Chris Johnson said he knew he wanted to earn his living through fly fishing, the sport he loves. Now he works as a guide, conservationist and the owner of Living Waters Fly Fishing in downtown Round Rock.

The store is a family operation with Chris and his wife Emily managing it. It provides a full range of fly-fishing equipment such as flies, waders, boots, reels and rods at a variety of prices. Chris said it is also one of the largest providers of fly-
tying materials in the state.

“Fly-tying materials have actually gained us quite a bit of market share. And it has really given us a reputation as a fly-tying store,” he said.

Most people are not familiar with fly-fishing and tying, Chris said, so he and Emily provide free education for any age on a continuous basis. Chris said he wants to ensure people understand the sport without feeling intimidated, especially since he taught himself fly fishing at the age of 12. Chris said he did so with the help of books and videos he checked out from the Round Rock Public Library.

Now, Chris said he is attempting to preserve the future of freshwater fishing with conservation efforts such as a collaborative cleanup of Brushy Creek twice a year. He also produced a film called “Unspoken” that focuses on the importance of conserving a species of cutthroat trout.

“Fly fishing for cutthroat is my happy place,” Chris said. “Every one you catch looks like a painting; it’s God’s canvas.”

“Unspoken” was created at the owner’s expense and will be released this fall free to the public via Vimeo, at the company’s website and a screening at the store.

Unspoken

The film “Unspoken” is intended to bring about awareness to the Rio Grande cutthroat trout’s importance since Chris said it now only inhabits about 10 percent of its native range. The fish was previously considered a possible endangered-species candidate until 2014, according to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

Living Waters Fly Fishing
309 W. Main St., Ste. 110, Round Rock
Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Sun.
512-828-3474
www.livingwatersflyfishing.com