Kenny Romero Stillwater Specialist and Guide

 

Kenny Romero says he’s “an old school, stick with the basics” kind of guy.  You know, the “old school” man whose eyes light up when he talks about his twin daughters and his wife. The “back to basics” kind of angler who knows that Hare’s Ear nymphs and Pheasant Tails still get the job done in many situations.  He’s the kind of guide who knows that it’s about getting clients on fish, sure, but it’s also about the total experience that people have when they go on a guide trip. 

 

When you spend a little time with Kenny Romero, you come to realize that this Colorado native values the relationships he has with the people around him:  his family, other fly fishing guides, and those relationships with his clients when he’s guiding.  He knows he gets invested in the lives of others.  

 

Maybe that explains how he got invited to one couple’s wedding.  The fact that the young man proposed (and his bride-to-be said “yes!”)  while on Kenny’s guide trip into Elevenmile Canyon reinforces Kenny’s idea that people are there for more than  great fishing.

 

 

“People come to Colorado for the whole experience.  When I take them to the Dream Stream or the Canyon, they learn the history of the area, for example, not just the places to fish.”  When he takes locals on a guide trip, he finds out what sort of a trip they want to get into.  Big fish?  Challenging waters?  Kenny works in the renewable energy division of Colorado Springs Utilities – and he takes that “customer service” approach to provide the best adventure he can for his fly fishing clients. 

 

Kenny spends about 150 days on the water a year. Between November and March much of that time is spent fishing the tailwaters in our local area.  But between ice-off inApril and closing day at Spinney, he loves to explore the stillwater opportunities of our local reservoirs.  “You can spread your wings a little more out there.”  While he loves being on the river, Kenny also knows there is more pressure on rivers and streams. “We’re not going to get more water, so the rivers and streams we do have get pressured as more people take up fly fishing.” 

 

In his pursuit to spread his own wings, Kenny has become Angler’s resident stillwater specialist.  He’ll be teaching the Stillwater Fundamentals class on April 6 and repeated on April 8.