2025 Presenters

Jason Randall has been an outdoor writer for over 20 years and has had feature articles appearing regularly in American Angler, as well as Fly Fisherman, Eastern Fly Fishing, Northwest Fly Fishing and many other outdoor magazines. His trout fishing book trilogy: ‘Moving Water: A Fly Fisher’s Guide to Currents’; ‘Feeding Time: A Fly Fisher’s Guide to What, Where and When Trout Eat’; and ‘Trout Sense: A Fly Fisher’s Guide to What Trout See, Hear and Smell’ reveal the depth of his passion and knowledge of the subject. His most recent book is, ‘Nymph Masters; Fly Fishing Secrets from Expert Anglers’. He appears at shows and fly fishing events throughout North America. Jason is a veterinarian certified in fish health and medicine. He is also a member of the World Aquatic Veterinary Medical Association and the Society for Freshwater Science. A native Midwesterner, Jason and Jo, his wife, live on a small farm in Northern Illinois.

Mac Brown is the owner of Mac Brown Fly Fish and Fly Fishing Guide School in Western NC. Mac created the first full-time fly fishing guide service in Western North Carolina in 1987. He is the author of Casting Angles, a detailed fly casting book for those on the journey of understanding the mechanics of the cast. Mac is a Master Casting Instructor through the Fly Fishers International. He was inducted into the Southern Fly Fishing Hall of Fame in 2017. Mac has been a pro staff member of Ross Reels, Simms, Maxima, and many other great companies for over three decades. He is an ambassador for the brands Patagonia, Temple Fork Outfitters, Regal Vise, Richardson Chest Boxes, and Scientific Anglers fishing lines.

For the past 20 years, Wayne McGee has fished across Alaska–including his “home water,” the Alagnak River, where you’ll find his Alaska Trophy Adventures Lodge. McGee doesn’t limit his fishing to Alaska, though: he has pursued everything from tigerfish and Nile perch in the Congo and Nile Rivers of Africa, to Atlantic salmon and sea trout in Norway and Scotland. In a former life McGee owned a charter boat company based in Senegal, West Africa, where he chased blue marlin, tuna, and sailfish. Today his heart is firmly fixed in Alaska’s Bristol Bay and the wild Alagnak River–and he’s eager to share the region’s beauty and bounty with you!

John van Vliet is the author of more than a dozen books, including Trout Fishing in Northeast Iowa, The Art of Fly Tying, Fly Fishing Equipment & Skills, 365 Flies, Trout Fishing in Southeast Minnesota, and his latest, Trout Fishing in Southwest Wisconsin. An avid fly angler, certified fly-casting instructor, writer, publisher, speaker and filmmaker, John has fly fished around the world. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, World Traveler magazine, Big River magazine and, most recently, Fly Fisherman magazine, where he serves as Midwest Field Editor. The trout streams of the Driftless Area are John’s home waters.

Craig Amacker is an Orvis Endorsed Guide based in Madison, WI and is the owner of guide service Madison Fly Fishing Company. He guides for trout in the southwest Wisconsin Driftless Area spring creeks, salmon and steelhead on the Lake Michigan tributaries, and smallmouth bass in the moving waters of southwest Wisconsin. He’s the Lead Instructor of the Orvis Wisconsin Fly Fishing School, and is a Fly Fishers International Certified Fly Casting Instructor.

Steve Ramirez is an award winning outdoor and conservation author who lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country. Steve’s first book, Casting Forward - Fishing Tales from the Texas Hill Country, was featured in the film Mending the Line starring Brian Cox and Sinqua Walls. His second and third books, Casting Onward – Fishing Adventures in Search of America’s Native Gamefish, and Casting Seaward: Fishing Adventures in Search of America’s Saltwater Gamefish have both received critical acclaim as an important works of outdoor adventure and conservation literature. The final installment in this four-book series, Casting Homeward: An Angler and Naturalist’s Journey to America’s Legendary Rivers was released on September 3rd, of 2024. Steve is currently working on the first book of a new Lyons Press Series which has an international focus.

Bob White is an artist and author whose work expresses a misspent youth. Consequently, he has wandered between Alaska and Patagonia for over three decades as an itinerant fishing guide, looking for gainful employment. He now paints and writes for a living; which is to say, he’s still searching. Bob was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Artist in 2009 and has received a myriad of other accolades and features throughout his career. He currently illustrates the closing column for Ducks Unlimited magazine and illustrates every issue of the Trout Unlimited magazine.

