Maddie Brenneman

Maddie is the lead fishing guide at C Lazy U, a dude ranch tucked away on the northeast corner of the Willow Creek Reservoir in Granby, Colorado. There, she takes fishermen of all backgrounds out on the river to experience the sport in its purest form.

“When I first got the call that I got the job, I was a little nervous,” Maddie told us. “I was thinking, I better learn to tie knots a little faster.”

But Maddie was eager to break free from the desk job she took straight out of college. She found herself driving five hours from Santa Fe back to her home state nearly every weekend to hit the streams.  

“Colorado definitely was calling me home,” she said through a smile.

Growing up in Denver, Maddie fished most of her life with friends and family, but it wasn’t until her time out on the river alone that she recalls really being hooked. 

“That’s when I realized I really loved it—the first time doing it by myself,” she said. “That feeling of empowerment was really cool.”

Before becoming one of the U.S.’s most notable female fly-fishing guides, Maddie worked at a travel agency helping clients plan trips to East Africa. It wasn’t easy for her to leave, but down deep she knew her heart belonged to the river.

“When I decided to guide, I remember I was so nervous and scared because I’m a girl, and I felt like it’s a male-dominated industry. I’m going to be taking out fisherman all the time and they’re going to question everything I do because I’m a girl,” she explained. “I realized as soon as I was on the river, you kind of forget that you’re a girl. I think the other person does as well, and it’s not important anymore. You’re just their guide.”

Maddie’s skill and grace on the water transcend gender. She connects to her environment in ways I could only dream of. There’s a quality and ease about her that makes her perfectly suited for the job.

People don’t only gravitate toward Maddie’s infectious personality on the river. Her warm presence can be felt at the dinner table, too.  

“Fly fishing is definitely my first passion, but cooking is a close second. I love to cook. I love trying new dishes. The more I’ve been able to travel, the more I’ve been able to explore different cultures and food and then come home to incorporate those different elements into my own cooking.”

Ninety-nine percent of the time, Maddie is a catch-and-release fisherman. But when she hooks the right fish, and has the right people to share it with, she’s all for taking her catch back to the grill.

“I have a lot of respect for people that know exactly where their food comes from and make the effort to go out there and get it,” she said.

Maddie regularly cooks alongside her older sister, Mackenzie, at the C Lazy U Ranch, treating their friends to an always fresh, always tasty meal.

“I think that food naturally draws people together. That’s how we celebrate different events. That’s how we come together as families.”

She paused.

“It’s how we share our experiences.”