Elke Littleleaf
Native American
I became a self taught fly fisherman over 20 years ago. Our people have been fly fishing for thousands of years, tribes like the Seminole, Cree, Blackfeet, Sioux, Ute, etc. I wanted to become the first recognized true native American fly fisherman, I have learnt by myself how to cast the single hand and double handed spey, tying nymphs & streamers. My best talent is reading the water for where the fish will hold for many types of game fish. Since childhood, I had the knack to catch fish by hand and on the line. Elke has been fishing the Deschutes since 1975 at 7 years old, with 43 years of experience.
My wife Alysia is also a guide who is equally capable of teaching & guiding her clients, especially the ladies. She can get anyone hooked on fly fishing. Alysia ties her own special nymph and streamer flies that are proven patterns of success.
The Littleleaf family are outdoor advocates for the protection of the natural resources. We have spent many hours & donations to help other non profit entities, who work to protect the rivers & tributaries of the Pacific Northwest. Our instinctive fight for nature has elevated us from being self made towards an honorable recognition. Our determination has evolved into appearances on TV shows, magazines articles, radio interviews, speaker events, newspapers, social media.
Even from the Capitol, we are in alliance with our state governor, senators, Republicans and Democrats as being neutral natives of unity. A few years back we were asked to speak for Governor Kate Brown and the native Americans of the Pacific Northwest. It was against the off shore drilling along the PNW coast.
We also stood apposed against:
- Tesoro Savage Oil terminal in Washington State.
- Natural gas line in 2016 on our own WS lands and the Deschutes River.
- Nestle from privatizing our Oxbow Springs water in 2015.
- North Dakota Access Pipeline on the Standing Rock reservation.
Our highlight boost is from a special video, "Sky High Salmon Fly " that helped put us on the map of the fly fishing industry, created by the world famous "Todd Moen". The video has over 2 1/2 million views on YouTube. Last but not least, we were truly blessed to be featured on the Fly Rod Chronicles TV show, with host Curtis Fleming on 2 separate shows: Accolades of Honor, and As Veterans of Standing Rock Reservation for the North Dakota Access Pipeline (NODAPL).
In today's times, I feel that we all must know the limitations of our natural resources. Each day, our own survival is at stake from the continued destruction & daily pollution. So there is more to than just being an angler, we also have to be the caretakers for the next generations. We can all be the best anglers in the world, yet it will not matter if all the fish are gone. So it's our duty to protect our natural resources, it is our life, our future, our children's future!
-- Elke Littleleaf
