A born and bred East Coast fly angler, I have been fly fishing for over 20 years. From the tidal trout streams of my home on Long Island to the brackish waters of the Indian River in Florida, I’ve pursued everything from Appalachian Mountain brook trout to Florida’s snook, Chesapeake Bay bluefish to Potomac River carp… I even target flounder on the fly whenever I get the chance!
Columbia, SC is now my home of over 8 years and I love fishing its rivers with their unique combination of fly rod species - trout, smallmouth bass, and the historic population of landlocked striped bass that made the Santee-Cooper rivers famous as the birthplace of freshwater striped bass fishing.
As a teacher for more than 15 years I have taught many to cast and fish with a fly rod including friends, relatives and the occasional unsuspecting tourist in Washington, DC. . I have set up and run fly fishing summer camps locally and in Washington, DC at Calleva Outdoor Adventures.
Owning and operating a guide service had always been a dream of mine and in 2008 that dream came true. Since then I have had the opportunity to introduce people from all over the country and all over the world to the excellent fly fishing and natural beauty of Columbia's rivers. As I see it, sharing my love of the rivers of Columbia and the fish that inhabit them with fly fishermen can't help but raise awareness of the issues challenging the future of the local fisheries in the wider fly fishing community. I hope that through educating my clients and the public about these issues and introducing new fishermen to the sport and conservation ethic inherent in fly fishing I can have an impact on the future of this great local resource.
-Michael Frank
Owner and Lead Guide
