# Trout-Pro exposed



## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

For a couple of weeks now, I have read some things about this guy from North Carolina (Ronnie) who proclaims himself to be a Trout-Pro and guide. Ronnie had been posting photos all over the internet, Facebook and Youtube of some incredible fish he was catching on a regular basis from the South Holston River in Bristol Tn. A couple of actual guides who work that river for a living were suspect of Ronnie, wondering how he was catching these huge fish at the rate he was and doing so by finessing an egg pattern on 7X and landing these monsters! Based on some of the photos he posted, they went out one night to the spawning area, caught him spot lighting and snagging these fish while trampling through the redds; not legitimately catching them on the fly as we was claiming! He was then placing them on a stringer and at first light, photographing them with his fly gear in hand. Reading the story and the way he strung them up, many of these trophy fish did not survive the trauma. It also turns out that Ronnie has been caught before on the Davidson using bait in an artificial zone only and was issued a citation for doing so. The two guides that caught and confronted Ronnie exposed him on Facebook and other social media, Ronnie- AKA trout pro has since shut his personal facebook account down and removed his youtube videos. If you are interested in seeing some of the photos of these massive browns and rainbows he was basically killing and want to read the whole story, you can do so by going to https://www.facebook.com/troutprosnagger I have read posts on other forums as far away as Colorado and Washington about this knucklehead who is now getting the attention he was trying to get all along, just not in a positive manner.


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## Bassbully 52 (Feb 25, 2014)

I have never understood those who have to cheat or lie to make them appear to be a great fisherman. In his case he was trying to profit from his guiding but how will he explain no monster trout to his clients since he is poaching them?

Just another idiot who gets off posting fish pics..fish they never truly caught.


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## sd136405 (Jan 19, 2015)

flyman01 said:


> For a couple of weeks now, I have read some things about this guy from North Carolina (Ronnie) who proclaims himself to be a Trout-Pro and guide. Ronnie had been posting photos all over the internet, Facebook and Youtube of some incredible fish he was catching on a regular basis from the South Holston River in Bristol Tn. A couple of actual guides who work that river for a living were suspect of Ronnie, wondering how he was catching these huge fish at the rate he was and doing so by finessing an egg pattern on 7X and landing these monsters! Based on some of the photos he posted, they went out one night to the spawning area, caught him spot lighting and snagging these fish while trampling through the redds; not legitimately catching them on the fly as we was claiming! He was then placing them on a stringer and at first light, photographing them with his fly gear in hand. Reading the story and the way he strung them up, many of these trophy fish did not survive the trauma. It also turns out that Ronnie has been caught before on the Davidson using bait in an artificial zone only and was issued a citation for doing so. The two guides that caught and confronted Ronnie exposed him on Facebook and other social media, Ronnie- AKA trout pro has since shut his personal facebook account down and removed his youtube videos. If you are interested in seeing some of the photos of these massive browns and rainbows he was basically killing and want to read the whole story, you can do so by going to https://www.facebook.com/troutprosnagger I have read posts on other forums as far away as Colorado and Washington about this knucklehead who is now getting the attention he was trying to get all along, just not in a positive manner.



That sucks. I have fished the S. Holston many times and know a few guides. Pretty dumb to post illegal activities online especially with so many wonderful guides in the area who know almost every rock and tree snag.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Wow! What an a-hole!
What's the point?
I rarely even take pics of fish I catch . .. .


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

Agree this guy is an A-hole, nothing good to say about a character like him.
My understanding based on some of the things I read over the past several weeks, he basically was trying to make it appear that he really knew his stuff, thus bolstering guide business and endorsements from companies hoping for freebie gear. Some of his photos were posted on the Orvis web page, but since being exposed they have been taken off.....rightfully so. I have fished the SoHo a number of times, just a quality watershed that has good natural reproduction going on. You get a jerk like this trampling the eggs that have been laid and fertilized in the redds not to mention killing some good brooders, it can take a toll on the fishery. I am sure he will not be fishing back on the SoHo anytime soon.


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## Flymaker (Jan 24, 2013)

Shameful ....


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