We GUARANTEE, highly trained, veteran guides. Every Guide at  Holston River Fishing Guides is required to be certified in Wilderness First Aid, and CPR. It is important to us that your experience is safe, seamless, and fun. Our goal is for you to simply book the trip, and leave the rest to us!

We have 15 years of experience guiding customers and teaching the sport of fly fishing, decades of experience setting up, well stocked, campsites and planning and organizing all of the finer details of your trip. If you are imagining the perfect fishing or camping trip, we plan to show you one even better!

Chris’ love of the mountains developed at an early age, on visits to his grandparents house in Hendersonville, NC. Much of his childhood was highlighted by vacations, camping or fishing, in western North Carolina. His love of fishing brought him to Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. There, he spent his time fly fishing every inch of accessible (and barely accessible) water. While at ASU, he earned his Degree in Sustainability, completely hiked the Appalachian Trail, and began his 14 year career as a fishing guide with Trophy Water Guide Service. At 36 years old, Chris continues to play in the woods, every moment that he gets.

Though Chris has guided thousands of people, he is constantly honing his craft by learning new methods of teaching people how to fly fish, and studying his target species. His passion for quality instruction while guiding is unmatched. Chris’ goals, besides putting you all over fish, are to set the bar higher on everything he offers. He is always scouting new water, flying his drone or taking his raft down uncharted rivers, to build and present customers with the coolest trips.

Chris preaches and practices conservation on his trips. He is certified in Wilderness First Aid (WFA), Basic Life Support and CPR. Chris holds guide licenses in NC, VA and TN, including USFS special use permits to guide in George Washington and Jefferson National Forest.

In the winter you will find him on the snow teaching ski lessons, which has been his winter gig since 2008.

When Carter was ten years old his father took him on a trip to a hunting camp in Rockbridge County, Virginia. Carter had access to an old fly rod and knew enough to walk to a small Appalachian stream and try his hand at casting a dry fly. To his surprise he enticed a fish to rise to his fly. As he describes it, that moment lit a fire inside him that all trout anglers are familiar with, the first interaction with an elusive trout. Carter describes landing that native brook trout as the moment he knew he was hooked for life. Now he works for us and shares this same passion for trout fishing with our customers.

Since this first catch, Carter has spent countless hours targeting various species throughout the southeast and fishing every spare moment that he gets. Carter guides float trips for us on the Smith River, the James, the New River and many of the streams and creeks in southwest VA. Chasing wild fish in wild places, and sharing those experiences with others, is his true passion.

He has spent years honing his craft, developing his rowing skills, teaching skills and his intimate knowledge of the rivers we guide. You will have more fun than you can imagine on a trip with Carter by your side.