Smethport, Pennsylvania Project

Zach was born and raised in Kushequa, Pennsylvania and started fishing at a very young age. In 2013 he was introduced to fly fishing while visiting his sister on a Colorado trip and has been addicted ever since. In addition to fly fishing, he took his passion a bit further and started tying flies. Zach serves on the board of directors for the Seneca chapter of Trout Unlimited where he helps teach fly tying. He holds a degree from WyoTech and makes his living as an auto body technician. Fly fishing and fly tying has had such a positive effect on his life and he is looking forward to sharing this passion through his role as the co-lead mentor of the Smethport project!

Rick grew up in the small town of Mt. Jewett, Pennsylvania, the gateway to Kinzua Bridge.  He spent his childhood fishing with family and friends, chasing wild brookies in the backwoods of McKean County. After picking up his first fly rod over 20 years ago, he was hooked on the sport. In addition to local guide work, he also volunteers at the Kinzua Fly Fishing School, ties flies and builds custom rods.  He is looking forward to his second year as a mentor in the Mayfly Project of McKean county.

Heather was born and raised in a very small town (Kushequa) in Northwest Pennsylvania. Growing up she spent the summers with her family fishing the small creeks in the Allegheny National Forest. Heather’s passion/obsession for fly fishing developed shortly after moving to Colorado in 2011. While living there she became very active with Colorado Trout Unlimited serving as the President of The Greenbacks and sitting on the board of Colorado Trout Unlimited. As part of this role, she spent the majority of her time and focus on engaging, educating and empowering the younger generation to become our next conservation stewards. In 2017 Heather discovered The Mayfly Project and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to tap into existing Trout Unlimited resources all while sharing her passion with a group of kids who may not have the opportunity to get out on the water. Heather joined TMP as the Denver Lead Mentor and shortly after kicking off the Denver project joined Jess and Kaitlin on the national team. Heather moved back to her home state of Pennsylvania in 2018 and helped to bring The Mayfly Project to her hometown! Beyond The Mayfly Project, Heather holds an Accounting degree from Penn State and works on the Finance team of an International organization. In her free time, you can find her exploring her new home waters and the neighboring states in search of fish!!

Chase grew up in Kane, Pennsylvania, fishing in the Allegheny National Forest for brook trout and smallmouth bass. He left the area for college, but his love of the outdoors and wild places could not have drawn him back to Northcentral Pennsylvania any quicker after graduation. Chase is a Certified Casting Instructor with Fly Fishers International, President of the Seneca Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and has volunteered with Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing. He is excited to help establish the first Mayfly Project in the Keystone State.

Debbie Brewer is a lifelong resident of Bradford, PA and grew up enjoying the splendors of the Allegheny National Forest.

Being the youngest in a family of six, Deb often found herself exploring the forest and streams surrounding her family home. It was at an early age that Deb found a deep respect for nature and all it could teach her.

Fly fishing was a way for Deb to get back to nature and spend time with friends, but it turned into something much more. She found the sport helped to center her, allowed her to reflect on the truly important things in life, and reignited her passion for the preservation our precious natural resources.

Deb is entering her second year as a mentor for the Mayfly Project of McKean and Potter counties and feels privileged to have the opportunity to pass on the stewardship skills she continues to hone. Her experience in the first year has been tremendously rewarding and she eagerly awaits the next round of mentees.

Deb lives with her husband, Mike and has two children and one granddaughter. She is also a member of A.B.A.T.E. of PA., which is also active in community nurturement.

Hi, I am Kerry Lanza. I live in southeastern Pennsylvania with my wife Barbara. Our home is about an hour drive northwest of Philadelphia in rural “Pennsylvania Dutch” country. Growing up in the country, we had plenty of opportunity to fish, for anything, and anywhere. Having found fly fishing over 30 years ago, I find it a great way to connect with the wildness of the place. Fly fishing is now my true passion. For me, teaching is my way of giving back to a sport that has given me so much. Passing the passion to another generation helps to preserve trout fisheries for future generations.

Kris was born and raised in Coudersport, Pennsylvania and he has had a fishing rod in his hand since he was a baby. Kris started fly fishing about 15 years ago, catching mainly trout since he lived near the Allegheny River headwaters. Kris now tries to catch anything that swims with a fly. Kris is the Vice President of the God’s Country chapter of Trout Unlimited and a volunteer for Project Healing Waters. Kris is also a Penn State alumni with a degree in wildlife technology. Kris is excited to share his passion through his mentor role on The Mayfly Project team!

Emily Shosh grew up in Northumberland, PA and later in Hamburg, PA, but found her ultimate home in the northcentral region of the state during college. Since 2018, Emily has worked full time as the Communications and Outreach Advisor for the Potter County Conservation District. She also obtained her Master’s of Education in Environmental Education from Slippery Rock University in 2021. In her spare time, Emily loves hiking, backpacking, fly fishing, cross country skiing, biking, gardening and canning, baking/cooking, and learning about native plants. She also volunteers with the PA Chapter of Native Fish Coalition, Monarch Watch, PA Trout Unlimited, the Ruffed Grouse Society, and others.