Brian Elwood wasn't a fly fisherman until seven years ago, after he moved to Hudson.
A brother and sister-in-law from Chicago introduced him to the sport.
"They asked me if I realized where I lived. ... They said, 'Do you know of all these great trout streams within 15 minutes of Hudson?' " Elwood said.
Hudson is close to the Willow, Kinnickinnic and Rush rivers, all among the state's better trout streams.
They took him fishing on the Kinnickinnic River near River Falls. He caught some wild brown trout on a fly, and he was hooked.
Elwood, whose day job is in corporate communications for Xcel Energy, in June launched an interactive Web site for fly fishing guides: Guidedaway.com.
Currently about 130 guides are listed. The goal is to list guides from around the world.
If you are planning a trip to, say, the Western Sahara, you can click on the region. For the moment, there are no listings. You will, however, find some for Montana.
The idea for the Web site may have been born on a day Elwood spent fishing with Brule-area guide Brian Bohen. The fish weren't biting especially well, but he enjoyed chatting with Bohen.
"We had a wonderful day fishing, but it didn't amount to many fish. We spent a lot of time just talking throughout the day," Elwood said. "It was just a very memorable trip."
He decided that one reason to fish with a guide was to catch more fish and learn new techniques. But a large factor in determining how well the day went was the personality of the guide and how well a guide and fisherman got along.
"I think you kind of develop a friendship with the guide as well. I think as much as catching a fish it's about meeting someone new and developing a friendship," Elwood said.
He couldn't find a single Web site with a comprehensive list of fly fishing guides. Independent guides who weren't affiliated with a company or resort were especially hard to find.
So he decided to start his own list.
"I kind of bounced this idea off of a number of different guides, and they thought it was worthwhile to pursue," Elwood said.
"We're not an endorsing service at all. I don't know all these guides. It's more of a service for these guides."
The listing is free for individual guides. There is a charge for outfitters or retailers to appear on the site.
Elwood's wife, Katie, who has a background in public relations, has been helping with the site. But they have been equally busy with their children, 22-month-old Michael and 3-month-old Evelyn.
An Eau Claire company, Peak Designs, developed the logo and marketing material.
Denver-based Sub4Solutions, run by friend and UW-Eau Claire graduate Keith Baltus, designed the site.
Elwood said the goal is to make the site as interactive as possible and have potential clients learn as much as possible about the experience and interests of guides before signing up for a trip.
"You could spend eight hours with this person in a remote location," Elwood said, "I think it's important to have that compatibility to make a great trip even that much better."
