Say hey to Brett Assise, our next member of the TroutRoutes Ambassador team! Brett has years of experience in the outdoors, and he brings his passion for conservation and education to folks in Pennsylvania through @RewildOutdoors. 

He exemplifies what it means to be a steward of the land but also has a mission to help others do the same and understand how the outdoors can help make us better humans. Whether he is taking us along on a day on the water with his beloved mop fly, a bike ride through the mountains or a day in the life of a history teacher, we’ve enjoyed being along for the ride and we’re excited to have him as a TroutRoutes Ambassador!

Get To Know TroutRoutes Ambassador, Brett Assise (@rewildoutdoors)!

Q: Describe your fly fishing journey up to the present. How did you start fly fishing? Where is your favorite place to fish?

A: I was introduced to fishing and the outdoors at a very young age by my grandfather. I seriously had a Snoopy click button rod and reel which then allowed for a smooth transition into a spinning rod as I got older. I was introduced to fly fishing in 2016 by my coworker who teaches science up the hall from me. Not only did I learn the basics from him, his strong background in the entomology side of fly fishing has been a huge help in this learning process. I have a decent trout stream within a few minutes of my house that I grew up fishing on but my favorite stream is Spring Creek, in central Pennsylvania.

Q: What is your favorite fly pattern (either to fish or to tie yourself)?

A: In the early season before any strong hatches, I will almost always throw a Prince Nymph first. As the weather warms up in eastern Pennsylvania, we get a strong Sulphur Fly hatch on my local waters. Come late-May, early June, I will fish a Sulphur Dun off the top. As for tying flies, I have taken a few classes with my local Trout Unlimited chapter, but can’t quite claim to be a fly tier yet!

Q: What TroutRoutes feature do you find yourself using the most?

A: I live 5 minutes from the New Jersey border. Having the ability to find public fishing access and read about the stream rating in both my home state of Pennsylvania as well as New Jersey has opened up many new opportunities to explore new waterways. 

Q:What’s the most important thing you take away from the water at the end of a fishing trip?

A: I don’t keep many fish these days at all, as I have turned into a catch and release fisherman. And as I have aged, I learned it is important to catch and release your thoughts in order to let go of stress and stay centered. My Instagram handle is, “@rewildoutdoors” and it is honestly more than a name to me. Heading outdoors is an experience I like to think of as an opportunity to focus on the present, process thoughts and emotions, and bring myself back to a more centered self…literally “rewilding” myself outdoors.