In this edition of our esteemed fly tyer series, we’re delighted to introduce Lance Kittel, renowned as the mastermind behind “@pesca_vida” on Instagram. We had the privilege of delving into Lance’s world, exploring his passion for fly tying, his unique creations, and his craftsmanship in crafting custom fly rods. Dive into the full interview to discover more about Lance!
Flylords: Lance, tell us a little about yourself.
Kittel: I was born and raised on the front range of Colorado, and have always been a wilderdude. I loved exploring nature as a child and never shook that drive to be outside. Fly fishing was introduced to me around age 9, and by 10 I was tying my first flies on a cheap vise with questionable materials – perfect for the beginner! As years went on and I grew into teenage years, I turned away from the vise and rod to cause a ruckus and be a general menace to society, as teens often do.
At 18 I moved to Gunnison, Colorado to attend Western Colorado University. It was there where I rekindled my childhood love for the outdoors – how could you not in a place like Gunnison? Fly fishing re-entered my life when I began dating my now-wife in 2016. Our dates revolved around exploring creeks and camping, which turned into a mutual love for time together on the water. We built a relationship on our love for the outdoors while I studied the same in class – I graduated from Western with a Bachelor’s in Environmental Biology/Ecology, and a Master’s in Global Sustainability. With fishing came purchasing another cheap Cabela’s vise and re-learning the craft I first picked up over a decade prior. I began learning contemporary patterns and new materials that hadn’t been available to me as a child. I spun up some pretty terrible bugs to save us some money and in turn, was back behind the vise with energy and drive to learn more.
Now, my wife and I still live in central Colorado. We got married on the banks of the Arkansas River, and we get to live our best life together – our fishing life. Or, as I like to call it, Pescavida.
Flylords: What is Pesca Vida and how did it come about?
Kittel: @pesca_vida came about from a series of serendipitous events rather than a single moment in time. Let me set the scene:
As a child, I dreamed of exploring tropical rainforests around the world, especially Costa Rica. The draw to the jungle was always deeply rooted in my dreams, I’m honestly not sure why. But I knew that one day, I would roam these environments driven by exploration and discovery. In 2014, at 21 years old, I lost my mom to health issues. It rattled me quite a bit to say the least. After a lengthy multi-year probate process, I sold her belongings, said parting words to my childhood home, and left to start the next chapter of life. That next chapter starts with me doing what any normal young 20-somethings would do: buy a treehouse in the jungles of Costa Rica.
At the time, I would visit the treehouse twice per year and rent it out the remaining time, which afforded me a few plane tickets to return. I would explore the jungle viciously, spending hours wandering around the trails, or senderos, that cut through the treehouse community. These explorations would also include fishing the river for Machaca and Tepemechin, two freshwater species that are similar to trout in their capture and fights. Needless to say, in the face of my world flipping upside down at the loss of my mom, I flipped my own world and fulfilled that childhood dream.
Costa Rica has a saying, Pura Vida. The saying is more meant to describe a way of life – content, good vibes, enjoying life as you see fit. In all of my time exploring, fly fishing the jungle was my favorite way to immerse. Pescavida is derived from Pura Vida, and describes the healing I found in the jungle, the explorations I went on to find fish, and the way I have chosen to live life.
Nowadays, @pesca_vida is the name for my fly tying and rod building business. It’s rooted in those moments in the jungle, and that passion can be found in the flies I tie, the rods I make, and the educational content I put out to the world.
Flylords: How did you get into fly fishing?
Kittel: I really only have my wife to blame for this one! In seriousness, I still remember my wife sending the text during our early conversations that read, “Do you know how to fly fish?” She was learning at the time and I hadn’t been fishing seriously since my youth. I still had my gear from those years though, so we went out on a creeking expedition for one of our first dates, and it’s been all downhill ever since.
Flylords: Where do you get inspiration to tie new patterns?
Kittel: I’m fortunate to be surrounded by seriously skilled fly tiers and share a community with both beginners and professionals. I draw a lot of inspiration from others on social media, and spend a lot of my content production time trying to inspire others as well. I also draw a ton of energy and inspiration from the folks I tie alongside at shows like The Fly Fishing Show. I shared a table with Jeff Rowley last year in Denver, and that was an incredibly humbling experience. He’s so skilled with materials that intimidate me to this day. The further the boundaries are pushed, the more I aim to push myself to learn more. I absolutely would not be a skilled tier without the fly tying community.
Flylords: If you had to pick one rig what would it be: dry flies, streamers, nymphs, or dry- dropper?
Kittel: Streamers all day, in all of their forms. I know Colorado me wants to say dry-dropper, but I can’t ignore the fun and rush that comes with fishing streamers. From fishing big shnasties on the Green to ripping EP minnows on the flats, I’ve absolutely fallen for streamers. I love to tie them, I love to fish them. My first co-branded tying material was Pescavida Streamer Straggle, which makes some great flies.
Flylords: You make custom rods too, tell us more.
Kittel: I do! I guess I just like making cool stuff when it comes down to it. I love making rods, and I love it even more when I can make them bright, colorful, and in-your-face. I started making rods in 2017 and always pushed a bit on what a fly rod is “supposed” to look like. I make my own handles as well and use a ton of methods to make eye-catching fly rods. My favorite build was made in collaboration with AriZona Iced Tea. It matches their colorways to a T (literally) and I had too much fun making that one. I’ve been hard at work fine-tuning a Pescavida rod line that is slated to release in 2024. These rods aren’t your every day work horses; they’re visually attractive, perform like a high-end rod, and offer more personality than your standard fly rod.
Flylords: What does fly tying mean to you?
Kittel: To me, fly tying is an expression of creativity, understanding of tools and materials, and connection to the natural world. It always starts out as “this will save me money” and maybe for some, it does. But for me, tying flies gives me an attention to detail, an understanding of the nuance between materials, and inspiration to create something new. It’s more of a practice than a perfection, and I hope I never perfect fly tying.
Flylords: How can people find you?
Kittel: I’m all over the place! You can find my flies and rods available at Pescavida.net. On Instagram and TikTok I’m @pesca_vida, and my YouTube channel is Pesca_vida.
Special thanks to Lance Kittel for his time and the interview. If you’re ever trying to gain experience, wanting to learn a new hobby, or check out some of Lance’s work, be sure to follow him on Instagram @pesca_vida.
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