Bill Bryden and Atlantic Salmon

What is the URL of your website?

www.eurekaoutdoors.nf.ca

When did you start fly fishing?

At about age 9. First salmon was at age 10.

Who has been your biggest influence?

The fish...I tend to watch fish and not people

What do you consider your "home" water?

Western Newfoundland

What waters do you guide on?

Western Newfoundland

Do you have a favorite fly? And if so, tell us about it and why it is your favorite.

A bomber dry fly. Its just so exciting.

How long have you been guiding?

23 years with the exception of a 3 year break...so 20 seasons.

What do you enjoy most about guiding?

meeting new people and sharing "first" experiences with them.

What is your most memorable or funniest experience while guiding?

Most are too shocking to repeat in public and involve either danger or embarrassments.

If you could choose any place in the world to fish at least once, where would it be and why?

Probably on the Lower Humber River in Newfoundland. I enjoy hunting large fresh atlantic salmon on waters that I know well.

Tell us about the gear you use most often.

10 foot single handed rod, 10 pound maxima leader, 300+ yards of get spun backing...and a huge dry fly

What species of fish do you target the most often?

Atlantic salmon over 20 pounds whenever possible, but salmon in general.

Advice to new fly anglers?

Get teamed up with a master angler to learn quickly....but also don't be afraid to experiment. Enjoy fishing in a relaxed manner but also challenge yourself regularly. Advice to those who are looking for a guided fly fishing trip?

Look for a variety of options in various mountain rainshadows...that way somewhere nearby will have decent fishing and you'll get "the conditions are terrible" as an excuse less often.

Advice to those considering a career of fly fishing guiding?

Get loads of experience before venturing out on your own. Keep it simple and humble. Then the road to happyiness is paved for you. Its hard to lie on video so takes lots of film.

When you're not fly fishing or tying, what other activities do you enjoy?

Falconry, writing, trapping, gardening, photography, wine making.

Fact File
Bill Bryden grew up in Newfoundland Canada exploring its numerous atlantic salmon and brook trout rivers from the arctic to the southern shores of his home Island - which encompasses 68% of all of North America's Atlantic salmon rivers. He started guiding and flying bush planes at age 18 and has had some luck guiding for IGFA record class fish. He attended university at Memorial where he studied Biology and conduct wildlife research for both the provincial and federal governments. Later he taught the Guide Training program for his province at Corona College.

He is passionate about salmonid conservation and serves on the board of directors for S.P.A.W.N and is the science editor of SPAWNER magazine. He further served on the executive of the Newfoundland and Labrador Salmonid Council which is an advisory board to the Federal Department of Fisheries and Ocean on all things concerning salmonids in his province.

He started two very successful outfitting businesses one of which he still manages (Eureka Outdoors). He has guest lectured throughout Canada and in Sweden and contributed to various fishing magazines in the USA, Sweden, Denmark, and Canada.