Brian O'Keefe
Brian O’Keefe is the most interesting person in fly fishing. Spend an hour with Brian and you’ll be transported around the globe, across the country, and back in time. Brian learned to fly fish from his grandfather at eight years old on the rivers around Missoula, Montana. He graduated from high school in 1973 and immediately lit out for a year of fishing, skiing, and working in New Zealand. After that, he took a job with the Forest Service in Cooper Landing, Alaska. To save money for fly fishing, he fed himself and his entire crew on lake trout caught on Vienna sausages. He guided in Alaska in the late 70s and 80’s, and eventually parlayed his talent and experience into a career as one of the most successful and influential photographers in flyfishing. If you’ve picked up a fly fishing magazine in the past 40 years, you’ve seen Brian O’Keefe’s photos. Despite the fact that he fishes all over the world, often getting invited to shoot photos at the finest lodges, Brian remains a DIY dirtbag at heart. He loves unpretentious, accessible fish and fishing, and freely shares his knowledge and experience. We are ecstatic to have Brian as part of the Skwala crew. The stories alone are legendary.
Things About Brian
Guilty Pleasure Fly: “Mop fly or a squirmy worm.”
Worst fishing snack: “Cous-cous and a healthy sparkling water.”
Favorite knot: “Triple surgeon’s.”
Most overrated fish: “Walleye.”
More Things About Brian
Most underrated fish: “Carp. Though that’s changing.”
Waders smell like: “I wear Merino, the Thermo 350 Pant to be specific, so no wader funk. And I go to a lot of Mexican food trucks.”
Person you wish you could fish with: “Lee Wulff.”
The best thing about fly fishing: “Fly casting.”
Connect with Brian
