John Dietsch
Fly Fisher, Guide, Host, Producer
John Dietsch is perhaps best known in fly fishing circles for supervising of all the fly fishing scenes on the OSCAR® winning film A River Runs Through It, where he also conceived and executed the famous final fishing scene doubling for actor Brad Pitt by swimming a rapid while playing a fish. Dietsch has also appeared in or consulted on fly fishing TV commercials for brands like Mastercard, Miller Beer, Mild Seven, and T Rowe Price as well as the Netflix TV series Ozark. He has fished and worked in over thirty countries and half the states.
Listen to John Dietsch's Show...
Fly Fishing And The Transformative Power Of Nature
John Dietsch, a stuntman for Brad Pitt and fly fishing coordinator for the film A River Runs Through It, talks about our connection to the outdoors through the prism of fly fishing and investigates its transformative and healing powers. Join us and explore your connection.
Questions asked and answered during the interview:
- How did you get started in fly fishing movie production?
- Who was your mentor?
- What tasks did you have as Department Head of Fly Fishing for A River Runs Through It?
- Who did the shadowcasting in the film?
- Where did the idea come from for the final fishing scene?
- How did you get the fish to rise for the fly?
- Why were you chosen as Brad Pit's stunt double?
- How did working on this film change your life and what fly fishing means to you?
- How does the river speak to you?
Dietsch, a part-time fly fishing guide in Aspen Colorado since 1984, is also known for writing, producing, hosting and directing nearly a dozen non-fiction TV series on outdoor sports and adventure travel as well as other film projects that have garnered over twenty awards. In the genre of fly fishing, John hosted and produced the Telly® Award winning primetime TV series called Adventure Guides: Fly Fishing Edition, airing on NBC Sports and Outdoor Channel for five seasons. The series profiles guides and outfitters across the globe whose playgrounds are the rivers, mountains and oceans they champion. Dietsch also wrote, directed and co-produced a digital video project called the ESPN Interactive Fly Fishing School and developed a feature length documentary film and sizzle reel about the life of legendary angler Joe Brooks released in 2019. Dietsch founded, developed and raised private equity for Hook.tv, a digital video community based on fly fishing. He also writes prose about the sport, having co-written the award-winning book Shadowcasting and recently completing a manuscript called Graced by Waters, a collection of personal essays about the transformative power of nature, rivers and other bodies of water, in the face of loss.
John maintains relationships with top brands in the fly fishing industry including Simms, Rio, Galvin and XXXXX fly rods (he is apparently looking for a new rod company)! He has also served on the board of the local Southern California chapter of Trout Unlimited, been active in a number of non-profit organizations including Reel Recovery, and emphasizes the need for conservation practices in his work. As an inspirational speaker, John has given presentations to dozens of organizations across the globe. Today when he is not filming, teaching, writing, or enjoying time with his wife and family in Pacific Palisades, California, he can often be found guiding on the rivers of Colorado, fishing in Montana or exploring new water along his local shores.
Learn more about John at Castle Creek Productions.
