meet the guide team
CaptaIN Josh laferty
Captain Josh Laferty is a Roanoke native and has been guiding the region since the early 2000s. Josh is A well-traveled outdoorsman who has a passion for this craft and the places/fisheries he guides.
As one of the original musky fly fishing guides in the region, Josh has a unique level of experience and a clear understanding of what it takes to be successful on your hunt for southern musky. The angling opportunities in Virginia are as diverse as our seasons and with over three decades of practical outdoor experience, you’re in good hands.
Summer brings Josh to Alaska, where his guiding turns to Pacific salmon, and one of the world’s finest rainbow trout fisheries. A longtime Bristol Bay guide, he’s known for his large personality and southern hospitality that ensures a great time afield.
Guiding year-round from Virginia to Alaska, he welcomes you to spend the day with an accomplished Captain and guide who can accommodate all skill levels.
Captain Austin Conrad
Captain Austin Conrad grew up in oak hill– a town in Southern West Virginia– where he cut his teeth fishing for trout and smallmouth bass in the creeks and rivers of the area.
Austin has spent the last 15 years in Virginia, fishing and guiding folks to wild trout, smallmouth bass, and musky. Austin spends a couple of months of the year in Bristol Bay, Alaska guiding clients to Silver Salmon, the world’s largest wild Rainbow Trout, and the other beautiful species of the region.
Outside of guiding, Austin likes to spend time with his family and dogs and loves to cook a good southern meal. Captain Austin welcomes anglers of all experience levels in pursuing some of the finest freshwater predators in the South!
Brendan grew up in Southeast PA fishing for largemouth bass with his father. Fishing was always a big part of his life but he developed an intense interest for the sport when he picked up a fly rod in his teens. Since 2018 he has been sharing his passion of fly fishing for trophy smallmouth with clients on the Susquehanna and its tributaries.
Since he was young, Brendan always preferred seeing fish eat, whether it was a topwater blowup or sight fishing cruising shallow water bass. His obsession with aggressive visual eats eventually led him to fly fishing for musky. Having spent the last 6 years fishing for predatory fish with big streamers, musky fishing was a natural transition. Brendan is excited to be joining the team at Virginia Trophy Guides on a seasonal basis from December-March.
Brendan Ruch
Braden Miller has been fishing the different waters throughout Virginia since he could walk. He takes great pride in being a well-rounded angler, fishing both fly and conventional gear for many species, not only here in Virginia but in many states across the country as well.
He is not only well versed in fishing the waters of the Southwestern & Western parts of Virginia for smallies but living in Central Virginia allows Braden to target a wide array of species such as largemouth, carp, shad, striper, and more on rivers closer to home. He feels at home rowing his raft and putting anglers on the fish as he does chasing them himself.
Braden looks forward to guiding anglers of all experience levels & sharing tips & techniques that he has learned from several of his mentors throughout the years.
