Raised in a small town in southern Indiana, a love of fishing, hunting, and wildlife was instilled in Joe at a young age. Having been raised by divorced parents, Joe would spend every other weekend fishing and camping with his mother. 

During his 14 years in the Army, he deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq as an 11B infantryman. He found Project Healing Waters through a flier taped to an elevator wall at the Indianapolis VA, and his curiosity in fly fishing and tying bloomed into love and obsession. He started tying in November 2016 and placed second in Project Healing Waters National Fly Tying Contest in 2017. Joe received the Everett Drake Fly Tying Award in 2018. Joe ties flies for all warm, cold, and saltwater species, focusing on Deer hair flies and big streamers. His realistic art flies like the hummingbird, pheasant, Grinch, Baby Yoda, Bald Eagle, Kingfisher, pink Flamingo, and others have been sent across the globe.

He spends his days gardening, painting, tying flies, and fly fishing around the U.S. with his 10-year-old daughter, whom he affectionately calls "Bear." He believes the most important thing anyone in this hobby can do is to get kids out on the water and/or behind a vise.