years.
I am the Chairman of a conservation organization called The Friends of the Strawberry Valley.
I am the Vice Chairman of a unique group called the Utah Anglers Coalition, the group is formed with members from all the fishing communities, TU chapters, IFFF chapters, Bass clubs, Walleye clubs, sporting goods stores and Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources etc. to give fishermen a common voice in legislative and conservation subjects.
I am also the outreach Chairman of the governor of Utah’s Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council. It is and organization that receives $450,000.00 annually, from the sale of fishing licenses in the state to be used to identify and improve Utah’s Blue Ribbon fisheries.

Brian Davenport

I started tying flies in 1988 like most did back in the day, self taught, with a store-bought kit and VHS tapes. Two of my favorites were Gary Borger’s “Tying Trout Flies” and Dave Hughes’ “American Fly-Tying Manual.” In 1992 I attended my first fly tying show in Southfield Michigan and met Gary Borger and upgraded my tying set up and got serious about tying flies. Back home in Traverse City, Michigan I spent a good many days hanging out at the Troutsman, learning all I could from the owner and the folks that frequented the shop. I learned to fly fish the same way I learned to tie, from the good old VHS tapes made by 3M / Scientific Angler. What a rush it was when I finally caught my first trout on a fly that I tied myself. When I met my wife, (Brian is married to Brittany Davenport, also a Norvise ambassador) I was very lucky that she wanted to share in my passion for fly tying and fishing.After we moved to Idaho we joined a local fly fishing club and met some great folks. I served on the club board for 2 years and helped with the Women’s Clinic by mentoring a number of years. I have helped with the Juvenile Corrections fly tying program as a mentor, and demo tie at several shows around northern Idaho, Oregon and Washington State.
In 2017, I received my Bronze Award from the Fly Fishers International and had the privilege of having my flies graded by two Buz Buszek award winners. These gentlemen sat down, critiqued my flies and really showed me finer points of a proper tie.
I mostly chase after trout and steelhead but have no issue chasing anything that swims. For my 50th birthday my wife asked what I wanted, and my answer was simple— to fish The Henry’s Fork and especially the Harriman Ranch. It had been a life long dream to fish the Harriman, and now we make a yearly trek there.
To me two of the greatest things about this sport is meeting some great people who enjoy the same love and enthusiasm and going to some of the most beautiful places in the world.
The challenge of creating a fly and then to catch a fish with that creation is one of the most amazing things. And then, to share this knowledge of how it’s done and different ways to accomplish it are rewarding in its own right.

Nolan Myers

“I have been fishing the rivers of the Pacific Northwest since I was nine years old. Some of my earliest fishing memories are of my father and I on the banks of the Humptulips River pursuing the fall King Salmon run that makes its way up the region. Today, you will find me rafting from run to run on the Olympic Peninsula and the northern river systems of Washington State in search of steelhead with my spey rod. Being the classic that I am, I prefer long rods, long lines, and fly patterns that have deep history. For me it’s more than the fish, it’s about time at the vise, a connection to my past, summer days dreaming of rain storms and moss covered trees. It’s about the endless patience; shin-deep, you swear there's a chrome bright fish waiting in the run and every so often you get blessed with an encounter with a species of fish that embodies my version of earthly perfection. Tying flies is part of this journey I seek. The flies I tie are my way of communicating with these amazing creatures; an offering if you will. When I started fishing for steelhead I made a commitment to never fish a fly I didn’t tie myself. Well, years later, here I am still tying, still fishing, and still loving every minute of it.”

Gary Hanke

Gary was the former team Captain for Team Canada at the 35th Annual World Fly Fishing Championship in Bosnia 2015. With this distinction, he was involved at the highest-level skill competition in the World - through both qualifying and leading a five-man Canadian team. This experience of training under some of the best fly anglers in the world under extremely competitive conditions, allowed Gary to vastly broaden his fishing knowledge. His learning curve has increased ten-fold and considerably improved his personal mainstream fishing ability, giving him the advanced edge in competition. Currently, he is the only naturalized Canadian to receive the GAIA (Game Angling Instructors Association) fly tiers certification.

Gary has been fly-fishing for 50+ years and he also teaches fly tying from the most basic to the advanced master class levels. He was also a participant in the German EWF International Fly Tying Competition in 2013, 2014, and 2016, where he was prestigiously awarded a gold medal finish in the dry-fly category in 2016. He has continued to compete in this Fly Tying contest and has had many top 20 finishes since he started. He guides, teaches and shares many aspects of both fly tying and fly fishing, from loch style fishing, bank fishing, river and creek fishing to a host of techniques from European Nymphing to traditional loch style (Irish, English and Scottish) and their presentations. He also offers lectures on various topics and hosts private, community and public presentations world-wide including fly tying and fly fishing schools.

Gary is the Owner / Operator of one of the most popular local and global Fly Fishing Facebook pages, “Alberta Flyfishing” and along with his vast knowledge and skill set, has authored many stories in various outdoor magazine publications. In Western Canada, the primary magazine, “The Alberta Fishing Guide” contains various fishing tricks and techniques that Gary has had the honor of submitting stories on. Along with this distinction, he has designed and had the privilege to feature his completed flies using step-by-step instructions in various magazines. Gary can also be followed on You Tube as well as Instagram by simply typing Gary Hanke in both, you should be able to find his informative videos and tweets. Gary is also the Owner/Operator of Eastslope Distributors, located in Edmonton, where he sells high-quality fly tying products and fly fishing rods from well-known European suppliers to specific Canadian dealers all across Canada.

