Pat Dorsey

Home Waters

South Platte, Cheesman Canyon

Background

I’ve been guiding for 25 years. My passion is sharing my knowledge about tailwaters. Also, teaching others to be stewards of the environment.

What conservation issue do people need to know about in your back yard? 

Recent flashflood in Cheesman Canyon.

What Fishpond products do you always have with you? 

I have several, but the most important are my Gunnison Guide Pack and my Nomad Net.

You walk into a gas station – what two items do you come out with?

Gatorade and a Snickers Bar

What makes for a #perfectday in your eyes? 

Any day on the water is a #perfectday. The fish are a bonus to any outing. As a professional guide, if my angler is better at the end of the day, the it was a #perfectday. Its not about numbers, its about enjoying the experience and growing as a fisherman. 

Who are your heroes or mentors? 

Jack Dennis was a mentor growing up. I learned to tie fly (as many anglers did in my age bracket) from his Western Fly Tying Manuals. 

Favorite quote or one liner? 

Trout don’t live in ugly places…

Paul Bruchez

Home Waters

Colorado River, Troublesome Creek, Reeder Creek, Blue River

 

Background

I am the 5^th generation of the Bruchez family to farm and ranch in Colorado.  I currently operate the family ranch near Kremmling with my brother and father.  We raise cattle and irrigate with water from the Colorado River, the Williams Fork River and Reeder Creek.  After graduating from the University of Denver in 2003, I started a fly fishing business to help diversify income. Working in agriculture and being a fishing guide has given me a unique perspective of water resources.  I am currently spearheading a 12-mile restoration of the Colorado River with 12 landowners collaborating to sustain agriculture and the environmental health of the river.  I am the Agriculture Representative to the Colorado Basin Roundtable, on the board of directors for the Colorado Water Trust, the Chair of Grand County Open Lands, Rivers and Trials Advisory Committee, and am on the Advisory Committee for the Colorado Ag Water Network.  I am committed to working on permanent solutions for sustaining agriculture and healthy rivers.

What conservation issue do people need to know about in your back yard?

Trans-mountain diversions that supply agricultural and municipal water to Northern Colorado and the Front Range have had a significant impact on agriculture and aquatic resources in the headwaters of the Colorado River.  After years of dispute, an array of partners representing local agriculture, local government, water providers, and conservation groups have come together to implement the Colorado River Headwaters Project.  The Project will help local communities demonstrate innovative solutions benefiting working lands and rivers, and leverage funding to restore the headwaters of America’s hardest working river.  In an era of divisive water battles in the arid West, the Colorado River Headwaters Project stands as a shining example of what can be achieved with cooperation and some creativity among water users.

What Fishpond products do you always have with you?

Cerveza Sidekick, Thunderhead Submersible Sling, Nomad Guide Net, Lodgepole Fishing Satchel, Fishpond + Chaco Native Flip, Swift Current Thermometer, Swivel Retractor, Floatant and Dry Shake Bottle Holders, Pescado Foam Trucker Hat, River Rat Beverage Holder 2.0, and soon to be Fishpond’s Eddy River Hat!

 

You walk into a gas station – what two items do you come out with?

Some form of trail mix and Washed Hands

 

What makes for a #perfectday in your eyes?

Being on the river or on horses with my wife and daughter

Who are your heroes or mentors?

I am fortunate to be able to say my parents and grandparents.  My father and grandfather taught me how to be an agricultural producer and have a passion for the river…I am a lucky man.  

Favorite quote or one liner?

“Last time I saw a mouth like that, it had a hook in it.”

Rodney Dangerfield (Al Czervik) Caddyshack

Kate Crump

Home Waters

Bristol Bay, AK and Coastal Oregon

Background 

Kate grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia but the Wild West called her from a young age. Immersed in the wilderness of Washington, she found her calling as a salmon fisherman and has since pursued anadromous fish religiously. Fishing brought Kate and her husband, Justin Crump, together and is a deep part of their lifestyle and bond. In 2008, Kate began guiding in Bristol Bay, AK for all five species of salmon, rainbow trout, char and dolly varden, as well as grayling . In 2010, Kate and Justin began guiding winter steelhead trips in Oregon and have built a company called Frigate Travel specializing in all inclusive guide experiences in Oregon and Alaska, as well as travel trips to places like Christmas Island. Their adventures almost always include their yellow lab, Kada, unless it’s raining in which case Kada sleeps on the couch where it’s warm and dry.

