About — Cumberland Troutfitters

your guide

Hagan Wonn is the owner and operator of Cumberland Troutfitters. Hagan has nearly 30 years of experience guiding fly anglers for a variety of species in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Montana, including over 20 years of guiding on the cumberland river. Hagan introduced drift boat fishing to the Cumberland River in 1998 after guiding on montana rivers during college. you will enjoy the comfort and stability of his beautiful 16' wooden boat designed and crafted by Stu Williams, of The Montana Boat Company (montanaboat.com). This boat is a "cadillac of fly fishing", and there is not a better way to see a river. hagan has worked in the fly fishing retail business, has tied flies commercially, and has taught various fly fishing and fly tying classes and clinics. he has also been featured in a number of fly fishing publications and outdoor programs over the years. his wealth of experience in fly fishing and fly casting instruction, along with his interesting stories and mostly funny jokes, will make a day spent with him invaluable. as one longtime client once said, "a day spent with hagan is never a day wasted!"

Hagan grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, and currently resides in Somerset, with his wife Laura, their two children caleb and pearl, and numerous critters, including a black lab named yaz who deserves honorable mention. when hagan is not on the water, he works as a professional forester who purchases and manages hardwood timberland in Kentucky and Tennessee.

the cumberland river

the cumberland river has many faces from it's headwaters high in the mountains of harlan county 688 miles to it's confluence with the ohio river near paducah. as the river and it's tributaries descend from the mountains onto the cumberland plateau, wolf creek dam collects the water into lake cumberland, a recreational paradise that is kentucky's largest and deepest lake and one of the largest man-made lakes in the eastern u.s. the tailwater below wolf creek dam is the section of river that hagan focuses his guiding. this 75-mile stretch of river from wolf creek dam to the tennessee state line is fed by the cold, clear waters at the depths of lake cumberland. the national fish hatchery at the base of the dam raises and stocks around 250,000 fish into the river annually. many of these fish survive and thrive in the clean, cold water and grow to impressive size. the state record rainbow trout (over 14 pounds), the state record brown trout (over 21 pounds), and the state record brook trout (over 3 pounds) were all taken from the cumberland river. trophy regulations on the river have led to a quality trout fishery that is considered one of the finest tailwaters in the country. although an easy drive from many metropolitan centers, the cumberland is also "close to nowhere", and maintains a remote feel reminiscent of a different time and place. quietly floating the river in a drift boat allows you to truly appreciate the incredible setting, and provides a unique experience each and every day.

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