The work that you do has truly made a difference in the lives of students,” Mike was reminded in a letter recognizing him as an individual who has made a positive impact on the lives of students at Clemson University.

Mike Watts, a freelance writer and publisher of riversandfeathers.com, was the fly fishing instructor at Clemson University for more than twenty years. Teaching the sport part-time, his knowledge and expertise are shared while exposing students to tall tales, advice, and embellished stories about the outdoors. He believes the sport is bigger than one person and should be shared. During this tenure at Clemson, he introduced more than 1200 students to fly fishing.

Mike’s unwavering dedication to fly fishing is evident in his numerous accomplishments, a testament to his commitment since 1976. His passion for the outdoors and conservationism led him to receive the prestigious Silver Trout Award twice from the Mountain Bridge Chapter of Trout Unlimited, where he served in various capacities, demonstrating his significant role in the fly fishing community.

Mike founded RiversandFeathers.com several years ago to allow a forum of nationally known outdoor writers and other fly fishing enthusiasts an opportunity to publish flyfishing short stories on just about “anything fly fishing.”

With 48 years chasing fish on the fly across the country, he still calls the rivers and creeks in Southern Appalachia his “Home Waters.”

Mike’s books, “Riverbank Memories” and his children’s book “Pond Fishing with Papa,” are available on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

He can be reached at mikewattsoutdoors.com.

“Many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.” —Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)