Matthew Lewis, PhD
“I take infinite pains to know all the phenomena of the spring, for instance, thinking that I have here the entire poem, and then, to my chagrin, I hear that it is but an imperfect copy that I possess and have read, that my ancestors have torn out many of the first leaves and grandest passages, and mutilated it in many places.”
MATTHEW LEWIS, PhD, grew up in rural south Alabama hunting and fishing. He is an avid fly fisher and outdoorsman. Matthew obtained a degree in cell biology from Huntingdon College, and a master’s in fisheries and PhD in genetics from Auburn University. He received the Presidential Graduate Research Fellowship award. Matthew developed an affinity for redeye bass, or “Alabama brook trout” as they called due to the fact they are found in small streams and rarely grow larger than twelve inches. He has written a number of articles, and is the author of the book, Fly Fishing for Redeye Bass: An Adventure Across Southern Waters. Matthew co-founded a program in 2018 called Redeye Bass Slam, which challenges fly fishers to catch all seven species of redeye bass in a year to help draw attention to the fish. He assumed the role of NFCs National Vice Chair - South in late 2022. Matthew is also on NFCs National Advisory Council as a warmwater species and genetics specialist, and was the founding Chair for NFCs Alabama chapter, serving through 2022. He can be reached at Info@NativeFishCoalition.org
