Casting Instructors
| Al Buhr has been an avid steelhead fisherman since his youth and was introduced to Spey Casting by the late Jim Green in 1982. Al has since been on the leading edge of rod and line development for many years with Sage in developing two-handed rods and with Scientific Anglers in developing Spey fly lines. In 2004, Al chaired a committee of line and rod manufacturers that established a manufacturing line-weight designation standard ratified by the Association of Fishing Tackle Manufacturer's of America. Al is an emetitus member of the Fly Fishers International (FFI) Casting Board of Governors and led the development of the Two-Handed Casting Instructor program. He is a Certified Master Casting Instructor (MCI) and Two-Handed Master Casting Instructor (THMCI). |  | ||||||||||
| Russ Carpenter is an Fly Fishers International (FFI) Certified Casting Instructor (CI) who lives in California. |  | ||||||||||
| Jon Connelly is an Fly Fishers International (FFI) Certified Master Casting Instructor (MCI) and Two-Handed Master Casting Instructor (THMCI) who lives in Oregon. When not fly casting, Jon likes to fish his home waters of the Clackamas, Sandy, and Deschutes rivers. He currently serves as Casting Coordinator and Casting Chair on the FFI Oregon Council and is also an active member of the Elbow Droppers fly casting group based in Salem, Oregon. |  | ||||||||||
| James Gruetzman is an Fly Fishers International (FFI) Certified Master Casting Instructor (MCI) and Two-Handed Casting Instructor (THCI) who lives in Oregon. When not fly casting, James likes to chase unique trout species across the United States. He currently is an active member of the Elbow Droppers fly casting group based in Salem, Oregon. |  | ||||||||||
| Marv Hahn is a Fly Fisher International member and currently a student in their Casting Instructor program who resides in Oregon. He is also a member of the Elbow Droppers fly casting group in Salem, Oregon. |  | ||||||||||
| Ron Hublitz is an Fly Fishers International (FFI) Certified Casting Instructor (CI) who lives in Oregon. He currently is an active member of the Elbow Droppers fly casting group based in Salem, Oregon. |  | ||||||||||
| Beth Jappay has been fly fishing for over 35 years, and in 2022 retired from medicine to become a full time trout bum and part time fly tying/fly casting instructor. She is currently the president of the Santiam Fly Casters in Salem Oregon, and writes a monthly column for its newsletter. She is a certified casting instructor and is working towards a two-handed certification as well. |  | ||||||||||
| Dwight “Klem” Klemin is an Fly Fishers International (FFI) Certified Master Casting Instructor (MCI) and Two-Handed Master Casting Instructor (THMCI) who lives in Oregon. Dwight has been the recipient of numerous awards over his casting career which include Mentor Of The Year award in 2014 and Mel Krieger Mentor award in 2022 by the FFI Casting Board of Governors as well as Federator of the Year award from the Oregon Council in 2008. In addition to his awards, he is the Founder and CEO of the Elbow Droppers fly casting group located in Salem, Oregon. Over the past 22 years, Dwight has been the driving force in promoting weekly casting training sessions for individuals interested in developing fly casting skills and certification training. |  | ||||||||||
| Josh Richmond is an Fly Fishers International (FFI) Certified Casting Instructor (CI) who lives in Oregon. When not fly casting, Josh likes to fish anywhere he can find fish! He currently is an active member of the Elbow Droppers fly casting group based in Salem, Oregon. |  | ||||||||||
| Dick Sagara is the owner/operator of Sagara Outdoor Products, an independent sales representative business focusing primarily on fly fishing-related products. His company is based in Portland, Oregon, representing outdoor products in OR, WA, AK, MT, ID, & WY. He has operated his sales business for 19 years. |  | ||||||||||
| Sarah Trenschel is an Fly Fishers International (FFI) Certified Casting Instructor (CI) who lives in California. | | ||||||||||
| Loc Vetter is a Fly Fishers International (FFI) Certified Casting Instructor (CI). He has been fly casting and fishing for 64 years (since age 9). A retired orthopedic surgeon, he has fished worldwide for quite a spectrum of species. Very much enjoys making casting more enjoyable for fellow anglers. |  | ||||||||||
| Jeff Graham first picked up a fly rod in Texas in August 2007 and began his journey for casting instructor certification in the summer of 2008. In 2017 he moved to Oregon and continued his journey. He tested and received his official FFI CI certification in March 2020 back home in Lake Charles and is now actively teaching fly casting in the areas around Fortworth Dallas Texas area. |  | ||||||||||
| Jim Wigington is an Fly Fishers International (FFI) Certified Master Casting Instructor (MCI) who lives in Redding, California. He is currently Editor-in-Chief of the FFI Loop Newsletter. |  | ||||||||||
| Michael Swanson is a Fly Fisher International member and currently a student in their Casting Instructor program who resides in Oregon. He enjoys spending time with his fishing buddies from Umpqua Valley Fly Fishers in Roseburg and Linn Benton Family Fly Fishers in Albany fishing the waters all over Oregon. He is also a member of the Elbow Droppers fly casting group in Salem, Oregon and volunteers with Project Healing Waters. |  | ||||||||||
| Liz Lair is working toward becoming a certified casting instructor and has been fly fishing for six years. She believes, as an angler improves their fly casting their catch rate will improve. She worked for the State of Oregon for 32 years teaching staff software in production and helped District Attorneys/Juvenile departments to obtain federal funding to offset the cost of children in foster care. |  |