Carl Haensel is a fly fishing guide, biologist, educator, photographer, and author of the books “Fly Fishing Minnesota” and “Minnesota Fly Fishing Maps.” He has guided and taught fly fishing since 1996 and has authored over a hundred articles on fly fishing techniques, tips, flies and locations. His guide service, Namebini, operates out of Duluth, MN and covers both the North and South Shore of Lake Superior. Currently, he serves as the Northern Minnesota Vice Chair for Trout Unlimited and as the manager for the Great Waters Fly Fishing Expo.

Evan is the owner and head guide of Fishing For All LLC. He has been fishing locally his whole life and guiding for over a decade. He has guided and fished everywhere from Minnehaha Creek to Montana, and back again. Whether it’s trout, bass, pike, muskies, sunnies or carp- he loves targeting all species of fish and helping others catch them. He is also a passionate educator and community builder, and has a long career of teaching people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. At the end of the day, Evan wants you to be as excited about fishing, fish, and their ecosystems as he is.

Ted Hansen grew up on a small farm in Dillon, MT. In his youth, much of his free time was spent outdoors - hunting, fishing, and exploring the wilderness with his family. He went on to study theater, music, and visual art at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. During his twenties he served in the Peace Corps in Bulgaria and was strongly influenced by the gold leaf artworks of the Bulgaria Orthodox churches. Eventually he would return to school to earn a Masters of Art Education from the University of Minnesota in 2012 and has been an Art teacher ever since. He currently teaches Art at Anthony Middle School in Minneapolis. In 2023 Ted and his wife hiked the Continental Divide Trail, which runs from Canada to Mexico through the rocky mountains. He kept an art journal as he went and is currently working on a new body of work inspired by his experiences.

McKenna Hulslander is owner of Outcast Adventures, where she guides groups of women into the backcountry of Montana. McKenna was born and raised in Montana where her love of fly fishing took place. When she isn't on the river she has spent her time playing professional hockey overseas as well as helping coach the next generation of hockey players. She believes in the power and perspective the backcountry brings to anyone who ventures through it, and started Outcast to help others share in the love for wild places.

Luke has been targeting carp for over ten years, and 2023 will be his fourth season as owner and head guide of Freshwater Flats Guide Service, LLC in southern Wisconsin. What initially attracted Luke to carp was their notorious power, but their enduring appeal for him has been their particular behavior and the places they take him. Luke is passionate about helping customers appreciate Wisconsin's incredible wetland resources and the unique fishing opportunities presented by carp.

In spring of 2021 Stu became the owner of the Hayward Fly Fishing Company, after eight seasons guiding. He happily gives back to the rivers by serving on the board of directors at the Wild Rivers Conservancy of the St. Croix and Namekagon, and makes his home on the banks of the Namekagon River in Hayward. Stu believes that a healthy river starts with a healthy watershed and an engaged, caring river community.

The owner of the Driftless Angler, Mat has been fly fishing and working in shops since he was 14. Born and raised in Michigan, he has fished and guided all over North America with time spent in Michigan, British Columbia, and Northern New Mexico. A self described small stream junkie, Mat is always willing to share tips and techniques for fishing the Driftless and beyond.

Jason Swingen is a fly fishing guide, web developer, internet marketer, and outdoor writer. He grew up in Montana chasing mule deer and antelope, but since moving to Duluth in 2014, he has been primarily focused on catching steelhead and smallmouth bass on the fly. He is currently the Vice-President of the Gitche Gumee Chapter of Trout Unlimited, and the email campaign manager for Minnesota Trout Unlimited.

Caleb was born and raised in the mountains of East Tennessee, fishing for everything he could cast a fly to. He quickly fell in love with warmwater fly fishing and began to hone his craft targeting these species all across the country. After completing a Ph.D in Entomology and Toxicology from Iowa State University, he moved to Minnesota with his wife, Emily. Caleb is the owner and Head Guide of Regal Beagle Fly Fishing, a guide service based right here in the Twin Cities. He guides anglers to hard-fighting, trophy smallmouth bass and other warmwater species using an array of fly fishing methods out of his drift boat.

Kristen Poppleton joined MNTU as Assistant Director in January 2024. She develops and implements strategic communications for MNTU advocacy and development efforts, and engages with staff, chapters and members in advocacy, habitat and education programs. Kristen has spent her professional career working for the environment, at organizations including Climate Generation, the Science Museum of Minnesota, and the International Wolf Center.

Brent's photographs and articles about exploring the Northwoods with a fly rod have appeared in the Boundary Waters Journal and other publications. He is co-author with Carl Haensel of a forthcoming guidebook about fly fishing the BWCA and Quetico. Brent has directed numerous films and videos, including a few about fly fishing, and currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for Minnesota Trout Unlimited. A Professor of Film and Video at University of Wisconsin-Superior, Brent lives in Duluth with his fishing, canoeing, and life partner Cheri Henderson.