Carl Ronk

Carl has been involved with Nor-Vise and Norm Norlander since 2003. At this time he was the CEO of Terra Fly Tools. Their relationship develop into a friendship. Before long Norm had him representing Nor-Vise at shows throughout West Coast and South.

If he wasn’t doing a show for Norm he was demo tying at shows. He became involved with the Federation of Fly fishers, serving on the board of directors for several years. Carl went on to serve as Chairman of the Fly tying group for two years. He helped develop the skills program and manuals for this group. Carl has also served on the Board of Directors of the Oregon Council of FFi and the Northern California Council of FFI.

Carl works with California Department of Fish & Wildlife as a volunteer. Carl continues to promote the Nor-Vise every chance he gets. And is an avid fly fisherman. You can see him at many of the western shows where Norvise is an exhibitor.

Grant Alvis

My name is Grant Alvis and I am an avid fly fisherman and fly tier. I am a proud Richmond Virginia native and have been fishing the endlessly diverse waters of my home state since I could walk. Whether its Bass and Bluegill in a farm pond, Redfish in the Chesapeake Bay, native Brook Trout in the Blue Ridge or my personal favorites... Snakehead and Bowfin in our northern VA tidal marshes and creeks, I do it all. My passion for the sport certainly doesn't end with the fishing, fly tying and designing are two other areas of the sport that I approach with the same passion. I personally love the game changer platform of flies. Tying the various forms and tweaking them to match what I need in my local fisheries is almost as much fun as the fishing itself. I am proud to be a member of the Norvise team and love how these tools have taken my tying to a new level!

Tony Muncy

I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and currently live in Troutdale Oregon with my wonderful wife Jaimee and our three beautiful daughters. I have had an unending passion for all things fly fishing and fly tying since before I can remember. I am fortunate to have been raised by my dad, Gary, who has the same love for the lifestyle as I do. Early on in my childhood he immersed me in the sport and industry. He introduced me to a great group of folks that have become lifelong friends and a strong support system. My first job was at NW Fly Fishing Outfitters in Portland OR and I had the pleasure of working for the Hagans for several years. Growing up I primarily fished for trout, steelhead, salmon and bass in the Pacific Northwest and have had a few fun fishing opportunities in AK, Canada and Florida as well. My fly tying has mostly been centered around the pursuit of my local species but I hope to travel more in the future and fulfill some things on my bucket list.

My interest and motivation to grow as a fly tyer is largely due to the abundant content on social media and meeting so many awesome folks in the world of fly fishing. I am constantly humbled and driven to improve and become a better tyer and teacher of the art. I truly believe in always being a student of the vise. Becoming a part of the family at Norvise, as well as, becoming a Pro Team member for Ahrex hooks has provided me with more opportunities to teach and demonstrate what I love. I believe that using quality tools and materials is crucial to the success and enjoyment of one's tying experience no matter how long you've been tying flies.

Along with my love for fly fishing and fly tying I am also an illustrator and graphic designer. In 2018 I launched a new endeavor (on top of my day job) to start my own design company. I now design unique artwork for fly tyers and brands/companies in the fly fishing industry that are used on apparel, product and to increase their social media branding. I love to combine my two greatest passions and hope to do much more in the future. In addition to designing for others, I also have my own apparel using my designs that can be found at the link below. Thank you for your interest in my work and I look forward to connecting with you in the future. Please reach out to me if I can help you in any way.
You can visit Tony's Website by clicking Here

Shannon Messer

Born and raised in Western North Carolina, Shannon had countless creeks and streams at his fingertips including one that ran thu his parents backyard. The sound of of the flowing water placed Shannon under a special hypnosis that eventually lead him down the path he is on today, Sole Proprietor of Appalachian Flies, and a manager and guide at Tuckaseegee Fly Shop based out of Bryson City and Sylva North Carolina.

After returning home from serving the United States Navy Shannon really started focusing on what now is his life, fly fishing and fly tying. Shannon was fortunate enough to have some of the most amazing talent in his backyard that helped him develop into the tyer he is today. Legends such as the late Charles "Charlie Bear" Messer, Roger Lowe, Jim Estes (Inventor of the Mop Fly), and James Conner have played major roles in Shannon's ability and knowledge of flies that blanketed the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Today Shannon strives to pass down the knowledge of "Old Appalachian Patterns" in hopes that they will not be forgotten.

Shannon claims to be a comedian but his wife of 19 years doesn't agree. In tying videos that Shannon makes he strives to lighten the mood with a bit of humor while making you feel comfortable tying the way you like to tie. Also he spreads his joy on the podcast, "The Tuck Cast With a Splash of Bourbon" found on most popular Podcasting platforms.

Shannon is a former VP of Tuckaseigee Chapter of Trout Unlimited and still remains active as the Trout in the Classroom Coordinator. With the help of others the program has grown from one school to six schools.

Shannon is supported by his wife Tanya and two sons, Alex a twenty year old student at Western Carolina University, and Breyden Kade a ten year old who has been bitten by the fishing and tying bug.

Shannon enjoys sharing his fly tying and fly fishing passion with others. Be sure to connect with Shannon using the social media links below.

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