Today we’d like to introduce you to Capt. Dustin Pack
Hi Capt., we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Ft Myers, FL. I moved to the Brandon area when I was five—started fishing lakes and ponds of the Brandon/Valrico area starting around age seven. Didn’t come from a fishing background. My mom and my dad weren’t big outdoorsy people. I picked it up from friends around my neighborhood. We would ride our bikes to Valrico Lake and get kicked off Private Property a lot for fishing, chased by a lot of dogs too, lol. As I got older, the love of freshwater fishing evolved into saltwater fishing. After high school, I became a Master Certified Technician for Mercedes Benz. I found fly fishing in 2013. After developing skills angling with the fly rod, I became addicted to the sport pretty quickly. Buying all the gear, a fly fishing built boat etc… After four years, I found myself enjoying polling anglers to fish more than I enjoyed catching the fish myself. So in August of 2017, I started my Guiding Business Fly Tide Charters.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It is not easy starting your own business. That’s a given. But starting a Fly Fishing Guide business in an area that’s not really known for Fly Fishing is very tough. For as many bait fishing guides as the Tampa Area has, there aren’t many guides that specifically do Fly fishing. We have a world-class fishery for both spin fishing and fly fishing, but Fly Fishing is a pretty niche endeavor. Starting from scratch and developing yourself as a well known and experienced guide takes a lot of time and I have a long way to go. Every year I’m getting better and better, but it’s a game of patience, and I knew that getting into it.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a fishing guide and captain for Fly Tide Charters. I specialize in Fly Fishing and Light Tackle sight fishing. I guide inside Tampa Bay in the winter for Redfish, Snook, Trout, Triple Tail. I guide along our local beaches in the summertime for big Tarpon. Also, offer night time dock light trips in the summer. Along with being a guide, I also have a strong desire to promote a clean and healthy estuary. The Tampa Bay estuary has come a long way from the sewage spills and seagrass die-offs that were rampant in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, but we are far from perfect. We have a very polluted Hillsborough River and surrounding areas. Aside from my business, I think I’m most proud of being able to promote and educate a better ecosystem. From never using plastic bottles and doing local and isolated trash cleanups to educating my clients on how and why they should care about our waterways as well as theirs wherever they may live. I’ve recently become a board member for Tampa Bay Water Keeper with the hopes of cleaning the waterways in a city that is growing immensely.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
That blowing out candles on a birthday cake was always wild.
Pricing:
- Half Day Trips (4 Hours) $400
- 3/4 Day (6 hours) $500
- Full Day (8 Hours) $600
- Tarpon Trips $650
Contact Info:
- Email: Dustin@flytidecharters.com
- Website: Flytidecharters.com
- Instagram: @captdustinpack
- Facebook: Fly Tide Charters
Image Credits
Chad Smith Capt. Brian Jill
