James was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and was introduced to fly fishing by his dad when he was ten years-old. Growing up with a cabin in the east Kootenays, James first fell in love with fly fishing chasing cutthroat trout around alpine streams. 

Nowadays, James loves to fly fish all around, with his favourite species being bull trout but still having a love for other fish like pike, browns, rainbows, and a dream of eventually other saltwater species.