Our Crew
Our Crew
Reed Conner
GENERAL MANAGER
Reed is a Boone local and started fly fishing when he was around 6 years old with his dad and grandpa. In high school, prompted by Joel Brown, Reed's fishing passion was born again. Reed attended college locally at Appalachian State University, allowing him to cultivate his love for fishing by guiding for Eseeola Lodge in Linville, NC and explore local waters on his own. Community and service to others have grown to be pillars in Reed's life through working for retail spaces such as Appalachian Ski Mountain's Pro Shop from 2017-2a021, becoming assistant manager at Stickboy Bread Co. from 2019 - 2021, and being a Young Life leader for local high school students since 2018 - present. Reed now continues his work for the community and his passion for trout fishing with Speckled Trout Outfitters as the shop “master chief”.
Michael Foreman
HEAD CHEF / FISHING GUIDE
The reputation of fly fishing for trout in Argentina speaks for itself. This trip includes 6 days of guided fly fishing in Northern Patagonia at the amazing Spring Creek Lodge. This destination is not only for the serious angler but an excellent couple’s retreat, designed to immerse the angler and non-angler alike in the culture of Argentina.
Joel Brown
HEAD GUIDE
Joel grew up right here in Boone, NC, and started fly fishing when he was 8 years old. By the time he was in high school, he was on the water every chance he could. This ultimately led him to decide to attend college at Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado, to pursue a degree in business administration and grow towards becoming a guide in one of the premier fly fishing towns in America. After a year of guiding for Willowfly Anglers in Almont, Colorado, and graduating college, Joel moved to Fort Smith, Montana on the Bighorn River. He guided there in 2020 before returning to his home waters of Western North Carolina in November of 2020. He is now full-time with the Speckled Trout family.
Lawson Greene
FISHING GUIDE
Lawson is born and raised in Boone, NC. He discovered fly fishing early in high school and has since fallen in love with every aspect. For the last 5 years, he has been working at Napa Auto Parts in Boone. After work and on days off, he has dedicated his time to his passion for fly fishing. You can look for him on a local creek or picking apart the famous tailwaters of the Watauga and South Holston River.
Spencer Hoke
FISHING GUIDE
Spencer grew up in a small town outside Winston Salem and spent his childhood visiting the high country. He grew up bass fishing with family and friends. His love for the outdoors began with rock climbing, but after discovering fly fishing, he became obsessed and pursued it wholeheartedly. Spencer came to Appalachian State to finish his degree and began working at the Speckled Trout Outfitters when the store first opened in 2023. He continues to share his passion for the outdoors with clients on the water and at the shop. On his days off, you can find him at a climbing spot or in a river somewhere.
Phillip Jamison
FISHING GUIDE
Phillip was born and raised in Shelby, NC. He grew up hunting and fishing with family and friends and fell in love with the outdoors. He moved to Boone to attend Appalachian State University in 2018 and quickly took to fly fishing. He even became president of the App State Fly Fishing Club in 2020. He stayed in Boone to work at Watauga Medical Center and picked up guide trips on the weekends but spent most days thinking of the river. In 2024, he felt a calling to turn this passion into his primary job and is now full time at The Speckled Trout Outfitters. He enjoys teaching new anglers and is very passionate about building relationships with clients.
Coleman Taylor
WADE GUIDE
Coleman grew up in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, and started fly fishing in his early years of High School. Coleman now attends Appalachian State in Boone, NC, allowing him to follow out his passion for Fly Fishing and the 828 area. He joined The Speckled Trout Outfitters team in March of 2023. Whether it’s bigger rivers or tiny creeks, you can find him exploring new water. Coleman became a guide earlier this year and continues to work and strive for growth both as an angler and a guide. You won’t find a better guy to spend a day on the water with!
Joseph Lynch
FLOAT/WADE GUIDE
Joe was born and raised in Oklahoma. Farm ponds were his first introduction to fishing as young as he can remember, but he never took fishing serious until later in life. In his early 20’s he started a steel building company and grew it into a busy small business. In his late 20’s he revisited fishing and found that it was the rivers that had been missing in his fishing life. After chasing trout for some time he began to focus on more readily available smallmouth bass. Spending more and more days away from work and covering countless miles throughout the Ozarks, he knew he wanted his life centered around fly fishing. It seemed logical to try guiding part-time and discovered he enjoyed putting people on fish just as much as catching them himself. From smallies to trout, ozark streams to the famed White River, he cut his teeth on the guide game. Whether it be dry flies on a 3wt or streamers on a 10wt, Joe finds the thrill never dulls. In August of 2023 Joe sold his business and moved his family to North Carolina. Guiding and dedicating every day to fishing, conservation, community, and building a mainstay with a stellar team is a dream come true. He is beyond thrilled to not only be with The Speckled Trout, but to also serve the community, grow relationships, and be increasingly valuable to everyone around him as well!
