From Creeks to Confidence: Brandi Amoia's Fly Fishing Journey

The Fly Box LLC
May 22, 2025
5 min read

This interview was conducted by The Fly Box and featured in Casts That Care, our charity-driven fly fishing newsletter.

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Brandi Amoia didn’t grow up in fly fishing, but she grew up in water. Bluegills, perch, bass, if it had fins and swam in a Buffalo-area pond, she probably chased it.

But like many of us, her angling habits were seasonal. When the water iced over, fishing slowed, and eventually, so did her interest. Then one day, her fiancé Sam (known in the fly fishing community as @creeks_and_critters) handed her a fly rod.

"It looked weird," she said, watching the thick line whip through the air. But the curiosity won out. She gave it a shot.

And it was chaos. Flies in trees. Tangles everywhere. Hats and shoulders getting snagged. “I never felt so defeated in my life,” she added. But that challenge lit a fire.

Two years later, fly fishing is no longer a struggle, and now it’s part of who she is.

The First Catch That Changed Everything

After countless false casts and hours of frustration, something clicked. She watched her indicator disappear beneath the water and shouted, “I have a fish, Sam!” It was a 3-inch brown trout.

That tiny trout lifted a weight she didn’t know she was carrying. “Who knew a 3-inch trout could change someone’s whole life?”. In that moment, fly fishing stopped being something she was trying and became something she belonged to.

The Comfort of Small Creeks

Brandi found her rhythm in the intimate world of small creeks. She admitted that being smaller in stature sometimes made her nervous about navigating deep or uncertain water. Small creeks, with their compact nature and quiet charm, became her sanctuary.

“I believe small creeks have everything compacted into this small unique world that I feel comfortable in,”

But the creeks offer more than safety. They’re filled with overlooked beauty, bugs, birds, small plants, and trees that many people pass by. “I feel at peace when I’m finally in a world full of more animals and plants than people.”

From Borrowed Tools to Full Obsession

Fly tying started with borrowed equipment. Sam’s desk. Sam’s vise. But before long, Amoia was diving headfirst into patterns, techniques, and materials.

Watching Sam catch fish on his own bugs inspired her to learn the craft herself. Articulated streamers became her favorite obsession, and she fell down the proverbial rabbit hole of Kelly Galloup books and YouTube tutorials.

“Tying flies has altered my brain,” she said. “It’s made it easy to understand what I’m doing when I pull up to a creek for my all-day adventure.”

Brandi now shares many of those flies online—some on her own page, others through her fiancé’s brand, Creeks and Critters. Whether it’s for followers, friends, or future customers, her work is out there catching fish and attention. It’s a creative outlet, a learning tool, and a connection point all at once.

A Moment of Silence

Not every memory comes from the fish. Sometimes, it’s about the peace.

A trip to Allegheny in September stood out. The creek was narrow, the trees closed in, and the machines from her 50-hour workweek were nowhere to be heard. “All you could hear was silence and water,”

For someone who works around 60 loud CNC Swiss machines all week, that silence meant everything. “Just having that little break of pure bliss is a necessity.”

Dream Destinations

Amoia’s fly fishing dreams pull her in two directions: tropical and mountainous. She wants to wade the flats in the Keys for bonefish and tarpon. She also dreams of British Columbia, chasing bull trout in the woods.

“I’m always torn between a warm beachy place and an in-the-woods fishing trip,” she said. Either way, it’s about the fish—and the escape.

Fishing Behind the Lens

Long before she picked up a fly rod, Brandi picked up a camera. She started with her mom’s Kodak, taking pictures of flowers and bugs. In high school and college, she moved into film photography, even developing prints.

But over time, the joy started to fade. “I took a super long break from my camera though since I felt so burnt out mentally,” she said. When she finally picked it back up, it was for bugs, fish, and rotting mushrooms on the trail. “I really enjoyed taking photos of the fish we caught, the bugs I saw, and the rotting mushrooms growing on the trees. I started to feel more adjusted to nature photography rather than sitting in a loud and dark room.”

Sharing to Inspire

Brandi never set out to become a social media presence. At first, she just wanted to share the fun. But that fun turned into a digital scrapbook, and eventually, a community.

She created a Facebook group called Buffalo NY Women on the Fly, hoping to inspire other women to pick up a rod, explore nature, and find the same healing she did.

“I just want the person that only sees negativity and dark days to have some sort of light... Fly fishing has cured that sort of low and emptiness I’ve been feeling for a long time.”

A Woman in the Industry

Being a woman in fly fishing hasn’t always been easy. But, Amoia says most of her experiences have been positive. She’s received more encouragement than criticism. Still, she knows that’s not true for everyone.

“There’s always a commentator out there... Someone is always going to say this or that. But at the end of the day, we are here to have fun.”

This sport, she believes, should be for everyone.

Advice for the Next One In

To the woman hesitating to start fly fishing, Brandi’s message is simple: just do it.

“It sounds cheesy,” she admits, “but you won't know unless you try.” She recalls casting line for three hours in her yard before something finally felt right.

“It’s tricky and not everyone will understand it on the first try—and that’s okay,” she said. “What’s really fascinating about this sport is you can always have room to grow and learn. It’s never ending.”

She recommends joining Facebook groups, asking questions, and pushing through the doubt. “At least 90% of the fly fishing world is probably the most underrated people you’ll meet.”

Beyond the Rod

When she’s not on the water, Brandi’s out in the world, hiking, camping, photographing bugs and fish, or riding bikes. She’s outdoors as much as possible, soaking up every quiet second of life away from noise and stress.

Her lifestyle is proof that fly fishing isn’t just a sport. It’s a gateway to living more intentionally. More observantly. More freely.

Where to Follow Brandi

Follow Brandi’s journey on Instagram and TikTok at @fishin_with_b. You can also see more of her and her fiancé’s adventures on @creeks_and_critters.

And if you’re a woman looking to get started in the sport, check out her Facebook group, Buffalo NY Women on the Fly.

Brandi’s story shows that you don’t have to grow up with a fly rod to become a fly angler. Sometimes, all it takes is one fish—no matter how small—to change everything.