Celebrities:

Gary Borger:  Gary Borger is one of the world’s foremost fly fishing educators. He has taught classes and lectured internationally on all aspects of fly-fishing for trout and salmon since 1972. He is recognized as one of the world’s leaders in fly designing. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin Campus in Wausau. He has published widely in sporting magazines around the world and has written six best-selling books on fly fishing. Gary pioneered fly fishing video instruction with his release of “Nymphing” in 1982. Since then he has produced 27 instructional videos and has been featured in various television programs, including his own production “The Tzar’s Trout.” Gary was a consultant on Robert Redford’s movie “A River Runs Through It.” With his award-winning CD/cassette tape, “My Madison,” he pioneered fly fishing, nature-music audios. In addition, Gary has been design consultant to a number of manufacturers in the fly fishing industry. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the Federation of Fly Fisher’s fly casting instructor certification program, a member of many conservation organizations, and was a founding board member of the River Alliance of Wisconsin. He has received many awards for conservation, including the first Lew Jewett Memorial Life Membership in the Federation of Fly Fishers in 1979. Gary currently writes, lectures, produces videos, and teaches schools on all aspects of fly fishing and fly tying.

Mac Brown:  Mac Brown is the owner of Mac Brown Fly Fish and Fly Fishing Guide School in Western NC. Mac created the first full-time fly fishing guide service in Western North Carolina. The first Delayed Harvest on the Upper Nantahala River in early 1993 was also a result of his efforts. Mac has been an educator in the sport of fly fishing since 1985 with teaching university fly fishing programs and coaching Fly Fishing Team USA Youth. He is the author of “Casting Angles” which is a fly casting handbook for those on the journey of understanding the mechanics of the cast. The ACA, FFI, and others have endorsed this text as a reference for instructors. Mac is a Master Casting Instructor through Fly Fishers International.
Mac was inducted into the Southern Appalachia Fly Fishing Museum Hall of Fame under recreation on August 26, 2017. Mac received the Mel Kreiger and Lifetime Achievement Award through Fly Fisher’s International.
Mac was “Angler of the Year” in Field and Stream in 1999. His articles have appeared in Fly Rod and Reel, Fly Fisherman, Angling Report, ESPN TV, Outdoor Life, Field and Stream, Fly Fishing America T.V., Fly Fishing the World, and many others.
Mac is a pro staff member of Ross Reels, Whiting, Maxima, Regal Vice, Patagonia, and many other great companies. He is an ambassador for Temple Fork Rods, Regal Vise, and Scientific Anglers fishing lines. His most significant contributions have been the push to longer, lighter fly rods and fly line designs.

Frank Burr:  Frank learned Tenkara fishing in Japan in 1970 at the age of 6, followed by Fly Fishing and Fly tying the following year. A native of Southern California, Frank fly fishes throughout the United States, always looking for the elusive Heritage Trout. Although Trout is his favorite species, Frank will fly fish for any species just to get in a day of fishing, like Tilapia, Peacock Bass and native Goby in Hawaii. Frank has worked in the fly fishing industry for the past 12 years for Orvis and now for Snowbee USA, assisting in the design of Ultralight Fly Rods and other products in the Snowbee line. Frank is also a Traditional Fly Fishing and Tenkara instructor and Guide specializing in Golden Trout and other Heritage Trout species in California. Frank speaks and instructs at the Fly Fishing Show and other related events, clubs and shows in the USA on a variety of fly fishing related subjects and volunteers as many days as possible each year teaching youth fly fishing programs. He has been the Trout in the Classroom coordinator for the Pasadena Casting Club and currently the TIC Director for the Southwest Council of Fly Fishers International. You can find more information about Frank at: goldentroutdude.com, oasisflyshop.com and tenkaraguidecalifornia.com

