2026 Sowbug Roundup Keynote Speaker

Chris Johnson

Chris is the owner and founder of Living Waters Fly Fishing, a fly shop and guide service based out of Round Rock, Texas. He has guided the Texas Hill Country for nearly two decades and has fly-fished the heart of the Lone Star State for over 25 years. In addition to guiding his home state, Chris has been a licensed fly-fishing guide in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Alaska. Chris is a FFI Certified Casting Instructor, Umpqua Signature Fly Designer, Tenkara USA Guide, and a Texas Parks and Wildlife Angler Educator Area Chief. He is also a pro team member for Whiting Farms, Scott Fly Rods, Dyna-King Vises, and Scientific Anglers.

Chris is dedicated to sharing his passion for the sport and investing in the next generation of fly anglers. He often is a featured presenter and fly tier at fly fishing, outdoor, conservation, and community events throughout Texas and beyond. Chris and his shop have also been featured in several publications including Trout Magazine, Garden and Gun, Texas Monthly, and Tenkara Magazine. He was also awarded the 2014 Man of the Year from the FFI Texas Council and in the same year, Living Waters was the recipient of the FFI’s prestigious Lee Wulff Award.

In addition to fly fishing, Chris is passionate about fisheries conservation. His fly shop frequently hosts conservation-based events that range from angler creel surveys to native species monitoring and reintroduction. Chris co-produced the short film “Unspoken,” to raise awareness for Rio Grande Cutthroat trout conservation. As a result, Living Waters is working with Trout Unlimited as a Gold Level endorsed TU Business to restore Rio Grande Cutthroat throughout their native range. 

Chris serves as the current State Council Chair for Texas Trout Unlimited and is the Conservation Chair for Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited as well. He is also a part of the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society and the Rio Grande Cutthroat Conservation Team. Chris also serves as a member of the current Texas Freshwater Fisheries Advisory Committee and the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.

Chris is happily married to his wife Emily and together they enjoy fly fishing the world and raising their children in the sport.

2026 Sowbug Roundup Featured Speaker

Al Ritt

Al has fished as long as he can remember and has been fascinated with flies for almost as long. Growing up in southern Michigan he fished primarily for warm water species but remembers feeling magic in trout and trout flies. Al recalls making “flies” including forming his own “hooks” out of pipe cleaners. He took his first formal tying class in 1983 after moving to California. Since then, he’s tied flies and fly fished for trout, grayling, bass, pike, panfish, catfish, carp, steelhead, salmon, bonefish, permit, snook, tarpon, redfish and other species.

Currently Al and his wife Diana own and operate Al Ritt Flies through which they are fly tying demonstrators and domestic/international destination travel hosts. Al works part time for Mayfly Outdoors and is a host for destination trips in conjunction with Montrose Anglers in Montrose, CO. Al is also a fly-tying instructor, a member of Trout Unlimited and a life member of Fly Fishers International (FFI) and a life member of the FFI Fly Tying Group. Al currently serves on the FTG Board of Governors and has worked on committees developing the Fly-Tying Video Library and Fly-Tying Skill Award Program. His current board activities include serving as a member of the committee developing the Fly Tier Instructor Program.

Al has taught fly tying classes independently and through local fly shops in Longmont, Loveland and Montrose CO. He has also led fly tying clubs in Longmont, Loveland and currently through Ed’s Fly Shop in Montrose. As a demonstration tier Al has appeared at numerous fly shops and expos including The Fly Fishing Show (in Denver CO, Somerset NJ, Edison NJ, Lynnwood WA and Pleasanton CA), The International Fly Tyer’s Symposium in Somerset NJ, the International Sportsman’s Expo in Denver CO, the FFI Annual Fly Fishing Fair (in Loveland CO, West Yellowstone MT, Livingston MT, Boise ID and Spokane WA), The Western Canadian Fly Fishing Expo in Calgary AB, The International Sportsman’s Expo (Denver, CO), New Mexico TU Fly Tying Expo in Albuquerque NM, East Idaho FFI Fly Tying Expo in Idaho Falls ID, Black Canyon Fly Fishing Show in Montrose CO, Western Colorado Fly Tying Expo in Grand Junction CO, West Denver TU Fly Tying Expo in Golden CO, FFI Southern Council Conclave and Sowbug Round-Up in Mountain Home AR, the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo in Warren MI, Rocky Mountain Flycasters (Ft. Collins, CO), St Vrain Angler’s Trout Unlimited (Longmont, CO) and The Fly Tying Rendezvous (Denver, CO).

• Al is the 2022 FFI Buz Buszek recipient
• Al has received the FFI bronze, silver and gold fly Fly Tying Skills Awards
• Al is author of the book 25 Best Most Versatile Flies (Stonefly Press)
• Al has written articles for Fly Fusion, Fly Fishing and Tying Journal, Fly Tyer, Hatches, Flyfishing Journal and the FFI FTG newsletter
• Al was profiled in Colorado Trout Flies; Great Patterns and the Remarkable People Who Tie Them by Todd Hosman (Streamside Press), The Master’s Fly Box by David Klausmeyer (Globe Pequot) and contributed tips for Better Flies Faster by David Klausmeyer (Stackpole Books)
• Al has patterns featured in 100 Best Flies for Montana Trout by Thomas R Pero (Wild River Press), Modern Midges by Rick Takahashi and Jerry Hubka (Headwater Books), 100 Best Flies for Colorado Trout by Thomas R Pero (Wild River Press), 100 Best Flies for Montana Trout by Thomas R Pero (Wild River Press), A Fly Fisher’s Guide to Rocky Mountain National Park by Steven B Schwietzer (Pixachrome Publishing), 101 Favorite Dry Flies by David Klausmeyer (Skyhorse Publishing), 101 Saltwater Flies by David Klausmeyer (Skyhorse Publishing), Flies for the Greater Yellowstone Area by Bruce Staples (Stackpole Books), Super Bass Flies by Pat Cohen (Skyhorse Publishing), Tying Heritage Featherwing Streamers by Sharon Wright (Stackpole Books) and All Fish All Waters (Fly Fishers International Fly Tying Group)
• Al is a fly designer for Montana Fly Company
• Al is a pro-team member for Daiichi Hooks and a brand ambassador for Dyna-King vises.