Dagur Guðmundsson

Licensed Fly Fishing Guide for the Central Coast of California

I started fishing at an early age while growing up on the windswept rock of Iceland. My parents often joke that they didn’t get to see much of me during the warmer months, as any small stream or ditch would captivate my attention for weeks on end. When I was six years old, I received a fly rod for Christmas and started tying flies with materials from pulled apart shoelaces and pillows, and the addiction we all know as fly fishing officially took hold. When my mom and I moved to California in 2005, I started bringing a 6-piece rod to school everyday since it fit in my backpack, and I would take the bus and explore the warm water ponds and freshwater creeks in the area. This was my first introduction to the fisheries of the Central Coast.

I started guiding during the summer of 2014, in the West Rangá, one of Iceland's most productive salmon rivers, and home to the most beautiful brown trout in the world. I managed to work my way into the guiding community by starting as a dishwasher when I was 17, and fishing during my off time, and it didn’t take long for my intense enthusiasm to pay off as I started filling in for other guides and in no time had a summer schedule filled with clients.

Spending my fall, winter and spring on the Central Coast of California has allowed me to fish over 300 days a year for most of my adult life, and I have explored much of what this area has to offer, and now guide here for bass, carp, surf perch and striped bass. This area has some awesome fishing in some of the most scenic areas anywhere, with the most consistently mild weather you can ask for. Whether you want to stalk carp in ankle deep water on the freshwater flats, or cast little sand crab imitations into the surf for perch, the Central Coast offers a year round fishery that should not be taken for granted, and should be utilized. I love sharing my love for the sport, the philosophy behind fly fishing, and creating awesome memories on the water.

I am a Sage, Redington, and RIO pro guide, as well as a Fishpond, Simms, and Firehole hooks pro guide and fly tier. I work with Central Coast Fly Fishing fly shop in Carmel, California, and I am an American Carp Society Official Guide.

Look forward to seeing you out on the water!