Josh Heney & The Power of Fly Fishing

Josh Heney has a connection to fly fishing that runs a little deeper than merely catching fish in beautiful locations. He knows the power of fly fishing to impact our life, even change our view of things.  And as a guide, he wants to pass that passion to his clients.

In 2012, Josh’s youngest son had heart surgeries starting first at 24 hours after his birth and again at three months. “I basically lived at the hospital in Denver. Months at a time up there. I was pretty literally going mad with all the pressure.” 

The Power of Fly Fishing

Luckily, Deckers was a relatively quick drive.

“I’d head over for a couple of hours.  Fly fishing became a lifesaver for me.”

After the multiple surgeries were done and his family was home in Colorado Springs, Josh started taking friends out.  “I watched the fly fishing bug hit them so hard!”

Motivated by that excitement to teach people, Josh attended the fly fishing school hosted by Angler’s Covey.  In fact, he was in the first class of graduates from that school in 2015. 

Protect the Resource

Josh reflects for a moment and then says, “As I look back on it, guiding is both a reward and a dilemma.”

The reward comes in teaching others how to fly fish.  “I love seeing the excitement on their face as they get that first fish to the net. And when they know they are a better angler at the end of the trip than they were at the beginning of the day.”

The dilemma?  “We’re getting more people on the water.  And it’s great that people can experience fly fishing.  But it means we have to protect the resource better.”

As he is heading into his seventh year of guiding, Josh says, “As guides, we’re also teachers about how to conserve and preserve.  Take care of the fish. Handle fish properly.”

It’s clear as we talk that Josh takes the conservation part seriously.

Hard Work & Customer Service

Josh has been a small business owner and ran his own tattoo shop for several years. He knows the importance of hard work and customer service. That ethic carries over to his work as a guide. It’s clear that he is motivated to give people a great day on the river and a memorable experience through fly fishing.

Josh remembers the power of fly fishing. He remembers what fly fishing brought into his life at the same time his son came into the world.

And he knows that for future anglers to enjoy what he has enjoyed for so many years, it’s up to all of us to protect the resource today.

You can book a trip with Josh through our website.