05/18/2026
Guide Spotlight: My name is Tyler Penn, and I’m a fly fishing addict.
I grew up on the Puget Sound, in a small town across the water from Seattle. Balancing a life of sports, school, and fishing, the one thing that really stuck with me more than anything was the fishing. I have great memories of trolling and casting lures for sea-run cutthroat, fishing in Alaska when I’d visit my grandparents, or driving out to a boat launch at 3 a.m. to chase salmon and steelhead with my dad. Regardless of how the trip went or how many fish we caught, I just wanted to keep going. Day after day.
When I first saw someone fly fishing, I was instantly intrigued and there were things about it I had to know. It put a fire in my belly. I knew it was a calling. From that day forward I was an addict. Fully entranced and seduced by this new style of fishing. I took it upon myself to learn the ropes, some of them at least. After high school I made a choice to go to a college that just so happened to have arguably the best trout river in the state, the Yakima, passing right by the campus and town. In little time I had my first job at a fly shop while trying to balance school and extracurricular activities. Skiing was my other passion at the time, so I split my time between fishing and skiing.
After college I decided to move south to California. South Lake Tahoe would be my new home for a few years where I could chase the dream of skiing and fishing all the time on a budget, and little else. I did that and more. Truckee is now where I have laid down my roots and call home along with my wife and two kids.
Fly fishing for me has become everything. Next to being with my family and friends, it is absolutely my favorite way to spend my short time on this planet, and for me that will never change. To this day I still have the same passion and drive that I did when I was a teenager and little kid. The fire in my belly has only grown. I am still and will forever be an addict to fins and feathers.