Don
caught his first fish on a fly over 40 years ago. The following decades
have been filled with angling travels and adventures. Growing up in rural
Northern California, Don had the opportunity to hone his skills on the
famous trout waters of the Sierras and Cascades, as well as numerous bass
ponds, canals, reservoirs, ocean waters, steelhead and salmon streams of
the Pacific Northwest. By the age of 15, Don was regularly catching
trout, salmon and steelhead on a fly rod. Moving closer to the Oregon
border, and later to Nevada, Don was fortunate to live near and frequently
fish rivers like the McCloud, Upper Sac, Hat Creek, Klamath, Smith,
Truckee, Walker, Carson and dozens of others. Guiding family and friends
since those early years, Don began a professional fly fishing career in
the early 80’s, while living and guiding in Alaska. Later travels took
him (and return him) to Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Idaho,
Wyoming, Montana, British Columbia, East to the Beaverkill, Battenkill,
AuSable, Delaware, and many waters in-between. More recently he has begun
to explore the Caribbean for bonefish and tarpon. A blood relative of
“Old Bill Williams”, famed trapper friend of Kit Carson and fellow guide
to John C. Freemont, Don’s roots to guiding, exploring and Western life
run deep. He enjoys teaching by sharing his knowledge and love of fly
fishing, fish and the environments they are found in. Don has taught
thousands of men, women and children of all ages to fly fish, to refine
their skills and to become better stewards of the rivers.
Don now lives in the Mountain
Home area where he has been guiding throughout the White River drainage since
the mid '90's.
He has sunk in some deep roots and become one of the best known and most
successful fly fishing guides in North Central Arkansas. In addition to
his guiding business, Don was an instructor for the Whitlock Fly Fishing
School during the years it was located in Arkansas. Don believes that a
day spent on the river should be informative, relaxing, low pressure,
productive, safe and most of all--fun! Although his main guiding focus
is on the trout and smallmouth streams of Northern Arkansas, Don regularly
guides in Southern Missouri and occasionally will still outfit backpacking
trips into the High Sierras for golden trout. Future destination trips
are likely—stay tuned. Don finds the Ozarks to be a great home base.
He enjoys the people, the land and the constantly changing seasons and
scenery.
Don says, with all of the
many fishing opportunities and outdoor pursuits that can be enjoyed in our
area, that there is not enough time in any one year to do them all. Certainly
it’s impossible for an outdoorsman to be bored in the Ozarks. In addition to
his fly fishing career, Don also has a successful real estate business geared
toward the outdoorsman. He specializes in ranches, resorts, river and lake
homes and investment properties. Don has helped many people to retire in the
Ozarks, to re-locate here or to find the perfect vacation and investment
properties. If you are considering a move to, or an investment in, our area,
you may contact Don at: 870-404-2912.