Pat Dorsey:  A native of Colorado, Pat Dorsey has been guiding for over 30 years. Pat Dorsey spends well over two hundred days a year on the water, a combination of guiding customers, hosting destination travel-trips, and personal days on the water. Pat Dorsey is the head guide and co-owner of the Blue Quill Angler fly shop in Evergreen, Colorado. He oversees and trains more than 25 guides, setting the standard for integrity and professionalism in the Blue Quill Angler guide operation. Dorsey also, maintains an online stream report that monitors stream flows and conditions for the Blue, Colorado, South Platte (Cheesman, Deckers, Spinney Mountain Ranch, and Elevenmile Canyon), North Fork of the South Platte, and Williams Fork Rivers. Pat Dorsey is a Simms Ambassador, a member of the Sage Elite Pro Team, Fishpond Ambassador, Orvis Pro Team Member, Yeti Pro staff, and Scientific Anglers pro staff. Pat Dorsey is the Southwest Field Editor for Fly Fisherman Magazine. In 2005, Pat authored the book, A Fly Fishing Guide to the South Platte River, a complete how-to fly fishing manual for the entire South Platte River drainage. It encompasses a thorough look at each section of the river detailing the hatches and recommended fly patterns for each of the four seasons of the year. In 2009 Pat Dorsey authored Fly Fishing Tailwaters, a comprehensive book on how to fish tailwater fisheries. In 2010 a companion book to Fly Fishing Tailwaters hit the shelves, Tying and Fishing Tailwater Flies, which is jam-packed with how to tie Pat Dorsey’s favorite “guide flies”. This book includes 500 step-by-step tutorials, as well as, helpful tips and illustrations on how to rig and fish them. His latest book is Colorado Guide Flies, which was released in 2015. It features tips from the state’s best guides and includes approximately 600 proven guide flies with recipes. In 2020 Dorsey revised his book Fly Fishing Guide to the South Platte River, which includes complete updates, new photos, hatch charts, and maps. Dorsey’s latest book is Favorite Flies for Colorado: 50 Essential Pattern from Local Experts, which was released in October 2022. Pat Dorsey is an accomplished fly tier and has originated a number of very effective patterns such as the Mercury series, UV scud, Limeade, Cherry-Limeade, Paper Tiger, Top Secret Midge, Medallion Midge and the famed Black Beauty. Although Pat Dorsey no longer has the time to tie flies commercially, he once produced over 28,000 flies in a year. Dorsey is a fly designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants. His signature flies are available at the Blue Quill Angler and other specialty fly shop throughout the United States. Pat Dorsey is also a Pro Team Member for Whiting Farms. Many of his flies incorporate Whiting Farm products. Pat Dorsey is a nationally known speaker. He travels the United States sharing his passion for fly fishing at trade shows and private fishing clubs. He is very active in Trout Unlimited and the conservation of cold-water fisheries. Pat Dorsey is the proud father of three wonderful boys, Forrest, Zach, and Hunter. He is also blessed with two step children, Nicole and Michael Richardson. They, like their dad, enjoy fly fishing. His wife, Kim, is an avid angler and often appears with Pat at trade shows and other speaking engagements. Kim and Pat Dorsey, also, host a yearly trip to Alaska Sportman’s Lodge each September, Soaring Eagle Lodge in October, Nomadic Waters in Brazil in November, and Rio Manso Lodge (Patagonia) each April and December with a group of customers.

Jonathan Farmer:

Tim Flagler: Tim Flagler is the owner of Tightline Productions, L.L.C., a video production company located in Califon, NJ. Although he produces video programs over a wide range of topics, his specialty is fly fishing. Tim is a well-known fly tying instructor. His YouTube videos are some of the best in the business and his YouTube channel, practicalpatterns.com currently has over 118,000 subscribers and 38 million views. Almost every week he produces a new fly tying or “how to” video which appear not only on his YouTube channel but on Midcurrent and the Orvis News fly fishing blog as well. They’re also featured on Trout Unlimited’s national website and in the Orvis Learning Center. In addition, he has a regular column “Beginner’s Masterclass with Tim Flagler” in Fly Tyer magazine, which selected Tim as their “Fly Tyer of the Year” in their Winter 2022 issue. Many of Tim’s tying videos take the viewer well beyond just the tying of the fly and show what it looks like underwater, what natural it represents and how it can be fished. Tim’s a fixture at the Fly Fishing Shows – giving presentations, teaching classes and often as a Featured Tier. He does monthly “Tie-Off’s” with Tom Rosenbauer (Orvis) and, recently, Cheech Pierce (Fly Fish Food) as well. He enjoys guiding year round for South Branch Outfitters (formerly Shannon’s Fly & Tackle)in Califon, NJ and hosts annual trips to Patagonia in the spring and to the Kootenai River in MT in the summer. He has also started hosting several trips within the year to Spruce Creek, PA and to the Erie area for steelhead in early December.

