Ben grew up on Connecticut's Farmington River but did not discover fly fishing until moving to the Catskills in 2016. The draw of the Esopus Creek and the chance to watch a local tyer in the general store ignited a passion that has burned out of control ever since.He loves art and working with his hands, so it was natural for fly tying to factor heavily into his enjoyment of the sport. Ben is also still recovering from the Catskill Fly Fishing Museum's Spring 2024 Bamboo Rod Building Intensive, where he built his first bamboo rod.A sponge for knowledge, Ben has learned from some of the best guides in the Catskills and beyond, and it was only a matter of time before he became a licensed guide himself. But it was the very first chapter of the legendary Joe Humphreys' book Trout Tactics, "Finding Trout," that greased the skids. Over these 30 pages, Ben's approach to the water changed from "catcher" to "hunter," a label that is more enjoyably shared with others. Ben is a member of the Ashokan-Pepacton Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Catskills Fly Tyers Guild.