Meet the Maker

Introduce yourself. What do you do?

My name is Mike Rennie and I am a local fly fishing guide and artist in Virginia.

What do you love about this trade?

I love the ability to be outdoors and to bring that experience to my art and to try and capture the beauty of the fish to paper or fly boxes.

Why did you take on this project?

I took on this project because the idea connecting people to Virginia DWR and the experience I see every day on the water sounded fun. If I can get more people into fishing through art, the more people will start to enjoy and respect the outdoors.

These fly boxes represent some of the many great fish we target here in Virginia. I want people to see these boxes and get excited about going fishing and learning more about how we protect and manage places we fish.

Why is wildlife conservation important to you?

Wildlife conservation is very important to me. Not only does it effect my job but the ability to continue to enjoy the outdoors with hunting and fishing. The more we focus on conservation we continue to be able to do these things and keep places for the next generation.

Give us an example of your perfect adventure outside.

Nothing beats summer smallmouth fishing in Virginia. A day floating one of the many great smallmouth rivers we have in Virginia and watching monster smallmouth sip down a top water bug is my favorite thing . Hands down my favorite outdoor experience. You really can’t beat that.

Learn More About the Collaboration

The Outdoors are Better Together

Interested in exploring how you or your organization can partner with us on a Conservation Collaboration? Get in touch with us!