About Us
Jason fishing an Iwana fly rod on the Fall River, Rocky Mountain National Park
Jason Klass
BackpackFlyfishing.com was founded by former fly fishing guide and avid hiker, Jason Klass. Jason started fly fishing the streams and rivers of his native Western New York at the age of 15 for trout, Salmon and Steelhead, and, after moving to Colorado in 2001, discovered a passion for backpacking in the Rockies. Not long after, he started bringing a fly rod on his backpacking trips to tempt some of the trout in the high alpine lakes and streams in the Colorado backcountry and was instantly hooked by the beauty and solitude it offered. Surprised to find that there wasn’t a comprehensive site on the web for people who fly fish on backpacking trips, Jason decided to create this site in 2009 with the hope of providing a venue for others to develop this passion.
Lance Milks
Lance is the forum moderator and gear tester for Backpack Flyfishing. Lance grew up the Allegheny Mountains of Western NY. Hiking just seemed like part of life, and he spent most days after school, and vacations in the woods. He received his first fly rod at the age of eight and spent countless hours on the rivers and streams with his father, who taught him the true art of fly fishing. After getting out of the Marines, Lance moved to North Carolina and decided to get into backpacking and fly fishing once again. He is now a backpacking instructor, and is invited to attend and speak at several events a year. As busy as life has gotten, he still tries to get out to a stream once a week to wet a line and catch a few trout. Lance has now begun to combine these two passions of his, and seeks hike-in destinations to fish remote untouched waters.Don’t forget to check out Lance’s personal blog, The Trail Marker.
Mission Statement
We believe there is no better combination of outdoor sport than backpacking and fly fishing. Hiking deep into the backcountry allows you to leave the crowded streams behind and have a meaningful connection with nature few dare to try. Yet, there are certain challenges this presents. Since everything has to be carried on one‘s back, every piece of gear must be scrutinized in order to save weight and bulk without compromising the quality of either the fly fishing or the backpacking experience. Our mission is to help others achieve symbiosis between the two sports by exchanging ideas, providing free information, and offering specialized gear that helps overcome these unique challenges.
