I love fly fishing! Thank you for your help!

Mentee

The Mayfly Project

London, United Kingdom Project

Project Lead Mentor: Susan Skrupa

Project: United Kingdom

Year founded: 2021

Mentors on this team: 24

Children to be mentored in 2024: 12-15

Apply to Mentor Here!

Contact our TMP UK Director: Hello@themayflyproject.co.uk

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London, United Kingdom Project

I’ve experienced the healing power of nature and fly fishing first-hand, so I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to launch The Mayfly Project for young people and mentors in the UK.

Susan Skrupa

TMP UK Director and Lead Mentor, London, United Kingdom Project

Project Mentors

SUSAN SKRUPA, Director, TMP United Kingdom

London, United Kingdom

Born and raised in upstate New York, I spent my summers running wild and free through the North Country wilderness. From a young age, my father instilled in me an appreciation of the outdoors, encouraging me to explore the natural world and teaching me to fish. I come from a long line of fishermen, but I was the first in my family to take up fly fishing. Starting on the saltwater estuaries of the Massachusetts coastline, it wasn’t until I relocated to London, England in 2008 that my passion for the sport really took hold. Now, I travel the world in search of the tug.

Having lost my father (and mother) as a young adult, I was forced to grow up quickly and rethink the notion of family. Through the sport I found a new fly fishing family and a renewed sense of belonging. When I approached The Mayfly Project, I was looking for a way to give back what my father had given to me. For me, the opportunity to pass down my knowledge of fly fishing and nature to a disadvantaged young person, who may lack support, confidence and connection — and possibly any notion of family — completes the circle. I am so excited and honoured to be leading the charge to bring The Mayfly Project to the United Kingdom as we launch the first international chapter in 2021.

ANDY LA FOLLETTE, MENTOR

London, United Kingdom

 An Iowa native and married more than half his life to Deedrie, Andy is a father to two young adults. This family persevered 2020 and now resides in London, UK. Andy is a global key account manager in the food and agriculture market for FOSS Analytics. Educated at the University of Northern Iowa in Chemistry and Biology, where he also participated in Division 1-AA Football and Division 1 Indoor Track. Andy’s additive work experiences include physical therapy, chemistry, animal feed innovation, consulting, oilseeds process analytics, sale and marketing, and high school boys basketball coaching part-time for three years. Fly fishing experiences since 1995, includes a passion for fly tying and sharing experiences on the water.

GRAHAM BAUGHAN, MENTOR

London, United Kingdom

Graham grew up in Peterborough fishing the River Nene and abandoned clay scraped brick pits for anything that would bite. Later he went to University in Nottingham and backpacked around Australia where he met his Swedish partner of 16 years. After living in London and working in finance for 10 years Graham and his partner moved to Sweden where they started a family and now have 2 young children. This is where Graham fell in love with fly fishing after meeting his own mentor with 60 years of experience who schooled him in the art and techniques of Scandi fly fishing. Graham and his family are now back in London although escape the city at every opportunity to be in the countryside fishing, walking, exploring or playing on the beach.

LARYSA YEFREMOVA, MENTOR

London, United Kingdom

Many of those who are hooked on fly fishing went into it thinking of only catching fish, but have found much more than that. That’s what happened with me. It was not pretty at the beginning. I started fishing during the winter, going to reservoirs every week casting my heart out in freezing cold and gusty winds. It took me four months to get my first rainbow trout which I didn’t manage to net. I was so disappointed that I could not take a picture of my first fish. I did not know then that I would have an image of every fish that I have caught since, then saved in my mind.

AMIE BATTAMS, MENTOR

London, United Kingdom

“Start by keeping kindness at the forefront of your mind in everything that you do. You never know the impact that your words could make, maybe even for years to come” – Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

PERIKLES KARAGEORGOPOULOS, CONSERVATION MENTOR

Billingshurst, West Sussex, United Kingdom

I am Peri. Even though I can’t remember what I had for breakfast today, I remember vividly the first ever fish I caught at the age of 4. A tiny 10cm grouper on a hand line with my godfather from his boat in Greece. I have been fishing ever since. Fly fishing for me is an immersive and mindful pastime. In nature I find peace and a purpose. It is always wonderful sharing such experiences with others.

