For G. Loomis Elite Ambassador Jeff Legutki, the Everglades are much more than just a place — they are a profound part of his identity and life journey. This vast and intricate ecosystem showcasing an endless maze of mangrove islands and brackish waters blending into the Gulf of Mexico has been Legutki’s home since he was a teenager. As a professional guide, the Everglades serve as his office and classroom, where he imparts the knowledge needed to find success in this ultra-demanding environment. Yet, it is also his sanctuary — a place for personal escape, therapy, and adventure.
"After 24 years of guiding here, I still look forward to days off between trips to get out with the wifey, Christina. It's the place I taught her how to flyfish, cutting her teeth in the tangled Islands of the Everglades. Watching her grow as an angler over the years. Improving her skills. Tangling with fish that weigh more than she does, making new memories that will linger forever in a little lost cove deep in the backcountry. To this day, the Everglades is still a special place with a sense of adventure. Never knowing what's around the next corner or what you will see beyond the next bend. The Everglades is where I create and define myself as a guide, as a teacher, or as an angler myself. In the end, the Everglades is where I had to go to get lost to the point where I eventually found myself. It shaped me into who I am today." - Jeff Legutki
The award-winning NRX+ S series of saltwater fly rods are the ultimate tools for punching accurate casts into mangroves or making delicate presentations to skittish fish in shallow back bay flats. This is why Jeff always keeps a fleet of NRX+ S on his skiff for his clients. Versatility is vital when crushing variables in harsh angling scenarios — especially in the Everglades.