Catching Sydney Luiz on the Fly
February 24, 2026 - Angelica Lux
Unicoi Outfitters guide Sydney Luiz makes the shift from Columbus, Georgia to the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in North Georgia, gaining an understanding for the importance guiding has on fellow fly fishers.
Luiz learned about fly fishing from her father. Before it did not seem to be of interest to her. Eventually, it became her favorite hobby. As skilled as she is, Luiz picked up the hobby just three years ago.
Even with her father being a constant fly fisher, the sport seemed foreign. That was until Luiz went on a guided trip on the Tuckasegee River in North Carolina with her father for her 20th birthday. There she learned about drifting flies and casting, different from fishing on a lake which she was used to. After that trip, it all clicked for her.
Portrait of Sydney Luiz holding a rainbow trout in front of the dam on the Chattachoochee River in Helen, Georgia. // Angelica Lux
On her guided trip, Luiz caught all the species of trout, rainbow, brown, and brook, otherwise known as a slam. Catching three species instantly piqued her interest to pursue the hobby of fly fishing.
“It was just one of those perfect trip situations and maybe it spoiled me a bit, but I knew that I definitely wanted to go back and do it again after that,” says Luiz about her first experience fly fishing. “I learned a lot through trial and error and just getting out there doing it all the time. It started from that first trip where I got obsessed right off the bat.”
Even with easy access, the fishing did not stop there. Luiz explored everything North Georgia had to offer for fly fishers, fishing in Rabun County, Habersham County, White County, and even into North Carolina.
“I found out you can catch wild brook trout, and once I caught my first native brook trout I was like oh my gosh this is all that I want to do,” Luiz says on her experience fishing small creeks for wild and native trout. “Even if it is a little wild rainbow trout, I get so pumped up about a three or four inch fish.”
Luiz spontaneously moved from Columbus to Clarksville to attend North Georgia Technical College for photography, with little to no knowledge of the area. After learning about the Soque River’s public water being just five minutes off campus, it became an often adventure for her.
“I would go on my lunch break, every day after school, if I had a day off, I was there. I just loved bouncing around everywhere and learning about those different waters and little creeks.”
With her passion for fly fishing growing, Luiz began taking photos for guided trips in the area. Doing this helped show her how impactful guided trips can be for people. After her time at North Georgia Technical College came to an end, she worked in Blue Ridge at an outfitters, On The Fly Excursions, working retail and some wading trips on the Toccoa River.
Shortly after, Luiz started working at Unicoi Outfitters in Helen as a guide on the Chattahoochee River. Being a guide, Luiz gained a sense of purpose. Growing up fishing on the tailwaters of the Chattahoochee, guiding on the same water felt more personal to her.
“Helping people catching trout on the same waters I grew up on felt super special to me.”
Luiz finds happiness and belonging when guiding people. “Seeing the smiles on people's faces made me happy, even if I was not the one fishing…it feels really cool to be a part of that and to be the person that is sparking that for them.”
While facing challenges such as stigmas around women in the fly fishing world, Luiz overcomes every challenge with a smile by reminding herself why fly fishing and guiding is important to her. Guiding anyone from kids, to beginners, to older folks, Luiz feels that she has found her purpose.
“When I guide kids…I do not get in my head like oh I wish I would have been their age when I started…” with Luiz starting the sport only three years ago. “It is just really cool to be the person that introduces it to them…it is an exciting thing to get people started on this journey of fly fishing.”
Luiz is often helping with communities within the fly fishing world, such as Veterans Fly Fishing, Georgia Women’s Fly Fishing, and Casting For Recovery. She finds spending time with people helps bring those communities together and makes bigger impacts on and off the river.
“Bringing people together, helping them get through hard times, it really is a life changing thing and it might really help somebody. It is insane to know that you impact someone’s life like that, so you never know…that is where I get my enthusiasm from because I want them to be as stoked about it as I am whenever they are doing it.”
Sydney Luiz continues her passion for fly fishing as she still works at Unicoi Outfitters as a guide, going fishing as much as she can and has become no stranger to the waters in North Georgia. Luiz always reminds herself about how far she has come and the impact she has made on people’s lives by teaching them the sport, just as she was guided into loving fly fishing.
Action shot of Luiz fighting a fish on the reel ready to net it. // Angelica Lux
Mid-cast up stream as Luiz focuses on her accuracy and percision with her line. // Angelica Lux
Luiz in front of a rapid while side arm casting. // Angelica Lux
A portrait of Luiz showing the streamer fly before she ties it into her line. // Angelica Lux
Close up of the Luiz holding the tail a rainbow trout, highlighting the vibrant colors. // Angelica Lux
Luiz standing on rock in front of the dam on the Chattahoochee River fishing the rapids in front of her. // Angelica Lux
Luiz using a different technique of fly fishing by stripping her line instead of letting her fly naturally drift in the current. // Angelica Lux
“I think about that guy that took me on my first trip and honestly, I want to go back and thank him and tell him where he took me by getting into fly fishing. I would love to let him know that I am also guiding now because of him…it was life changing for me and he does not even know it.”
All smiles from Luiz as she catches her final rainbow trout of the day off the Chattahoochee River in same spot she takes her clients to for her guided trips. // Angelica Lux