Fly Fishers International Certified Casting Instructors

I have been fly fishing for more than 50 years and teaching fly casting for more than 30 years. I am an FFI Master Instructor for both single hand (SHMCI) and two hand (Spey or THMCI) casting. I specialize in teaching intermediate and advanced single hand casting (i.e., double haul, distance, and saltwater), as well as all levels of two-hand casting from Beginning and Introductory lessons, through the use of Scandi and Skagit line systems, Trout Spey techniques and tactics, and advanced TH techniques. Finally, I also mentor anglers who are interested in pursuing certification as an FFI (Fly Fishers International) Casting Instructor.

In my free time, I try to fish and cast as much as possible in both fresh and salt waters, with SH and TH rods, spending time with Shauna and other ‘fishy’ friends.

I teach primarily to individuals for (casting instruction/ tune-ups) or in small groups for instructor training. Lessons are available by appointment. I can be reached at 208-861-1325 (mobile) or via email (troutdna@gmail.com).

My love of fishing began as a child in Hawaii, fishing the tide pools, spin fishing for trout in Utah, eventually fly fishing for trout, steelhead, and salmon in Oregon.The challenge of reading the water, matching the hatch,, casting to rising fish, and landing the fish was much more appealing.I have fly fished for over 40 years and am still learning.After hanging around a lot of casting instructors, including my husband, I became a certified Casting Instructor in 1996. As a surgeon, I enjoy teaching and the technical aspects of a sport.Since retiring, I’m becoming more involved in fly fishing travel, instruction, and I continue volunteering (17 years) with Casting For Recovery.

Tim, an Idaho native, has spent over 30 years perfecting his fly fishing skills on the state’s rivers, spring creeks, and still waters. This deep knowledge has fueled adventures worldwide, pursuing both fresh and saltwater species. For the past 20 years, he has worked in the fly fishing industry, where his expertise ensures top-quality service at The Idaho Angler. An accomplished fly tier, FFI Certified Casting Instructor, and outstanding guide, Tim became a company shareholder in 2012.

Joy is an FFI Certified Casting Instructor, and founder of The Idaho Angler’s programs for women. For over 20 years, she has led a women’s fly tying group, which meets monthly from November through March. Her favorite fishing destination is the Laguna Madre at South Padre Island in Texas.

Born and raised in Northern California, Brady grew up fishing for trout and stripers with a fly rod. Brady started working for the Idaho Angler in March 2021 and provides customer service and is also an FFI Certified Casting Instructor. Brady is the head guide for Idaho Angler.

Fly fishing for nearly 30 years, I became an FFI certified fly casting instructor in 2018. I completed the Joan Wulff fly casting instructor school and I continue my learning journey by casting with master instructors whenever I can. I’m actively pursuing my own single hand Master Certification, as well as studying the mysterious dark arts of Two Hand casting. With Rick Williams I help mentor FFI Casting Instructor candidates, head up fly casting instruction for Boise Valley Fly Fishers, Idaho2Fly, and sit on the FFI Fly Casting Skills Development team.

My fly fishing is varied. I’ll fish for just about anything on a fly. I spent many years on the East Coast fishing for trout in cooler weather, then transitioning to striped bass and Albies when things warmed up. I’ve chased trout in New Zealand, England, and all over the US. Carp in Arizona, Bonefish in Bermuda, GTs and Barramundi in Australia.

Perhaps most importantly, I love to coach and teach at all levels. For me, nothing beats the thrill of ‘cracking the code’; finding that one way of explaining things that resonates with an individual - the ‘aha’ moment.

Raised on the rivers of the Pacific Northwest, my passion for fly fishing began when my father built my first fly rod. What started as a spark became a lifelong pursuit of the art, rhythm, and tradition of the sport. From trout waters to two-hand Spey casting for steelhead, my journey has taken me from local competitions to the world stage, including a third-place finish at the Jimmy Green International Spey-O-Rama.

As a Fly Fishers International Certified Casting Instructor, I bring that experience into every lesson—helping anglers slow down, find their rhythm, and discover the joy of fly fishing. Outside the river, I enjoy whitewater rafting, snowboarding, camping, and time with family and friends.

I began my guiding career six years ago in the Wood River Valley, primarily for walk-wade trout fishing, and became a certified Casting Instructor in 2021. Retired with 31 years of science teaching experience, I love teaching casting and beginning fly fishing to students of all ages and abilities. My style is hands-on and interactive. A Westslope Cutthroat on my line, in a small, mountain stream in the Frank Church Wilderness of Idaho, is
my heaven. I also have a passion for cooking (and eating) and travel. The first
photo memory that I have of myself fishing is as a one-year-old in a homemade backpack on my father’s back in the Big Wood River north of Ketchum. I appreciate that my dad introduced me to the water at such an early age, as I believe it has shaped my life as a teacher and a fisherman.