About Dupree Fly Fishing

Man fly fishing in a river, wearing sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a colorful hoodie with green trees in the background.

My name is Hayden Dupree, and my story with a fly rod starts when I was about 13 years old. Growing up on the bayous of Louisiana, fishing has always been a part of my life. From bobber fishing for panfish as a little kid, wading the bayou in the late summer catching spotted bass with a baitcaster, or running trotlines and yo-yos at night, I thought I had fished every way you could on the bayou. Then when poking around in my dad’s shop, I found a strange looking fishing rod I had never seen before. I brought it to him and asked what it was. He told me it was a fly rod. I didn’t know anything about fly fishing, I had barely even heard of it (it’s not exactly the go-to method of fishing on Louisiana’s bayous). Dad was no expert fly angler either, but he at least knew how to set one up. With the old fly rod in hand, I waded into Bayou Bartholomew’s muddy waters and gave it my best shot. After many bad casts and cypress knee hang-ups, I finally hooked up with my first bass on the fly rod. That moment changed everything. From then on whenever I would go fishing with friends, they would have spinning rods and baitcasters and I would get strange looks with my fly rod. Years later I would discover trout, and catch many more species on a fly, but it all started with those bayou spotted bass. I bring that same passion I learned on the bayou as a young teenager every day to the Little Red River.

One thing you should know about me is the greatest passion I have is my passion for Jesus. I have been a pastor since 2018, and pastoring the lovely people of Libby Road Missionary Baptist Church is what brought me to Heber Springs. Every day I’m not spending with them, or in my study preparing to teach or preach to them, I spend on the water. Pastoring is my full-time job and life’s calling. Guiding the river is just what I do on the side. But my desire is for all who fish with me, they will not only see my passion for the river, but my passion for the Lord too. So reach out and we can enjoy God’s beautiful creation together!