Matthew Burkett, Director of Guide Development
My name is Matthew Burkett and I have been fly fishing the waters of Colorado for thirty years. As a young pup my father taught me how to fool trout with flies and it has grown into my passion. I never thought I would become a guide; and always believed that time on the water was too precious to spend it watching others catch fish. That was when I worked 80 hour weeks and spoke of nothing but work. It was not until I had the good fortune of making fishing my career that the joys of teaching and guiding became apparent. There is no better office and there is never a "bad" day on the water. Best of all everyone shows up to go fishing in a good mood and what better way to spend your day than with someone interested and willing to learn about your passion.
I became a part of The Flyfisher Guide Service in a manner that I now hope to find all my guides. Over the course of a guide season, the then head guide continually ran into me on the river. He would later tell me that "I appeared to be an angler with an amazing dedication, knowledge, and passion for the art of fly fishing. Moreover whenever he saw me on the river I was hooked up." As flattering as that sounds it was the Guides Services view of me as an accomplished Cheesman Canyon expert that won me over as a guide. I heard thought the small fly fishing grapevine that they thought "That man has as much skill at catching the extremely selective Cheesman Canyon trout as anyone we have ever seen." In a relatively solitary sport, after my father and fishing buddy had passed, having spent thousands of hours in the Canyon over the course of my fishing career, it was nice to think that someone had noticed. After working as a guide for several years I bought into the business and took ownership of the guide service.
It takes a special person to be a guide and it has little to do with the knowledge of fishing and catching. That is just part of the job, like alphabetizing to a librarian. The real key is the people and your ability to make their day special, regardless if its your first day or one hundred and first day on the river that season. Having fished with many guides as a client over the years I knew I wanted The Flyfisher Guide Service to be more professional than the average guide service. It is our goal to meet and exceed your expectations and we have developed a scientific way to do that.
As a guide I am first and foremost a people person. Additionally, I have been told that I have an uncanny ability to find and see fish and that I am a patient instructor who possesses a rare problem solving ability to make even the most difficult trout eat. An innovative, professional, royalty fly designer, some of my best pattern are available through Superflies™. A native of Colorado, I have spent my life fishing the rivers of the front range and I look forward to sharing a day on the water with you. I currently serve on the R.L. Winston and Frog Hair Pro-staffs and previously served as an Orvis Endorsed Guide/Instructor.
