Our Team

Capt. Ethan Winchester, Manager/Head Guide

Born and raised in northern Michigan, Ethan has been fishing the area as long as he can remember. Ethan gained his passion for fly fishing after casting his first flies on the legendary Au Sable River. During college, Ethan fished the western Michigan tributaries extensively for trout, salmon and steelhead, spending as much time in waders as in the lecture hall. His love for coldwater resources and protecting the fisheries he loves led Ethan to founding and serving as President of the first collegiate sub-chapter of Trout Unlimited in the nation, Ferris Trout Unlimited.
After graduating from Ferris State University, his passion for the sport took him to Sweetwater Travel Company’s Fly Fishing Guide School outside of Livingston, Montana where he gained even more knowledge and skills required of today’s professional guides. During the past several seasons, Ethan has honed his skills with a fly rod and at the tying bench, even landing him the coveted position of an Alaskan guide at Kulik Lodge of the Bristol Bay region in the summer of 2010 chasing big Alaskan ‘bows.

However, his love for northern Michigan and its intimate fisheries brought him back to Boyne Country to introduce more people to the fishing he has enjoyed for much of his life. Ethan currently holds a Captain’s License with the United States Coast Guard, continues to be active in his local Trout Unlimited chapter and is a member of the Federation of Fly Fishers. Ethan enjoys teaching beginners and pushes advanced anglers to hone their skills on the river. 

If you are new to the sport, or have a passion as strong as his, Ethan will make sure you have an enjoyable experience on the water.

Contact Ethan at ewinchester@boyne.com.

Zach Ginop

Zach picked up his first fly rod while serving as the assistant caretaker of the Ford Ranch located on the Sturgeon River near Wolverine.  Within one year, he made a committment to himself to fish primarily with flies and bring a trout to hand over 15 inches...every month of the year!  Zach spends the majority of his time fishing the Sturgeon, Pigeon and Maple River watersheds where he has been perfecting the large variety of flies and techniques used to master those rivers.  Accomplished on the vice, Zach ties commercially during the winter months while not chasing steelhead across northern Michigan waters.  Zach has been guiding friends and family unofficially for several years...watching the excitement of others in the outdoors has only fed to his addiction.  Zach decided to pursue life as a guide after spending his years on the waters of northern Michigan and several trips to Colorado.

Contact Zach at zginop@boyne.com 

Reid Downey

Reid’s fly fishing addiction began on the Thunder Bay River near Atlanta over 20 years ago.  Since then, Reid has had the opportunity to chase fish in many rivers throughout the states including those in Montana, Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland.  However, he has had plenty of time on the waters here in Michigan as well including the Ausable, Pigeon, Black and Boyne.  Over the years, he has introduced friends and families to the sport and enjoys teaching folks how to cast and how to add fly fishing to their lives.  Reid recently retired from the Department of Defense and has joined the Boyne Outfitters team in the hopes of helping future fly-fishers enjoy the sport as much as he does.

Shop Dogs

Since fly fishing and bird hunting tend to go hand in hand, we love our dogs here at Boyne Outfitters!  Here are a couple of our furry friends that frequent the shop.

Luna

Luna is a traditional field-bred golden retriever that comes to us all the way from Maplehills Kennel in western Wisconsin.  She loves two things more than anything…bird-hunting & fishing.  She has been riding in drift boats since she was just a small pup, and started chasin’ birds not long after.  She loves searching for grouse in the north woods, but her favorite thing is bustin’ roosters whenever she gets the chance.  Since she is with Ethan pretty much all of the time, she is in the shop most days and enjoys when people come to see her, even though she still has a crazy puppy demeanor she hasn’t quite kicked yet!

Smokie

Black lab. 10 years old.

Likes: falling into beaver holes, 800-fill down sleeping bags, and sleeping whenever possible.

Dislikes: long walks on the beach, being used as a pillow, and pugs.