Fly Fishing Guide
“I think my job as a guide is to ensure the vision the client has for their experience is achieved."
“I remember one day in particular everyone caught the limit and we filleted fish for hours!”
Originally from the wide-open spaces of South Dakota, Dustin has lived all over America. A member of a large family, Dustin has four siblings and about 25 first cousins – he has lost count! Growing up, Dustin did a lot of troll fishing for perch and walleye. “I remember one day in particular everyone caught the limit and we filleted fish for hours!” he says. Unlike many others who came to Idaho for the skiing, fishing, and other outdoor pursuits, Dustin migrated to the area for an internship with a nonprofit and never left. Of course, once he was here, the wilderness caught his imagination.
On local waters, his favorite fly is a Purple Chubby Chernobyl. “It slays!” he enthuses. “I love the drake hatches, but I really love PMD’s—trout seem to love smashing them.” After a day spent smashing them, Dustin loves having a beer and relaxing with his dog. “If there’s grilled meat and fresh veggies somewhere you can bet that’s where I’m at!”
Guiding Style
Flexible.
“I think my job as a guide is to ensure the vision the client has for their experience is achieved. If a client wants to catch 10 trout, that is what we’ll try to accomplish. If a client wants to learn new techniques or try to understand entomology, we can go that route. I think everyone would like to catch as many fish as possible, that’s just human nature. I find satisfaction from picking a spot, knowing there’s a fish there and then taking the time to figure out what it is eating and getting that fish to the net.”
Fun Facts about Dustin
- He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire – go Wildcats!
- A lifelong learner, Dustin is currently enrolled at the University of Idaho.
- Dustin’s service to the country is exemplary. He says, “I did two tours in Iraq and one to Afghanistan. In the latter, we were the first expeditionary forces since WWII.”
- He says he’s been been fortunate enough to have stared at the Himalayas and stepped through Babylon.
- He can’t pick a favorite guide trip. He says, “Every trip is the best and I’m always looking forward to re-experiencing the joy only found on the water.”
- The father of two, Dustin loves spending time with his children, taking them into nature and exposing them to as many adventures as possible.
- When he’s not fishing or with his family, Dustin says you can find him with a shotgun in hand looking for upland game or ripping down a slope seeking that perfect flow state.
