From time to time we like to introduce you to some of the amazing women in flyfishing today.
The Green River near Pinedale, WY is a well-kept secret and so is Rusti Christensen, the only female guide in the area. Rusti served in the Navy for 4 ½ years and then went to school at the University of Wyoming. During the summer she worked at Hack’s Tackle and Outfitters in the shop and fished with the owner and head guide every evening. If she wasn’t improving her cast and techniques, she was learning to row from the best in the business. She continued her education and the next summer (2001) began her guiding career.
After school she continued to work as a guide and had a passion for showing people the amazing gifts that are shared on the river each day. By 2007 Rusti had moved to Pinedale and started her family. In 2010, she reached out to what was at that time Two Rivers Emporium and began guiding in the summer while she worked in the IT department for the school district during the school year. She has been with what is now Two Rivers Fishing Co for over 10 years and knows every section of the river. Her favorite sections before and after the guides from Jackson Hole started making the 90-minute drive to fish these waters have changed. However, “No matter where you go, you’ll find something spectacular,” she said. Fish, moose, deer, eagles, wildflowers, large brown and rainbow trout, and a beautiful scenic view just to name a few favorites. Rusti talks about clients she has guided who have never seen Wyoming’s beauty and you can hear the passion and excitement in her voice. She loves the adventure and experience Wyoming offers and sharing it with others is as much fun as watching them land a giant trout.
As a single mom she devotes most of her time to her 14-year-old son. Special clients and requests (like the Finatical Flyfishing trip in June) bring her back to guiding each year. She also assists with Casting For Recovery, Two Rivers Women’s Rowing Clinics, BOCES women’s flyfishing classes (Sublette County, Wyoming) and others.
One of the best things about Rusti is her honest desire to help her clients do well no matter what their skill set is. She takes the time to get to know each client and design the best plan for the day. If you are a beginner she will share casting tips in the parking lot before jumping in the boat. If you want to work on a particular cast or goal….. she will do her best to make it happen. Like many experts on the bucket list waters across the west, she is always learning, always excited to talk to people and show them the best parts of her home waters. The Green River and New Fork both produce larger numbers of 20”+ browns and rainbows than other regional waters and your chances of landing these fish with Rusti are very high!
We are honored and excited to get to work with Rusti Christensen and the Two Rivers Fishing Co team for this trip June 23-27, 2022.
