JAMES HARTLEY

JAMES HARTLEY was born and raised in Fairmont, West Virginia. His dad got him into fishing at a young age, and he credits this with helping him navigate the perils of his teenage years safely. James knew from an early age that he wanted to pursue a path that would give back to his passion and hobby so others could enjoy the resource. James was also was interested in aquaculture, and how it could be used to restore native fish populations. This led to him earning a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries at West Virginia University. Upon graduating, James took a job at Rutgers University in Cape May, New Jersey, where he worked as a lab technician at a research and commercial shellfish hatchery for three years. James recently moved back to WV to spend more time with family, and prepare for graduate school at West Liberty where he will study endangered crawfish and work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to produce a protocol for a breeding program. James currently works at Natives Fly Fishing Shop in Fairmont, WV. He can be reached at Info@nativefishcoalition.org