Cody Burgdorff (Lafayette, CO)
Team Captain

Cody, age 16, started his fishing journey off modestly with the pursuit of pan fish in local lakes, using a fly rod and some basic flies. At the age of six, he caught and released his first trout on the Big Thompson River. Wading in the rivers, stalking the lake shores, or floating in a belly boat, Cody loves to fish. Colorado’s streams and lakes, Montana’s Yellowstone, Utah’s Green River, the Snake and North Platte Rivers of Wyoming, and Nevada’s Pyramid Lake are some of his favorites. Cody and his Grandfather spend many hours together tying flies for their next fishing trip.  Cody is a junior and has obtained dean’s list each year in high school.  He is a two year varsity lacrosse goalie, and plays soccer and basketball at his high school. The Colorado winter finds Cody skiing and teaching as a Junior Instructor for a special recreation ski program and fishing the tail waters for the big one.

Tyler Befus (Montrose, CO)

Tyler, age 12, landed his first fly caught trout on the Uncompahgre River shortly before his third birthday. He fishes the Rocky Mountain region extensively for trout and warmwater species. His fishing travels have taken him across the US, to Alaska, Texas, the Bahamas and Japan. Tyler frequently presents fly fishing and fly tying programs at numerous fly fishing and sportsmen’s shows around the country and internationally. Feature articles have appeared in “Fly Rod & Reel” magazine, “Fly Tyer” magazine, “The Fly Fisher” magazine in Japan, “Fly Fishing & Fly Tying” in the United Kingdom, Fly Fusion magazine (Canada) about Tyler’s passion for the sport for fly fishing and fly tying.  Tyler has written two books “A Kid’s Guide to Fly Fishing” and “A Kids Guide to Fly Tying”. He also just completed a kids fly fishing instructional DVD. He holds two I.G.F.A. Junior World Records for sheefish and kokanee salmon. Tyler is the youngest member of the Ross Reels USA / Ross Worldwide Outdoors, Simms, Rio and Oakley pro teams. His other interests include competing on the Montrose Marlin swim team, snowboarding, piano, photography and drawing.

Charlie Valuck (Centennial, CO)

Charlie, age 12, started flyfishing when he was seven.  The upper South Platte (Dream Stream and Elevenmile Canyon), Arkansas, and Yampa are among his favorite rivers to fish in Colorado, though if any water that he encounters is moving, Charlie is apt to want to angle for some trout, particularly brown trout!  Charlie’s most memorable fishing trips have been driftboat fishing on the Green River in Utah, and sportfishing in the waters off Puerto Vallarta, Cozumel, and the Kona Coast of Hawaii.  Charlie was featured on the cover of the Fall 2009 edition of the High Country Angler magazine with his dad, showing off a rare “double brownie” (for them) on the Dream Stream. Charlie is in the 7th grade and excels in math and science.  Like his teammate Cody Burgdorff, Charlie is a lacrosse goalie on a competitive youth team, and plays basketball and runs track for his middle school teams.  In winter Charlie likes to snowboard at Copper Mountain, and sneak out onto the tailwaters of the Blue River to wet a line after a day of boarding.

Jacob Knight (Vail, CO)

Jacob, age 12, was born in Vail Colorado on a powder day and has been snowboarding ever since. Winters are spent roaming the local ski hills and tying flies in anticipation for the river's spring melt.   His home water is outside his back door on the upper Eagle River, and he also enjoys fishing the other local rivers:  Gore, Blue, Arkansas, Yampa, Roaring Fork, Frying Pan, and Colorado.  Jacob recently launched from Flamingo Point in the Everglades and chased resident Tarpon.  Jacob earned his Junior Black Belt in Karate at age 7 and is an assistant teacher at his school.  He also competed on the 2008 America Cup Youth Team at age 10.  Jacob is an avid rower and enjoys disc golf, Facebook, XBox, skateboarding, and traveling with his family.

Connor Murphy (Fort Collins, CO)

Connor, age 15, caught his first fish, a large rainbow trout, when he was three and has been “hooked” ever since.  Connor has competed in dozens of fishing and casting competitions and has done some informal guiding and exhibition tying.  He started a fly fishing club at his high school, and has written several articles that have been published about his fly fishing activities.  When he is fishing locally in Colorado, Connor divides his time between the high mountain lakes and streams of Rocky Mountain National Park, local tailwaters, the Big Thompson and Cache la Poudre rivers.  The Frying Pan, Roaring Fork, Blue, and South Platte rivers are also some of his favorite waters. Connor also enjoys fishing The Snake, and Gros Ventre rivers of Jackson, Slough Creek and Trout Lake in Yellowstone, and Crypt Lake in Alberta.   Connor is a high school freshman honors student, plays bass in the symphony orchestra and jazz band and shoots for the Dynamics Junior Olympic Archery Development Team. He enjoys reading, hiking, mountain biking, playing his guitars and is active in his church and community.