Michael Williams
Michael Williams
Pro
2021 marks Michael’s 27th year in the Fly Fishing Industry. After catching his first fish on a fly in Colorado’s famed Cheesman Canyon, Michael quickly became obsessed with the sport. The obsession paid off. In just a few short years he became the head guide for Colorado’s oldest guide service and a lead Instructor at the Orvis Rocky Mountain Fly Fishing School.
“Nothing in my life has ever been more fulfilling than teaching and guiding. Period. It’s a sincere honor to have the opportunity to share my home water with someone who truly appreciates the sport”.
Hand-picking his favorite clients to travel the world with him, Michael eventually created Nomadic Waters in the late 90’s to facilitate his destination travel business during Colorado’s off-season.
Seeing an opportunity to grow within the Industry, Michael moved to Ventura, CA to run Marketing and Product Development for Patagonia’s Fly Fishing team. Later he was recruited to run Orvis’ wholesale business for the Pacific NW United States, Western Canada, and Alaska. Although these positions looked great on paper, Michael was miserable. He needed to get back on the water with his clients.
In 2008 Michael started volunteering for a relief and humanitarian aid group that focused on small jungle communities of the Brazilian Amazon. He immediately fell in love with the people and the jungle fisheries of Northern Brazil. All he could think about was finding a way to share this place in a way that could also benefit the local communities. It was time to reinstate Nomadic Waters, but this time with a greater purpose.
Now, Michael spends 3 months a year running trips in the Brazilian Jungle, teaching jungle fly fishing strategies and fishing with his guests every single day of the Season. A warm water fly fishing specialist, Michael has trained his Brazilian staff how to host and guide fly anglers as they pursue some of the most sought-after species in the world. 10% of Nomadic Waters’ profits are spent on infrastructure and clean- water solutions for the families of the Uatumã Reserve in the Brazilian Amazon.
As Nomadic Waters grows, you can find him during Brazil’s off-season chasing largemouth bass in Mexico…and it is just about time for him to start sharing that fishery with his favorite guests.
- Home Water? Secret lagoons of the Brazilian Amazon, or, anywhere with my Brazilian Guide Team
- 3 Favorite Lines and why?
a. Sonar Titan Tropical Clear Tip. My workhorse line in Brazil. I have two rods with me on
a typical day chasing jungle peacock bass, and the rod with this line is used 80% of the time. This line is my sniper rifle, it allows me to fire my flies through the cover and under over-hanging branches like no other line I have ever fished. It holds-up to the tough jungle environment and I have every confidence in its performance.
b. Sonar Titan Jungle Clear Tip. If the Tropical Clear Tip is my sniper rifle, then the Jungle Clear Tip is my carpet-bomber. There are times when a true trophy peacock shows himself and I need to launch a large fly fast. These fish are often moving fast and we only get one shot. This is where the Jungle taper really shines. It gets the job done and
delivers the largest flies in an instant. This is such a natural line for me to cast. I can put most of my focus on watching the predator and anticipating his next move while the line naturally loads the rod and fires the fly exactly where it needs to be. This is next-level fishing, and the only way this can happen is if you start with the right gear for the job.
c. Mastery Expert Distance is my absolute favorite line to cast. A quick 15-minute casting break is part of my daily work routine when I am in my home office, and I can’t wait to get this line in the air. It is simply a joy to cast…it is also a spectacular fishing line that is incredibly accurate and mends like no other line I’ve ever fished. - 2 Truths and a lie?
a. There seems to be a direct correlation between my personal weight gain and the size of
the largemouth bass that I land. The bigger I get, the bigger they get.
b. During my time in California, I started doing voice-over work which has helped fund my
fishing pursuits over the years.
c. Since I am 5’6” tall, all my fish look bigger in pictures.