Captain
Mark O'Malley

Member since August 2024 Agawam, United States

Background: Hello, I'm Mark and welcome to River Angler! Fueled by the thrill of a fishing rod in hand, we founded River Angler in 2024. Whether it's navigating a harrowing stretch of whitewater, trekking through the brush to a secret fishing hole, or clambering down a rugged bank to lure a city-dwelling behemoth, River Angler guides enjoy the world around us where we all live, work and play. As manager of River Angler, I have a passion for running shallow rocky rivers where motorboats dare not go. The scenery and experience draw me in, the fishing is just an added bonus. Casting from a fishing raft provides a unique perspective on the river. The raft helps access to those seldom reached fishing holes, all while carrying days' worth of gear. I began my river guiding career as a commercial whitewater river guide in 2006. I racked up over a decade of commercial experience and thousands of river miles in a variety of crafts. I've owned several boats. I've helped organize and run private trips on some of the great wild and scenic rivers across the United States, including the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, the Main and Middle Fork of the Salmon among others. As a native of western Massachusetts, I know the local waters well. From one riverbank to another, rain or shine I enjoy being out on the river. River Angler operates on weekends, some weekday and tries to be flexible. We do the heavy lifting to ensure our guests have a pleasant experience. On the water, our river floats are from a 13-foot whitewater raft, equipped with comfortable seats or slimmed down rigging for skinny water. We run a variety of river sections. On smaller rivers, expect to get out of the raft occasionally to wade a shallow stretch or maneuver around river-wide obstacles. Spring or high-water conditions, allow us access on class II-III whitewater. During the summer, we focus on warm water species in lower reaches. We try to tailor the experience to our guests' schedule, fitness level, and current river flows and fishing conditions. Hey it's New England. We're flexible and reschedule or adjust the trip times when necessary for our guests. Thank you and tight lines! Mark
Techniques: Fly fishing for trout, panfish, and small mouth bass can be great fun with River Angler. For those with a little bit of past experience, the raft is a great fly-fishing platform. For first timers or those out of practice, we typically float down to the first open area for you to wade and practice casting out of the boat. My colleague, local Fishing Guide Shane S., through River Angler also provides novice walk/wade fly fishing experiences on the Swift River. This clear and cold waterway offers a unique sight fishing experience. These afternoon trips are 2-3 hours in duration. Shane also provides an extra hand expert fly anglers need by holding the net, taking photos, carrying extra gear or rods to swap. Spinning rods and lures are some of our favorite fishing techniques for landing the most fish. Lots of "power fishing" where you cast, float and keep moving along to find aggressive fish. For big fish in the Connecticut River and its tributaries, River Angler is a fan of soaking bait on the bottom in the evening for a big river monster. If you are interested in riverbank fishing from shore, let us know. Please note riverbanks can be slippery, muddy and hazardous. We can do a raft float/shore fishing combo during the summer. Set up some chairs, a little food, cast the rods out, and help you have a great time on the riverbank. We'll handle the bait and tackle, you reel 'em in.

Hey, I'm Captain Mark O'Malley

Agawam, United States

Background: Hello, I'm Mark and welcome to River Angler! Fueled by the thrill of a fishing rod in hand, we founded River Angler in 2024. Whether it's navigating a harrowing stretch of whitewater, trekking through the brush to a secret fishing hole, or clambering down a rugged bank to lure a city-dwelling behemoth, River Angler guides enjoy the world around us where we all live, work and play. As manager of River Angler, I have a passion for running shallow rocky rivers where motorboats dare not go. The scenery and experience draw me in, the fishing is just an added bonus. Casting from a fishing raft provides a unique perspective on the river. The raft helps access to those seldom reached fishing holes, all while carrying days' worth of gear. I began my river guiding career as a commercial whitewater river guide in 2006. I racked up over a decade of commercial experience and thousands of river miles in a variety of crafts. I've owned several boats. I've helped organize and run private trips on some of the great wild and scenic rivers across the United States, including the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, the Main and Middle Fork of the Salmon among others. As a native of western Massachusetts, I know the local waters well. From one riverbank to another, rain or shine I enjoy being out on the river. River Angler operates on weekends, some weekday and tries to be flexible. We do the heavy lifting to ensure our guests have a pleasant experience. On the water, our river floats are from a 13-foot whitewater raft, equipped with comfortable seats or slimmed down rigging for skinny water. We run a variety of river sections. On smaller rivers, expect to get out of the raft occasionally to wade a shallow stretch or maneuver around river-wide obstacles. Spring or high-water conditions, allow us access on class II-III whitewater. During the summer, we focus on warm water species in lower reaches. We try to tailor the experience to our guests' schedule, fitness level, and current river flows and fishing conditions. Hey it's New England. We're flexible and reschedule or adjust the trip times when necessary for our guests. Thank you and tight lines! Mark
Techniques: Fly fishing for trout, panfish, and small mouth bass can be great fun with River Angler. For those with a little bit of past experience, the raft is a great fly-fishing platform. For first timers or those out of practice, we typically float down to the first open area for you to wade and practice casting out of the boat. My colleague, local Fishing Guide Shane S., through River Angler also provides novice walk/wade fly fishing experiences on the Swift River. This clear and cold waterway offers a unique sight fishing experience. These afternoon trips are 2-3 hours in duration. Shane also provides an extra hand expert fly anglers need by holding the net, taking photos, carrying extra gear or rods to swap. Spinning rods and lures are some of our favorite fishing techniques for landing the most fish. Lots of "power fishing" where you cast, float and keep moving along to find aggressive fish. For big fish in the Connecticut River and its tributaries, River Angler is a fan of soaking bait on the bottom in the evening for a big river monster. If you are interested in riverbank fishing from shore, let us know. Please note riverbanks can be slippery, muddy and hazardous. We can do a raft float/shore fishing combo during the summer. Set up some chairs, a little food, cast the rods out, and help you have a great time on the riverbank. We'll handle the bait and tackle, you reel 'em in.