
New River Fly Fishing
Guide Team

Mike Smith
In one form or another, Mike's been fishing on the New River for most of his life. As a teenager in the mid-1970's, he fished at his family's cabin on the upper river near Lone Ash, Va. which is now located along the New River Trail.
During the 1980's, Mike attended Virginia Tech and regularly wade-fished the McCoy and Eggleston sections of the New River. In 1990, he began graduate studies at Florida State University where he developed a keen interest in saltwater angling that remains to this day.
After returning to southwest Virginia in1997, Mike opened the first fishing guide service based on the upper New River, which later became New River Fly Fishing. Now, his love of fly fishing takes him and his clients all across the country and abroad.

Alex Wise
Alex has been fishing on the Smith River for nearly two decades. Living no more than a mile from its banks in Eden, NC, he has fished from the headwaters near Woolwine, VA all the way to the confluence with the Dan River in Eden. He has dedicated the last seven years to fishing and guiding for brown and rainbow trout from Philpott Dam downstream to their furthest reaches.
Alex enjoys traveling to fly fish in numerous states including Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Montana, West Virginia, Wyoming, Colorado, Idaho, and Tennessee, but is proud to call North Carolina/Virginia home. He hopes that a day spent with him on the water will result in his clients learning how to better their skills and improve their angling experiences.

Steve Howard
Steve grew up fishing on the Jackson River in Virginia for smallmouth bass before it became a tailwater fishery. During his teens, summer days were spent in the river wading or fishing from inner tubes, and at age seventeen he picked up his first fly rod.
Steve discovered the New River while attending Virginia Tech in the 1980's. After graduation, he headed to Colorado where his love of river fishing turned toward trout on the fly. While living in Colorado and Utah, he had the privilege of fishing many of the great rivers in the west.
Steve returned east in 2003 and began guiding on the New River. His passion for smallmouth bass fishing was thus reignited, and the numerous tailwaters and wild trout streams in the region now feed his hunger for trout fishing.

Richard Formato
Richard is an accomplished trout specialist from Wytheville, VA. He was formerly the fly fishing columnist for The Roanoke Times and has appeared on the TV show "Familiar Waters" which aired on The Outdoor Channel.
Richard is also a former member of Fly Fishing Team USA, competing in several national championships and was the head coach of the Youth Fly Fishing Team--taking the team to the World Championships in 2007. He is on the Pro Staff of several fly fishing companies.
Richard's mission is to demystify fly fishing and focus the angler on what matters most--which is not only catching fish, but having fun while doing so. His home water is the South Fork of the Holston River near Marion, VA.