Diamondback Ambassador

Mike Loughran

fish

Buffalo, New York

Just a few years ago, Mike Loughran was happily following in his dad’s footsteps, working as a gym teacher in the suburbs of Buffalo. Mike’s parents both enjoyed long careers as educators - his mom was a principal - and Mike saw it as a noble calling. Teaching wasn’t Mike’s only calling, though. He had a nagging interest in wildlife and fishing. As a young kid, Mike would wander into bogs and do his best Steve Irvin impersonation, throwing caution to the wind in pursuit of wildlife. When Mike got his first car at 17, he promptly became his family’s first angler. On Christmas the following year, Mike’s parents gave him a fly rod and waders. Three hours later, he was standing in the river with a steelhead in his hands. That marked the beginning of the end of Mike’s other interests; hockey and soccer couldn’t compete. As often as he could be, Mike was in the water. In 2015, Mike posted his first video. Nothing special, just to save the memory. It was fun enough to keep doing it, but there was never a thought that it would replace his teaching gig. By 2021, Mike had an online audience larger than his school district. That’s when he began to take things seriously. More than just fishing videos, Mike offers deep insights and ultra-educational videos featuring some of America’s oddest critters. In 2023, he left the classroom for good and has been wandering our nation’s waterways since. Mike has been securing his tackle with the DiamondBack HD for years and he’s loved the setup as much as we’ve loved knowing him. We’re proud to have him on our team.

Buffalo, New York

If we unlocked your DiamondBack and checked out your gear, what would we find?

I primarily keep fishing, boating and camera supplies under my cover. It’s nice to know my expensive gear will still be there when I get back to my truck after a day on the water.

Where’s your favorite piece of land on earth?

It’s tough for me to pick a specific spot since there’s still so much I haven’t seen. I’ve been fortunate to spend my time in some amazing places. Grand Teton, Glacier National Park, the PNW and redwoods are all super cool. I love fishing in Florida, too. From the crystal clear springs to the swampy backwaters and then even down into the Keys…there is some great fishing there. My hometown is a special place since you can fish all four seasons and still expect to catch some incredible fish.

What’s the worst experience you’ve had outdoors? Has it changed how you’ve done things since?

My worst experience outdoors was when I was fishing for sturgeon in Oregon from a kayak and I paddled into a backwater area that apparently belonged to a big aggressive territorial sea lion. It was early in the morning, only around 48 degrees and this sea lion was getting closer and closer. It would disappear and pop up, stare and grunt at me and this went on for a few minutes. This sea lion was easily 800lbs and I really thought it was going to attack and either tip me overboard or grab and drag me under into the cold water. This is a great reminder to always have a strong PFD, a whistle and other boating safety measures with you.

What does the immediate future hold for you and the channel? What can we look forward to seeing?

I have a fun fishing trip coming up at the end of this month. I will be flying to Thailand to fish for giant 200-300lb catfish and other river monsters. Once I come back from this trip, I will spend some time fishing the Great Lakes for big steelhead and salmon before heading down to Florida for January and February to fish the keys for sharks and other saltwater species. As for the next two years, I plan to continue growing my social media, hopeful to have a TV show one day and continue to educate and inspire others to live an active life out in the great outdoors