PRO ADVISORS
Born and raised on the water! No matter if I am chasing trout and steelhead or tarpon and permit I truly enjoy every second of my time outdoors. I have spent the early part of my life exploring vast miles of water throughout Western NC to East TN. The steep, moss-covered boulder streams yield some truly beautiful trout and wildlife!
Melissa is an original resident of California. She spent her childhood years in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Melissa‘s knowledge of the outdoors blossomed in her youth spending time backpacking, hunting, and fishing for trout in the mountains. Melissa’s passion for fishing increased with family trips to Catalina Island, and deep-sea fishing with her father, catching her first shark at nine years old.
Melissa‘s family moved to West Michigan during her teenage years; continuing to hunt and fish with her mother and father. She carried her love for the outdoors through her 20s and 30s while raising her children. Melissa spent time, learning herbal plants, organic farming, and teaching survival/outdoor skills. She spent summers with her children in the Upper Peninsula. Fishing Lake Huron from the family summer home in the Les Cheneaux Island chain. She explored inland lakes and streams, chasing brook, trout, and warm water species. Backpacking the north country trail, and the porcupine mountains, honing her fishing skills and water knowledge.
Melissa’s passion for fly fishing came full circle in her late 30s. She made a move to Southwest Michigan to expand her knowledge of rivers, smallmouth bass, and begin rowing on the Kalamazoo River.
Melissa’s now lives full-time in the Upper Peninsula, Guiding at Caddish Shack guide service for smallmouth bass and trout. Her Joy is to teach and pass on her fishing knowledge and skills to clients.
When Melissa is not guiding, she is a therapist for children and young adults with ASD. Her love for serving the community comes through in all areas of her life. Helping people achieve their dreams is her ultimate goal.
Kevin Kessel
Owner, Coho Outfitters
Coho Outfitters
Kevin grew up fishing the lakes and rivers of Northern Michigan. “I believe Northwest Michigan (specifically, the Pere Marquette River) holds some of the best year-round fly fishing opportunities in the country” States Kevin.
On most days you find him on the river guiding his clients for Salmon, migratory wild Steelhead, and Trout. When not guiding clients, Kevin is a Deputy Corrections Officer for Lake County Michigan, and in 2023 was awarded Lake County Corrections Officer of the Year.
Kevin owns and operates Coho Outfitters located in Branch Michigan where he resides with his wife and son.
Dalton Snook
Owner, Flies & Pines
instagram.com/Fliesandpines
Dalton grew up fly fishing the blacksmith River in Hyrum Utah. The Blacksmith is known for its brown trout population and is a blue ribbon fishery. Dalton has loved the outdoors since he was a kid. Hunting and fishing have always brought joy to his life. Fly fishing has taken over most of Dalton’s leisure time building a strong love for being out on the river. Dalton is a self-taught fly fisherman and strives to get better every time he gets out. Along with his fiance Cait, and eleven-year-old daughter, Dalton is constantly looking for new rivers to hit and new adventures to experience. I’ve been an advocate for Meridian Fly Reels since I first started using them quite some time ago. They make an amazing reel, one which I’ve caught a lot of fish on.
Dan Paull
Owner, Guide at Alaskan Adventures
alaskan-adventures.com
Dan grew up on the shores of Lake Erie and owned a boat before he had a car. He was a first-mate on charter boats at an early age and had his own guiding business while in college. Dan was fly fishing before Brad Pitt made it cool. All the way up to today…In 2020 he guided a client to 12 new IGFA world records at his lodge on the Holitna River in Alaska and was awarded IGFA Guide of the Year in 2019 and 2020.
He has taught the skills of fly fishing, guided fly fishers throughout Colorado, Wyoming, and Alaska, and hosted fly fishers from all over the world at his lodge in Alaska.
When not on the river, you’ll find Dan making big fat steaks for the guests at his lodge and last, but not least, enjoying a great whisky and a good cigar.
Aimee Zwart
Owner, Wild By Nature Women
instagram.com/wildbynaturewomen
Aimee was born and raised in Michigan where there was a lake in every direction. As a young child, she was fishing with a can of worms and a hook which eventually led to years of conventional fishing with her own boats. In high school, after purchasing her first aluminum boat she even engineered a bike wheel to the front so she could get it in and out of the water on her own. She still wonders why she didn’t have any dates back then!
Aimee moved to Colorado 11 years ago to pursue a life of climbing and mountaineering. After repeated setbacks with injury, she decided to learn something different and picked up the fly rod for the first time several years back. She was hooked! (see what we did there) Fly fishing has been a way for her to revitalize her relationship with the outdoor world and find that connection to nature again. Now, in her extensive travels all over the country, she seeks out the local waters and enjoys learning about the fish she has yet to catch.
From hooking rainbows in the Big Horn River of Wyoming and the White River of Arkansas to watching the browns rise at home on the Colorado, Aimee has shown a passion for fly fishing that is still expanding. These days, you can still find her climbing mountains…but now she has a fly rod strapped to her pack.
Jonathan D. Williams
instagram.com/jononthefly
Jon was born in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1989 and lived in Florida until 1997, then moved to Cypress, Texas. His fondest memory and passion for fishing started at a young age when his father, David, chartered a deep-sea fishing boat from Surfside Beach, Galveston, Texas. After a grueling 70-mile trip into the Gulf, Jon used a large conventional fishing pole. With his father’s assistance, he cast only to find himself fighting a near 50 pound kingfish instantly. Kingfish! After pulling the massive Kingfish from the deep blue Gulf of Mexico, Jon’s love for fishing started.
Over the years, Jon mostly grew up conventional fishing small creeks, rivers, and Texas lakes. In 2010, Jon joined the United States Army as an Infantryman. This role has taken him all over the world, and he currently resides in Tennessee.
Here Jon discovered the beautiful rivers, creeks, and vast watersheds of Tennessee and was drawn into the alluring art of fly fishing. His newfound passion is finding himself lost on the back roads of Tennessee and Kentucky fly fishing in the tributaries and tailwaters of the Cumberland River, targeting the beautiful trout and his favorite species, the smallmouth bass. Jon is currently transitioning out of the Army to start his own outfitters, guide service, and fly shop in Tennessee.
