Robert H. McConnell was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania. It was in the shadow of the Allegheny Mountains where he developed an affinity for fishing and the outdoors. In college, Robert pursued a degree in geology, one of the only majors that offered frequent field trips to the great outdoors. After graduating, Robert began a career in the oil and gas industry, which brought him to the wilds of northern Pennsylvania. He began fly fishing in earnest after discovering the joys of hiking into remote streams in pursuit of native brook trout. In 2014, Robert and his wife, Ellen, moved from their home in rural Pennsylvania to Houston, Texas, where they reside today. Robert continues his passion for fly fishing, but instead of chasing native brook trout, he now pursues the multitude of warmwater fish species that live in the waterways surrounding Houston. Robert especially enjoys exploring the more remote waterways, including those in the Pineywoods of East Texas. Robert is also the author of Fly Fishing the Sam: A Guidebook to Exploring the Creeks, Rivers, and Bayous of Sam Houston National Forest.