MOP FLY PRODUCTIONS
Mop Fly Productions (MFP) was brought to life by the spirit of it's own namesake. Unconventional, the mop fly catches flack from fly fishing purists, but no one can argue that this funky little fly is incredibly effective, has a diverse range of applications, is adored by many, and it simply gets the job done. MFP is just that in a nutshell. Our content covers all aspects of fly fishing, from tying knots to tying flies, traditional trout fishing to targeting unusual species, successes and failures, and all of the small but very meaningful moments in between that make this sport so special. Passion for fly fishing, the outdoors, community, and connection is the common thread running through all that MFP creates, and we're excited to share it with you.
TANNER BARBEAU
MORGAN BARBEAU
Barbeau is a French name derived from 'barbel,' a type of fish and nickname for fishermen. There's no arguing that Tanner lives up to his last name. Growing up in Farmington, New Mexico, he spent his early years on the San Juan River tailwater, as well as various mountain creeks in southern Colorado with his father, fly rod in hand.
Shortly after high school, Tanner moved to Colorado, where his passion for the sport kicked into overdrive. Any spare time was spent intently studying techniques, learning how to tie flies, exploring new fisheries, and applying all that on the water any chance he could. He eventually started guiding for a couple local fly shops, managing fly fishing programs for private waters, and teaching kids how to tie flies.
Even after immersing himself in the fly fishing world for most of his life, Tanner still finds plenty of new things to learn and get excited about. But hands down, his specialties have to be finding unconventional places to fish, and finding unconventional fish to chase. The less information about a place or species, the better. Tanner loves the challenge of figuring out how to succeed in uncharted places, and it inspires friends and fellow fishermen to do the same.
While she grew up bass fishing on the Sacramento Delta with her father, fly fishing was a relatively new concept to Morgan until Tanner started showing her the ropes of mending the line. What started out as a cute date on the river quickly transformed into a full-on obsession with the sport. You could say Tanner created a (fly fishing) monster of his own design.
After an abrupt end to a nearly 10 year tech career in January 2023 (read: mass tech layoffs), Morgan started fly fishing like it was her job and really hasn't looked back. Since then, she's fished trout streams all over the West, thrown streamers at aggressive pike, snuck up on carp, experienced the excitement of a bonefish run, and has made invaluable connections and amazing friends in the fly fishing community along the way. In the rare moments that she's not out fishing, you're likely to find her thinking about the next fishing trip, snuggled up on the couch under a blanket with a book, or wandering around in the woods with Tanner and the dogs.
THE DOGS
The Mop Fly story wouldn't be complete without a quick shoutout about our boys. Both named after 80s cult classic films, Willow (Husky/Malamut/Gray Wolf) and Bueller (German Shepherd/Lab/Golden) dictate a lot of our fishing trips because we want them to be able to join whenever possible. They may seem like an unlikely pair, but these two are true brothers and have taught each other both good and bad habits. As a duo, some of their favorite activities include chasing deer out of the yard, chasing each other, barking at other dogs from the car window, begging for snacks, and peeing on the same bushes. It's adorable.