What conservation issue do people need to know about in your back yard?

The looming threat of a Canadian company building the largest open pit copper and gold mine has been plaguing the people of Bristol Bay, Alaska for years. Despite our opposition to such irresponsible development in the headwaters of the largest sockeye salmon runs left in the world, we still struggle to be heard in the legislature. This is one of the last places left with healthy sustainable runs of all species of salmon supporting a thriving commercial, sport-fishing and subsistence economies and cultures. On Oregon’s north coast, we are ever frustrated with over-harvesting by timber companies, their unconscionable decisions to aerially spray toxic chemicals in watersheds, and the destruction they leave behind for the state and environmental groups to repair for the health of our rivers, drinking water, fisheries, and wildlife.

What Fishpond products do you always have with you?

I carry the pio pod where ever I go and try to stuff trash inside of it regularly! I also really love my waterproof backpacks, hip packs, and boat bags by Fishpond. Having waterproof storage is essential in the places we guide!

You walk into a gas station – what two items do you come out with?

I try not to buy single use plastics anymore, so I’d likely go for a six pack of Rainier beer andsome Smartfood white cheddar popcorn. Unless they have jalapeno poppers, then I’ll definitely pull those from the hot case.

What makes for a #perfectday in your eyes?

This is a hard question to answer. I’m pretty fortunate to have experiences in beautifully wild places like Bristol Bay and coastal Oregon and I try very hard to remember to stay grateful and present. I really enjoy being with people on the water who strive to relish the experience of the river be it taking time to watch bears feeding, eagles in trees, or even just letting the water flow by. I think a good day is one where I felt the wonder of the natural world in some way or another, like it felt magical to exist.

Who are your heroes or mentors?

As Willie says, My heroes have always been cowboys. So many people have lent me their hand along the way and I am so grateful for their generosity and kindness. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the support of them. That being said, you know those dreams that feel more real than reality? I dreamed I was Kimmie Werner the other night and it was exhilarating to experience what it was like to be a fish...to so naturally see the reverse side of our world.

Favorite quote or one liner?

Love is all you need.

Abbie Schuster

Home Waters

Martha’s Vineyard

Background

I  have been fly fishing my entire life and it has always been my passion. I attended University of Montana where I quickly learned that I wanted to pursue guiding, so I  attended Sweetwater Guide School in 2011 and have been guiding ever since. After guiding out west for five years, it was time to move back to my home waters and start my own outfitter, Kismet Outfitters. Kismet Outfitters is based out of Martha’s Vineyard. In the off season we host trips internationally. I feel pretty lucky that I get to spend every day on the water!  

What Conservation Issue Do People Need to Know About in your Backyard?

Striper regulations and catch limit. Striped bass have historically been a catch and kill fish and that thought process needs to be changed. Currently, the Magnuson Steven Act is threatened to be rewritten so regulations are loosened regardless of science based research.  If this bill passed it will directly effect Martha’s Vineyard fishery and my business. In June I went to DC to talk to Massachusetts senators and congressmen about the importance of keeping our fisheries healthy through science based research. 

What Fishpond Products Do You Always Have With You?

The submersible backpack in orange. This waterproof bag holds all my gear and I know it will stay dry. It is very comfortable to wade in all day and it is easy to cast with it on. Also, the color doesn’t hurt!!

You walk into a gas station - what two items do you come out with?

Peanut butter m&m’s and seltzer.

What makes for a #perfectday in your eyes?

Sunny and warm with light wind so we can hit the flats. I think sight fishing for stripers is the most fun, it is very similar to bone fishing!   What makes it the #perfectday though is having clients appreciate more than just the fish, but the beautiful waters where they reside. I want all my clients to leave with a better understating of the environment, how to care for the fish and more knowledge about our beautiful sport. If this is all accomplished it is the #perfectday. 

Who are your heroes or mentors?

My mother, she has started and owns her own business and has taught me the value of dedication and hard work. She has always pushed me to follow my passion and make it work. She is one of the reasons that I had the confidence to start Kismet Outfitters. 

Favorite quote or one-liner?

