Meet Our Staff

David Leake has nearly twenty years of experience in the fly fishing travel and retail industry. In addition to being the owner of the company, David is the director of operations in the Travel Department at Tailwaters. David has traveled throughout the world developing our travel offerings, including Alaska, Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Seychelles, Venezuela, and of course all through the United States. David is the copywriter for all of Tailwaters brochures, pre-trip information, and editorial content for the company. David is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, and has three children, Lynsie, Patrick, and Sam, with his wife, Melissa.

Neil has been a long-time, loyal customer since our early days on McKinney Ave, and joined Tailwaters full-time as our General Manager in Fall 2019. In addition to being an avid fly fisherman, Neil brings a wealth of operations and business development experience to our team from his time as a multi-store restaurant owner/operator. With a warm and lovable personality, Neil lives for customer service, building relationships, and maintaining a happy and productive work environment at the shop. After attending Texas Tech University, Neil spent time in Telluride, Colorado working for San Miguel Angler. Neil has two decades of experience fishing for trout in Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, California, Montana, and Arkansas and handles the travel program for The White River Trout Club as well as assisting in Tailwaters Montana offerings.

These days, if not in the shop, you will likely find Neil in Vail Valley with his family, chasing Permit in Ascension Bay on a hosted trip, or on the Texas coast in search of tailing Redfish. Neil also sits on the board for Borracho Pescador, an organization that combines a passion for fly fishing with raising awareness and fund-raising for Rett Syndrome, Texas Children's Hospital and Marfan Syndrome – chiefly through the organization’s charitable redfish tournament each year in Port O’Connor, Texas. Additionally, Neil also is an advisory member and on the board of directors for The Rising Tide Fund with a commitment to supporting the local community of Punta Allen and conservation in the Sian Ka’an, which is home to the Palometa Club.

Neil resides in East Dallas with his wife Lauren, their two daughters, Hazel and Winnie, their son, Townes, and Brittany Doodle, Trout.

Kristian has been an integral member of the Tailwaters team since joining part-time in January 2016. Over the years, he has taken on a variety of leadership roles within the company, bringing both deep product knowledge and contagious enthusiasm to the sales floor.

As Tailwaters’ Buyer and Travel Associate, Kristian oversees the shop’s buying operations and ensures our travel clients are fully outfitted for adventures around the globe. He also helped develop our fly-tying program and co-founded the membership-based Dallas Tyers Club, which continues to grow as one of our most popular community offerings.

With extensive experience traveling to world-class destinations—including Bolivia, Alaska, Argentina, Ascension Bay, and the Seychelles—Kristian is well-equipped to lead international hosted trips and provide clients with firsthand expertise.

Outside of work, Kristian enjoys time with his wife, Lauren, their one-year-old daughter, Sonny, and their two pups, Eddie and Hendrix. Whether you’re a seasoned angler or brand new to the sport, Kristian’s passion, experience, and easygoing demeanor ensure you’re perfectly geared up for your next Tailwaters adventure.

Ana started working for us in May of 2016. Before coming to Tailwaters, Ana worked at a wildly successful, web-based children’s clothing company learning her way around e-commerce and social media platform sales. While Ana is a huge asset in helping to manage the day-to-day in our travel department, she also plays the main role in developing and managing our web store, assisting with event organization, generally keeping the office running smoothly, and so much more. She wears a lot of hats and can be counted on for just about anything…. including bringing homemade baked goodies up to the shop! Ana was born and raised in Dallas, is a graduate of John Brown University in Northwest Arkansas, and is a huge Razorback fan.Ana is also an active leader in the Tailwaters Ladies Club, with 100 members and growing. If you see Ana with her shiny pink Abel, beware, she might out fish you!

Sean leads our local guide trips and helps on the sales floor when he’s not on the water. Sean has two decades of experience working in fly shops and brings a vast knowledge of products and destinations to the team. He also lends a hand with education and is an instructor for our schools and clinics. Sean’s travels have allowed him to fish for a variety of species. He has been able to catch steelhead in Oregon, permit in Mexico, tarpon in Florida, and golden dorado in Bolivia. His favorite species are both Texas natives: the largemouth bass and coastal Redfish.

