John Lagow, Colorado Fly Fishing Guide

John Lagow is legit as it comes, plain and simple. This dude has been chasing great water, and great dogs since he was a youngster. John left Minnesota at the ripe age of 19 to raft the roaring rivers of Colorado as a professional guide. His career transitioned to a similar vein, not leaving the waters all together, but in hopes of a new outcome. As a professional fly fishing guide out of the famous ARK ANGLERS fly shop in Buena Vista Colorado, or as the locals call it, B.V., John get’s to explore and adventure on one of the top whitewater destinations in the United States.

We got to talk about so many fun things including a little shout out to John’s family that was very focused on adventuring in the outdoors through John’s childhood and encouraged him to pursue a life outside the traditional office walls.

John walked me through his journey to Colorado to raft C1 style, using a single canoe paddle in a Kayak, and how he fell in love with the area and the life style. John then found himself as a professional white water rafting guide, adventuring on the daily while getting paid…not bad!

We talked about his love for fishing, and his transition from a white water guide to a professional fly fishing guide, and the challenge that a fast moving, class 2 and 3 rapids river can pose to anglers. We talked about his rafts, his gear and his love for hydraulics, which play a part in his understanding of how fish interact with the environment.

John and I finished up the conversation talking about the various trips he’s been fortunate enough to go on around the globe to places like Tanzania and Cuba, chasing Tiger fish, Tarpon, Snook and more.

I’m super grateful to John for joining me on the show and to James Garrettson from About Trout for the recommendation to do so.