Rob Giannino:  Rob Giannino is the Founder of Fly Fishing Journeys, an online fly fishing magazine, podcasting, and curated travel company.  He is a speaker, writer, photographer, and videographer. Rob lives in Greater Boston and serves as a guest speaker at fly fishing shows, Trout Unlimited chapters, and other outdoor events. Rob owns a digital media agency helping businesses around the world promote their services online. He combines his joy for helping businesses in the digital space with his passion for fly fishing and created FlyFishingJourneys.com. Bringing fly fisherman together and sharing the love for the sport, both on the water and online fulfills a lifelong dream.

Travis Johnson:  I started fly fishing at 10. By 12 was fly fishing only. Fly fishing grabbed me quickly. I filled and enriched my soul. Getting my hands on any and every book. Fishing every mud puddle and ditch I could.My first interaction with Spey casting was at 19. An English man who politely asked to fish behind me was the first person I saw making good loops. I ate my sandwich and watched him after finishing the run. He offered to let me make a few casts. The seed and been planted. From that moment on it was cultivated by other in our area, Josh Linn, George Cook, Simon and others.
I first found Spey casting as an amazing tool for chasing PNW steelhead. But the casting bug bit me hard. Again trying to learn and practice, read anything I could. Finally taking the big step into distance casting in 2009. And was raising the world championship trophy in 2012. Adding 3 more world titles and teaching thousands of people to spey cast a year.
I am still humbled and filled with gratitude everyday because of Spey casting. I also plan to push it further and teach and educate as many as I can about the joys of Spey casting.

Landon Mayer:  Landon Mayer is owner an operator of Landon Mayer Fly Fishing. His angling success is fueled by an addiction to pursuing large trout with small flies and lightweight fly-fishing equipment. Mayer enthusiastically teaches and demonstrates his techniques and on-river knowledge to fellow anglers and has developed innovative strategies for sighting, hooking, and landing selective trout. He shares these tips and secrets in his books The Hunt for Giant Trout: 25 Top Locations in the US to Catch a Trophy (new for 2019), Trout Tips: A Guide’s Secrets, Tactics and Techniques, Colorado’s Best Fly Fishing, Sight Fishing for Trout, and How to Catch the Biggest Trout of Your Life, in addition to his new film with Headwater Media: Mastering the Short Game.
Landon’s passion for fly-fishing has allowed him to make several noteworthy contributions to the sport on and off the water. This has included travels to fly-fishing related organizations of the Mid-Atlantic, West, Pacific Northwest, Southwest, and Southern states, as well Landon will be sharing his teaching through fly-fishing classes, presentations, and demonstrations of his unique techniques at this year’s Marlborough, Denver, California, New Jersey, and Atlanta Fly Fishing Shows
Mayer has been guiding in Colorado full time on the South Platte River for the last 23 years, and one full season on the Nak Nek River in AK. He resides in Florissant, Colorado.

Maxine McCormick:  Maxine McCormick currently lives in Seattle and attends the University of Washington. She has been fly fishing for as long as she can remember thanks to her dad. By chance, she was introduced to competitive fly casting at the age of nine and since then she has attended three World Fly Casting Championships winning seven gold medals in both accuracy and distance events. At the 2022 World Championships in Norway she took home four gold medals while winning all of the single handed fly casting events. Her perfect accuracy result was the highest score ever recorded at the WC’s (male or female), and she set a single hand fly distance record in the Women’s Sea Trout event. Maxine believes that the skills she developed while tournament casting has resulted in more confidence, success and fun on the water while fishing. She looks forward to sharing her efficient casting stroke with you and hopes it will improve your casting and fishing too. What Maxine loves most about casting and fly fishing is that there is always more to learn and how good you are is a direct product of how much practice you put in. 

