Casting Instructors: Mary Ann Dozer Mary Ann fell in love with fish, not while casting from a riverbank, but while scuba diving in the Caribbean and South Pacific with her husband, Dave. Her first fly fishing experience was in 1995 in Yellowstone Park and her passion for fishing took hold. Since then, she has spent pretty much every vacation and long weekend with a fly rod in my hand. For the past 7 years she had guided in Central Idaho and Oregon. Mary Ann s greatest love is to teach and help others learn about fly fishing. She has instructed men and women in fly fishing techniques across the west for the past fifteen years. Between guiding, classes, and casting demonstrations, she has helped over a thousand anglers improve their fly casting skills. Common accolades are: I learned a lot while having a great time. Mary Ann made it easy and her style is positive, outgoing, fun, patient, and she builds confidence. She is a natural teacher. I am a retired General Contractor with a wonderful addiction: Fly Fishing!! I left the Gear at home 9 years ago and have not gone back. I am on the Board of Directors of the Washington State Counsel of the International Federation of Fly Fishers. I am a Certified Casting Instructor and I am working towards my Master Certification. I have been working in the community spreading the Passion I have for the sport through education at such events as the Northwest Youth Conservation and Fly Fishing Academy, Puget Sound Fly Fishers weekly fly casting lessons, Cabela s Events to name a few. 253 377 1798 Robert Gerlach Jim Higgins has been fly fishing for over 50 years and has fished for many species around the world. In the last 10 years he has become interested in teaching fly casting and got his certified casting instructor credentials in 2006. Since then he has helped many throughout the Northwest become better fly casters. Jim Higgins
Jimmy LeMert a Seattle native, started fly-fishing when he was 12 years old and has been teaching fly casting classes for 35 years. He became an IFFF MCI in 2002 and has taught over 1000 fly casting clinics since that time. He has a strong passion for warm water fly-fishing as well as his local speciality fly-fishing Puget Sound for salmon and Sea-Run Cutthroat. He has owned Patrick's Fly Shop for the last 28 years and also enjoys teaching fly tying. Jimmy Lemert Chris Madison is a part time fly fishing guide. He spends his time between Bainbridge Island and Cle Elum and enjoys giving individual and small group fly casting lessons. Chris Madison Dayle Mazzarella has 44 years experience as a highly successful and award winning teacher, coach, and teacher trainer. He is an International Federation of Fly Fishers Master Certified Casting Instructor and a member of the Federation s Guide Association. Dayle has successfully presented many fly casting clinics to large and small groups of varying casting abilities across the United States. Dayle Mazzarella He has been guiding fly fishing trips in Wyoming for the past twenty-five years, and currently guides fly fishing trips in Western Wyoming from June through September. Dayle spends his Winters and Springs fishing Tampa Bay and he has fished in Baja, Alaska, South America, New Zealand, and the Bahamas.
With a lifelong interest in fly fishing, Pat has developed a dedication and passion about teaching fly fishing skills, especially casting. He is a Master Certified Casting Instructor with the International Federation of Fly Fishers (IFFF). He has offered casting classes and casting demos at many club events, IFFF regional events and at the IFFF International Conclave and is involved in the IFFF Casting Instructor Certification Program (CICP). Pat is a member of and has served as President of the Washington Fly Fishing Club and of the Overlake Fly Fishing Club. He serves on the Board of the Washington State Council IFFF. He teaches group and private lessons and can be contacted at patpeterman@gmail.com P.S. Don t expect to find him doing any of the above during Steelhead season. Pat Peterman Molly started teaching fly-casting back in the 80 s after she left the Midwest and landed in Utah. In 2000, Molly and her family moved to Livingston Montana where she began a 15-year guiding career. During this time, Molly started Tie The Knot Fly Fishing, became an outfitter and Master Certified Casting Instructor through the IFFF. Another move took her further west to Birch Bay Washington. A Two- Handed fly rod is now her go to method in the PNW. Molly has a recent book out titled 25 Best Off-the-Beaten Path Montana Fly Fishing Streams by Stonefly Press. Molly is currently on the Casting Board of Governors and Board of Directors of the IFFF. Molly Semenik Don has been instructing fly casting and fly tying for 40 years. He is a Life Member of the International Federation of Fly Fishers, Washington Fly Fishing Club and Methow Valley Fly Fishers. Don is a FFF Master Certified Fly casting Instructor and a member of the IFFF Casting Board of Governors. Don served the Fair as Co-Chair of the Casting Program and will be examining Instructors. He has also mentored or examined nearly every instructor in this program. In 2013 he was awarded the Mel Krieger Casting Instruction Award by the Board of Governors of the IFFF Casting Instructor Certification Program. Don Simonson Ryan Smith Ryan has a degree in biology and has worked in publishing and conservation along with guiding fly anglers for over a decade. Currently, he is the managing owner of The Avid Angler in Seattle. And on a rare day off, you will find Ryan combing the Puget Sound beaches, chasing steelhead and searching for the next great piece of holding water. Growing up in Oregon and a few years in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming prepared him for our diverse local fishing. Ryan is a certified casting instructor through the IFFF.
Todd Somsel Todd Somsel has been fly fishing since the age of 8, is member of the RL Winston Prostaff, former fishing guide, and avid fly tyer. He is a Master Certified Casting instructor and Two Hand Casting instructor. Todd is very active with the casting certification program; He has offered casting classes at IFFF regional events and at the IFFF International Conclave and is involved in the IFFF Casting Instructor Certification Program (CICP) He is a dedicated IFFF member and devotes much of his time towards single and two hand casting and fly fishing instruction. He teaches group, private lessons and can be contacted at azfishandhunt@aol.com. Walt Swanson has been fly fishing and fly tying since 1980. He has fished primarily in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska. He joined the Washington Fly Fishing Club in 1999 and has been involved in teaching their fly casting and their fly tying classes since 2000. In 2007 he became a certified casting instructor. Walt Swanson Jeff Wagner is an MCI that lives in Western Nebraska where he works for a retail chain in Planning and Inventory management. His passion is catching the fish others pursue less often. Whether that is high mountain trout or carp on the plains of Nebraska Jeff is just as passionate about the pursuit as the people and the fish. When you find him fishing it will most likely be with his family. While fishing His wife Kathleen and two daughters Maiya and Sari like to mix things up and climb, bike, camp, and collect fun bugs as his girls might say. His interest in casting is short or long with a fascination for throwing the long line. Jeff Wagner
Bill Wheeler Bill has been fly fishing about 10 years when he moved to Washington State and landed up on Lake Alice. At first he thought his eyesight was going bad because he couldn't see his fly when he cast. It turned out that his eyesight was fine, his casting was bad. So he started on a journey to become a better caster resulting in becoming an IFFF Master Certified Casting Instructor (MCI). He has had the opportunity to teach casting at the IFFF Fly Fishing Fair as well as the Ellensburg Fly Fishing Fair, Northwest Fly Tying Expo and various club and private venues. Bill is Past President of the Overlake Fly Fishing Club, edited the club newsletter and is currently VP Education for the club. Currently he can see his fly, he just wishes that more fish would see it. I have been fly fishing since 1975 and have fished from the bottom of South America to the north of Alaska. Recent fishing trips have taken me to Russia in pursuit of Atlantic salmon. I currently hold all IFFF casting certifications and hold APGAI certifications from the UK in double hand and single hand rods. I am an IFFF life member and on the casting Board of Governors. Carl Zarelli