TEAM PAGE - TESTER
Call it an epiphany, but the creation of Maine Fly Company came easy. Never had anything been so clear and felt so fulfilling from inception. It’s the perfect hybrid of my families’ roots, my love for New England and my desires to highlight the culture and people that continue to make our craft great.
Following my fathers passing, my obsession for fly fishing reached new heights. I remember my brother-in-law, Toby, and I riverside breaking down a rod I was swinging at the time and thinking, ‘I can do this.’ Not only did we believe we could do it, but it quickly became a passion project. The mission was to restore the lost craft of building fly rods by hand, share Maine’s unique fly culture and preserve all it stands for.
My heritage is deeply rooted with a unique multigenerational line of craftsmen, small business owners and anglers. My father, a fly fisherman with a deep rooted passion for salmon and Maine waters, was more than an inspiration to me. Something hit me in his passing and it appears his undying love of the water was passed down, because I’ve been obsessed ever since.
My Uncle, a craftsman like no other, truly fed my creative side from a very young age. From designing and building some stunning structures, to his iconic stained glass and furniture building. Not to mention his passion for sailing and the water.
Doing the right thing, true grit, passion and treating everyone with a genuine kindness was something I learned watching my mother, an entrepreneur for 30 years who operated with undying integrity and always went the extra mile. She was the most influential business owner I ever had the pleasure to sit beside.
After nearly 2 decades navigating the corporate world, it was always a job. I would get asked the old cliché, if money wasn’t an issue, what would you like to do. For me, it always came back to craftsmanship, the outdoors and building a culture that I could be as excited with each new day as I was the last.
I love what I do! I am committed to delivering high performing fly rods built here in Maine with a foundation that will be here for generations to come.
Hometown: Lewiston, Maine
Rod Weight: 4-5w depends on the month. Always adding something unique to the arsenal
Go to fly: Pheasant Tail
Brewery: With so many great breweries out there, it's an evolving love. Currently pretty hooked on Allagash for a River Trip
Favorite Band: Another dynamic topic. On a Nathanial Rateliff & the Night Sweats kick currently
Favorite Species: Landlocked Salmon
Outdoor Activities besides Fly Fishing: Spending time with my (family) three sons, my wife, our pets Allagash & River. Wood work. Live Music. Working on our land.
Toby Bright
Executive Team/ Legal / Craftsman
I grew up between southern and mid-coast Maine. Every spring, my father and I would take a trip to one of the sporting camps in the mountains of western Maine, where I fell in love with fly fishing for brook trout (with a heavy bias toward dry flies). Our last trip was the summer before I started Law School, when I caught my personal best wild brook trout - a fat 20 inch+ streamer eater.
Now that I am older, and in conjunction with Jeff starting Maine Fly Co., we are taking those yearly trips again. My father is still reluctant to tie on anything other than a dry, although my horizons have been significantly broadened.
I am most passionate about finding and preserving wild fish and wild populations. I find it much more satisfying to land a 6-inch wild trout deep in the woods than a 20-inch stockie – although both are fun!
I got involved with Maine Fly Co. because it represents everything I love about fly fishing. I am thrilled to be able to advise the company on legal matters.
-Rod Weight: 4
-Go to Fly: Prince Nymph dropped behind a Royal Wulff
- Favorite Beer or Brewery: My own
- Favorite Band : Sublime
- Outdoor Activities Besides Fly Fishing: Paddling
- Favorite Species: Whatever’s at the end of my line.
Loren Lachapelle
Hi, I’m Loren, and I’m a born and raised Mainer. I caught the fly fishing bug in the spring of 2016, and have since been addicted to learning and growing in the sport, exploring all that Maine has to offer, and connecting with like-minded fishy people. While three seasons may not seem like a lot of time, I have immersed myself in the fly fishing community that surrounds me. As a board member for the Sebago Chapter of Trout Unlimited and a core leader of Maine Women Fly Fishers, I have started educating others and have great interest in conserving Maine’s beautiful waters and the fish that reside in them.Maine’s wild and native brook trout are my favorite species to target, but at the end of the day I’m plenty happy with any kind of trout or salmon (or chub!) that will take my fly. Living on the coast of Maine also gives me the opportunity to dabble with my 9wt for stripers. Cutthroat trout are my favorite non-Maine species and I plan to get back out west soon to reunite with them!Due to the 9-5, I’m your classic weekend warrior, often traveling multiple hours on a Friday night to camp out, catch a few fish, and come back on Sunday. When time allows, I love taking a long weekend to explore a new-to-me neck of the woods, often with my canoe in tow. Anyone who knows me knows that I will go to extreme lengths to have a good adventure, so there is never a dull moment on the water…including forgetting the canoe anchor and realizing only after getting to the location.Want to and learn cool things and chase trout with me? My (car) door is always open…drop me a line!
Hometown: Auburn, Maine but reside in Portland now
Rod Weight: 5wt by Maine Fly Company
Go-To Fly: Golden Retriever
Favorite Brewery: Maine Beer Co.
Favorite Band: Greensky Bluegrass
Outdoor Activities Besides Fly Fishing: Downhill skiing, hiking, camping, snowshoeing