
JENNY O'BRIEN
Originally from the Seattle, Jenny has lived in Bend, OR for 6 years with her German Shorthair, Kai- the ultimate fishing buddy!
Jenny learned to love the sport of fly fishing, tagging along on adventures with her dad, fishing rivers all over the Pacific Northwest. The continual learning process associated with fly fishing is what keeps her hooked, along with exploring some of the most beautiful and remote places in the region. Her perfect fly fishing scenarios would be throwing dries for feisty rainbows while wet wading on the lower Deschutes, or cruising the flats of the Florida Keys with her family, double-hauling for tarpon.
One of her big passions is getting more women into the sport of fly fishing. In the fall of 2017, Jenny co-founded Central Oregon Lady Anglers with a few friends. The mission of the group is to get more women on the water to learn, participate in conservation efforts, and make friends with like-minded people. It has been a really fun journey and she looks forward to continuing to grow the community.

ETHAN SMITH
Fly fishing has been one of my passions ever since I was a little kid. My father introduced me and my brothers to fishing at a very young age every chance he got he’d take us out camping, fishing, and everything outdoors. Ever since I experienced the sensation of having a fish hooked on my line as a kid fishing has been my passion ever since. The perfect fly fishing scenario in my book would have to be the late summer nights under a bright moon chucking a big ole mouse fly trying to lure out big browns looking for a nighttime meal. Lucky for me I was raised in Midway, Utah and grew up only only a mile away from the river so getting out on the water and hunting some trout has always been a regular activity I’ve been able to do several times a week. i don't think i can decide on the most memorable fish I've ever caught (just too many) but i do think the most memorable fishing trip I've ever had would have to be trips going up and drifting the Green River with my father, that's where my love for fly fishing began.

DAVID KIRKPATRICK
David C Kirkpatrick works and adventures full time in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. He lives in Southern Oregon with his wife McKenzie and German Shepherd pup Finley. Fly-fishing is his passion, though he enjoys most all activities that get him outside and lives a very outdoors oriented lifestyle. David currently works for the Department of Human Services in Child Welfare and believes strongly in the importance of public service. He graduated from Oregon State University in 2014 with a degree in Social Sciences and has completed MBA coursework at Southern Oregon University. A former college athlete, David coached track and football for several years once his athletic career was over. An admitted fly-fishing addict, David first learned the ropes from his grandfather, Chuck Fisher. Chuck loves to tell a story of when they had just got back from fishing at first light to late in the afternoon. After Chuck woke up from a nap he looked out his bedroom window and saw David in the front yard with a fly rod practicing his casting. In recent years, David got connected with some buddies who helped him take fly-fishing to the next level. There is a very tight knit community of fly-fishers in Southern Oregon that don’t mind helping each other out. His favorite fish to catch on the fly are steelhead and he is fortunate enough to call some of the best steelhead rivers on the West Coast his home waters.
Instagram: @western_flywater

JARED WATSON
As an Air Force Combat Veteran, I began fly fishing upon separation from active duty military at the request of my grandfather, a Korean War Veteran, to aid in my transition and begin coping with my PTSD and TBI issues. I’ve worked in the outdoor industry for about 10 years, testing and developing gear and working in various retail platforms. I studied mechanical design engineering until I realized that fishing was my life and engineering wasn’t on that path. I’m currently on my way to obtain my PhD in Fisheries Biology.
I truly believe in the WETFLY guiding principles. I want to share fly fishing with as many people as possible and in as many places as I can, especially veterans.
If I have the opportunity to catch fish I will never turn it down no matter the style or water type. I do prefer however freshwater river fly fishing as that brings me the most joy(trout and steelhead are my favorite targets). Ice fishing is a close second; as I enjoy early mornings drinking coffee huddled around a vise tying flies and dropping them in the water for eager fish below the ice. I mainly wade when I fish, however I am a novice boat captain and can row both whitewater and drift style boats for fishing.
I volunteer with Project Healing Waters Fly Fisher and I donate equipment especially flies that I tie. I have also worked with Warriors and Quiet Waters mainly through donations but I’m scheduled to volunteer next year for at least one event.

JAY STALNACKER
Jay lives, works and plays in beautiful Colorado. He has worked in public safety for the past 20-years for many local, state and federal government public safety agencies. He concluded his federal career as a USFS smokejumper. He currently works in special operations with a focus of wild land fire management, but is cross-trained as a commissioned police officer/SWAT team member, EMT and mountain search and rescue specialist.
Jay founded the non-profit organization, Warriors on the River. WOR has partnered with the fly fishing industry leaders like WETFLY along with mental health, spiritual and leaders within public safety organizations (law, fire and medical) to provide first responders with a guided fly fishing outings. The intent is to reconnect first responders with the things in life that mean most and encourage healthy hobbies like fly fishing in support of their efforts to overcome the negative psychological and physical effects of critical incident trauma.
Jay is the Pro Ambassador program Director, product development, warranty and repair service representative and Tenkara guru for WETFLY.

RAFE HANSON
Rafe Hanson is an avid outdoorsman as well as photographer who spends all his free time either hiking the mountain tops or wading in the rivers below. He is always pushing his photography and trying to get a unique angle on things. He has recently started work with the Sitka Conservation Society helping them show people how we all use public lands a little bit differently and help bring awareness of how important they are.Recently, he has brought to their attention how one of the best rivers in Sitka currently has a lot of debris left over from a dam expansion project a few years ago. A clean up of the river is in progress and most of the locals who fish the river clean it up as best they can. Protecting public waters is a huge deal to him and all his friends who use it. “its our livelihood here in Alaska, I don’t know of one person who does not use salmon as a source of food and way to generate income through fishing. So in short, Its pretty important to maintain our rivers and salmon runs.” His progression for fly fishing started rather slow but once he caught his first couple trout it was game over. he began learning everything he could about fly Fishing and he started realizing that by fly fishing, He was exploring areas he’d never been to and that only fueled the fire more for him.





