Jon Stiehl

2010-Present

Jon Stiehl was raised in Columbia, Maryland, playing in the wood lots of suburbia. The small ponds around his childhood home developed in Jon an interest in fishing with cheese balls and cane poles. He attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, and there he was able to explore his interest in the wilderness through the Blue Ridge Mountains. During his senior year at W&L, Jon got the opportunity to live at Bean’s Bottom, an off-campus house right next to a river where he first started fly fishing by borrowing a friend’s rod. That’s where he caught the fishing bug for good. After his senior year, he took part in the Knight internship in 1993, spending the summer working for Henry’s Fork Foundation. He fell in love with the fishing and rural area, and never left. Jon spent the summers and winters bartending, guiding, and fishing until 1999 when he opened TroutHunter and started his full-time residency in Island Park. He became a Friends of Harriman State Park member through his wife Jodi, who helped create the program. Being the only founder with Quickbooks knowledge, Jon was brought on board to help out with the financial and accounting side of the group. He was excited to see the completion of the Bridge Project since it showed the potential of what FHSP can do and hopes it will garner support for additional projects like restoration of the historical buildings and an enhanced trail system. Jon hopes to see an increase in community participation and support for these projects.