Meet your Fly Fishing Academy Instructors

Capt Perry McDougald

Captain Perry McDougald is a fly fishing guide out of Swansboro, North Carolina.  He owes his love of fly fishing to his father, who taught him the wild and mysterious ways of catching bass and bluegill on his grandmothers pond in Bladen County, NC.  His love of fly fishing took ahold of him while attending college at Appalachian State University and eventually sank its teeth forever into him while he lived in Vail, Colorado.  Captain Perry spent several years chasing native Cutthroat, Brook Trout and giant Rainbow and Brown Trout in the mountains, but eventually found his way back home to the saltwater.  Today, Captain Perry runs McFly Fishing, and guides anglers through marsh and nearshore waters in search of the fish of a lifetime.  In 2023 Perry opened the doors to a new fly shop in Swansboro, Sound Side Outfitters.​

Capt Dallas Thomas

​Born and raised in the mountains of Colorado, Dallas was taught to fly fish by his mother at 9 years old on the rivers and creeks near the family cabin in Deckers, CO. 23 years later his passion and drive for the next big catch, along with the stories of tailing redfish and massive albacore blitzes from his best friend Capt. Perry McDougald, brought him to the coastline of North Carolina. In 2009, Dallas started his career in the fly fishing industry at a fly shop in Vail, Colorado where he met Perry. Dallas worked for Gore Creek Fly Fisherman for 8 years as a part time guide and shop employee, eventually becoming the GM for the last 3 years. His eagerness and drive to catch fish and passion to teach others about fly fishing only strengthens his love of fly fishing. These days Dallas can be found on a skiff in search of the next fish, on the vise tying the next “killer pattern”, or planning the next trip for another catch of a lifetime.

Capt John Mauser

Captain John Mauser is a fly fishing guide out of Swansboro, North Carolina.  He has been fishing the waters of North Carolina for over thirty years.  John spent his early years on the Chowan River in the North East part of the state hunting for bluegill and bass.  The Chowan river was also the location where he first cast a fly rod…throwing little popping bugs at lily pads in search of bass.  In his teenage years, he became more familiar with the great saltwater fishing available along the coast.  Although Mauser has called the waters around Swansboro his home for the last 20 years, he has also spent time fly fishing the Bahamas, Florida Keys and Louisiana.   John is also the founder of Mauser Fly Fishing, a manufacturer of high end USA made fly rods.  Check out his podcast, True Tails Fishing, on your favorite podcast platform.