Information

Tom Loe grew up in Thousand Oaks, CA and married his high school sweetheart Michele. Michele is well known as the "CEO" of Sierra Drifters. Without her expertise Sierra Drifters would not exist. She is the most essential part of Tom's fishing career and they have worked as a team in the fishing industry for thirty years.

Tom spent twenty years offshore harpooning broadbill swordfish and set lining rockfish as the owner/operator of offshore commercial fishing vessels on both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. He is currently a licensed Coast Guard captain and year round fly-fishing guide residing full time with Michele on McGee Creek overlooking Crowley Lake in the Eastern Sierra. Tom has had a maniacal fascination with trout his entire life. He began tying flies at 12 years to assist him in financial support of his addiction to fishing. Tom has created the Sierras most popular and imitated fly patterns and has been inducted into the Fly Tiers Museum. He has logged over 2300 guide days in the nine years he has been a year round licensed guide.

Tom has developed unique methods of fly-fishing for trout in the area. Tom pioneered guided drift boat trips down the Lower Owens River and the “dip and strip technique” in 1998 after selling the swordfish boat “Bandido” that same year. Sierra Drifters Guide Service was founded and has been in operation since 1998 and to date has assisted thousands of fly-fishers in pursuit of trout in the Eastern Sierra.

Tom spends 250 days a year guiding on local waters with the Lower Owens River, Crowley, Pyramid and Eagle Lakes being his specialties. He has perfected still water nymphing and streamer techniques from his state of the art 24 foot flats style bay boat and 18 foot Willie drift boat. His marine background has aligned him well in the guide business and he has revolutionized fly fishing still waters in the Sierra.

Tom has been written up in many newspapers and periodicals including the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, San Diego Union, Western Outdoor News, and South West Fly Fishing. In 2004 he was named one of the "Top 30 Anglers" in the west by Western Outdoor News publications. He has developed numerous published fly patterns that are currently cataloged by Pacific Fly Group and Umpqua and are sold commercially.