Ryan Hartley
STRIPER / BASS GUIDE
Ryan Hartley was born and raised right here in Watauga County. He started hunting, fishing, and shooting at age five (5). Ryan’s grandfather played a key role in introducing Ryan to his love of the outdoors and taught him so much about wildlife. Their favorite activities were hunting deer, turkey, grouse, and pheasant, shooting, and fishing in the streams and lakes of NC and TN. As he grew up, he made friends all over the country who share his passion for the outdoors. He has bear hunted from the NC mountains to the NC coast. Ryan has guided bear and duck hunts in eastern NC and he has had successful elk hunts out west. Ryan truly loves to be on the water whether it’s trout fishing in the waters around the high country, on a mountain lake striper fishing or out off Hatteras NC in the gulf stream fishing the deep blue. Ryan lives in Zionville, NC with his wife, two daughters and two labs. He is also a leukemia survivor after two rounds of fighting cancer in 2015 and a bone marrow transplant in 2016, he does not take a day for granted and loves more than anything to get outside and be in nature. By trade, Ryan is a licensed electrical contractor in NC and TN and owns and operates Mountaineer Electric & Generator Systems. By heart, he loves more than anything to be in the woods hunting, training his retrieving labs, or catching some fish out on the water.
Wynn Parrish
AFFILIATE FLOAT & WADE GUIDE
Born in northern Canada, Wynn's connection to fishing runs deep. From his earliest memories, he loved the tug of the line and the thrill of the catch, but it wasn’t until over 30 years ago, while living in the rugged beauty of Colorado, that he discovered the magic of fly fishing. Living in the picturesque landscapes of North Carolina for the past 24 years, he has made it his mission to explore the pristine rivers and streams of Western NC and East Tennessee. Guiding is his way to share his passion and to pass on his knowledge to fellow fishing enthusiasts. It’s not just about catching fish; it’s about creating memories, passing down traditions, and fostering a deep appreciation for nature.
Ryan Crawley
HIKING GUIDE
Ryan grew up exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains and learning the art of backpacking from his grandfather, who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail in the early ‘80s. Since then, Ryan has thru-hiked both the Appalachian Trail and the John Muir Trail, coordinated and led two and three-week backpacking trips for teens, and has an innate ability to spread a passion for the outdoors and the sport to others. With over 4,000 miles of backpacking under his belt, he brings a ton of experience to the team. He is both a natural teacher and a supportive leader. As a result, when his (then) eight-year-old daughter became interested in the sport, he brought her along through every step of planning and executing the multi-day trips. At age 10, she has successfully completed both the Foothills Trail and the Shenandoah National Park section of the AT, has backpacked over 200 miles, and is currently sponsored by Osprey. Ryan sees hiking as both an art and a skill. He is a licensed EMT and serves on the Linville Central Search and Rescue Team. Ryan believes in being prepared and making sound decisions so that you can have the adventure of a lifetime.
Mark Spangler
HIKING GUIDE
Mark is an enthusiast of and advocate for outdoor spaces. He is an ecologist and a naturalist with a degree in wildlife biology and conservation. He has worked throughout his career to help protect our shared natural resources. Prior to moving to Western North Carolina, Mark conducted field research in the remote backcountry of the Mojave Desert, the Eastern Sierra, and the Alaska Range, among other wild places. Mark completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2019 and has been further exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains since 2021. He is a lifelong learner, with current interests in gardening, beekeeping, and Southern Appalachian heritage and folk traditions. Mark is certified in Wilderness First Aid and is training with the Linville Central Rescue Squad as a search and rescue technician.
Emery Matthews
HIKING GUIDE
Emery is a complete Nature Nerd that loves to live life outside. They enjoy hiking, backpacking, bushcraft/survival skills, rock climbing, playing guitar, and quite literally anything involving their dogs. They have been in the High Country since 2011 when they came to App State, and have been obsessed with these mountains ever since. They have been certified as a Wilderness First Responder since 2015, as well as, in herbal medicine making and Ecopsychology. Not only do they love being outside, but it is also a life priority to live WITH the Earth, not just on it. Currently, they spend most of their time teaching Earth Skills at a local outdoor education center but are always excited to teach the art of the trail ~ making sure to enjoy all the nature nuggets along the way!
