About
My name is Robert Daniel, and I'd love to show you some of the natural beauty of the Old North State. Whether it's fly-fishing for redfish and striped bass, or flushing rail-birds in the saltmarshes around Wilmington, or picking your own oysters, clams, or mussels, or going for a cruise to the beach, or even special trips to chase smallmouth and trout further west, I'll be happy to be your captain, guide, and patient, down-to-Earth teacher.
Growing up in Wilson, NC, I'd consider myself a Southerner, a North Carolinian, but above all, an outdoorsman. Ever since I can remember, I've been drawn to the beauty, the peacefulness, the refuge, the unknown, that is the outdoors. The salt marsh near Lea and Figure Eight islands, especially, has been my sanctuary from a young age, whenever I was at my grandparent's place near Wrightsville Beach. I'm currently in Wilmington, engaged to the love of my life, Mary Ann, and I love the numerous opportunities to enjoy nature that coastal Carolina provides. I realized my way to make a difference was to share my passions of the outdoors with others---especially fly-fishing and bird hunting. Above all, I love teaching others. The seed was planted when my dad gave me a fly casting lesson for my birthday in the 10th grade. While I'd fly fished before, that's where the bug really started. While at Woodberry Forest School in Virginia, I taught myself and "wet my teeth" on smallmouth bass, which led to more trout, then saltwater species. I attended Sweetwater Guide School during the summer of 2013. I then guided at Smith Fork Ranch in Crawford Colorado in the 2014 season and additionally at A Bar A Ranch in Encampment, Wyoming in the 2016 season. I've held a USCG Captain's license since 2017, and have worked to fix up "the skiff," a 2001, North Carolina built 19'8 Jones Brothers Bateau. Once dirt-covered with busted control cables and tilt/trim, and sitting on a rusted-out trailer under a shed in Morehead City, a bit of "sweat equity" and hard work has gotten the skiff back to her former glory. She's a stable boat with a clean casting deck, and while she may not be the stereotypical "flats boat," she floats shallow, gets the job done, and is a true eastern NC ride. In addition, I love writing, especially about the natural world. I try to keep up a blog, here. |