Our passion for fishing started small but has grown into something big and awesome. We’re passionate about what we do, where we guide, and we can’t wait to show you.
MEET YOUR GUIDES
Joshua Michaelis
Owner/Outfitter
Head Guide for High Country Currents
Josh’s passion for fly fishing and photography go hand in hand - catching big fish with the photos to prove it! Josh has spent the last couple decades fishing for trout in Gunnison, Colo. and Yellowstone National Park. Josh’s clients appreciate his patient teaching style and ability to guide on different types of water - from large rivers in a drift boat to small stream wade fishing. As a skilled photographer, Josh is also able to capture amazing images of his clients during their fishing excursions. Josh loves to fish year round but will occasionally set his fly rod down to make some turns on his skis.
Bryan Hess
High Country Currents
Bryan Hess has been in the Gunnison Valley since 1998. His full time job as a paramedic has taken him many places throughout the world, including the South Pacific, Mexico, and the Bahamas. Never far from water, Bryan grew up on streams and lakes in Pennsylvania and spent 10 years in Florida before calling the Rockies home. He enjoys fishing the local waters with dries, nymphs, streamers, and has recently picked up euro-nymphing. He has been a beat judge and a monitor for the World Fly Fishing Championship and the local Superfly fundraiser for the Gunnison Angling Society. He has had the fortune to visit NZ to sight fish for big browns on the South Island. Bryan frequents Wyoming to float and fish and hopes to add Alaska and maybe even Mongolia to the list.
Jeff Erwin
High Country Currents
Jeff Erwin has been fly fishing around the Gunnison Valley since 2010. His deep connection to this landscape led him to a brief but rewarding stint teaching Art at Western Colorado University.
Today, he’s fortunate to blend his two greatest passions as both a working artist and a professional fly fishing guide.
Jeff’s love for the river extends far beyond the act of fishing. He cherishes the opportunity to share this vibrant ecosystem! Whether guiding experienced anglers or introducing first-timers to the rhythm of casting or teaching about the intricate bug life that defines the water.
In Jeff’s studio practice, he works closely with textures, movements, and intricacies of the river itself. Much like guiding, his artwork is rooted in the feeling of, "Holding the river," — capturing its patterns, its tempo, and its fleeting moments that happen on the water. The time he spends guiding continually informs his creative process, allowing both sides of Jeff’s life to flow naturally into one another.
Ryan Fellows
High Country Currents
Ryan Fellows is a native New Mexican, devoted husband since 1991, a father to three daughters, and avid outdoorsman. A family man at heart, he's now enjoying life as a grandfather to three beloved grandchildren.
A lifelong entrepreneur and creative spirit, Ryan is the owner of Squeezed Juice Bar, New Mexico's original cold-pressed juice company and Delektabowl in Gunnison, Colo., both known for their fresh, local, and health-focused roots. Before Squeezed, Ryan spent decades behind the lens as a professional photographer, owning and operating Blue Sky Images and Cold Smoke Photography in Taos Ski Valley - capturing both action skiing and snowboarding on the mountain and portraits of families and weddings.
Outside of business, Ryan is an avid fly fisherman and experienced fishing guide, happiest when drifting down a river with a fly rod in hand. Whether building community through fresh juice or introducing others to the art of fly fishing, Ryan brings passion, patience, and authenticity to everything he does.
