Jason Rivers ties his love for fly-fishing into business

"Fly-fishing in general, I think, it's really hard to explain but everybody that I talk to about fly-fishing, that has fly-fished, they get it," Jason Rivers said. "It's really hard to explain to people until they've caught their first fish on a fly rod."

Rivers, 47, has enjoyed fly-fishing from a young age, only recently pursuing it as a business. His interest dawned in Washington, when he saw somebody catch a steelhead trout while fly-fishing on the Kalama River. He really learned the "how to" when he moved to Fairbanks. Rivers came to Wrangell about three years ago and now operates Wrangell Fly and Tackle, offering handmade flies and other lures and gear.

"A lot of people say, 'Oh, it's no different than catching on a regular rod and reel,' and I would disagree," Rivers said. "I've caught the same salmon on a fly rod and I've caught the same salmon on a conventional set-up. I definitely like the fly-fishing aspect more. I like fishing, period, but it's the fact that you don't have a lot of gears and you don't have a lot of this fancy mechanization that's associated with a lot of conventional fishing."

Rivers started making his own flies about 12 years ago in Fairbanks. What sets his flies apart from others that people can buy online or in a store is that his are built to last, he said.

He compares it to a chef making food at a restaurant. A good chef would never serve something he or she wouldn't eat themselves, and he won't make a fly that he wouldn't be willing to fish with.

He also credits his time managing a fly and tackle shop in Fairbanks for giving him a good education in tackle building, as well as a friend who mentored him, Scott Murdock.

"I started tying flies and I started showing my friends, and we started to fish with a lot of my stuff and everybody's like, 'Oh, you do some really nice stuff. You should start thinking about tying professionally.' ... He (Murdock) actually cured me of a lot of bad habits, he really set in stone some really good basics."

Fly-fishing uses different casting techniques than other types of fishing, with lures that mimic insects or other small creatures fish might try to eat. Fly-fishing is kind of a niche market in Wrangell, Rivers said, but he's had lots of encouragement from friends.

He was getting Wrangell Fly and Tackle up and running right as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which was a challenge. But he sees his business as something of a personal calling. He wants to share his interests with others and get them interested, too.

It's about getting people back to using their hands and really learning a skill. "It's just kind of you, and the rod and the fish," he said. "That's always what has intrigued me, and there's always that challenge."