Born in Milford Connecticut, Derrick picked up fishing at the age of 6. He started out hitting local ponds in the area and then moved on to a more skillful level of angling. At age 11, Derrick purchased a cheap fly rod and taught himself to cast. He expanded his species list targeting trout, striped bass, and carp; both spin and fly.
Through his teens and early twenties, Derrick spent more time on the water than most will have spent in a lifetime.
At the age of 22, Derrick attended guide school in Avon, Colorado. “Fly Fishing Outfitters”, the #1 Orvis endorsed fly shop of 1998, trained and certified him as a guide. Since then Derrick has been a fly fishing manager for The Orvis Company and worked for Cabelas. With the combination of these experiences and a Bachelors Degree in IT, CT Fish Guides was soon born. Derrick guides fresh, salt, fly, and spin for both beginner and advanced anglers. His specialty is the Farmington River - and considering the many hours he’s spent on the water, Derrick can help up your game quickly.
Living ten minutes from the CT shore line, he was able to spend nights out on the salt and countless hours of learning the Western and Eastern sound. He has caught Stripe Bass up to 48 pounds from the shore in CT and made frequent trips to RI and Cape Cod.
Derrick has been a featured writer for “On The Water” magazine, “The Fisherman” magazine, and his pictures can be seen in “Catching Shadows” by Rich Strolis. He has held seminars all over the state for fly fishing and saltwater surfcasting. Derrick is also an accomplished fly tier with his patterns being published in fly fishing magazines. He has pro deals with Hatch, Sage, Simms, Patagonia, Rio, Smith, Hareline and others.
Targeting big, high quality fish is Derrick’s favorite pastime - let him share some of his knowledge and experiences with you!
