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Brad Dahl

 

There are numerous reasons that I’m super excited to introduce our community member spotlight for the month of June 2022.

Brad Dahl is a legacy at AZ Fly Shop. He has been a part of the community since the beginning, he visits often, and is a great part of AZ Fly Shop. He is always willing to share his fly fishing knowledge with others. We are always excited when we see his vehicle pull up. Brad always brightens up the shop, and we are very lucky to have Brad as a community member.

I am most impressed by Brad’s commitment to his family. He has a wonderful young family, and he does an amazing job of sharing his passion for fly fishing with them. After all, my earliest and fondest memories about my life involve fishing with my Dad. I know that Brad is creating great memories for his family, and doing an amazing job of passing on his love of fly fishing. 

Brad Dahl is a gift to the world and the fly fishing community is lucky to have him.

-Chris Rich

brad-dahl-az-fly-shop

What does fly fishing mean to you? What about fly fishing offers you most satisfaction?

I absolutely love fly fishing. Fishing has always been a passion of mine. I began fishing as early as 3 or 4 years old. I remember following my Dad around Diamond Creek in the White Mountains. We didn’t fly fish at that time, but I learned to love fishing. I later leaned to fly fish and love it. I love everything about fly fishing, especially catching fish, putting in the work to find new water and figuring out how to catch fish in every situation. Challenging myself to learn new tactics and I’ve started building my own fly rods. I love spending time with my friends and family. For me, fishing is as much social as it is about catching fish. I have made life long friends and created memories with so many people that I have grown to love. The joy and anticipation of a fishing trip, whether for just a day, or several out of town, I find myself all the way to the water saying,” I am so excited!”  I absolutely love everything about fly fishing. I look forward to growing closer as a family and teaching my children life lessons through fly fishing.

What does having AZ Fly Shop in the community mean to you? 

Before the AZ Fly Shop was open, I felt that I was learning to fly fish and sharing my passion with a small community of people. The shop opened and I immediately found an extensive group of new friends and a community of passionate fly fishing “Sickos,” like myself. I knew there were a lot of us in AZ, and the Fly Shop has brought us all together. The Fly Shop is blocks away from my home. My Dad teases me that I spend so much time there that I am like Norm from the TV show Cheers. When I don’t go into the shop for a few days, the guys text or call me to make sure I am okay. I truly do love that the shop is in Phoenix. The people are the best, having a location to purchase gear, and I have made so many new friends since it has opened.

Tell us your most memorable fly fishing story

There are so many to count. From landing my first fish on the fly at the San Juan with my Dad, fishing all over Arizona, hiking into rarely touched waters, fishing around the country, and fishing all the four corner states. My favorite memory was created this past week when I took my entire family up river at Lee’s Ferry. 3 of my 4 children are old enough to wade and fish, so we got them all geared up and caught fish. My wife and baby shared in the fun from the comfort of the boat. We caught several Rainbow Trout, however the best part of the trip was sharing one of my favorite places and my passion with my favorite people. We grew closer together on this trip, and helped them to hopefully grow their own love for fly fishing.

Is there any advice or quotes that you feel everyone should hear?

Be Kind, Work Hard, and Fly Fish!

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