FEATURED ACTION: 
Backstory: Fishing since he could hold a fishing rod, Luke’s passion for exploring fisheries changed when he began fly fishing at age 9 and again when his family moved from Indiana to Colorado’s Roaring Fork valley at age 14. Luke began visiting steelhead waters of the Northwest in the 1990s. For the past six years Luke has been bouncing back and forth between Colorado and Washington, and in December of 2010, he made the permanent move to Seattle. Luke has fished for many different species on several continents, and steelheading has remained as one of his favorite pursuits.
First Steelhead: As with many steelhead fly anglers, Luke had to pay his dues before landing his first steelhead. It was his second trip and seventh day fly fishing for steelhead when Luke experienced his first pull. It was an October day on the Deschutes River, and by this point Luke had been worn down to simply going through the motions. Imagine his surprise when an eight pound wild hen grabbed his swinging fly and immediately headed for the Pacific! “I will never forget that first fish and it still humbles me today. I had researched the fish, the rivers, the heritage, and the fly fishing pioneers, but it all came together when I shared my first moment with that first steelhead. It was the catalyst of something that will last my lifetime.”
What He Does: Since graduating from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a degree in Aquatic Environmental Sciences in 2001, Luke has been working in the field of fisheries management and stream restoration. A snapshot of Luke’s career includes: working for several private environmental consulting/engineering firms, a federal agency’s fishery department, a Northwest Native American Tribe’s fishery department, as well as founding his own fishery management company where he lead many projects that entailed the survey-evaluation-permitting-construction-and restoration of stream habitats. His experiences over the past decade have involved habitat evaluations and restoration projects on over 100 miles of streams in CO, WY, NM, and WA. Luke is also grateful to have been the president and co-founder of a nonprofit watershed organization in Colorado. Aside from fisheries, Luke has also been a fly fishing guide since 1997. Although guiding is not his main priority, Luke enjoys it immensely and he has begun guiding his clients for trout and steelhead in Washington.
Personal Philosophy: “I have been seduced by water and its wilderness since I was very young, and my fascination naturally matured into a passion, and finally into a career working on, in, and around freshwater and marine ecosystems. I believe it is a privilege to be on the board of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, and it is a pleasure working with such fine people who share a vision of wild steelhead conservation. These fish are very unique, complex, and spectacular, and their future is uncertain. I believe with diligence and collaboration, wild steelhead will be swimming in our waters for generations to come.”
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