Adirondack Adventures: Zac Horrocks

“I started working there, off the books, when I was 6 years old,” Zac recalls. “I’d wash out the canoes and get everything going, and in return they’d send me out with a fly rod or a tin of worms. They were just trying to get me out of their hair for the day.” As Zac puts it, he has explored Adirondack Park’s vast fishery since he was old enough to crawl into a kayak. 

Zac grew up surrounded by great anglers, and he attributes much of his fishing knowledge to his older mentors. “A lot of my mentorship came from old timers, all really good at fishing but all very guarded, very secretive. I got to take in all the different styles they wouldn’t talk to each other about — but at age 6, I was just a fly on the wall.” As Zac got older, all this observation allowed him to take on more responsibility around the shop. He started going out on guided trips at just 13 years old — an early introduction to what would become his career. 

When he wasn’t at the shop, Zac recalls frequent fishing trips with his dad. “It’s been a tradition since I was a little kid. My dad and I would go down south to fish the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby. I’m 36 and this is going to be my 34th Derby.” These trips (sometimes as long as 6 weeks at a time) occasionally got in the way of his schooling, but they taught him a great deal about the value of travel and experiences. Zac was taught that “traveling and getting perspective — having time with your family — it’s the most important thing you can do. My parents were professional sailors— they were always adamant, ‘spend your retirement when you’re young. Don’t wait until you’re too old to do what you always wanted to do.’” 

Zac took his parents’ advice to heart. When he turned 18, Zac bought Jones Outfitters, got his guide’s license and broke into the guiding business full time. Since then, he’s balanced his guide life with a professional skiing career. “On the winter side of my life, I’ve been on the world freeskiing tour and a professional mogul skier for my whole adult life. It’s always kept things fresh. When I skied for 5 or 6 months, I was beat to hell and ready to go fishing. After I fished for 6 months, I was ready to get my skis on and go scare myself.” It’s a balance few people have the energy to maintain, but for someone as vivacious as Zac, it works. 

During the summer months, Zac practically lives on the water. He aims to do 175 trips in 100 days — as many as 5 trips per day, from the hours of 4am to 8pm. His home territory, the 6 million acre Adirondack Park, is home to some of the most breathtaking rivers and lakes on the planet — and Zac has spent his life exploring as much of it as he can. He finds joy in sharing this incredible fishery with others. “A successful day for me is when people are already talking about the next day or the fishing. I always ask, ‘Did you get a lot out of this? Did you enjoy this?’ I want it to be a really positive experience.” 

At the center of Zac’s work is a desire to keep the history and traditions of the Adirondack Park fishery alive and well. He started The Ripple Effect, a nonprofit organization geared towards giving local children access to Lake Placid’s incredible waters. “A lot of the knowledge is passed down by word of mouth. It’s not written down, it’s not in books. My goal is to make sure that, when my day is done, the traditions of how we fish and protect our fishery live on.” He teaches fly tying, technique on the water, and equips children with all the gear they need to fish on their own. He hopes to instill confidence in children’s outdoor skills — whether it leads to a lifelong path, a summer job, or just the knowledge of how to fish. 

The Ripple Effect is just one facet of the investment Zac has made in the Lake Placid community. His career has taken him all over the world, guiding in Mexico, Belize, Japan, Alaska, and nearby Martha’s Vineyard, but his business remains in Adirondack Park. He’s taken pieces from each of these experiences to make his Adirondack guided trips even more successful, and much of his work now is devoted to maintaining the remarkable fishery that he calls home. “I’ve been working with the state to remove a lot of the tournament fishing, to make the fishery catch-and-release, to get back to the Adirondack Park that’s truly about the water.” At times, Zac has had to reconcile this conservation effort with the excitement and desires of his clients. He says, “It can be hard to have someone catch a 30-pound fish and tell them ‘Okay, time to put it back and move to a new area.’ But the breeding population is only between 60 and 80 fish… If we lose that breeding population, we’re in a really tough way.” 

Between all the work that Zac does in the Adirondacks, he finds plenty of time to explore some of the world’s best fisheries. In August of 2025, he’ll be heading down to Kendjam Lodge in Brazil for a week of fishing and exploration in the Amazon rainforest. Zac has partnered with AnyCreek to host this once-in-a-life-time trip, and he’ll bring all of his fly fishing experience to one of the most remote fishing lodges on the planet. To read more about this opportunity to fish with Zac at Kendjam Lodge, click here. 

Whether you catch him in Brazil or out on Lake Placid, Zac is a wonderful person to fish with and learn from. He is thrilled to be hosting a trip to Kendjam Lodge and can’t wait to explore this hidden gem within the Brazilian Amazon along with a group of fellow anglers. Check out our introduction to Kendjam Lodge, and don’t miss the chance to fish with Zac Horrocks in one of the world’s most pristine and untouched locations.