Fly Fishing Guide
“I enjoy sharing my knowledge and helping people get to that next level.”
Maine is long way from Idaho, but the passions John Grigsby cultivated growing up in the Pine Tree State, set the stage for everything that came next. A Portland native, John graduated from Maine College of Art with a BFA in Graphic Design. Like many locals, John moved to Ketchum because of that beautiful big ski mountain that dominates the landscape. He came for a coaching job with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. However, while he was here for his interview, he said, “One of the parents bought me fly fishing up Trail Creek. The rest is history.” These days, he loves local rivers as much as backcountry. His favorite hatch is any that involves salmon flies. “It’s a blast throwing huge foam stonefly patterns,” he said. His favorite guide trip to date was a float trip on the Roaring Fork in Carbondale, Colorado. “I had a father and his 10-year-old son on a full day trip during the Caddis and Green Drake hatch,” he explained. “The bugs were so thick that I had to put a raincoat on the son and tighten the wrist straps and hood so he could keep fishing. It was an unbelievable experience for your first time ever fishing.”
Guiding Style
Teacher. “I feel that it’s more beneficial for clients to develop a skill set that will improve their overall fishing experience. You need to walk before you can run. As Yoda said, ‘Always pass on what you have learned.’”
Fun Facts about John
- He is the middle child. ‘Nuf said.
- John used to manage a surf shop in Maine called Moose County. There, he started to learn to appreciate and collect vintage surfboards.
- John started fishing in Flagstaff Lake in Maine where his family owns an old A-frame skiing and hunting camp. When he was four years old, he went pickerel fishing every afternoon with his father so that this grandmother could “watch her soaps without the children destroying things.”
- A Lefty’s loyal, John loves to grab a burger after a day on the river before heading back for a sunset wet wade session.
- In the fall, John can be found bow hunting, and in the winter he disappears with his skis into the backcountry on the hunt for fresh powder.