Sean lives in Dallas with his wife Shonda. He’s as passionate about barbeque as he is fishing, and will gladly man the smoker and grill for shop events.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Inocencio Narvaez Jr grew up chasing bass on the Brazos River and on his family’s ranch pond near Hillsboro. Over time, he’s built a deep passion for fly fishing—especially when it comes to targeting largemouth bass with a fly rod. While he’s spent plenty of days chasing trout out West, his true obsession is sight-fishing anything that swims along the Gulf of Mexico, from Florida to Texas.

As much as he loves having a fly rod in his hand, Inocencio’s just as passionate about being behind the camera. He’s always looking for the next shot that captures the energy, beauty, and challenge of time spent on the water. When he’s not fishing, you’ll probably find him running or training for his next race, or practicing baseball with his little brother, Chris. For him, life’s all about staying active, staying outside, and making the most of every adventure.

After practicing law for 12 years, Rebecca transitioned into the fly fishing industry to pursue a longtime passion for fishing and time on the water. Although she grew up conventional fishing in Port O’Connor, Texas, her introduction to fly fishing came after taking her first lesson at Tailwaters many years ago — an experience that ultimately led to a complete career change.

In addition to helping customers on the shop floor, Rebecca helps anglers coordinate and plan fly fishing trips around the world as a member of the Tailwaters Travel team. She - along with Ana from the shop - also lead the charge on the Tailwaters Ladies Club.

For the past five summers, Rebecca heads north to serve as a fly fishing guide at some of the most established fly out lodges in Alaska. This season, she will be at Rainbow River Lodge. She also hosts a number of saltwater trips each year, including the popular Iguana Island Invitational - an all-female fly fishing tournament held at The Palometa Club in Ascension Bay, Mexico.

Jeff is a legend, having been on the local fly fishing scene for over 25 years. Jeff’s early days in Dallas shops started at Orvis Dallas as Fishing Manager and onward to Westbank Anglers/Blue Drake Outfitters in Inwood Village, before becoming Tailwaters in 2018. Jeff spent the previous 12 years in sales, marketing, design, and product development with Temple Fork Outfitters. Jeff’s fishing resume covers Baja, Belize, the Bahamas, Canada, the Amazon, and fisheries across the United States. Jeff’s domestic fly fishing destinations include Florida, Louisiana, Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, N. Carolina, Connecticut, New Mexico, Arizona, and multiple Texas locations. His upbeat attitude, friendly smile, and deep knowledge and passion for the world of retail, fly fishing, fly tying, all-level casting instruction, and customer service make him an invaluable member of the Tailwaters team. Jeff’s been a sought-after casting instructor for 20+ years and is great with all skill levels. If not in the shop, Jeff enjoys his down time outfitting his Mid Century modern home with vintage furniture, vinyl, and other collectibles. He resides with his wife Joanne and their pup Penny.

Michael joined the Tailwaters team in the early Summer of 2025 and has been an outstanding addition from the Free Agent market. He adds a healthy amount of fishing knowledge to our team, with over 15 years of fly fishing experience that spills over into his passion to provide a high level retail service and expertise on our sales floor. He thrives at customer service accompanied by his southern hospitality. Michael has developed into a well traveled angler and is an experienced angler and outdoorsman hailing from Pittsburg, Texas, His adventures have taken him from the Canadian Rockies in search of bull trout to the southern coast of Belize, where he’s spent countless hours sight-fishing for tarpon, permit, and bonefish.

Outside of fishing, Michael is an avid student of U.S. and Texas history and a dedicated upland and waterfowl hunter. His curiosity for the past and passion for the outdoors reflect the same thoughtful, patient approach he brings to the water—always eager to learn, explore, and share the stories that make each place unique.

Bryson, originally from Middle Tennessee, has been a passionate fly angler for over 17 years. His perspective is shaped by years spent guiding and fishing across a wide range of fisheries. He has guided in Alaska for 10 seasons, including serving as Head Guide at Iliamna River Lodge, and also guides in Port O’Connor, Texas for saltwater species. At Tailwaters, he enjoys helping anglers feel confident and prepared, whether they’re choosing gear, dialing in techniques, or planning their next trip. When he and his wife, Rebecca, have free time, they’re either fishing or wrangling their wild Golden Retriever, Dallas.