During his time at UVM, James embarked on a journey into fly tying and fly fishing, targeting the likes of Musky, Trout, and all aquatic denizens of Lake Champlain and its tributaries. The fascination with crafting sizable, articulated bucktail patterns to entice musky swiftly morphed into an all-consuming passion, driving him to tie with unrelenting fervor.

Now fully immersed in his role as a guide at Hubbards Lodge on the Yellowstone River, James resides in Emigrant, Montana, alongside his girlfriend and two faithful dogs. While his focus has shifted primarily to trout, his zeal for fly tying remains unyielding. Over the past four years, he has undertaken the commercial tying of flies for an Alaskan lodge, which involves producing dally llamas and an assortment of streamer patterns. In moments of reflection, he ponders what it would be like to possess four arms, envisioning the possibility of crafting two flies simultaneously.

Among his myriad patterns, one particular creation stands out – a voluminous yellow streamer adorned with a captivating flash. In its grandeur, this fly has proven productive and beloved on the region's rivers. Once he delved into the world of streamers tailored to the appetites of formidable predators, James discovered that this facet of fly tying and fishing had become an enduring fixation he cannot extricate himself from.