Texas fly fishing Captain, Matt Dodson is a native Texan with over a decade of experience guiding fly fishing around the world. From brown trout in Montana, bonefish in the Caribbean , to redfish in his backyard, Matt draws from a wide range of skills and knowledge to give you the sight fishing experience of a lifetime along the Texas Central Coast.
Early Fishing
Matt grew up fishing for bass in East Texas and hunting quail in West Texas. These two family pastimes occupied most weekends when baseball season wasn’t in full swing, but the anticipation of the Dodsons’ annual trip to Montana was what he looked forward to most. Matt started casting a fly rod on the “channels” section of the Madison River when he was seven years old. Drifting a single dry fly over a rising trout became his obsession while being taught by some of the most respected guides in Montana.
Montana
After graduating college, Matt moved to southwest Montana and began focusing on his dream of guiding fly fishing. Under the mentorship of legendary Madison River guides, Jim Allison, Mike Green, and Dave Hall, Matt not only learned the technical side of putting anglers on fish, but the intangible skills of patient instruction, critical encouragement, and providing a FUN, safe, and memorable experience even when the fish didn’t do their part.
The Switch to Saltwater
Like most freshwater fly fishermen, Matt eventually found his way to the saltwater. The idea of hunting for the fish and spotting the fish before making a cast was exciting, and through the small world of fly fishing, he was given the opportunity to learn how to guide bonefish and tarpon in a remote corner of the Caribbean between trout seasons in Montana. Again, it was Matt’s mentors that provided invaluable time on the poling platform observing more fish behavior than any other fishery could offer. Taking notes from expert anglers and novices, the learning curve was steep and rewarding. However, after years of spending large chunks of time away from his family, Matt decided to take all of his experience gained from these amazing places and people and apply them to his home state of Texas- where there are plenty of redfish, family, and enthusiastic fly anglers close by.
The Reason for it All
Matt lives in Rockport, Texas, with his wife, Maggie, their kids, Blythe and Sam, and yellow lab, Earl. When he’s not guiding, they all go fishing, chase hermit crabs, and look for dolphins.
Check out Captain Matt’s recently hosted trip to Andros Island, Bahamas. There he hosted two of the SoFly Podcast hosts, Yilma and Aldo, as they chased bonefish on the Joulters with their guide, Prince.
