As a young kid growing up in Baltimore, MD, a few fishing ventures to a small, urban pond with Largemouth Bass and Bluegill in it sparked a strong passion in me for fishing and a life centered around the water. After contemplating the fishing guide life, I ultimately decided to follow a career path in Fisheries Research and Science. This led me to complete a Bachelors Degree in Biology from Towson University, MD and a Masters Degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from Frostburg State University, MD before moving to Oregon to pursue a career in Fisheries Research.

For 20 years I have worked as a Fisheries Biologist with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). For two years I monitored abundance and distribution of Summer Steelhead in the John Day River Basin before moving to the northern Oregon Coast in 2006 to conduct research on adult and juvenile salmon and steelhead in the Nehalem and Tillamook River Basins for the Salmonid Life Cycle Monitoring (LCM) project. On any given day you could find me standing in the pouring rain tagging Coho Salmon at one of our adult fish traps, marking juvenile Fall Chinook Salmon captured in one of our rotary screw traps, conducting a Winter Steelhead spawning survey out of a pontoon boat, or in the office making fish abundance estimates or writing reports.

In June 2017 I began a new position with ODFW on the Chum Salmon Reintroduction project in the Lower Columbia River Basin based out of Big Creek Hatchery near Astoria, OR. On the Chum Salmon Reintroduction project I was responsible for improving ODFW’s hatchery Chum Salmon conservation broodstock program, monitoring adult and juvenile Chum Salmon distribution and abundance, designing the project website, and even making a documentary film about the project. 

And more recently in August 2021 I returned to the northern Oregon Coast as the Habitat Restoration Biologist for ODFW in Tillamook, OR.  These days you can find me on local waters planning out habitat restoration projects to benefit our native coastal salmonids.  With the impacts of climate change now being observed more frequently, I am excited to be in a position to implement restoration projects that enhance critical salmonid habitats, provide increased connectivity between streams and their associated floodplains, and protect cold-water refugia. This work will be crucial in maintaining healthy salmon and steelhead returns in the years to come.

My passion for fly fishing led me to start to start a small business called All Things Fly in 2023.  The business is located on the northern Oregon Coast and we sell merchandise associated with fly fishing. I am behind the designs appearing on all products, custom fly-tying, and Flylet production. My wife Kelly, also a fly angler, assists with production including making Flylets and beanies. Conservation and protection of our fishery resources is a priority for All Things Fly and the company is actively planning to donate a portion of profits to local conservation organizations.

In my free time there is a good chance you will find me with fly rod in hand on a coastal river or bay frequented by chrome bright salmon or steelhead. Also, with me will be my GoPro camera to capture underwater fish behavior and my Canon 80D EOS camera to document the beautiful landscapes and coastal waterways of Oregon’s North Coast.  

This website highlights my passions for fly fishing, art, videography, photography, and conservation.

Thank you for visiting my site.

Derek