newenglandfishingcollective

The Collective

Robert Lafreniere

Hello, my name is Rob and I am one of the founders of New England Fishing Collective. I was born and raised in Milford, New Hampshire and spent much of my childhood fishing locally and afar whenever possible. Apparently, I have loved fishing since my dad sat me down in the sand at Salisbury Beach when I was around 3 years old while he cast sand worms for striper. I grew up enamored with the water, and whether it be bass tournaments or a family vacation up north it was certain that fishing would occur. I have been privileged to meet some incredibly thoughtful and talented people through my love of fishing. My goal for this project is to share knowledge and experiences from years of DIY fishing around New England with the help of some of the people I've met along my own adventure. Expect everything here from kayak bass fishing and ice fishing tips to fly fishing reports and essays. I am also offering guided freshwater trips throughout Maine, for bookings email NewEnglandFishingCollective@gmail.com or contact via Instagram or even the form at the bottom of this page.

Griffin Nyhan - Chief Editor/ New Hampshire

I feel privileged to be a co-founder of the New England Fishing Collective alongside Rob, Phil, and Ashu. I was born and raised in Laconia, New Hampshire. I attribute my life as an angler to the teachings of my family. As a child, I was fortunate to always have great fishermen to look up to. In addition to these great friends, my father, uncles, grandfather, cousins, and brother have all influenced a passion and love for fishing. That passion was invigorated when I attended NH's Trout Unlimited Youth Trout Camp, in Pittsburg, NH, as a thirteen year old youngster with all kinds of questions and later returned as a

counselor where I built my lifelong friendships with Rob, Phil, and Ashu, alongside other important friends and mentors. I am now grateful to act as the Assistant Camp Director. I am an English teacher, by trade, in NH’s Lakes Region, and I dedicate my fishing time to striped bass, lake trout through the ice, and New England’s trout and salmon. Some of the most important people in my life I’ve met through fly fishing, in one way or another. I hope to share some of these stories, document experiences, and learn and grow in the process. Those interested in NH TU Kid's Camp can follow this link.

Phil Nogee - Massachusetts/ All Things Trout

Phil has always been drawn to the outdoors and was lucky enough to be brought up in a family that valued time spent camping, fishing, and exploring the natural world. An avid fisherman from a very young age targeting bass and anything that swam in his local waters. His obsession with the sport of fly fishing started here spending countless hours reading books, tying flies, and practicing knots. As a teenager Phil got involved in Trout Unlimited. He worked with his local chapter, as well as attended trout camp in Pittsburg New Hampshire and continued to volunteer as an instructor over a decade later. Phil Anker Nogee is currently a fulltime guide working with Harrison Anglers in Western Massachusetts, where they routinely tangle with some of the biggest brown trout on the East Coast. Guiding is his life’s passion, there’s nowhere he’d rather be then on a boat showing anglers the rivers he calls home.

Ashu Rao - Social Media/ Outside New England

Ashu Rao is a first-generation immigrant and the first person in his family to fish. He became fascinated by fishing after seeing some bass fishermen while biking with his parents at Mine Falls Park in Nashua, New Hampshire. He tried his hand at fishing some of the local ponds but got discouraged and briefly gave it up after a string of disappointing outings. However, everything changed after he attended Barry Conservation Camp in the summer of 2011. There, Ashu learned the ins and outs of fishing and developed a solid base to hone his skills. He continued to build on his fishing knowledge through trial-and-error, advice from friends, and YouTube. Ashu has been an avid fly fisherman since 2014 and has fished for a multitude of fresh and saltwater species from Rangeley, ME to Almont, CO. Today, Ashu lives in Frederick, MD, and works in the biotechnology industry. Although he is considerably busier nowadays, he still gets out when he can and has found new haunts in the legendary wild trout waters of Central PA and western MD as well as Steelhead Alley. Although not in New England currently, Ashu is always willing to contribute to conversation with his vast wealth of knowledge about New England waters.

Conor Lane - Salt Water/ Maine

Conor is a lifelong outdoorsman who has been exploring the woods and waters of his home state, Maine, since before he can remember. He is the son of a dedicated hunter, nephew of a hardcore fly angler, and the grandson of a man who used to spend days on the ice catching pickerel in "Stinkin’ Lincoln" so that his and other families had plenty of food for the long Maine Winters. Conor lives his life outside the lines and against the grain. You can usually find him zinging a boat-rocking double-haul from his trusty little kayak to hungry stripers, or trying to outsmart a wise, old mountain buck on his own turf .

Matt Lee - Bass Fishing/ Tournaments/ New Hampshire

Matt is a bona fide bass fishing addict that also loves to branch out into the multi-species realm from time

to time. You'll find him chasing lake trout throughout his home state of New Hampshire through the ice in

the winter, but pretty much any other time of year, he can be found in his NuCanoe, chasing the best bass

bites in the northeast for fun and for competition. Matt is quite well known locally for his success in the many kayak fishing trails he participates in. He has had the great fortune of not only dedicating his life to recreational fishing, but is employed as a fisheries biologist for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. This understanding of the biology of his quarry adds another important element to his approach.