Lance started fly fishing with his father and brother Lincoln at age 7. In his teens, he began tying flies commercially for shops all around Northern California. At 17, he went to work at Powell's Fly Shop in Chico, working in the fly shop and building rods. He guided for Powell’s, conducted fly-tying and fly-fishing schools, and traveled.
In 1993, Lance and Kirsten started Saltwater Innovations, a company that manufactured and distributed products for saltwater fly fishing. Lance’s Crystal Popper, Gray’s Billfish Fly, the KO Charlie line and the Raghead Crabs are all Saltwater Innovations products. Kirsten worked behind the scenes, handling the day-to-day operation and running the manufacturing floor of the company.
In 2003 they launched Lance Gray & Company, a full-service outfitter offering guided trips, fly-fishing tours, workshops, and a travel agency.
Lance conducts presentations at fly clubs and fly-fishing shows. Kirsten and Lance support local groups like Cub Scouts and 4H while volunteering with veterans.
He's a signature tier for Aqua Flies, pro staff member for Sage, RIO, Simms, Fishpond, and Umpqua Feather Merchants; and is a featured writer, with articles published in Angling Trade Magazine, California Fly Fisher, Fly Fishermen and American Fly Fishing.
Lance is a columnist. His column “The Foraging Angler” is published bi-monthly in the California Fly Fisher Magazine.
Kirsten is a fantastic photographer; her images have been published in many fly-fishing/outdoor periodicals such as Fly Fishermen, California Fly Fisher and on websites throughout the fly-fishing industry.