There are so many beautiful reasons to be happy 

Bryan Huskey

Home Waters

So many waters I consider "home" but my short list includes a few rivers and one ocean. Those that easily make this list would be the Trask, Wilson, Deschutes, N Umpqua, Owyhee and Salmon Rivers. And the Sea of Cortez.

Background

My earliest memories are of chinook salmon larger than myself at the time and scrambling along the banks of the Oregon's coastal rivers with my dad. He was a solitary fellow, never cared much for fishing with others so I think I was the only person he ever spent much time on the water with. From Tillamook we moved to Bend in 85 where I grew up in a world of constant outdoor adventure and exploration. Once out of the house, early roommates were fly shop employees and Deschutes River fishing guides. From that point on, I really became enamored in the pursuit of steelhead on the fly. In 2000 I felt the desire to make a new life in a new place, and Boise, Idaho offered everything I was seeking: Remote desert to the South all the way to Mexico, and rugged mountains and timber North all the way to Canada. I've since made a home and family here in the City of Trees, devouring pristine single track trails on foot or two wheels, taking deer and elk out of the backcountry on my back one piece at a time, and of course tossing fly lines anywhere I can manage. With my wife Ali and our new little kiddo, we aspire to spend more time smiling in the boonies each and every year. That is if we don't say "The hell with it!" and bail to sabbatical in Baja for a few years!

Conservation issue:

Duhhh #keepemwet! In every angler's backyard around the world there are fisheries, economies and livelihoods that benefit from anglers taking ownership of their personal roles as stewards to resources. Yes, best practices backed by science reduce C&R impact, but even beyond that I think there is something larger to be gained from the keepemwet movement: A sense of never being too proud to learn, and a willingness to be small. To take time to question how we've always done things and ponder what can be improved upon. I'll admit, these are things I'm personally not great at, but aspire to be better as we welcome new folks the world of angling.

Products always with me

Chest pack, nomad net (almost always depending on fish species, or if I really need a lucky boost I'll forget it on purpose) and roll top backpack. Oh and travel case too!

Walk out of gas station with

Admitted, I'm an absolute beer snob. I prefer beer from cans- from a box. And coffee from a pot for that matter. Beer, ice, and a new appreciation for small mammal taxidermy.

Perfect day

Roosters crow in the pre-dawn black as the smell of tortilla dough sizzling on cast iron griddle lofts into the humid air. My perfect day would begin in a fishing village along the Sea or Cortez, where I'd head out with friends, my wife and little kiddo to find rooster fish pushing bait fish onto the sand. I love hunting fish on foot. And any day doing so is pretty much a perfect day in my book, because whether it's actually hooking up, or learning something new, I think that self-made DIY experiences are simply more rewarding than utilizing every advantage or paying to play.

Heros/Mentors

Tina eat your ham you fat lard.

Like the dinosaurs and sharks I'd seen in books, the seemingly giant salmon and steelhead I watched my father tug to the bank of coastal rivers terrified me as a small child. Yet I couldn't get them out of my mind, especially once I was old enough to try to do the same. At the age of 8 I clung to a cork grip with a large cartwheeling fish on the line. What I felt was an energy that nothing else could duplicate.

Over time I'd travel with buddies to rivers near and far to swing flies for these incredible fish. By 2000, Boise had become my new home and trout were all around. My first digital camera came shortly thereafter and using it to study fish in the net brought me back to the days of that little kid staring in fantastic awe at fish. Photography, filmmaking and a career in fly fishing inevitably followed.

With the explosion of social media and camera phones in every pocket, I fear photographing every catch has become assumed standard protocol, for new anglers especially. I'm concerned about the impact all this additional fish handling is having on catch & release fisheries. I hope to raise awareness, that while it's great to photograph fish (I owe my career to it) over-handling can kill the very fish an angler is so proud to display then release. Hence the inception of #keepemwet, a few words added to my instagram posts that I hoped would promote keeping fish in the water for photos.

