Charlie Perkins of Mayfly Outfitters will be our featured guest speaker for our February meeting. He will be doing a presentation on fishing Patagonia. Charlie Perkins is the founder of Mayfly Outfitters, a brick-and-mortar specialty fly fishing shop, located on the north side of Holland.  He has over 25-years of professional experience in the fly-fishing industry.  In addition to his years of retail experience as a shop owner, he has served the mid-west states of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky as a fly-fishing sales representative for companies including R. L. Winston, he is a long time FFI certified casting instructor, currently serves on the Board of Directors for the FFI Great Lakes Council, and is a Lifetime member of the FFI. 

Charlie grew up fishing for trout on the South Branch of the AuSable with his father in the late 70s and early 80s.  “Over the years, I’ve really grown to love fishing rivers for both trout and smallmouth bass.  While dry fly fishing is my preference, I also really enjoy fishing streamers from a drift boat, and swinging wet flies while wade fishing.”  “Over the past couple of years, I’ve spent quite a bit of time fishing with enthusiastic customers and my mostly college aged staff.  I get just as much enjoyment getting them on a big fish or experiencing a really good hatch as I do fishing, myself.”

Charlie is a long-time resident along the lakeshore.  He currently resides in Grand Haven, with his wife Paula, son Trent, and daughter Leah.  He spent his formative years in Saginaw, moving to West Michigan shortly after he was married in 1993.  He received his undergraduate degree in English and Economics from Albion College, and a Masters in Accounting degree from Grand Valley State University.