Catherine Smith is a board member of Fly Fishing International Women Connect and an award-winning fly caster. A native of South Dakota, Catherine has fly fished throughout North America in fresh water and salt. She is a photographer and filmmaker, and a strong advocate for women in the sport of fly fishing. She and her partner John van Vliet have spent nearly two decades traveling, fishing and documenting their journeys.

Scott Harness, owner of Feather Thief Fly Fishing Guiding & Instruction, has been pursuing his passion for fly fishing both locally and around the world for over 40 years. As a former IGFA world recorder holder – from Brook Trout to Billfish, Scott has caught them all. Scott provides personalized fly tying instruction, casting instruction, and customized guided trips. He is passionate about teaching people of all ages and backgrounds how to tie it, cast it and catch it. His hope is that others will learn to love the experience of fly fishing and all that it has to offer.

Born porteño, Patagonian by choice, Matias made his first experiences in Graphic Design and Online Marketing for several years before leaving for New Zealand for a year. Without much hesitation, once he was back in Argentina, he moved south to Patagonia where the paths of life lead him to the fly fishing universe and SET fly fishing. During the fishing season he will be the face behind the curtain, guiding your way and assisting you in every travel related matter before, during and after your trip.

Paul lives and works in Waconia, Minnesota, the unofficial fly fishing capital in Carver County. He likes to say he was a productive member of society until he discovered fly fishing. When he is not at his desk at the bank, he might just be at home behind his fly tying desk. Paul started tying flies over twelve years ago with a basic fly tying kit from Cabela’s. He was able to take what he started to learn from some books and an old Jack Dennis fly tying tape and expand on that with fly tying classes taught by John Mowery and Andy Roth at Bentley’s Fly Shop. Paul shares his passion for tying and continues to learn new patterns and techniques as part of the Laughing Trout Fly Fishing Club. Much of his tying output is donated to local Trout Unlimited chapters to support their fundraising efforts.

Monta is a teacher and guide at Orvis Endorser Driftless Fly Fishing Company in Preston, Mn. She grew up trout fishing in Michigan and Oregon. She took up fly fishing 25 years ago after discovering the trout streams of the Driftless area. Member of Trout Unlimited. Member and past Chair of Fly Fishing Women of Minnesota. Current President of Lew Jewett Fly Fishers, a Fly Fishers International Club, and current Upper Midwest Council Women Connect Liaison for Fly Fisher’s International.

To his mother’s great dismay, Peter became severely afflicted with OCFD (Obsessive Compulsive Fishing Disorder) at a very early age. He terminated his career in corporate finance to become a fly fishing guide five years ago. He started FlyDog Fly Fishing and guides on the upper St. Croix River in pursuit of smallmouth bass. The rest of the year he enjoys the privilege of fly fishing many extraordinary venues in the USA and around the world.

Paul owns PVS Angling, a guiding service, and has over forty years of angling experience on Lake Superior tributaries. He specializes in spey casting for trout and salmon on the Minnesota North Shore and Wisconsin's Brule River. Paul had a long career with the Natural Resources Conservation Service and has always strove to improve the health of our streams and rivers. He has an intimate knowledge of the area rivers, watersheds, flow patterns, hydrologic characteristics and factors this information into his angling strategies.

Mike Corrigan spent 35 years working as a Geophysicist in Alberta, Canada and guided for 10 summers; he currently lives in Winnipeg and fishes 120-150 days per year for anything with fins. Mike has travelled to many parts of the world to fly fish, including New Zealand 8 times. All of these trips are “self guided”.

Scott Struif grew up fishing for bass, muskies, and steelhead in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He guided fly fishermen for over a decade at Bristol Bay Lodge in Alaska, as well as guiding Taimen for Sweetwater Travel in Mongolia. Scott spent most of his adult life managing The Fly Angler in Blaine, MN, and fly fishing for smallmouth bass on the Mississippi River. He loves fishing surface flies! Scott is currently starting his new guiding and online business, Mad Fish Fly Company.

Chris O'Brien serves on the board of Twin Cities Trout Unlimited and volunteers with the Kinni Corridor Collaborative to support dam removal on this wild river where he has spent countless hours fishing, exploring and guiding. An experienced conservation communicator, Chris works for the nonprofit Freshwater and has also held positions with the Minnesota DNR, Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, and Emmons & Olivier Resources. He lives in Saint Paul with his wife and two boys.

Scott's love for fly tying began as a child over 40 years ago. However, he feels he's still learning new things every day. Scott enjoys instructing others to perfect their skills and especially helping others overcome their tying problems. Minnesota having so many lakes has given Scott an outstanding opportunity to create panfish and bass flies that really work. The vast array of rivers and creeks has made Minnesota trout a great target as well. Scott loves realistic fly tying and now, over the last decade, tying with foam has become a passion.