I have the best job of anyone I know, creating media content for Silver Creek Outfitters of Ketchum, Idaho. In addition, I've had some luck producing short films featured in The Fly Fishing Film Tour and The Hunting Film Tour, and am proud to support Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and Casting 4 A Cure.

www.fishbitemedia.com

Instagram @fishbitemedia

Scott Hed

Home Waters Work

Alaska and Boundary Waters (MN) / Play: Central America

Background

My parents were great about taking my younger brother and me on vacations around much of the USA.  That instilled a sense of adventure and love of the outdoors that is big part of who I am.  I’ve been an angler as long as I can remember, with humble beginnings as a kid catching panfish, bullheads, and carp in the lake near our Minnesota home.  It was my conservation work that introduced me to fly fishing, something that I enjoy despite the fact that I’m still very much a novice.  (Ask any number of guides I’ve fished with!)  Through my work, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet many terrific people and fish in some pretty incredible places (Alaska, the Rockies, Belize, Baja, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Guatemala to name a few).  I enjoy fishing of all varieties and don’t consider myself to be purely a fly angler.  From all the places I’ve been lucky enough to visit to all the places I still want to go…fishing is a great connector.  Fish are found in all types of places, from urban lakes and rivers to remote, sparsely populated hinterlands, and the deep blue sea.  The world’s a big place, and I hope I get to see and fish a lot of it!

Scott Hed lives in Nicaragua with his wife Nicki and their four-legged kids (two rescued Labrador retrievers).  They enjoy fishing, hunting, camping, snorkeling, and traveling to tropical destinations.

What conservation issue do people need to know about in your back yard?

I have worked on protection of amazing public lands in Alaska for the past 16 years, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Tongass National Forest. More recently, I helped launch an effort to engage sportsmen and women in the campaign to protect Minnesota’s famed Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from mining threats.  However, for the past dozen years I have mainly focused on bringing the angling and hunting communities into the fight to protect the Bristol Bay region of southwest Alaska from the proposed Pebble Mine.  Bristol Bay is the world’s most productive wild salmon fishery and a sporting destination of global renown.

What Fishpond products do you always have with you?

We have a pair of the large Westwater Rolling Duffels that have seen a lot of air miles – they’re great for hauling big loads.  For day fishing excursions, the Thunderhead Submersible Backpack is always in use.  My laptop goes on work trips safely stashed in the Boulder Briefcase.  The Blizzard Soft Cooler keeps our cervezas cold in the boat or by the pool.  And, my shorts would be falling off me if it weren’t for my Jacquard Webbing Belts.

You walk into a gas station – what two items do you come out with?

Peanut M&Ms and a Coke Zero.

What makes for a #perfectday in your eyes? 

Spending quality time, and doing something in the outdoors with family, friends, and our dogs.  Good food, cold beverages, good music.  Bonus: Catching my first rooster fish would probably make such a day really difficult to top!

Who are your heroes or mentors?

To do this type of work, being an optimist is a prerequisite.  I’m inspired every day by the people of Bristol Bay and my colleagues in the fight to protect that incredible place.   There are also a great young crop of conservation leaders in the hook and bullet world, including ambassadors for a number of fishing and hunting brands who are willing to stand up for our lands and waters.  If everyone works together, despite our differences on some issues, we can protect that which we value in common – public lands, fish and wildlife, recreation opportunities, and the outdoor economy.

Favorite quote or one liner?

Never tell me the odds. – Han Solo 

Hilary Hutcheson

Home Waters

Background

Hilary started her fly-fishing career as a teenaged guide in West Glacier, Montana. She guided through college, then took her journalism degree to Portland, Oregon where she worked as a television news anchor and reporter. She eventually returned to Montana to co-own and operate Outside Media and Trout TV for nearly a decade. Today, she's still guiding on the Flathead River and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River and owns and runs a fly shop called Lary's Fly & Supply in her hometown of Columbia Falls, Montana. She volunteers as a fly fishing instructor for Casting for Recovery, serves as a national board member of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, is a climate activist with Protect Our Winters and writes for a number of outdoor industry publications. She loves hanging out with her three-legged yellow lab and two teen daughters, especially when they volunteer on the oars.

What conservation issue to people need to know about in your backyard

The most pressing, and overarching conservation issue in my area is climate change. Where I live, it's top of mind, since it's literally in our back yard, so most people have moved far beyond awareness and are working hard on climate action. Watching glaciers disappear before our eyes, then dealing with the affects of it, like looming extinction to important stoneflies, helps us stay motivated. 

