It’s not just us ordinary folk who are wholly or mildly obsessed with fly fishing, some of the most famous people in the world are also a little bit obsessed with this amazing sport and spend a lot of their spare time doing it.
Among these 25 celebrities who love going fly fishing, we have saltwater anglers, smallmouth bass fishing specialists, and more.
1. Brad Pitt
Let’s start with the most obvious of all the fly fishing celebrities, Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt became a fly fisherman when he had to learn how to use a fly rod to catch trout in Montana for the film “A River Runs Through It,” the most significant cult movie fly fishing ever seen.
Having spent time fly fishing on the rivers of Montana, Brad grew to love fishing as he could find peace on the river. Now, Brad returns to his favorite fishing spots with his wife and kids for a little quiet time outdoors.
2. Harrison Ford
Actor Harrison Ford, aka Indiana Jones, has been a fly fisherman for many years and follows his passion as much as he can. He owns a ranch in Wyoming, flies his plane up there, and fishes the Snake River often, but not as usually as he’d like.
It’s nice to picture Indiana taking a break from his adventures, hunting and catching trout in his favorite place.
3. Jimmy Buffett
Musician and actor Jimmy Buffet is a serious saltwater fly angler, and considering his home is in Plam Beach, Florida, it’s not hard to see him taking full advantage of tarpon season with a fly rod. He is often on a fishing boat ready to fly fish on the flats and has caught most saltwater flat fish species in the world.
Jimmy doesn’t just love fishing the flats and makes trips out west to Montana to catch trout in the stunning rivers with his friends.
4. Barack Obama
Barack Obama is a guy who loves to spend his spare time out on a river in search of a fish or two, and you can’t blame him. After his term as president, he needs as much stress relief as possible, and there is no better therapy than being able to fly fish for a couple of hours.
5. Emma Watson
Fly fishing is a passion Emma Watson picked up from her father while growing up in the UK, and boy, can she fly fish. She loves going down to her local river and she enjoys tieing flies too and works closes with the Wild Trout Trust and donates her flies which are auctioned off to help fund the charity, go Emma!
6. Oprah Winfrey
Host Oprah Winfrey spends less time fly fishing than she’d like, but she loves to fly fish. There is that famous Oprah Winfrey photo where she went camping out in Yosemite and tried fly fishing for the first time, after which she was hooked.
7. Huey Lewis
His father taught Huey Lewis, the famous musician, to rock a fly rod back in California. He now spends his time having fun on his ranch in Montana, taking shots at rising fish. This is a person who can push a line and would take a guide on.
8. Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton loves to take a break from acting and directing by fly fishing. It’s a serious passion of his, so much so that he spends time with and donates finances to the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, which isch people and kids the importance of protecting these species.
9. Eric Clapton
Rock legend Eric Clapton loves fly fishing and has traveled the world to do it. He is a famous fisherman in Iceland. Eric has landed some of the biggest salmon Iceland has ever seen and returns every year thanks to his love of the outdoors and the hope of catching an even bigger salmon.
10. Henry Winkler
Henry Winkler, aka Arthur Fonzareli, is another man addicted to the outdoors and spending time hunting fish with a fly. His book “I’ve Never Met an Idiot on the River,” one of the best classic fly fishing books out there, speaks volumes and is super popular with anglers around the world.
11. Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton once said, “I still am a tomboy. I love to go fishing. I love sports. I used to play ice hockey. I think people only see the glamour and the parties, but I’m completely different when I’m at home.” She loves fishing, and there is even a fly named after her.
12. Jack Nicklaus
Pro golfer Jack Nicklaus is another man who loves to search the world for fly fishing nirvana, especially if bonefish are on the menu. It didn’t take him long to master the sport, and he has hit a point where all he wants to do is reel in bonefish all day long.
13. Jimmy Kimmel
Another talk show legend, Jimmy Kimmel, loves to be in search of a fish on a fly. Whether it’s bonefish on the flats in the Bahamas or looking for winter steelhead in Washington, Jimmy is never far away from swinging a fly through some fishy water.
14. Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner has always loved fishing and started fishing with a lure as a kid but moved to fishing with a fly. You’ll find him on many a mountain stream in search of a fish, and he doesn’t mind switching back to his lure-fishing roots from time to time, either.
15. Donald Trump JR
The son of the former president, Donald Trump Jr, loves to be outdoors, either hunting with a gun or fishing with a fly rod in his hand. Today, he’s not famous and is your regular business, many who love to fly fish.
16. Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw, the NBC news anchor, is as addicted to fishing with a fly as we are, so much so he has been fishing around the world in search of fish species most of us would only dream of being able to target. Now we know what he was up to before his nightly news segment, mastering his cast so he could take on the next permit he saw.
17. Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson has taken many fishing trips, and you can blame the Irishman, as swinging some salmon fly patterns on the Emerald Isle is in his blood. You’ll also find him fishing all over the USA, too.
18. David Beckham
David Beckham has recently taken up fly fishing, swapping his soccer boots for a fly fishing rod. He often ventures out with his sons for some time on the water to get away from it all and enjoy some solid family time.
19. Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart, who conquered the business world and knows how to get a stain out of anything, deserves a space on the outdoor channel. Martha loves fishing on the rivers out west as often as possible.
20. Zac Efron
Zac Efron started his fame with High School Musical and, most recently, in the hilarious new Baywatch with the Rock. Zac loves to go fishing in his spare time with his brother Dylan. They often head to New York to chase salmon and steelhead together.
21. Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn, an American World Cup alpine skier once on the US Ski Team, winning several severalad s, some injuries and decided to take up fly fishing instead. She loves to compete, and you’ll find her in many fly fishing competitions around the USA.
22. Luke Bryan
Like many famous country singers out there, Luke Bryan loves to cast a fly. He’s an avid smallmouth expert, which makes him stand out a bit from the crowd that sticks to the rivers out west or the flats of the Caribbean.
23. Reba McEntire
Another country singer, Reba McEntire, is also a lover of fly fishing, and she learned how to do it in the Rivers of Tennessee. She fell in love with the sport the moment she tried it and hasn’t stopped casting since.
24. Gordon Ramsay
TV personality and British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has always said that he and his brother used to fish for salmon on the Tay in Scotland to put food on the table for their struggling family. We know he can cook a salmon, and I’d love to see him catch one on a Scottish river one day.
25. George Bush Sr
Last but certainly not least is George Bush Sr, the oldest living president of the USA. George Bush Sr loved to go flats fishing in Florida, and many photos of him holding a 100lb tarpon. George Bush Sr didn’t go along either; he used to drag the whole family down to Florida to search for fish on the flats.
George Bush Sr’s passion didn’t stop there either. He loves competing in fishing tournaments and has done a lot for fishing conservation, too, trying to protect the habitats of the fish he loves.