Dave McCoy:  My father introduced me to fishing as well as experiencing and enjoying life in the outdoors. Growing up in the Eugene, Oregon area, my stomping grounds were of legendary namesake; Crane Prairie and Hosmer Lakes, the Deschutes, McKenzie and North Umpqua Rivers to name a few. I quickly discovered the thrill of having a fish on but was always in awe of my surroundings in particular the water. Being raised in the outdoors and that early exposure to water in all forms led away from fly fishing for a number of years to pursue a career as a ski race coach but was always looking over my shoulder at what fly fishing brought to my life. I eventually returned and have now been in the fly fishing industry in one form or another professionally for 27 years. I am relentless in endeavors to surpass expectations and I would be without inspiration in these pursuits without my family who constantly remind me why I need to work hard to protect what we currently enjoy.
Patagonia, Thomas and Thomas, S/A, Nautilus, Costa and AMFF Ambassador
Indifly Foundation Advisor
Rajeff Sports Pro
KeepFishWet Ambassador,
FFI Certified Casting Instructor
Swiftwater Rescue Technician
Pro Photographer
@davemccoyewa @emeraldwateranglerswa

Karin Miller:  Karin Miller is Owner and Founder of Zen Tenkara/Zen Fly Fishing Gear, the only 100% Women-Owned rod company in the world. Since 2012, Zen has been a leader in tenkara product design and manufacturing and the company has a reputation of being innovative, cutting edge and for pushing the boundaries of the tenkara method with high performance rods.
Karin fishes around the globe and travels extensively to test rods, target different species, and do presentation. Karin uses both tenkara and rod/reel setups in both fresh and saltwater. While she is passionate about big rainbows, permit and GT’s, currently her favorite fish are golden dorado.

Philip Rowley:  Phil has been fly fishing for over 30 years. His love of fly fishing has taken him across North America pursuing trout, Atlantic and Pacific salmon, char, pike, walleye and numerous other species on the fly. But Phil is best known for his stillwater exploits. A former commercial fly tyer, Phil has written for almost every major fly fishing publication in North America. He has authored three books and numerous feature articles and two regular columns. Phil’s first book Fly Patterns for Stillwaters is a best seller. In addition to his writing, Phil has four instructional DVD’s. In 2007, Phil was a member of the gold medal winning team at the Canadian Fly Fishing championships. When he isn’t on the water Phil travels North America performing at outdoor shows, providing seminars, speaking to fly clubs and conducting fly-fishing schools. Phil also provides instructional stillwater guiding on the lakes located a short distance from his Edmonton area home. Phil has appeared on a number of T.V. shows including, BC Outdoors Sports Fishing, Sport Fishing B.C., Fishing Alberta and Fishing with Shelly and Courtney. Phil is presently one of the co-hosts of the New Fly Fisher, an educational fly fishing production. Make a point of visiting Phil on-line at, www.flycraftangling.com.

Joe Rutter:  Joe Rotter is a long-time outfitter and guide at Red’s Fly Shop in the Yakima Canyon. The diversity of the PNW fisheries has afforded him expertise in technical casting for trout, Euro Nymphing, spey casting, and bass fishing, and he also has a tremendous amount of tropical saltwater experience. He’s most well-known for the successful @redsflyshop YouTube Channel which has nearly 10 million views! His passion for helping DIY anglers is the heart and soul of every seminar and video.

Ryan Smith:  Ryan has been tossing and tying flies since he was thirteen, and has been guiding since his early 20’s. Some of his earliest fishing memories involve searching central Oregon’s lakes from a float tube and wading the Deschutes River near Bend, OR. He has fished extensively in Oregon, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington. Ryan has a background in Biology with an emphasis on Ornithology and Ecology. Since 2011, Ryan has been the managing owner of The Avid Angler. When not at the fly shop, he is busy teaching Spey lessons, raising two kids and finding a few days on the water.

David Paul Williams:  David Paul Williams has written for American Angler, Fly Fisherman, Northwest Fly Fishing, Southwest Fly Fishing, American Fly Fishing, Eastern Fly Fishing, Fly Fusion, Bassmaster, Fly Fishing & Tying Journal and Game & Fish magazines and wrote the book on smallmouth bass, Flyfishing for Western Smallmouth. He writes the Good-Gear Guide at good-gear-guide. blogspot.com and is the former Editor-In-Chief of Flyfisher and Department Editor at
Flyfishing & Tying Journal. He gives entertaining media presentations to clubs and organizations on carp, smallmouth bass, saltwater beach fishing, panfish and alpine trout. Also known for his simple, yet effective fly patterns, he has been fly fishing since he was ten years old.

More TBA

Authors:  TBA