Keith Bean - 2005 Sweden Championships Competitor

Keith Bean is an east Tennessee native and started fishing at the age of four with his father. His father was in the military so he has lived and fished through out the eastern United States. Keith currently resides in Sevierville Tennessee at the foothills of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He is employed by CPS Innovations in Knoxville Tennesee where he is a research and development technician. Keith is also a fly fishing guide for The Smoky Mountain Angler in Gatlinburg Tennessee. Keith started fishing in father and son bass tournaments at the age of 8 and has competed ever since. He picked up fly fishing 17 years ago, persuaded by a gentleman by the name of Don Stiles. Another mentor who was also a great inspiration is Thomas Randles, a former Fly Fishing Team USA competitor and shop owner in Gatlinburg. "Thomas taught me the more technical side of fly fishing" says Keith "and recommended me to Walter Ungermann for Fly Fishing Team USA." Walter is executive chairman for Fly Fishing Team USA.

In the spring of 2003 Walter Ungermann gave me a chance of a life time, a spot on Fly Fishing Team USA in The Jackson Hole Wyoming One Fly Event. "I was very excited about the opportunity as I had never fished out west." Keith won individual honors in the professional division and Team USA won the team event in the One Fly. "Fishing the One One Fly Event was a great experience and I thank my company, CTI Molecular, for sponsoring my participation in the event.

When he is not guiding he is fishing either in Tennessee, Virginia or North Carolina and not just for trout, but at times for smallmouth bass and other freshwater species. Keith has appeared on ESPN's Fly Fishing America and taught fly tying classes at Wilderness Wildlife week in Pigeon Forge Tennessee. When asked what it means to him to represent America in a World Fly Fishing Championship, Keith states "It's a great honor to represent my country doing what I really love to do and the friendships I've made along the way is an extra bonus to me. Everyone on Fly Fishing Team USA is exceptional, true gentlemen and great fisherman. "I look forward to traveling to Sweden in August 2005 to be able to fly fish with the Team again."