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Fishing Guides



Our guides have been hand selected as the very best this area has to offer. We are fully licensed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Forest Service permitted, bonded and liability insured, and licensed for business in the county. I am proud to say that this group is the longest standing group of guides in the Eastern Sierra. We guarantee a quality and enjoyable experience. Owner operated, our guides utilize top of the line drift boats, power boats, and snowmobiles that are safe and well maintained. We will supply you with cutting edge fly fishing equipment to enhance your fishing experience. Whether you are a first-time or an advanced angler, Sierra Drifters will teach you innovative and traditional methods of how to fish our local waters. We promise to enhance and challenge your abilities no matter your level. We emphasize teaching, while providing lots of laughs and fishing memories. Our guides have performed thousands of trips over the twenty-two seasons we have been serving fly fishers in this region.  Book a trip and see why we are the most respected and well known guide group in the region.

A fisherman standing in a river holding a large steelhead trout with a mountain in the background.
A steelhead trout caught while nymph fishing.

Doug Rodricks (Owner/Operator/Guide)

Doug-R grew up in sunny southern California and would spend many summers vacationing in Yosemite National Park with his family since before he could crawl. The sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors were instilled in him at a young age as he experienced the beauty of the high country. His interest in trout fishing started at the age of 9, when he witnessed an angler reeling up a trout out of the Merced River. To this day, he still remembers the sun’s bright glare reflecting off the fish’s iridescent scales.

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Two fisherman standing in a river holding a large brown trout.A brown trout from the East Walker River.

Doug Dolan (Guide)

“Two Bug” Doug Dolan has been frequenting the waters of the Eastern and Western Sierra for most of his 45 years.  He made the full time move to Mammoth Lakes almost a decade ago to fulfill his maniacal desire to catch trout on the fly and his passion to snow ski during the winter.  If you have fished this area for more than a few times, no doubt you have seen Two Bug bendo on more than one occasion.  Doug spends 250 days a year fly fishing (he is single ladies) and spends his evenings tying custom patterns (we are attempting to get him to release his secret streamers and go public).

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A man and a kid in a boat holding a large brown trout on a lake.A brown trout from Crowley Lake.

Jerry Gilpin (Guide)

Jerry grew up in Southern California and would make the trip to Crowley Lake just about every weekend for a number of years. He finally retired from Gardena Nissan after 35 years as parts manager and moved his family to Bishop in 2005. You will find him fishing or guiding on Crowley most days of the season in his 23 foot skeeter bay boat. He enjoys taking out the first time beginner to catch their first fish on a fly rod or the seasoned expert to catch the fish of a life time. “It’s all good.” Jerry’s laid back style of guiding has made him a favorite of many Drifters Crowley addicts.

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A bearded man standing in a river holding a large brown trout.A brown trout from East Walker River.

Devin Preston (Guide)

Devin Preston grew up in Glendora, CA and found his love for fishing at the young age of 5 years old while vacationing with his family. He has spent countless summers at Lake Havasu, Lake Mojave, and the Eastern Sierra chasing striped bass, largemouth, catfish, and of course trout. He has an extensive knowledge of the Bishop and Mammoth area and knows the best spots for spending the day targeting the many species of trout the region has to offer. Devin specializes in Stillwater fishing, walk and wade river trips, and sports a 21’ Champion Bay Boat to get you to the fish safely and comfortably.

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A bearded man in a boat holding a large cutthroat trout on a lake.A cutthroat trout from Crowley Lake.

Josh Gilpin (Guide)

Josh’s love for fly fishing began at age 5, while fishing Hot Creek on vacation with his family. Josh and his father Jerry were introduced to stillwater fishing on Crowley by Tom Loe in 1997. They were both hooked from that point on.

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A man holding a massive rainbow trout on Crowley Lake.A rainbow trout from Crowley Lake.

Jay Preston (Guide)

Jay grew up in Glendora, CA and has been a fan of fishing the eastern sierra since he was a child. He would make countless trips to the area with his parents and grandfather who lived in Bishop. Crowley Lake quickly became one of Jay’s favorite areas to fish along with all the best rivers and creeks that held large trout. An avid saltwater fisherman as well, Jay can be found plying the waters off the California and Baja coast for saltwater gamefish, like tuna, yellowtail, dorado, and wahoo.

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A man holding a massive rainbow trout on the Upper Owens River.A rainbow trout from Upper Owens River.

Matt Fitzgerald (Guide)

Matt Fitzgerald grew up in Glendora, Ca and started taking an interest in fishing at a young age. He would spend many vacations in Mammoth with his parents, and it is here in the eastern sierra that he really fell in love with fishing. While Matt thoroughly enjoyed trout fishing, he also spent a lot of time on his Uncle’s boat fishing in the ocean going after larger game species like tuna and yellowtail.

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A man holding a massive rainbow trout on the shoreline of a lake.A rainbow trout from Crowley Lake.

Chris Basso (Guide)

Chris has extensive experience in the Eastern Sierra as a fly fisherman and has been making life difficult for the trout on Crowley Lake and the Eastern Sierra for many years. He is currently in the entertainment profession and has a super friendly, very upbeat personality. He spends most of his free time guiding or fishing in the Sierra and has plans to move here full time in the future. Chris has developed a reputation of breaking from the pack and finding his own water. He is an excellent teacher and has a 21’ Champion flats style bay boat to get you on the drag burning fish of Crowley Lake. Chris has been guiding several seasons and has established a significant repeat client base despite the fact he guides only part time.

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Eastern Sierra Fishing Guides