MAX LOUGH, MENTOR

London, United Kingdom

Fishing and being out in nature has always given me a fantastic sense of calm, and I can’t wait to help young adults and children in foster care to access some of that calm and hopefully a lot of fun! The Mayfly Project is a treasure.

JAMES MURRAY, MENTOR

London, United Kingdom

Jim is a British actor who was worked extensively in film and television in the US & UK over the past 20 years. After losing his first child Ella Jayne to congenital heart disease in 2009, Jim found fly fishing offered massive therapeutic benefits in dealing with grief and suffering. He founded the Murray Parish Trust and is an active ambassador for the Atlantic Salmon Trust.

GARTH LESTER, MENTOR

London, United Kingdom

My name is Garth Lester. I was born in Harare Zimbabwe, where I started fishing at the age of five in the usual method, followed by bait fishing with worms and a float chasing tilapia species. In 2003, I moved to United Kingdom with my wife and two children. Two years later I was introduced to fly fishing by a friend here in the UK. Now I love fly fishing and fly tying. Recently, I have been learning about saltwater fly fishing and broadening my horizons to chasing course fish species on the fly. I’m hoping to be able to go back to Zimbabwe soon and target tiger fish. I am happy to share my passion and knowledge of the fly fishing and nature with anyone who will listen and hopefully inspire others to enjoy them too!

DAMON VALENTINE, MENTOR

London, United Kingdom

Were it not for fly fishing, I genuinely believe that my life would’ve taken a very different path. Within all of the noise and chaos, particularly in my adolescent days, it has provided me with mental balance, focus, and taught me many fundamental and transferable skills in life – dedication, patience, understanding, and a respect for nature amongst many things. I truly can’t wait to share my passion through TMP UK with someone who may be able to find some of the same inner peace I have.”

EDDIE ADAIR, MENTOR

London, United Kingdom

Irish born, Eddie grew up fishing Irish Loughs. Now he lives in London and will fishing anywhere. Eddie works as a Pediatric Nurse at Great Ormond Street and as a fly fishing guide on the southern chalkstreams of England. “Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter” – Izaak Walton

ZOE LATHAM-BEAN, MENTOR

London, United Kingdom

I accidentally became a fly-angler when I crashed my husband’s fly-fishing lesson in New Jersey, after that we spent all of our weekends learning to fish and camping in the Catskills, New York. We were both far more at home in the wilderness than in the city and fly-fishing has become something we are very passionate about. Now back in the UK, I live and work as a lecturer of architecture in Devon and fly-fish as often as I can around Dartmoor and the surrounding rivers. TMP is a fantastic opportunity to share my love of the rivers, trout, fly-fishing and all that means to me with other generations who may also find their sense of place along the banks. 

EDOARDO GUALFETTI, MENTOR

London, United Kingdom

“I was born and raised in Florence, Italy. Around the age of 12 I started my journey in the world of trout fishing, together with my best friend Jack. I had no fishermen in my family, no one to introduce me or to teach me. Starting with fishing has been an act of curiosity, adventure, and friendship. In Italy river waters are public and most of them are totally free. The lack of chalk streams and the lovely warm sun of Toscany mean that trout’s are confined to remote, fresh, brooks and creeks on the mountains, where nature is mostly wild and untouched. So Jack and I started climbing rocks and exploring those tiny waters in the pursue of the rare, wild, (tiny), trout, sharing every discovery and teaching ourselves. In the meantime, I grew up, I lost my hair, I moved to London, but I haven’t lost that same curiosity, love for nature, and spirit of adventure. Those same motivations drove me to fly fishing. Indeed, to me, fly fishing is a lifelong adventure where you never end up exploring. After the mysterious underwater, the wild nature, the elusive fishes, the tiny bugs, the precisely tied fly, and the cool tackle, you end up exploring and discovering yourself. And if you are lucky, you may find a Jack too.”

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London, United Kingdom Project

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