What Fishpond products do you always have with you

I guide from a raft and a skiff, so my Cutbank Gear Back is always in my boat, just to the left of my knees, where I can easily access everything I need. I also always have my Fishpond Nomad boat net, Piopod for microtrash and Large Sushi Roll for streamers. For wading, I use the Summit Sling exclusively. One gear hack I suggest to everyone is to attach the Quickshot Rod Holders to your raft frame to secure extra fly rods in place if you don't have permanent rod holders. Most rafts don't have them, so this is a quick and easy way to secure them so they don't go bouncing around and getting microfractures when they tap on the frame in the rapids. 

You walk into a gas station--what two items do you come out with?

Modelo and popcorn. 

What makes for a #perfectday in your eyes?

A #perfectday for me starts at sunrise in the summertime with coffee and quiet as I load my boat for a day off on the water with my loved ones. Then, it's a wild time with my dog swimming, my daughters rowing and singing riff-offs, my boyfriend making sandwiches, my sister and brother in law catching monster trout and my besties, my brother and his boyfriend in a happy regatta on the Flathead. It wraps up at my parents' house for a BBQ. A #perfectday for me is one shared with my family and friends outside.

Who are your heroes or mentors?

My heroes and mentors are those who teach through example. My parents and siblings have always done this and continue to guide me by the way they live their own lives. I also look up to Neville Longbottom because sometimes the underdog is the biggest badass. 

What is a quote/one-liner?

We are all connected.

Outside Media Owner and PR Director, Trout TV Owner and Co-Host, Fly Fishing Guide at Glacier Anglers

Hilary grew up at the west entrance of Glacier National Park in Montana. Even at a young age, she felt more connected to the area’s wild rivers, lakes and creeks than to its mountains or forests. And the Flathead River’s native westslope cutthroat trout enchanted her more than grizzly bears or mountain goats. When a boy down the road taught her how to fly fish in seventh grade, she vowed to always be near rivers, no matter what. She started guiding whitewater rafting and fly fishing trips as a teenager and continued through college. After getting a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Montana, Hilary worked as a television news anchor and reporter in Missoula, Montana and Portland, Oregon for more than a decade before moving back home to Glacier Country for good with her husband and young daughters. Today Hilary is co-host of the network television fly fishing show, Trout TV, a program produced by the marketing firm she owns and operates alongside her husband, Shane. The marketing company, Outside Media, also represents fly fishing brands including Montana Fly Company, Glacier Anglers and Tordrillo Mountain Lodge as well as other key ski and outdoor industry brands including Salomon, Suunto, Alta Ski Area and Easton Mountain Products. Through her outdoor industry occupation, Trout TV and proximity to Glacier National Park, Hilary has been exposed to conservation issues that have driven her to pursue connections with people and companies dedicated to habitat restoration and environmental sustainability. She is also passionate about the nonprofit organizations Project Healing Waters and Casting for Recovery. And she enjoys being a volunteer instructor for Glacier Anglers’ Fun on the Fly youth retreat. Hilary enjoys skiing with her daughters, trail running in the woods and being bellied up to the brewery in her beloved hometown of Columbia Falls, Montana.

Recent Posts

• Fish Oil

• Chilling in Northwest Montana

Twitter: @outsidehilary @trouttv
Facebook: Trout TV

Landon Mayer

Home Waters 

South Platte River, Spinney, 11 Mile, Antero Reservoir 

Background 

Landon Mayer has been guiding in Colorado full time on the South Platte River for the last 22 years, and one full season on the Nak Nek River in AK.  He resides with his wife, Michelle, and their four children in Florissant, Colorado. 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 three videos: Mastering the Short Game (new for 2019), Landing the Trout of Your Life and Weapons of Bass Production, both of which also feature John Barr

What conservation issue do people need to know about in your back yard? 

We need to protect the spawning grounds that supply so many great memories with large wild trout. Spawning beds that are walked destroy future generations and catching trout that are spawning can be fatal to the fish itself. The goal is to target the pre and post spawn season that supply shots at these wonderful trout without interrupting their natural cycles.

What Fishpond products do you always have with you? 

You walk into a gas station – what two items do you come out with?

Coffee and a Slim Jim for my wife ;)

What makes for a #perfectday in your eyes?

Every day on the water!

Who are your heroes or mentors?

My mentor is John Barr and my hero is my Grandma Jesse

Favorite quote or one-liner?

This is one I came up with and live by guiding full time. 

“The fish you land teach you something, the fish you lose teach you everything!”